[Unrequited Love] Heart-wrenching Love Songs | A Roundup of Tear-Inducing Crush and Breakup Tracks

LiarUeto Aya

Aya Ueto - Usotsuki

Aya Ueto delivers a moving song that delicately portrays a person trying to move forward after a breakup while hiding their true feelings.

The folkloric, wistful melody and her clear, translucent voice vividly express the emotions of someone putting on a brave face yet still thinking of their former partner.

Released in November 2004 as Ueto’s 10th single, the song was written and composed by Tetsurō Oda and included on the album “Re.” It’s a track that many who are striving to stay positive after heartbreak—while keeping their deepest feelings hidden—will deeply relate to.

Her vocals convey both strength and aching tenderness, sure to leave your heart feeling warm.

just a littleIgarashi Haru

Haru Igarashi – A Little (Official Music Video)

A song whose heartrending, soul-stirring vocals move every listener.

With delicate wording, it weaves a poignant love swayed by the whims of fate—encounters that come at the wrong time.

Haru Igarashi is a singer-songwriter with the unusual background of being a former police officer.

Released in March 2024, this work has drawn major attention, topping the Billboard JAPAN Heatseekers Songs chart for two consecutive weeks.

The line about pretending to like what the other person likes just to stay by their side is so earnest it tightens the chest.

missing youTomioka Ai

Ai Tomioka – missing you (Music Video)

A bittersweet breakup song by Ai Tomioka overflowing with feelings for a loved one.

It delicately portrays the emotions of a woman who keeps thinking about her ex from Monday through Sunday.

Released in September 2024, this powerful track was written and composed by Tomioka herself.

The music video, filmed in South Korea, highlights the poignant atmosphere with its foreign cityscapes.

It’s a warm song that gently stays by your side during night walks or quiet moments.

A must-listen for anyone struggling to heal from the pain of heartbreak.

impure loveDomura Riu

Riu Domura – Impure Love (NEOWN: THE GOLDEN Performance Video)

A gem of a love song by Riu Domura that powerfully conveys the pain and poignancy of a love you can’t tell anyone about.

It delicately portrays the feelings of a woman who, despite having been with the one she loves, ends up feeling even more alone.

Depicting the struggle of a woman who suffers in a convenient relationship yet cannot cut off her feelings for the other person, the track was released in January 2024, later included on the album “Irregular Diary,” and has become a fan favorite performed live.

It’s a song we especially recommend to those who have been hurt by love or are currently tormented by an unrequited relationship.

codependencyDomura Riu

Codependence / Riu Domura (Lyric Video)

A poignant love song by Riu Domura that delicately portrays a heart unable to escape loneliness and anxiety.

It’s striking for its depiction of a woman’s inner conflict as she realizes that, even while drowning in a codependent relationship, she’s nothing more than a convenient presence.

Released in May 2019, the song is included on the album “Escape,” with a remixed version later featured on the album “Night View.” It’s a track that offers comfort to those told their love is “too heavy” because they feel too strongly, or to anyone still carrying the pain of a difficult heartbreak.

Tokyo Double SuicideAzusagawa

Tokyo Shinju / Azusagawa [Official Music Video]

A track that grips the heart with the cries of souls seeking salvation in a dark, cold metropolis.

While seething with fierce anger and nihilism toward modern society, the protagonist’s hunger for true love is woven with powerful lyricism.

Released as a digital single in September 2024, this work was carefully crafted over the course of more than a year through the collaboration of Ms.

Azusagawa and Mr.

Yoshihisa Hirata, with whom she has long been acquainted.

Set against the backdrop of a ruined Tokyo night, this love story will quietly and deeply resonate with those who feel loneliness and emptiness in the city.

I won’t fall in love anymore.Makihara Noriyuki

[Official] Noriyuki Makihara “I Won’t Fall in Love Again” (Music Video) [5th Single] (1992) Noriyuki Makihara / Mou Koi Nante Shinai

A gem-like ballad that delicately portrays the pain of heartbreak and the hope of taking a new step forward.

Noriyuki Makihara’s gentle vocals tenderly envelop the protagonist’s complex feelings as they struggle to accept a breakup with their lover.

While carefully depicting the loneliness and confusion felt in everyday life, it also resonates with the positive resolve hidden behind the words “I won’t fall in love anymore.” Released in May 1992, the song was used as the theme for the drama “After the Children Are Asleep,” reaching No.

2 on the weekly Oricon chart and No.

7 for the year.

It’s a song that stands as emotional support, accompanying you through the healing process of a broken heart.