[For when you want to cry] A ballad love song. A heartbreaking love song.
Here are some ballad songs we’d love you to listen to when you feel like crying.
We’ve gathered recommended tearjerkers and full-on sob songs, including popular love songs.
If you’re hurting from love, can’t forget an ex, or you’re feeling lonely and looking for songs to listen to, this is for you.
These are all ballads that will quietly stay by your side while you cry alone.
Find the one song that matches how you feel right now, and let yourself cry as much as you need.
Crying might help you sort out your feelings, or even give you the push you need to move forward.
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[When You Want to Cry] Ballad Love Songs: Heartbreaking Romance Songs (21–30)
LemonYonezu Kenshi
This is one of Kenshi Yonezu’s hit songs, which gained attention as the theme song for the drama “Unnatural.” While it overlaps with the drama’s storyline about losing someone dear, it’s said that during production Yonezu himself lost his grandfather.
The sorrow and pain of being unable to see a loved one, and the belief that their presence remains in one’s heart forever, may well reflect Yonezu’s own feelings.
It’s a sad song, but a ballad you’ll never forget once you hear it.
PretenderOfisharu Higedan Dism
This is a song by Official HIGE DANDism that became a big hit in 2019.
It portrays the feelings of a man whose love doesn’t come to fruition—he agonizes over what he means to you and laments that he isn’t your destined person.
It’s a slightly more mature love song about having loved you after knowing both the bitter and the sweet.
Close your eyesHirai Ken
This is a song that resonates with the aching feeling of holding on forever to the memory of a beloved person you’ve lost.
It’s the 20th single by singer-songwriter Ken Hirai, known for his unique musical world, released in 2004 and written as the theme song for the film “Crying Out Love, in the Center of the World.” It topped the year-end Oricon singles chart and became a massive hit, with total shipments exceeding one million copies.
It’s a ballad overflowing with the sorrow of only being able to meet that person in memories—when closing your eyes brings their smile to mind.
If you’ve experienced parting from someone dear, or if you want to quietly reflect on the past, please give it a listen.
AiHata Motohiro
Hata Motohiro is a male singer-songwriter who accompanies himself on guitar, whose singing voice puts you in a gentle mood.
Above all, the tone of his acoustic guitar is tender and soothing.
Especially when you’re nursing a one-sided crush, the sense of distance born from your affection can leave you feeling helpless.
This song, with its straightforwardly heartrending lyrics, is the perfect love song for when you just want to cry.
Eine KleineYonezu Kenshi
Before working under his real name, Kenshi Yonezu posted original songs on Nico Nico Douga under the name “Hachi.” “Eine Kleine” is a song released in 2014 as a Kenshi Yonezu track.
Even though two people’s feelings have connected, that very fact makes the inevitable parting someday frightening.
The song opens with that sentiment.
It’s a must-listen for anyone who feels “being mutually in love is more unsettling than having a one-sided crush.”
Spot the differenceSuda Masaki
A ballad by Masaki Suda, who is active not only in his primary profession as an actor but also as a singer.
With a rock-solid lineup—lyrics, composition, and production by Kenshi Yonezu—the arrangement has been crafted into a truly beautiful ballad.
As one might expect from an actor, his vocal technique does show some rough edges compared to full-time singers, but the performance is so passionate and heartfelt that such nitpicking feels pointless.
You can fully enjoy a song brimming with emotion!
evening primroseNovelbright
This work portrays a poignant state of mind: unable to forget a once‑beloved person, the protagonist can’t help but keep chasing their lingering shadow as memories of days gone by well up.
Vocalist Yudai Takenaka’s delicate high-tone voice gently envelops the pain of a protagonist who cannot accept the breakup.
The grand sound centered on piano and strings is another highlight.
It’s a song to listen to when you want something to stay close to the pain of heartbreak, or when you can’t take a step into a new love.