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
- [Adultery Song] A forbidden song about an affair that sings of an impossible love
- A classic song about a forbidden love
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- [Unattainable Love] A love song about two people who feel the same way but can’t be together
- [Cheating Song] A forbidden love that crossed the line — infidelity song
- "A Love Song I Can't Tell Anyone" — a love song you can relate to when times are tough
- [Empathetic & Tear-Jerking] A love song about an unrequited romance
- A tear-jerking love song. A love song that stays close to a hurting heart.
- “I Want to See You”: A love song that makes you cry when you listen to it while you can’t meet
- [Unrequited Love] Heart-wrenching Love Songs | A Roundup of Tear-Inducing Crush and Breakup Tracks
- Tear-jerking unrequited love songs that will break your heart: timeless classics about unattainable love
- [2026] Japanese love ballads of tragic romance: classic masterpieces of sad love songs
A song of forbidden love. A heartrending, sorrowful love song (21–30)
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.
Songs of forbidden love. Heart-wrenching, sorrowful love songs (31–40)
a convenient relationshipDomura Riu
This is a song by Riu Domura that portrays the heartache and inner conflict of a forbidden love.
The story of two people bound by a relationship of convenience strikes deeply at listeners’ hearts.
The moment at dusk marks a turning point, and the image of the two of them diving into a blue room is especially memorable.
Released in February 2021, the track has garnered strong support from many fans and has been streamed thousands of times.
Afraid of being alone, yet longing for true love—this song gently embraces those complex feelings and quietly soothes your anxieties.
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”?
usmilet
A heartrending love song by milet that earnestly sings about cherishing the present moment, even while feeling anxious about possibly losing a relationship by confessing one’s feelings.
She conveys the interplay of courage and fear in taking a step forward through her signature husky voice.
Born from the album “us,” released in August 2019, this track also perfectly captures the world of the NTV Wednesday drama “Fake Affair,” for which it served as the theme song.
It gently accompanies those who struggle to express their feelings honestly to someone, or who hesitate out of a desire not to change a precious relationship.
wanderingAKASAKI
A bittersweet love story portrayed as if wandering through the city at night.
With the purity of youth and a delicate sensibility, AKASAKI sings of a heart swayed by love.
Together with a chorus that soars in the hook, it becomes a gem of a ballad that beautifully conveys guilt and yearning.
Released in April 2025, this work, though arranged simply with piano and guitar, resonates with young listeners thanks to its richly expressive vocals.
Not every love story is pure and straightforward.
This song accompanies those who wrestle with the feelings smoldering deep in their hearts and those who hesitate to find the courage to take a step forward.
MELROSE ~A Promise Not to Love~EXILE ATSUSHI
A ballad that portrays the bittersweet feelings of a man and a woman drawn to each other despite a promise not to fall in love.
The wavering heart caught between reason and emotion pairs beautifully with EXILE ATSUSHI’s deeply expressive vocals.
Released in December 2012 as his third solo single, the song is included on albums such as Music and Love Ballade.
It was also featured as the ending theme for NTV’s Sukkiri!!, garnering widespread attention.
This is a track that resonates deeply with those who relate to the complexities of adult romance or who are striving to move forward while carrying a sense of longing.