Breakup songs by Japanese bands: recommended classics and popular tracks

baby’s breathThis is LAST

This is LAST “Kasumisou” Music Video

This is a pop number by LAST featuring striking, vibrant brass.

Even knowing it’s a love that can never return, lingering feelings for the other person continue to swirl in the heart.

While carrying those complicated emotions, the protagonist is ultimately portrayed deciding, “I can finally start walking forward.” Released in November 2022, the track is included on the album HOME.

Its poignant lyrics, at odds with the bright sound, may well bring you to tears.

tragic heroineMy Hair is Bad

My Hair is Bad – Tragic Heroine

This song candidly portrays the pain of heartbreak and lingering attachment.

It begins with an everyday scene of visiting an ex’s home to pick up belongings.

The repeated lyric “because I still love you” powerfully conveys the inability to let go.

My Hair is Bad released this track in February 2024, and the following week they also put out “Freedom and Hysteria,” showcasing their energetic activity.

It’s recommended for those who’ve experienced a breakup or are looking for a bittersweet song.

When you want to let out the emotions deep in your heart, why not give this track a listen?

deep redMy Hair is Bad

My Hair is Bad – Deep Crimson (Official Music Video)

The raw, ego-soaked inner voice of vocalist Tomomi Shiiki is striking.

“Makka,” the song that sparked their breakthrough, grips you with lyrics that lay bare a candid, real emotional landscape.

Because it’s based on Shiiki’s own experiences, you can feel a genuine sense of heartbreak.

You can sense how serious he was about the woman he wanted to love, even if it meant leaving the long-term partner he had been with.

I×USilent Siren

[Silent Siren] “I×U” Music Video (Short Ver.) [SILENT SIREN]

This is the first single ballad by Silent Siren, a group formed by former reader models.

It’s a heartwarming winter song that sings of the loneliness of not being able to see someone you want to meet and of feelings that continue to grow.

The lyrics portray a protagonist who cherishes small memories—like the other person’s voice and little quirks—and are sure to resonate deeply with anyone thinking of a loved one far away.

Released as a single in October 2013, the track is also included on the album “31 Wonderland,” and it was selected as a POWER PLAY on Nippon TV’s Music Dragon.

The emotionally rich vocals carried by the grand sound will bring warmth to listeners’ hearts in the season when we long for human touch.

KayoGOING STEADY

Kayo — GOING STEADY

This is a song included on GOING STEADY’s 2001 album “Sakura no Uta.” To put it bluntly, “Kayo” is the name of vocalist Mineta’s ex-girlfriend (lol).

But both the music and the lyrics are wonderful.

Rather than being sad or lonely, it’s a song that has truly turned the past into a memory, and it makes you feel that she was really someone important to him.

walnutMr.Children

Mr.Children - Kurumi [Walnut]

A warm yet bittersweet song by Mr.Children, characterized by gentle yet grand melodies played on acoustic guitar, piano, and blues harp.

The lyrics, “We mustn’t turn back—let’s move forward,” inspire a sense of hope.

bright red threadPlastic Tree

Plastic Tree – Deep Red Thread [PV]

This is a single released by Plastic Tree in 2007.

“Makka na Ito” refers precisely to the red thread of fate.

When it unravels, the magic fades away… The lyrics and Ryutaro Arimura’s vocal delivery draw you powerfully into its world.