More Than Friends, Not Quite Lovers: A Collection of Love Songs About That Delicate In-Between
“We’re closer than just ordinary friends, but we’re not lovers either…” Have you ever experienced that in-between relationship—more than friends, less than lovers?
If you both care for each other but just haven’t expressed your feelings yet, it might be a happy relationship.
But sometimes it can also be an unhealthy situation that just drags on without direction.
In this article, we’ll introduce a collection of songs that capture the complexity of that more-than-friends, not-quite-lovers dynamic.
You’re sure to find stories that mirror your own experiences and songs that resonate and move your heart.
Be sure to read the lyrics and listen while taking in each song’s story.
- [Mutual Crush Song] Stuck before confession, not quite lovers!? A love song capturing wavering emotions
- A song about friendship between men and women. A collection of friendship songs celebrating irreplaceable bonds.
- Songs that depict a teasing, suggestive attitude | Love songs to listen to when you're in unrequited love or a painful relationship
- [Love Songs] Say Goodbye to Uncertain Feelings! Love Songs to Listen to When You’re Not Sure If You Like Someone
- [Unattainable Love] A love song about two people who feel the same way but can’t be together
- [To Those in Love] Relatable Love Songs to Listen to When You’re Crushing Hard
- Bittersweet love songs to listen to when the person you like already has a girlfriend or boyfriend
- [Unrequited Love] Heart-wrenching Love Songs | A Roundup of Tear-Inducing Crush and Breakup Tracks
- Songs About Age-Gap Love: A Curated Selection of Exquisite Love Songs
- [Empathetic & Tear-Jerking] A love song about an unrequited romance
- A love song that sings about messy, muddled feelings
- [For You in Love] A Love Song Perfect for Unrequited Feelings
- An empathy song to listen to when you’re hurting and feel like a 'convenient woman'
More Than Friends, Not Quite Lovers: A Collection of Love Songs About Delicate Relationships (21–30)
Trancybiz×ZERA feat suiso
This song portrays the runaway feelings of love that can’t be contained within the bounds of friendship.
Released in September 2023, it centers on the ache of unrequited love.
The other person has a different partner, and while the singer knows their feelings won’t reach them, they still can’t hold them back.
Mizusou’s cool, sultry vocals capture that pain beautifully.
The trance-tinged dance beat stirs both elation and impatience at once.
It’s sure to resonate deeply with anyone wavering on the border between friendship and romance, or carrying feelings they’re not allowed to have.
Again (with Ai Otsuka)HIROBA
A collaborative song by HIROBA, a project led by Ikimonogakari’s Yoshiki Mizuno, and Ai Otsuka.
It was released digitally in January 2023 and included on the album HIROBA.
The track was chosen as the theme song for ABC TV’s drama Bokura no Micro na Shūmatsu (Our Micro-End), a boys’ love story about two men who were once lovers spending the ten days leading up to the end of the world.
The song delicately portrays regret toward someone from the past with whom things fell apart, along with feelings that still won’t fade.
It’s a piece that gently stays by your side when you want to look forward while reflecting on an old romance.
sign; mark; symbol; omenMr.Children
Mr.Children have sung many love songs, but one I especially recommend is Shirushi (Sign).
Its lyrics are beautiful, portraying a calm, mature love that goes beyond passion within a ballad.
I think there are few songs that depict adult romance to this extent.
ironySUPER BEAVER
This song plays out like a psychological drama, deftly portraying the contradictions and maneuvering in human relationships.
Included on the mini-album “Mannaka no Koto,” it was released in September 2017.
It carefully weaves together the complex dynamics of modern relationships—ambiguous romance, exchanges of words that conceal true intentions, and more.
The lyrics leave a deep impression as they capture the confusion of a fling turning serious and the inability to end a relationship.
Alongside the powerful rock sound that SUPER BEAVER excels at, the song expresses the subtleties of a heart swirling with diverse emotions.
It’s a highly relatable track that offers solace to those troubled by love or weighed down by the complexities of human relationships.
Having someone you likeChi-Young
More than friends, not quite lovers.
A song that hints at just that kind of relationship.
We’re always together, but I’m sure they don’t have romantic feelings for me—still, because we’re so close, I can’t give up and I keep hoping.
I really want people caught in that kind of frustrating love to give this a listen.
I’m really sorry.≠ME
The ≠ME song that portrays a bittersweet love perfectly captures the complex feelings of a protagonist struggling with a more-than-friends, not-quite-lovers relationship.
They can’t suppress their feelings, yet they don’t want to ruin what they have—a dilemma that tugs at the heart.
Included on the single “Because Summer Has Come,” released in August 2024, the track won over many fans.
It’s a song that fully showcases center Shiori Nagata’s charm, with her expressive acting in the music video also drawing attention.
It’s a perfect fit for teens who value their friendships while being swayed by budding romance.
Try singing it at karaoke and pour your feelings into it.
Ms. Hanako on a high pedestalback number
Released in June 2013, this track portrays unrequited love for a woman who feels out of reach.
Despite its upbeat, refreshing sound, it poignantly depicts the frustration of being seen only as “Acquaintance B” and the protagonist’s melancholy as he imagines what her ideal boyfriend might be like.
It maintained high positions on the Billboard JAPAN charts for an extended period, and in July 2024 surpassed 500 million cumulative streams.
In 2019, it was also featured in a Kirin Brewery “Tanrei Green Label” commercial.
The disco-style drum beat and driving melody express both the ache of unrequited love and the sparkle of youth, making it a song that gives a gentle push to those in love.