A breakup song with great lyrics. A beautiful message that lingers in the heart.

Serenade, if anythingInoue Yosui

“Issho Serenade” — Yosui Inoue Special, 4 minutes 10 seconds

Even after a heartbreak, Yosui Inoue remains in his own world and immerses himself in it—how quintessential of him.

In “Isso Serenade,” Inoue sings, “While holding on to memories that are now far away, I’ll turn these feelings of heartbreak into a serenade and sing them—so unbearably, achingly sad.”

cherry (sweet cherry; cherry fruit)Otsuka Ai

Ai Otsuka / Sakuranbo (Short Ver.)

This signature song by Ai Otsuka—an artist beloved across generations for her familiar, sing-along voice and gentle-feeling music—expresses the happiness of being with the one you love.

It’s a great karaoke pick for women in their 20s who want to sing something fun.

Tomorrow ColorYasuda Rei

Rei Yasuda “Ashita-iro” — theme song for the TBS Tuesday drama “The Day Before the Wedding” [Available on iTunes and RecoChoku]

A signature song by Rei Yasuda, an artist beloved for her irresistibly captivating high-tone voice and the warm, evocative worlds of her music.

Packed with a message about giving your all to live for a tomorrow different from today, it’s a recommended karaoke pick for women in their twenties who are feeling down.

Christmas EveYamashita Tatsuro

Christmas Eve – Tatsuro Yamashita (Full)

Thanks to being featured in a JR commercial, Tatsuro Yamashita’s “Christmas Eve” has become a full-on Christmas staple, but it’s actually a heartbreak song.

It lightly disses Christmas—basically saying, “Even now, when my love is ending and this moment might make the breakup final, the city streets of Christmas couldn’t care less and keep cheerfully playing Jingle Bells”—while singing, “Precisely at a time like this, the heartbreak hits even harder.”

Blue Sky Pedalarashi

[Hatsune Miku] “Aozora Pedal” Arashi [cover]

Aozora Pedal, a song Shikao Suga wrote for Arashi, was used as the ending theme for the film Honey and Clover.

Later, when Suga himself did an acoustic self-cover, the lyrics—filled with the feelings and bittersweetness of those days when he rode with her on the back of his bicycle—came back into the spotlight.

sayonaraHirai Dai

Hirai Dai / sayonara (Lyric Video)

Even after the breakup, his feelings for her don’t disappear; this gentle heartbreak ballad by Dai Hirai portrays a man who, while burdened with sadness, tries to move forward.

Included on the album “Life Goes On,” released in September 2020, the song blends elements of surf music and reggae into a tender, ballad-like arrangement.

With relatable scenes—such as the final moment of holding hands as if to reaffirm a love that had grown faint, and reflections on their relationship through the changing seasons—the lyrics resonate deeply.

It’s a warm, encouraging song that moves the heart, cherishing shared memories while expressing a hopeful resolve to take a new step forward.

Rainy BlueTokunaga Hideaki

HIDEAKI TOKUNAGA – Rainy Blue

Heartbreak often hurts more not at the moment a love ends, but later—when memories ambush you: a habit, a gesture, a voice, a lingering warmth.

Those moments can be painful all over again.

Tokunaga Hideaki’s “Rainy Blue” also sings of the wistfulness of unconsciously finding yourself thinking about a former lover.