Change of Heart: A love song expressing the bittersweet feeling of falling for someone new

Love sicknessaiko

Love sickness

This song sings of a searing pain that burns the chest as the flames of love blaze higher, as if being consumed by an illness.

It’s the opening number of Aiko’s 2000 album “Under the Cherry Tree.” The lyrics put into words raw emotions—feelings so intense you cry in silence, a body changing through a fateful encounter.

For anyone burdened by the agony of loving someone too much, a mix of dependence and longing, this track will surely strike a chord.

Masanori Shimada’s arrangement, with piano and guitar intertwining, makes the poignancy all the more vivid.

I got a boyfriend/girlfriend.My Hair is Bad

My Hair is Bad – I Got a Girlfriend (Official Music Video)

How would you feel upon learning that someone you once shared a deep connection with has found a new partner? My Hair is Bad’s 2016 album “woman’s” features a song that delicately captures exactly that complex state of mind.

Even though you’re supposed to have moved on and found a new lover, you can’t shake the lingering attachment to the one you can’t forget.

Spending time with your current partner—who’s the complete opposite type—only makes the quiet ache of your feelings for the former one smolder in the back of your heart.

Released as the album reached a peak position of No.

5 on the Oricon charts, the track’s music video also drew significant attention.

It’s a song that will deeply resonate with anyone who thought they’d stepped into a new love but still finds themselves tethered to the past, or who has felt a rush of complicated emotions upon seeing an ex looking happy.

Until the day I can no longer rememberback number

back number – Until the Day It Becomes Unrememberable (full)

A poignant ballad by back number that quietly sings of lingering feelings and a sense of loss for a former lover.

Released in October 2011 as their third single, the song is also included on the album “Superstar,” which came out the same month.

The lyrics portray the emptiness of days that keep going even after losing the most important person in the world, and the deep bond in which the two formed halves of each other.

Fear of memories of the other fading intertwines with the resignation that they will eventually be forgotten, and the realization that the time spent with the person was part of oneself wells up with aching tenderness.

A song that offers comfort to anyone who has lost someone dear.

not enoughwacci

wacci 'Tarina i' Music Video

This is a heartbreak song overflowing with poignancy, capturing the emotional turmoil of trying to sever lingering feelings for an ex.

Featured on wacci’s 2019 album Empathy, the track stands out for its lyrics written from a woman’s perspective.

Though she still has feelings, the protagonist’s struggle to choose a clean break in order to move forward is deeply affecting.

Positioned as a side story to “Betsu no Hito no Kanojo ni Natta yo,” a one-take recording was also released in 2020.

It’s a must-listen for anyone who’s gone from mutual love to one-sided, or who wants to move on but can’t quite bring themselves to do it.

the absolute worstMarushii

Marcy – The Worst of the Worst (Official Music Video)

What words would you cry out when you realize that the heart of the lover you were laughing with until yesterday is no longer turned toward you? Released digitally in March 2022, this song by Marcy captures the complicated mix of anger and lingering attachment toward a fickle partner, set against a fast-paced rock sound.

It was also included on their first album, “Memory,” released in June 2022, and the music video featuring Naenano drew attention.

While venting the frustration of betrayal, the protagonist suffers from being unable to completely hate the other person—perfectly voicing the feelings of someone fresh off a heartbreak.

It’s a song that can support your heart when you’ve gone through a breakup so painful that just remembering it makes your chest tighten.

fishback number

back number – fish

Is there anyone these days who doesn’t know back number? They’re hugely popular among young people.

Even at festivals, they’re a hit—and most of their songs are love songs, right? This one is from a woman’s perspective, whose boyfriend’s feelings have changed, with the aching line, “If I could have been like that girl, would we still be together now?” It’s filled with an indescribable wistfulness.

This track, too, sings about their straightforward view of love.

whiteoutreGretGirl

reGretGirl "Whiteout" Official Music Video

Many men might find these very sentimental lyrics relatable, even while feeling they’re a bit overly emotional.

The lyrics depict the moment when his girlfriend confesses, “I’ve fallen for someone else.” Even though he understands there’s nothing he can do about her feelings shifting from him to another man, he can’t help but feel “betrayed.” It’s a very heartrending and painful song.

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