Heart-Touching Unrequited Love Songs: Masterpieces That Sing of Hidden Affections

Even knowing it was an unreachable love, I couldn’t hold myself back and kept on loving.GACKT

GACKT: 'I knew it was a love that would never reach you, yet I couldn’t stop and kept on loving you...'

GACKT’s song is a heartrending love ballad infused with boundless affection.

Though it knows the feelings will never reach their destination, it gives voice to emotions that cannot be restrained.

The lyrics convey a powerful attachment to the other person, illuminated by GACKT’s profound emotional expression.

The desire to hold a loved one once more and the vow to never forget their smile are deeply moving.

It’s recommended not only for those in unrequited love, but also for anyone who wants to savor the bittersweetness of romance.

Accompanied by GACKT’s vocals, this track gently stays close to a love that may never be returned.

Let’s count your kissesKoyanagi Yuki

Let's Count Your Kisses – Yuki Koyanagi (Full)

“Anata no Kiss o Kazoemashou ~You were mine~” is Yuki Koyanagi’s debut single.

It sold a total of 736,000 copies on the Oricon charts, peaked at No.

7 on the weekly chart, ranked No.

30 on the year-end chart for 2000, and became a long-running hit.

Is this love?Hamasaki Ayumi

Ayumi Hamasaki / is this LOVE? (Short Ver.)

Known as one of Ayumi Hamasaki’s signature songs, this piece captivates with lyrics that portray the struggles and bittersweet emotions of love.

Its exploration of intense feelings for someone and the self-questioning of whether those feelings are truly love is something many listeners can relate to.

Included on a single released in April 2005, it debuted at number one and also drew attention as the song used in Morinaga’s “BAKE” commercial.

It’s a recommended track for when you want to feel the ache of unrequited love or face your own emotions.

The more you listen, the more the complexity and beauty of love will resonate in your heart.

letterHY

HY – Tegami (Official Music Video)

It’s a breakup song from a man’s perspective, and it feels like he’s still hung up on her.

As time has passed, he feels like the person he is now could have been the ideal partner for her—that part really resonated with me.

He believes he could make her happy now, but since that’s no longer possible, at the very least he hopes that when they meet again someday, they’ll both have become each other’s ideal.

First loveMurashita Kōzō

Kozo Murashita “Hatsukoi” Music Video

“Hatsukoi” (First Love) is Kozo Murashita’s fifth single and his biggest hit, selling approximately 526,000 copies according to Oricon.

It is included as the first track on his fourth album, “Hatsukoi ~Asaki Yume Mishi~.”

TAXISuzuki Kiyomi

Seimi Suzuki — TAXI

“TAXI” is a song by Kiyomi Suzuki and the second single from the album “WOMAN.” In this track, Rats & Star provide the backing vocals, while Kiyomi Suzuki sings lead.

It’s a karaoke staple.

First lovematsumura kanau

First Love – Kanau Matsumura [Official Music Video]

This is a song by Kanau Matsumura that’s packed with the sweet-and-sour feelings and frustrations of thinking about someone you like—the full spectrum of first love.

Released in June 2025, it’s a track that could be called the essence of his artistry.

The growing feelings for someone you can only meet in your dreams, the bittersweet longing that makes you take the long way home—listeners may find these emotions overlap with their own experiences.

When you like someone but can’t see them, even small things can make you anxious.

This gentle voice might softly stay by the side of that wavering heart.