A song of forbidden love. A heartrending, sorrowful love song.
A forbidden love you can’t tell anyone about.
If you’re reading this article, perhaps you’re experiencing a similar kind of love.
If so, there are probably many painful moments.
I’ve gathered some songs I want you to hear.
They capture the pain of falling for someone who already has a lover or partner and feeling lost, or knowing it won’t come true yet being unable to give up.
When things are tough, try finding one song that stays close to your feelings.
Like when someone listens to you, it might make your heart feel just a little lighter.
- [An Adulterous Love] A love song about a secret affair you can't tell anyone about
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- [Cheating Song] A forbidden love that crossed the line — infidelity song
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- [2026] Japanese love ballads of tragic romance: classic masterpieces of sad love songs
A forbidden love song. A heartrending, sorrowful love ballad (71–80)
Unraveling Loveyama
A song that tightens your chest with yama’s faint, heartrending vocals.
It portrays the complexity of love and the pain that can’t be avoided, delicately depicting two people who hurt each other yet still love one another.
Wanting to be together but being unable to say it honestly reflects an awareness that someone is being hurt and that the relationship should not go on.
It makes you think deeply about whether happiness awaits a love forged at the cost of hurting many, and its quiet, lingering ache of unrequited love pierces the heart.
This is a track I especially recommend to those struggling with clumsy, awkward love.
I didn’t want to know, if it meant losing it.atarayo
A song where aching sadness and faint hope intersect.
Carried by Atarayo’s vocals, it gently portrays the feelings of those tormented by unrequited love.
Even after learning the truth of a lie, the growing fear of losing the one you love is striking.
Released in January 2022 as an advance single from the album “In the Polar Night, the Moon Remains Silent,” this piece was born from a collaboration with the “Junwaidan” project, drawing on an episode selected from over 10,000 submissions.
It’s a song that stands beside anyone who wants to look forward while carrying the pain of heartbreak—recommended for moments when you want to face the complex emotions deep within your heart.
You let me do as I please, and yet…arekunn
A song that resonates with the anger toward someone who only reaches out when it suits them, and the aching feeling of not being able to forget them.
In contrast to its melodic, gentle sound, the lyrics are striking for their candid, down-to-earth emotions.
Released in September 2020 and gaining buzz mainly on social media, the track is also included on Are-kun’s album “Breath.” It features the soft timbre of an acoustic guitar and an emotionally rich arrangement.
If you’re struggling with a romantic relationship, sensing your partner’s feelings drifting away but not wanting to admit it, or have been hurt by someone’s misleading behavior, you’ll likely find this deeply relatable.
A song of forbidden love. A heartrending, sorrowful love song (81–90)
Tell me you love me, even if it’s a lie.suisou gurashi
A poignant song that captures the frustration of a forbidden love.
Suisougurashi’s music portrays the feelings of people living lives as if confined to an aquarium in small urban apartments.
The lyrics delicately depict the inner conflict of a woman who missed the last train, leaving a strong impression that resonates deeply with listeners.
Released in January 2021, the track vividly illustrates the complexities of modern romance.
It’s recommended for anyone who feels the bittersweet tension of love or struggles to be honest with their own feelings.
So it wasn’t me, huh.riria.
This song, Riria.’s “It Wasn’t Me, Was It.”, pierces the heart with the feelings of the so-called ‘second woman’ seen from a woman’s perspective.
When you’re having an affair or a love you can’t tell anyone about, you probably end up bottling up a lot of emotions inside, don’t you? In this song too, there are lyrics about keeping quiet and enduring—wanting to continue the relationship—even though she sensed his actions and attitude and kind of knew what was going on.
I’m sure many people will relate.
You can also feel that, even knowing the truth, she just couldn’t help loving him so much.
worst; minimum; the lowest; awfulren
Carried by a piano melody where poignancy and fragility melt together, Ren’s translucent voice resonates throughout.
Portraying the anguish and heartache of a protagonist who can’t forget their feelings even while their lover keeps secrets, this work lays bare the inability to say anything to someone who’s crying, as well as the anxieties and frustrations lodged in both hearts.
Released in October 2022, it sparked major buzz, with a short video set against Tokyo’s night skyline—posted on social media—surpassing one million views.
With lyrics and a melody that speak to Gen Z, this song gently embraces listeners struggling with impossible love, such as affairs or unrequited feelings.
balladKetsumeishi
Ketsumeishi’s “Ballad,” a hugely popular affair song, is a masterpiece that brings you to tears from the very first notes of the intro.
The song portrays the aching feelings of a man who can do nothing but wait to hear from the woman he loves.
An affair is a relationship where even contacting each other feels forbidden… yet he truly wants to see her, to hold her—an unbearably bittersweet love that brings you to tears.
