Melancholic songs by girls' bands. Recommended masterpieces and popular tracks.
This is a playlist of bittersweet songs by girl bands.
Each track powerfully captures the unique feelings and emotions of girls in an emotive way.
Perhaps it’s a hallmark of girl bands, but although the songs are sad, they don’t feel heavy or gloomy—that’s what’s great about them.
It’s the perfect list for when you want to indulge in a touch of sentimentality.
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A girls’ band’s bittersweet songs. Recommended masterpieces and popular tracks (1–10)
moreConton Candy
A ballad that captures, with a rock sound, the feelings of being tormented by regret while looking back on a love that has ended.
Released in January 2024, this track marks a step beyond Conton Candy’s previously pop-oriented style.
The lyrics, drawn from vocalist Tsumui’s own real experiences, repeat the question of “if only I had…” and pierce the heart.
It’s a song that gently stays by the side of anyone who can’t let go of a past romance or something they’ve lost.
the ends of the earthFINLANDS
It’s a piercing track that lays heavy melodies over dependence on others, feelings of inferiority, and an unshakable loneliness.
It’s a song by FINLANDS, included on the EP “UTOPIA,” released in March 2019.
Written by Fuyuko Shioiri around the age of 22, the lyrics stand out for their candid portrayal of a romantic relationship and self-loathing.
It captures the sensation of losing one’s sense of direction while gazing at the lights of the Shuto Expressway, and the emptiness that comes with it.
If you’re someone who carries a hole in your heart that can’t be filled even when you’re with someone, give it a listen.
Tokyo ShampooHaze
When your heart is worn out by the gap between ideals and reality, this song will surely hit home.
It’s a track by Haze, a girls’ band centered around KATY, included as the first song on their mini-album “glare,” released in August 2023.
SUZUKA’s repeating keyboard phrase leaves a strong impression, and KATY’s slightly husky vocals convey the emptiness of urban life with piercing clarity.
The lights and shadows of Tokyo, along with the understated performance that reveals more flavor the more you listen, seep into a tired heart.
Give it a try when you’re exhausted from chasing your ideals.
A girls’ band’s bittersweet songs. Recommended masterpieces and popular tracks (11–20)
No way I’m going to forget it.SHISHAMO
An emotional rock number by SHISHAMO that hurls the anger and sorrow of heartbreak straight at you.
Included on the album “SHISHAMO 6,” released in January 2020, this track stands out for its unique structure, unfolding from a reggae-flavored beat into intense rock.
The protagonist’s searing emotions—crying, throwing up, and still trying to live on—pierce the heart through Asako Miyazaki’s vocals.
It’s a work that transforms the anger of heartbreak into catharsis.
sly personTETORA
This song, based on a true story, expresses the poignant inability to let go of feelings for someone you once loved.
It’s a work by TETORA, a three-piece band from Osaka.
The track was included as the B-side of the Tower Records–exclusive single “East Hills” released in April 2019, and later featured on the album “From a Corner of the Classroom” in June of the same year.
Over a simple 8-beat, medium-tempo arrangement, vocalist Sayaka Ueno’s husky, restrained delivery brings a tightening ache to the chest.
It’s sure to resonate deeply with those suffering from unrequited love or still struggling to move on after parting with someone important.
Goodbye to youKaneyori Masaru
Kaneyori Masaru is a three-piece girls’ band from Osaka.
Released in October 2023, this song vividly portrays the pain of heartbreak.
On a sleepless night, the narrator reads a manga and finds that the protagonist resembles their ex, and in that instant, all the memories come flooding back.
Those bittersweet moments are woven with delicate words.
Its easy-listening guitar rock sound is another draw.
It’s a breakup song that has resonated with many listeners.
something beautifulHump Back
Have you ever sat alone in a room, feeling as if all the sounds in the world were fading away? Closing out Hump Back’s second full album, ACHATTER, this song delicately portrays the movements of a heart trying to find something precious within the quiet.
The lyrics leave a strong impression with their compassionate gaze toward sadness and loneliness—feelings that can be left behind when we chase only fun.
It’s a track I hope you’ll listen to when your heart is tired and searching for a place to return to.