[Unrequited Love] Heart-wrenching Love Songs | A Roundup of Tear-Inducing Crush and Breakup Tracks
“Even though I know it won’t be rewarded…” Once you fall in love, it’s not so easy to stop your feelings, is it?
You tell yourself you can’t go on like this, that you have to end it, but when you see them, you just can’t hold back your love.
In this article, we introduce love songs that portray the pain of unrequited love and lay bare those unspoken feelings.
Listen to them when you’re tired of loving.
They’ll gently wrap around you, saying, “It’s tough, I know.”
- Unrequited Love Song: A heartrending love song dedicated to you who are going through a painful romance
- [Songs of Infidelity] A collection of forbidden love songs about unattainable romance
- [Unattainable Love] A love song about two people who feel the same way but can’t be together
- Bittersweet love songs to listen to when the person you like already has a girlfriend or boyfriend
- Tear-jerking unrequited love songs that will break your heart: timeless classics about unattainable love
- Unattainable Love: A Heartbreaking Love Song About Falling for a Married Person
- “I Want to See You”: A love song that makes you cry when you listen to it while you can’t meet
- Songs that depict a teasing, suggestive attitude | Love songs to listen to when you're in unrequited love or a painful relationship
- [Today's Unrequited Love Song] Guaranteed to Make Your Heart Flutter! A Sweet and Bittersweet Love Song
- A heart-wrenching story that tightens the chest! A Showa-era unrequited love song
- [To Those in Love] Relatable Love Songs to Listen to When You’re Crushing Hard
- A classic song about a forbidden love
- A song of forbidden love. A love song about feelings that can't be stopped.
[Unrequited Love] Heart-wrenching Love Songs | A Comprehensive Introduction to Tear-jerking Crush & Breakup Songs (131–140)
selling oneselfRosu

Set in a red-light district, this narrative song portrays a courtesan bearing an aching love for a man she adores.
With delicate wording, it weaves the emotions of a woman wavering between her unrequited feelings for someone who won’t even meet her gaze and the reality of living as a courtesan.
Ros’s protean vocals vividly express the poignancy and sorrow.
Released digitally in March 2022 and included on the album “Yoru no Shito,” the piece has also been tied to projects such as the drama series “My Beautiful Man.” It will resonate deeply not only with those suffering from impossible love, but with anyone who knows the bittersweet ache of loving someone relentlessly.
I don’t want to see you; I want to see you.Ueno Yūka

A ballad by Yuuka Ueno that sets painfully bittersweet scenes of heartbreak—so vivid they make your chest ache just remembering—against a simple, piano-led melody.
Six months after the breakup, the protagonist’s heart is still tangled in conflicting emotions born from being unable to forget their former lover: aching to see them, yet not wanting to.
Included on the January 2019 album “Sukina Hito wa Anata datta” (“You Were the One I Loved”), this song is sure to resonate deeply with anyone who has gone through a breakup and still hasn’t sorted out their feelings.
When they suddenly come to mind in a quiet moment, why not listen to this track and face your true feelings?
Gimmick GameNinomiya Kazunari

Depicting betrayal and mind games between a man and a woman, this song leaves a strong impression with its provocative lyrics and seductive melody.
Told from a female perspective, the lyrics intertwine suspicion toward the other person with the singer’s own wavering emotions, unsettling the listener.
Included on the first-press limited edition of the album “Dream “A” live,” it also drew attention for having lyrics and music written by Kazunari Ninomiya.
With its mysterious aura, it’s recommended when you want to immerse yourself in a world that stirs the emotions.
Bad personsenritsu kannano

A gem of a love song that beautifully captures the complex emotions of a woman torn by a forbidden love, with a heartrending vocal and delicate lyrics.
Kayayu from Young Skinny—a favorite among Gen Z—wrote the song, and Kanano Senritsu delivers a fragile, poignant performance.
Since its release in September 2024, it has resonated on social media, delicately depicting the turmoil of a woman who forgives even as she recognizes her partner’s lies, and the ache of memories that resurface with the changing seasons.
Its universal lyrics invite anyone struggling in love to see themselves in the story.
It’s a song that gently stays by the side of those overwhelmed by complicated feelings for someone who can’t exactly be called a good person.
Song of the Eternal NightKami wa saikoro o furanai

This song delicately portrays the end of a bittersweet romance and lingering feelings, featuring a beautiful piano melody and emotional vocals that leave a strong impression.
Included on the May 2019 mini-album “A View on Lambda” by Kami wa Saikoro wo Furanai (God Does Not Roll Dice), the track is crafted into a moving piece that carries a sweet, heartrending afterglow while exuding a mature allure.
In August 2020, the music video was released, with actor Keisuke Watanabe’s performance adding deeper color to the story.
It’s perfect as background music for a night drive or quiet moments with someone special.
Highly recommended for those seeking gently resonant music that preserves a moody atmosphere.
SoulmateFujita Maiko

The song chosen as the theme for the PlayStation 2 game “Soguro no Kagi: Hiiro no Kakera 3” is Maiko Fujita’s “Unmei no Hito” (The One Fated for Me).
Its lyrics, which poignantly portray a woman whose feelings only deepen for someone she cannot be with, are truly heartrending.
It was included on the 2009 album “BEST ALBUM ~Hiiro no Kakera~,” and later featured on the 2021 album “15th Anniversary Hikigatari Best,” a collection selected based on fan requests.
catDISH//

Centered around Takumi Kitamura, DISH// is a group whose members are all active as actors as well.
Their song Neko (Cat) has become a hot topic for making listeners cry, with an addictive, heart-wrenching sense of sorrow that tightens the chest.
Written and composed by Aimyon, this moving love ballad is a breakup song that shakes the heart.
The painful longing for an ex-girlfriend and the palpable feeling of “love” come through so strongly that it can move even those who aren’t currently heartbroken to tears.
Especially for anyone in an unrequited love or freshly heartbroken, it’s a song that will almost certainly make you cry your eyes out.


