[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
- [Adultery Song] A forbidden song about an affair that sings of an impossible love
- [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 Roundup of Tearjerking Crush & Breakup Songs (51–60)
Giji KoiHamano Haruki
A song by Haruki Hamano that captures the struggles of modern love.
The lyrics—expressing heartfelt wishes like “I want you to come to me the moment I want to see you” and “On nights we can’t meet, I want you to hold me with your voice”—have resonated with many women.
Released as a digital single in November 2023, the track drew attention on social media even before its release and garnered over 10 million views on TikTok within a week.
It’s a song that comforts those stuck in that frustrating kind of relationship where you hear “I like you,” but never “I love you.” The lyrics that speak your feelings will surely hit home.
So she’s not your girlfriend, huh?Ueno Yūka
A poignant breakup ballad by Yuuka Ueno that portrays the final moments of a couple who have decided to part and arranged to meet one last time.
Crafted by Yohei Hashiguchi of wacci, this song is included on the mini-album “Konya Atashi ga Naite mo,” released in March 2020.
With great care, it traces the feelings of a woman who holds dear memories close to her heart as she tries to accept reality, conveying both the loneliness of no longer being able to be with the one she loved and her resolve to face forward even while lingering attachments remain.
Ueno’s gentle vocals and the warm melody quietly encourage those who, while confronting the pain of farewell, are ready to take a new step forward.
I could never say I like you.fayray
A single with a haunting, bittersweet melody that captures the heart.
It delicately weaves the inner conflict of a woman who loves someone but cannot convey her feelings.
She fears that confessing might ruin their relationship, yet she still wishes to walk together into a future ten years from now.
Fayray’s clear, crystalline vocals heighten the sense of longing.
Released in January 2003, this song was chosen as the theme for the drama “Message: Words Will Betray You.” It gently stays close to those who suffer from a hidden love.
My name is Unrequited Loveindigo la End
Formed around Enon Kawatani and making their major-label debut on the same day as Gesu no Kiwami Otome, indigo la End is a four-piece rock band.
Their 20th major-label single, “Namae wa Kataomoi” (“Her Name Is Unrequited Love”), leaves an impression with an ensemble that moves from an atmospheric, hooky intro into a verse featuring a sprightly piano.
The lyrics, which evoke someone keeping a subtle distance while stepping back for the other’s sake, convey the frustration of feelings that can’t be satisfied by love alone.
It’s a brisk yet somehow wistful, sentimental number.
[Unrequited Love] Heart-wrenching Love Songs | A Comprehensive Introduction to Tear-Jerking Crush and Breakup Songs (61–70)
Karada no KankeiYUTORI-SEDAI
A song that delicately portrays the ache of unrequited love.
Released by YUTORI-SEDAI in August 2022, this track vividly captures the raw emotions of a woman suffering from a love that will never be fulfilled.
The protagonist, unaware that the other person already has a partner, deepens the relationship.
Even as she pleads, “Don’t leave me,” she is tormented by the guilt of stealing someone else’s love—a portrayal that is truly heart-wrenching.
Midway through the song, her earnest efforts to improve herself for the other person are depicted, resonating deeply with listeners.
It’s a recommended track for those seeking to soothe the pain of heartbreak or to find empathy in the struggle of one-sided love.
The Story You Don’t Knowsupercell
It’s the song used as the ending theme for the anime Bakemonogatari.
The lyrics, which portray a girl suffering from an unrequited love she knows will never come true and can’t bring herself to confess, are utterly heartbreaking.
The beauty of the piano lines and the melody enhances that feeling even more.
The color of loveHiguchi Ai
Singer-songwriter Ai Higuchi, who also drew attention for “Akuma no Ko,” the ending song of Attack on Titan The Final Season Part 2.
Released on July 26, 2023, her track “Koi no Iro” gained recognition as the ending theme for TV Tokyo’s Drama 24 series “Hatsukoi, Zarari.” The song portrays the pain of unrequited love, and the messages of romantic anguish and self-growth that Higuchi weaves offer the strength to face harsh realities while still looking forward.
Listening to this piece may help you hold close those bittersweet feelings that almost everyone experiences at least once—and perhaps become a little stronger.