Beautiful tear-jerking songs / songs that make you cry your eyes out

Unrequited Love Song: A heartrending love song dedicated to you who are going through a painful romance

Accompanist / Piano Instructoryuri
Accompanist pianist × piano instructor × web writer. I began piano lessons at age four and, inspired by my piano teacher, decided to pursue music. I went on to specialized music programs in high school and university, where I discovered the appeal of accompanying instrumentalists and singers. Currently, alongside teaching piano, I work mainly in my home region of Aichi as an accompanist for flute, voice, choir, and more. Through lessons, my students often introduce me to trending songs, and my hobby is trying anything on the piano—Japanese and Western pop, commercial jingles, and beyond. Since 2021, I’ve also been active as a web writer, covering music and a variety of other genres.
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSICsasashina
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSIC. JFC-certified fact-checker. I’m Sasashina, a mom currently raising an elementary schooler and a preschooler. During my student years at Kyoto College of Science and Technology, I studied a wide range of fields including sound, lighting, and video technology, building a foundation in comprehensive stage production and creative expression. After graduation, I joined a music production company, where I still work, consistently building experience in production and engaging in a variety of music-centered tasks. Currently, I mainly handle articles for children, drawing on what I’ve learned about parenting and what I feel and discover through daily interactions with my kids. I hope my work can be of help to you, even in a small way!

When you have an unrequited crush and feel like “it hurts, I want to cry,” you want to listen to songs that share those feelings, right?

In this article, we’ll introduce “tear-jerking unrequited love songs” we recommend just for you.

From the latest hits to timeless classics, every track is a gem with heartrending lyrics that sink deep into your heart.

“If I confess, we can’t go back to how we were.” “I know I should give up, but I still like you.” “We broke up, but I can’t bring myself to hate you.”

If you’re hurting from unrequited love in any of these ways, please give these songs a listen.

[Unrequited Love Songs] Heart-wrenching love songs for those going through a painful romance (111–120)

Pretending to be friendskerakera

Kerakera – Pretending to Be Friends

Pretending to be friendskerakera

It’s a song that conveys the bittersweet feeling of being close to someone you love while keeping your feelings hidden.

It was released in 2013 as the third single by the three-member music group Kerakera, known for their signature song “Star Labyrinth.” The expansive, soaring vocals draw you right in.

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I only know the last note.＝LOVE

=LOVE (Equal Love) / 15th Single 'Only Know the Last Note' [MV full]

I only know the last note.＝LOVE

=LOVE is a voice acting unit created in 2017 as the first group produced by Rino Sashihara.

Their 15th single, “I Only Know the Last Note,” drew attention for featuring the youngest member, Kiara Saito, as center.

The lyrics depict unrequited love for someone who already has a special person, and those with similar experiences may find memories overlapping with the song.

With a transparent ensemble and a wistful melody that lingers in the ears, it’s a sentimental number.

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Hoshino Takashi

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Because I’ve always loved youMerodī Chūbakku

Melody Chubak “Because I’ve Always Loved You”

Because I've always loved youMerodī Chūbakku

This song was born from 500 high school girls’ unrequited love stories.

It’s sung by Melody Chubak, a singer from Tokyo, and is included on her 2017 album “Harmony.” The lyrics are heartbreaking: afraid to say “I like you” for fear of ruining the current relationship, yet wistfully hoping the other person will notice.

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Goodbye-byeTomioka Ai

Ai Tomioka – Goodbye Bye (Music Video)

Goodbye-byeTomioka Ai

A delicate song by Ai Tomioka that sings of a love so pure it almost hurts.

The transparent vocals capture the frustrating feeling of almost closing the distance with someone, yet never quite getting there.

Even while knowing the other person has someone special, the complicated emotions of being unable to let go resonate deeply.

Released in September 2023, it captured many hearts, reaching the Top 10 on Spotify’s Viral charts in six Asian countries.

The song is memorable for its blend of English and Japanese lyrics and its catchy melodic line.

It’s a track that comforts anyone holding onto unspoken feelings for someone they love, or struggling with a love that may never come true.

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Huwie Ishizakianata wa doko ni iru no

Huwie Ishizaki – Where Are You

Huwie Ishizakianata wa doko ni iru no

Huwie Ishizaki is a singer-songwriter also known for the massive hits he wrote for Masaki Suda, such as “Sayonara Elegy” and “Niji.” “Anata wa Doko ni Iru no,” included as the opening track on his third mini-album Golden Age, was chosen as the ending theme for the TV drama Sasurai Onsen Endo Kenichi.

With lyrics about someone you can’t forget even after parting, it’s a song that many who can’t move on from heartbreak will likely relate to.

A rock tune that blends a sense of melancholy with driving momentum, it features an unforgettable guitar riff in the striking intro and an offbeat rhythm that lingers in your ears.

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Hoshino Takashi

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The word “love”THE SxPLAY

Sayuri Sugawara / The Word “Love” [PV]

The word “love”THE SxPLAY

It’s a song about the wavering feeling of “I don’t want to ruin what we have now, but I want us to be lovers.” Hailing from Akita Prefecture, the female singer THE SxPLAY, also known as Sayuri Sugawara, released it as her fourth single in 2010.

Her clear, transparent voice has a cool edge and is truly wonderful.

It was chosen as the theme song for the mystery drama “Kasouken no Onna” (Woman of the Crime Lab).

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butterflyKōda Kumi

Kumi Koda / Butterfly

butterflyKōda Kumi

Kumi Koda’s song “Butterfly” is the track that spread her image as a cool, mature woman and became the catalyst for her rise in popularity.

It’s said to embody her view on love that “every woman can become beautiful.”

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