My heart aches with bittersweet pain! Breakup songs I’d recommend to Gen Z
Timeless masterpieces about heartbreak have always existed in the J-POP scene.Listening can heal you, make you empathize without even realizing it, or even let you dive headfirst into your sadness—love and music are deeply connected, aren’t they?So this time, we’re introducing heartbreak songs we recommend for Gen Z!From well-known hits to hidden gems, we hope you’ll find tracks that resonate with you.
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My heart aches with bittersweet pain! Breakup songs I want to recommend to Gen Z (41–50)
somedaySaucy Dog
A straightforward, honest love song that brings the ache and poignancy of heartbreak right to your chest.
Through real-life scenes—like the deserted park at Tawarayama and the sloping road where you can see the starry sky—the memories woven together vividly portray feelings for a precious person you can never meet again.
Released in May 2017 as a track on the album “Country Road,” this piece gently embraces an unforgettable love with warm lyrics that blend in the local Shimane dialect.
Its softly resonant melody offers quiet comfort to those who want to hold their one-sided love close, and to those who can’t quite put an end to a past romance.
Hide-and-seekYuuri
A poignant ballad that likens a breakup with a live-in lover to the children’s game of hide-and-seek.
Through images of a tumbler left behind and a messy room, it vividly portrays a man’s heart steeped in emptiness and loneliness.
Yuuri’s delicate vocals, paired with a simple, guitar-centered arrangement, superbly convey the pain of heartbreak.
Released in December 2019, the recording was supervised by Hiro of MY FIRST STORY.
The music video, directed by Elizabeth Miyaji and featuring actress Yuu Kinoyama, further deepens the work’s world.
It is a gem of a love song that closely resonates with those who have just experienced a breakup or who still harbor longing for someone dear.
I saw you.≠ME
This is a summer song released in August 2025 by ≠ME, an idol group produced by Rino Sashihara.
The track portrays the bittersweet emotions of seeing the person you like together with someone else.
It reflects Sashihara’s unique sentiment of “not wanting ≠ME to have their love fulfilled,” intertwining the frustration of unrequited love with the atmosphere of late summer to create a heart-wrenching feel.
It’s a must-listen for anyone in the throes of a one-sided crush or those who want to reminisce about the delicate memories of their youth.
casual speechpirafu seijin
Rapper Pilaf Seijin, who enjoys overwhelming support especially among Gen Z, released this work, Tameguchi, in August 2025.
While Pilaf Seijin is known for many unique pieces, this song is a poignant, heartbreak-themed track that really hits home.
It depicts the shift from casual, intimate speech to formal language—once a symbol of closeness—creating a deeply moving sense of loss.
By vividly portraying memories of happier days, it highlights just how much has been lost.
If you’re nursing a broken heart, give it a listen.
Dinner Songtuki.
A song that poignantly grips the heart with the ache of heartbreak.
Since its release in September 2023, it has drawn attention as tuki.’s debut work, and the music video featuring beautiful illustrations by Posuka Demizu also became a hot topic.
It portrays the image of oneself making a loved one cry and the wavering feelings of being unable to let go nonetheless, stirring the heart with gratitude and pain toward the other person.
With an appearance on NHK’s Kōhaku Uta Gassen secured, this work has established a solid presence in the music scene despite the artist being just 15 years old.
It’s a recommended track for those who carry memories of a bittersweet romance or who want to reexamine their feelings for someone dear.
Love even your melancholyKoresawa
A heartwarming pop tune by Koresawa that delicately portrays the feelings of a girl living with the negative emotions everyone experiences.
Released in August 2020, this first single is a re-recording of a song long regarded as a legendary hidden gem.
Set to a gentle, acoustic guitar–driven sound, it conveys the strength to move forward while harboring vague anxieties and loneliness—and learning to accept them.
It’s the perfect track for anyone who resonates with the stance of not denying any feeling but choosing to love them, or for those who want to keep looking ahead even while carrying a touch of melancholy.
Stardust VenusAimer
This is a song by Aimer that overlays unforgettable memories of love onto the stars in the night sky and sings of heartache.
The lingering attachment to a precious person who has been lost and the increasingly idealized memories are delicately depicted through a fragile yet resolute voice.
Released as a single in August 2012, it is also included on the acclaimed album “Sleepless Nights.” As the theme song for the drama “Will Such a Luxury as Love Fall Upon Me?”, it enriched the story’s worldview.
The piano-and-strings sound this work possesses is sure to resonate deeply with listeners’ sentimental hearts.
If you listen on a quiet night when you want to be alone with your memories, it will surely wrap your heart in gentle warmth.