Unrequited Love Songs Recommended for High School Students | Love Songs to Listen to While Thinking of Your Crush

Only the graduation photo knowsHinatazaka46

The Only One Who Knows Is the Graduation Photo by Hinatazaka46

A song by Hinatazaka46 set in the cherry blossom–filled spring season, depicting the bittersweet feelings of a love that couldn’t be confessed on graduation day.

It tells a memorable story of hidden emotions sealed within a graduation photo and lingering regrets that won’t fade with time.

Nao Kosaka serves as center for the sixth time after a six-release interval, and the music video portrays a fantastical world of swirling cherry blossoms under the theme of a parade that heralds spring.

The single, set for release on January 29, 2025, will be available in five formats: Limited First Edition TYPE-A through TYPE-D, and a regular edition.

The song premiered at the Tokyo Dome concert on December 26, 2024, captivating the audience.

It’s a track to be heard with empathy during spring, the season of partings and new encounters.

Cherry Blossom MoonSakurazaka46

Sakurazaka46 'Sakuzuki'

A single released by Sakurazaka46 in February 2023, themed around youthful farewells and new encounters, with a poignant love depicted through the imagery of cherry blossoms that tugs at the heart.

The delicate feeling of “being unable to tell you how I feel” is entrusted to the falling blossoms, while the protagonist’s resolve to live as beautifully as a full-bloom sakura is expressed through a fleeting yet powerful melody.

In their fifth single, second-generation member Rena Moriya serves as center for the first time, and the members’ expressively nuanced performance is a major draw.

It’s a song you’ll want to hear in the spring season of partings—one that encourages young people heading into new lives, such as through transferring schools or moving on to higher education.

OrangeSMAP

Lefty Hand Cream - Full Cover of SMAP 'Orange'

A song known as one of SMAP’s hidden gems is “Orange,” the B-side to their 2000 single “Lion Heart.” The single topped the Oricon charts, and “Orange” proudly took first place in a fan poll ranking of B-sides.

The lyrics, which depict two people who care deeply for each other choosing to part ways for the sake of their future, leave listeners with a bittersweet feeling.

Many high school couples choose to break up around graduation, but if you’ve had an unrequited crush, graduation might be the perfect chance to confess your feelings.

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Hamada Takuya

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Me too,YUTORI-SEDAI

YUTORI-SEDAI – Me Too, [Official Music Video] (Theme Song for the Drama “I’m Being Toyed With by a Younger Virgin Guy”)

A ballad that poignantly portrays an unrequited love, set to the aching timbre of a piano.

Upon learning that their crush is dating a close friend, the protagonist carefully weaves their feelings as they have no choice but to give up while keeping their emotions hidden.

The more they think about the person they love, the more the pain intensifies—an experience many share as a bittersweet memory that lingers in the heart.

Included on YUTORI-SEDAI’s major first EP “blanket,” released in April 2025, this song was also chosen as the ending theme for MBS’s Drama Tokku series “I’m Being Toyed With by a Younger Virgin.” It’s a track that gently accompanies the hearts of those in one-sided love, where simply thinking of someone makes your chest tighten.

You let me do as I please, and yet…arekunn

You’re the one who let me fall for you / Arekun [Official Music Video]

A heart-wrenching love song by Are-kun that delicately portrays the feelings of a woman suffering from complex emotions after being led on and ultimately betrayed.

The protagonist falls in love and rides an emotional roller coaster in response to the other person’s behavior, while gradually sensing the loneliness of a cooling relationship.

Released in September 2020 and included on the album “Breath,” the song gained traction primarily on social media and drew widespread empathy.

It’s a resonant track that offers comfort to anyone who’s been strung along by suggestive behavior or is struggling with their feelings for someone they care about.

Kasane AiSoala

Soala – Kasaneai [Official Music Video]

Soala’s translucent vocals gently embrace the feelings that pass each other by and the wish to reunite, delicately expressing subtle emotions.

Released in January 2025 as a track on the EP “Bluem,” the song is distinguished by its piano-centered, gentle sound and memorable melodic lines.

The music video—featuring model Ryoka Orita and actor Yusei Ito—has also garnered attention, spreading waves of empathy across social media.

It’s a song I wholeheartedly recommend to anyone who carries a “what if”—wondering how things might have been if you’d met in a different way.

Sniper.Yuika

Sniper. / “Yuika” [MV]

The sweet, bittersweet vocals and lyrics that capture a girl’s heart as she can’t stop thinking about the one she likes are striking! It’s a cute love song sung by the singer-songwriter Yuika.

Many of us have experienced closely watching the actions of our crush or feeling our heart race over a small comment.

In this piece, the unique metaphor of a “sniper” is used to cleverly portray the exhilaration and restlessness of unrequited love.

Released in April 2024, the song became a big topic, especially on social media.

It’s a recommended track for anyone currently in a one-sided crush or those who want to feel the thrill of love.