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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Songs of forbidden love. Heartrending, sad love songs (11–20)
Shitsuren feat. MatsuriTakase Tōya
A duet song by Toya Takase and Matsuri that delicately portrays the emotions of two people consumed by a forbidden love.
Within a relationship so dependent that they can’t even bring themselves to part, the contradictions and inner conflicts born from caring too much for each other are expressed with aching tenderness.
Released in June 2024, the song has resonated especially with Gen Z.
It’s a moving track that offers solace to those experiencing a bittersweet love—longing for someone while suffering under the weight of those very feelings.
ElegyHirai Ken
This is a masterpiece whose poignant love story, told from a woman’s perspective, resonates in the rich vocals of Ken Hirai.
It delicately portrays the feelings of a woman consumed by love, expressing the intense emotions of fixation on her partner and a fierce willingness to embrace even the pain of love.
Released in January 2007 as the theme song for Toho’s film Love’s Crucible, it was also included on the album FAKIN’ POP and performed at the 58th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen.
In 2021, it was covered by Fuyumi Sakamoto on her album Love Emotion, continuing to influence many artists.
It’s a song to listen to on nights after heartbreak or when you’re suffering from thoughts of someone you love.
A love I can tell no one abouterica
This love song is said to have been made for a fan with an unrequited crush.
Because it was based on real feelings, it has a super realistic vibe.
They fell in love, but the other person already has a partner, and there’s no one they can talk to.
The protagonist regrets having a forbidden love and sinks into terrible self-loathing.
Still, keeping quiet forever is too painful, so they decide to take a step forward.
No matter what kind of love it is, holding it all inside is hard, isn’t it?
A person I mustn’t fall in love withCHIHIRO
CHIHIIRO’s clear, transparent voice matches the wistful lyrics and really tugs at the heart.
In the chorus, she keeps repeating “I mustn’t fall in love,” as if she’s telling herself, making it a poignant song.
If you’re in a love that can’t come true, you’ll probably relate to it a lot.
Above the setting sunKawasaki Takaya
A poignant love song by Takaya Kawasaki that strikingly portrays a person who appears calm and quiet yet harbors passionate feelings deep inside.
Released in July 2024 as the ending theme for the TV Tokyo drama “Hidamari ga Kikoeru,” the song delicately weaves in imagery of wind, scents, and scenery to express unspoken feelings and the ache of missed connections.
It’s a recommended track for anyone who carries a faint crush yet struggles to put it into words, or for those who wish to look back on the dramatic, bittersweet trajectory of a romance.
COMPLEX BLUE – Only Love Is Too SadTHE ALFEE
This sings of a woman’s sorrow after parting from the man she loves.
He has another partner, and their relationship is forbidden.
She understands that, but she can’t help loving him deeply.
The two love each other profoundly, yet they have no choice but to part.
It’s unbearably painful, but because it’s an affair and they can’t be together openly, she has to give up…
A song of forbidden love. A heartrending, sorrowful love song (21–30)
I can’t bring myself to hate (you/it).ren
A singer-songwriter representing Gen Z, Ren, sings a song about an unattainable love.
Released in September 2021 as their first original work, it portrays a painful level of fixation—unable to sever the heart even after being betrayed.
Even knowing it’s a lie, clinging to the slightest kindness conveys a desperate feeling that makes you lose yourself.
You know you’ll never be together, yet you can’t walk away on your own.
Haven’t you ever put on a brave face to cover up those feelings that have nowhere to go?