A ballad song about unrequited love

It got found out that I like you.Kasamura Tōta

I Got Caught Liking You / feat. Fukase

Released by Tota Kasamura in July 2020, this song is a poignant ballad about a protagonist who, once their feelings are discovered, chooses to “go far away.” Without using direct words of love, it delicately portrays a self-sacrificing affection—one that even fears leaving a trace of oneself in the other person’s memory.

The structure is striking too, with a calm piano-centered arrangement that swells emotionally toward the end.

It’s a track I especially recommend to anyone who has ever stepped back for the sake of someone they cared about.

Love letternatsuiro matsuri

[Original Song] Love Letter [hololive / Natsuiro Matsuri / Secret Piercing]

This track, which unveils a dark and luscious worldview that overturns her previously cheerful and bright image, is Natsuiro Matsuri’s digital single released in March 2025.

Set to a piano-and-synth sound crafted by Naisho no Pierce, it portrays a deep affection—bordering on possessiveness and obsession—that spills out precisely because it’s written like a letter.

Sung by Natsuiro Matsuri, the piece features a striking vocal performance where cuteness and madness coexist, revealing a different side of her compared to solo songs like “HiHi High Tension!” Conveying an earnest desire to know everything about the other person, it’s a perfect song to savor on nights when you want a more provocative love song than usual.

NAOHY

SOLIDEMO / NAO（HY cover）

It’s a ballad that pierces the chest with the pain of unrequited love.

The song is included on HY’s 2006 album “Confidence,” by the Okinawa-born mix-genre band, and tells a story created by vocalist Izumi Nakasone based on a close friend’s real experience.

The piece vividly portrays the inner conflict of a woman who knows the person she likes has feelings for someone else and won’t return her affection, yet she just can’t give up.

The clear, airy vocals riding over the piano melody further highlight the sorrow of a love that won’t reach its destination.

It’s a must-listen for anyone who finds themselves empathizing with the urge to cling on, even as they sense the person they love slowly changing.

YOU… feat. Izumi Nakasone (HY)Kato Miria

Miliyah Kato “YOU… feat. Izumi Nakasone (HY)”

Speaking of collaborations between powerhouse female singers, we can’t forget this song by Miliyah Kato and Izumi Nakasone of HY.

Based on real unrequited-love stories sent in by radio listeners, the two artists co-created this gem of a ballad.

Released in September 2014 as their 30th single, it was also included on the milestone 10th-anniversary album “MUSE.” The frustration of not being able to put your feelings into words, and the emotional wavering as you move toward confessing your love, come through poignantly in the harmony between Kato’s delicate vocals and Nakasone’s warm voice.

Chosen as the theme song for a radio drama, this track just might gently give you the push you need if you’re struggling with a one-sided love.

Try loving—it’s not like you’ll lose anything.neguse.

Bedhead. 'Try loving me—it won't cost you anything' Official Music Video

A one-sided crush song from a woman’s perspective crafted by Neguse., depicting unreciprocated feelings and complex emotions.

Released in April 2023, the track gained traction on social media, and by September its music video surpassed 2 million views.

In contrast to its poppy, catchy sound, the lyrics convey the weight and ache of saying “I like you.” It’s a song that offers comfort to those struggling with emotional distance or anxiety in love—highly recommended for anyone who relates to the frustration of a bittersweet crush.

Unrequited loveGENERATIONS from EXILE TRIBE

GENERATIONS from EXILE TRIBE / Unrequited Love

A coupling track to the debut single “BRAVE IT OUT,” released in November 2012, and also included on the classic album “GENERATIONS.” When you like someone, even the smallest reactions can weigh on your mind, right? This song beautifully captures the heart caught in a frustrating struggle—so wrapped up in the other person that you can’t take that first step.

The fresh vocals from GENERATIONS at the time of their debut also invite empathy, and their pure resonance is truly moving.

If you’re in the midst of a love you can’t confess, this track will stay close to your heart.

The words penned by their senior, EXILE ATSUSHI, gently permeate with the ache of a bittersweet love.

The town where you liveShimizu Shota

Shota Shimizu “The Town Where You Live” MV

This is a ballad that paints the feelings of someone who, in unguarded moments, finds themselves searching for traces of a lover who should no longer be there.

It’s a song by singer-songwriter Shota Shimizu, released in October 2010 as his eighth single.

The track is also included on the album COLORS.

You can almost picture the protagonist overlaying the face of the one they can no longer meet onto a lookalike spotted on a station platform or onto familiar cityscapes.

Imagining the city where that person lives and simply wishing to see them—those one-sided feelings are, in a way, the very essence of a lingering “unrequited love” that follows a finished romance.

The melody, like an autumn dusk—lonely yet warm—soaks into the heart.

If there’s someone you can’t forget, listening to this will surely resonate deeply.