Heartbreak songs to listen to at the end of summer. Classic and popular summer tracks.
In this article, we’ll introduce breakup songs perfect for the end of summer.
As the season winds down, some of you might be feeling a vague uneasiness—“Will this love end when summer does…?” A summer romance you didn’t want to end.
You know you can never go back, yet you can’t help but remember.
We’ve gathered tear-jerking breakup songs just for that feeling.
When you’re hurting, breakup songs can stay close to your heart.
If you want to sort out your feelings or lose yourself in memories, give these a listen.
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Breakup songs to listen to at the end of summer. Summer classics and popular tracks (31–40)
left-right confusionYorushika
This is a song that Yorushika released digitally in July 2022.
Many of you may know it as the theme song for the film Even If This Love Disappears from the World Tonight.
Inspired by Oscar Wilde’s The Happy Prince, the piece beautifully captures the painful emotions of a protagonist whose memories with a loved one are gradually fading.
n-buna’s delicate lyrics and suis’s clear, translucent vocals gently envelop the lingering melancholy of a bittersweet love.
It’s a heartfelt ballad I recommend not only to those who have seen the film, but also to those who haven’t.
Summer Love Lifeaiko
“Natsukoi no Life,” which was featured as the 2022 Calbee Potato Chips commercial song.
It’s said to be a song Aiko wrote when she was 19—a poignant breakup ballad she nurtured for years since her youth.
As the parting approaches, the tenderness of a woman who remains composed even as she becomes certain it was true love leaves a strong impression.
And yet, the fresh sound woven by piano and brass somehow brings a gentle, liberated feeling—curiously soothing.
As summer, a season brimming with heat, draws to a close, why not steep yourself in a sentimental mood by overlaying it with the fleeting scenes of love?
the sixteenth-night moonw-inds.
This is “Izayoi no Tsuki,” the 16th single released in 2005 by the boys’ dance unit w-inds.
“Izayoi no tsuki” refers to the moon on the night after the full moon, when moonrise comes a bit later; it also signifies the day following the Mid-Autumn Moon.
Drawing on that imagery, the song portrays the bittersweet feeling of a love that seems destined to end with the close of summer—loving someone who may already have someone else.
It’s a poignant track best listened to as autumn gradually deepens.
Only youKōda Kumi
Speaking of Koda Kumi, her energetic, upbeat songs are popular, but ballads like this one are also deeply moving, aren’t they? Even when your head knows, “This love is already over…,” your heart can’t quite sort itself out, and you end up wanting to see that person—something anyone who’s experienced heartbreak can relate to.
It’s a masterpiece that captures those helplessly sad, heartrending emotions.
cotton candyback number
Released by back number in 2012, this song became explosively popular, especially among junior high and high school students.
It features the band’s hallmark and charm: realistic, concrete scene descriptions and the feelings of a somewhat shy male protagonist.
Listening to this track makes you want to go to a summer festival! And am I the only one who finds myself rooting for the guy in the song with those emotions? After listening, why not invite the person you’re interested in to a summer festival?
Heartbreak songs to listen to at the end of summer. Classic and popular summer tracks (41–50)
planetariumOtsuka Ai
When you think of summer, it’s the season for stargazing—like during Tanabata—when we look up at the night sky.
This song is a perfect heartbreak tune for a summer full of nights like that.
The low, gently flowing intro feels as if Ai Otsuka is offering a quiet prayer.
In contrast, the chorus surges with emotion while retaining a touch of unease, evoking those restless summer nights.
Another hallmark is the use of traditional Japanese instruments throughout, starting with the shakuhachi.
The shakuhachi lightens the overall mood of the track, preventing it from becoming too heavy.
HANABIHamasaki Ayumi
A heartbreak song full of lingering attachment by Japan’s iconic diva, Ayumi Hamasaki.
The more you carefully read the lyrics, the more they sink into a heart weakened by a breakup, letting you empathize and be moved.
In particular, the chorus lyrics will likely resonate deeply with anyone fresh from a breakup.
The gentle, mellow arrangement—perfect for a summer night—matches beautifully with her wistful vocals.