A song of forbidden love. A love song about feelings that can't be stopped.
Even though you know you shouldn’t, there are some loves you just can’t stop, aren’t there…?
This article introduces love songs about holding onto feelings you can’t let go of—romances people tell you to avoid, and that you yourself know aren’t good for you.
When you don’t know what to do, listening to a song about a similar kind of love might calm your heart a little, and maybe even bring you closer to an answer.
Try finding that one song that will support your heart.
Songs of forbidden love: romance tracks about unstoppable feelings (1–10)
Lead controlnarumiya
This is a yandere love song with a cool, jazz-infused, hard-hitting sound wrapped in a suspicious atmosphere.
It portrays a warped relationship where the balance of power keeps flipping as the narrator craves the other so intensely it could be called mad love, calling out their partner’s sloppiness while still wanting to keep them close—an obsession laid bare.
The rapidly shifting song structure feels like a projection of the changing emotions.
Created entirely by the artist Narumiya—who handles lyrics, composition, and more—this piece was released in September 2024.
It’s a must-listen for anyone who loves someone so much they don’t know what to do with themselves.
I’ll take it to the grave.NEW!Arukosaito
A heartbreaking rock ballad about the end of a secret love that can’t be told to anyone, and the resolve to bury those memories deep within and keep living.
Vivid, lifelike scenes—evoking the air of everyday life and platforms of Kansai train stations—heighten the reality of an unattainable love and tighten the chest.
This song is a signature work by Arcosite, included on the album “Until It Becomes a Memory,” released in March 2022.
It later resonated widely on social media, becoming a major topic in 2023 as its annual streams surged.
Blending quiet sorrow with the unique intensity of a band, this piece will surely stay close on nights when you struggle with an unrequited relationship and want to weep alone in silence.
I like indigo.NEW!indigo la End
This song portrays the frustration of being stuck in an ambiguous relationship, unable to get closer or farther apart.
The nocturnal atmosphere that seems to conjure vivid scenes—crafted by Enon Kawatani—and the supple band ensemble beautifully color the aching feelings of love.
Released digitally in advance in May 2016 and included the following month as the opening track of indigo la End’s album “Aiiro Music,” it expresses not a dramatic confession or ending, but those inexplicable emotions that linger right beside everyday life.
It may resonate with those harboring a secret love they can’t tell anyone about, or those troubled by an unattainable romance.
From the season that feels like it will freezeNEW!Aimer
A winter song by Aimer that sings of a poignant heart trapped in an irreversible flow of time amid an icy cold.
Released in February 2017, it was chosen as the opening theme for the TV drama “Love Theft, Winter,” whose love-and-hate twists drew much attention.
An extended version was later included on her best album “BEST SELECTION ‘noir,’” and this work stands as a symbol of the darker side of her discography that carves deeply into the emotions.
Even knowing it won’t be rewarded, one cannot sever the obsession and lingering attachment that continue to burn deep inside.
It’s a quiet companion for those who bear the pain of a secret love they cannot tell anyone about.
ConcealerNEW!SUPER★DRAGON
Even if it means piling on lies and secrets, I want to protect the relationship we have now.
This SUPER★DRAGON track captures that desperate feeling closing in on your heart.
The quiet anxiety of someone living while hiding memories and emotions from the past surges alongside a bass-driven sound.
Released in November 2025, it was chosen as the ending theme for the TV drama “You Are the One at Fault.” Highlighting the dark aesthetic the group has cultivated since the album “SUPER X,” the song meshes perfectly with the mood of a love-and-hate drama.
It’s recommended for anyone burdened with an unshareable secret, yet irresistibly drawn into a forbidden love.
When you know it’s not allowed but still can’t cut ties, this is a song that gently stays close to your heart.
Quivering with sweet sighsNEW!Yoshii Kazuya
A song that weaves forbidden love and a longing that sinks deep, carried by a sound draped in a Showa-era kayō taste.
Kazuya Yoshii’s sultry vocals and unhurried sense of timing further accentuate the anguish of an unattainable love.
The piece was released in October 2025 as the theme song for the NTV drama DEEP: “From There On Is Hell,” a story of love and hate.
You can feel the mature allure of Kazuya Yoshii—also active with THE YELLOW MONKEY—in his solo work here.
It’s a track for those who have stepped into a secret relationship they can tell no one about, burdened by the fear that there’s no turning back.
Even when you know your feelings won’t be rewarded and still can’t let go, this song will gently stay by your side.
lingering scentNEW!indoor cats.
Though the romance should be over, even when I swear to forget, the memories left behind keep holding me back.
This song captures the aching feeling of a presence that should be gone and the heart-clenching emotions that linger in the room like a scent.
indoor cats., a band rooted in R&B, weave a jazzy sound centered on piano and organ that quietly seeps into unresolved memories and the aftertaste of a forbidden love.
The track appears on their first album, “Hodokenai Blue,” released in March 2024.
It’s sure to gently accompany those who are struggling with a love they just can’t cut off, and those who, late at night, hold feelings they can’t tell anyone.