[Relatable Lyrics] Emo songs to listen to when you're stuck after a breakup or relationship troubles

tobacco / cigarette(s)Koresawa

Koresawa “Tobacco” [Music Video]

A singer-songwriter beloved for relatable, down-to-earth lyrics, Koresawa delivers a piercing song of regret.

The protagonist is portrayed desperately trying to recover the warmth of lost days from the small personal items their partner left behind.

The depictions of miscommunication—“If only I’d paid more attention to them,” “If only they had cared more about me”—will resonate painfully with anyone who has parted ways with a long-time partner.

Released in March 2017, this work is marked by its acoustic sound.

For those who feel their own shortcomings led to the breakup, this song may quietly sit with you and allow you to shed your tears.

Run through the nightsupittsu

Spitz “Riding Through the Night” Guitar Solo Performance (Singing and Playing)

Both the melody and the lyrics make me feel as if I’m watching a foreign film.

I’m drawn into Spitz’s distinctive world.

Although the lyrics seem headed toward a sad ending, I sense a certain fleeting beauty in them.

It matches Kusano’s gentle singing voice.

I want to forget.wacci

wacci “I Want to Forget” Music Video

This is a song by wacci that poignantly sings of the pain of wanting to sever memories of an ex but being unable to.

Released in July 2024, it was produced as the third installment of a three-part love song project.

It portrays a protagonist who, even while spending time with someone new, suddenly sees traces of their former lover—and the more they try to forget, the more vividly the memories return, conveying a deep sense of heartache.

If you’re nursing the pain of a breakup, it will surely hit home.

I didn’t want to know, if it meant losing it.atarayo

Atarayo – “I Didn’t Want to Know, If It Meant Losing You” (Music Video)

This piece portrays the emotional struggle of someone hurt by a lover’s betrayal, yet tormented by feelings that won’t fade.

Released by Atarayo in January 2022, it was produced as an advance single for the album “Gokuya ni Oite Tsuki wa Katarazu.” Born from a collaboration with the platform Jun-Aidan, which features real-life romance stories, the song is based on a story selected from over ten thousand submissions.

Even after being lied to repeatedly by someone you trusted, and knowing in your head that you should break up, you still can’t stop loving them.

It’s a song that will resonate with anyone carrying those contradictory feelings.

A love on the verge of witheringSuzuki Suzuki

[Passing By] A Withering Love – Suzuki Suzuki [Official Music Video]

This song poignantly portrays a couple who, after their youthful days end and they enter the working world, gradually drift apart until their relationship ends.

It’s sure to resonate with anyone in college who feels distance growing with someone important.

Released by Suzuki Suzuki in April 2021 as the final installment of their love-themed trilogy, it’s characterized by beautiful harmonies.

The lyrics, in plain and realistic language, capture the fragility of a relationship where busy days lead to fewer meetings and dwindling contact.

Its mellow tones will stay close by your side.

It’s not that I want to die.Asanomachi

It’s Not That I Want to Die / KAFU

A song whose fleeting, translucent vocals almost bring you to tears.

Its lyrics—like the soft words that slip out in the stillness before sleep—gently embrace a lonely heart.

Asanomachii’s delicate production and KAFU’s crystal-clear voice blend beautifully, creating a work that deeply moves its listeners.

Released in August 2024 and included on the album “Yoi no Machi,” this track quietly stays close to those who feel life is hard or who struggle to find where they belong, and to those whose hearts are worn out by modern society.

It’s a song to lean on when you don’t want to force yourself to look ahead, but instead wish to face your feelings just as they are.

Unfit to be a loverKoresawa

Koresawa “Unqualified as a Lover” [Music Video]

“Unfit to Be a Lover” is an answer song to Koresawa’s track “Tabako.” It was originally written for Miyuhan, a singer-songwriter from Kagawa Prefecture, and later self-covered by Koresawa.

The song portrays lovers drifting apart, as the narrator reminisces about a former partner.

Although she was the one who initiated the breakup, memories of both the disliked and cherished aspects of her ex keep flooding back.

They say the past gets romanticized, and this song poignantly captures the regret that sets in after a relationship ends.