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.
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A song of forbidden love. A heartrending, sorrowful love song (81–90)
Even though I love you this muchSha ran Q
One of Sharan Q’s hit songs.
It sings of the pain of loving someone single-mindedly but being unable to tell her.
The woman he loves seems to have another man she likes.
He can’t get her out of his head all day—he’s crazy about her, and it hurts.
He finally gets a chance to be alone with her and decides to act, ready to pour out the feelings he’s kept hidden! Sharan Q excels at songs about men who devote themselves to women, or slightly soft, sensitive men.
A love story with no return.sonā poketto
A song released in 2015 by the three-member music unit Sonar Pocket.
It was created as a heartbreak song following their pure love ballad “Sukidayo.
~100 Times of Regret~,” which swept various digital distribution awards in 2011.
In love, timing is everything.
Many of us have probably thought, “If only I had fallen for them sooner, we might have ended up together.” Because time can’t be turned back, this song makes you want to treasure each encounter in the moment and not put off expressing your feelings.
It also reminds us that having the courage not to step into a forbidden relationship is important.
C.O.S.M.O.S. ~Cosmos (Autumn Cherry Blossoms)~Sandaime Jē Sōru Burazāzu fromu Eguzairu Toraibu
The lyrics express the sorrow and pain of a woman and a man who, despite being in love, cannot be together, as the woman can’t stop the impulse of falling for someone she shouldn’t love.
It’s a profoundly heartrending song that captures the complex emotions of both as they struggle between their feelings and an inescapable reality.
motion sickness from proximitywanuka
This song delicately portrays a sweet yet bittersweet love and the emotions of a woman who can no longer contain those feelings.
Wanuka’s gentle vocals beautifully capture both the strength of her longing and the frustration of being unable to express it.
With this hit, Wanuka—known for a distinctive musical style and worldview—became widely recognized.
Since its release in February 2021, the song quickly gained attention, especially on social media, and as a track included on the album “Aonisai,” it has come to symbolize the poignant love stories of today.
It is a song that offers comfort to those who keep their love a secret and to those who swallow their feelings.
Bad personsenritsu kannano
A gem of a love song that beautifully captures the complex emotions of a woman torn by a forbidden love, with a heartrending vocal and delicate lyrics.
Kayayu from Young Skinny—a favorite among Gen Z—wrote the song, and Kanano Senritsu delivers a fragile, poignant performance.
Since its release in September 2024, it has resonated on social media, delicately depicting the turmoil of a woman who forgives even as she recognizes her partner’s lies, and the ache of memories that resurface with the changing seasons.
Its universal lyrics invite anyone struggling in love to see themselves in the story.
It’s a song that gently stays by the side of those overwhelmed by complicated feelings for someone who can’t exactly be called a good person.
distress (at sea/in the mountains); being lost; stranded; a disaster situationToukyou Jihen
When it comes to Tokyo Jihen songs that depict forbidden love, “Sounan” (Distress) comes to mind.
It’s also popular for the unique world Shinji Ringo creates, but if you look at the lyrics, they convey feelings of utter helplessness—as if the lovers had committed double suicide.
Even so, you can’t stop how you feel, and in the sense of staying true to love, perhaps that really is what it means.
It’s hard to treat meeting the one you love as a true love story without sugarcoating it or lamenting it too much, but when you listen to this song, don’t you feel, “I don’t want to regret meeting my destined person”?
Songs of forbidden love. A heartrending, sorrowful love song (91–100)
Dear…Nishino Kana
This is a song by Kana Nishino that conveys the pain of bittersweet affection and unrequited love.
The melancholic piano sound evokes the feeling of softly murmuring one’s sorrow, and the expansive development of the music strikingly expresses emotions overflowing.
The lyrics, which capture the inner movements of the heart when burdened with feelings that won’t reach their destination or love that cannot be fulfilled, further emphasize the poignancy.
By also depicting the ideal of “what if these feelings had reached you,” the song renders the suffering even more vividly.
