Classic and popular songs about unrequited love

Thinking of youKEISUKE

KEISUKE – Thinking of You (Music Video)

Set to a bittersweet yet refreshing melody, this acoustic track by KEISUKE delicately portrays the emotional swings of unrequited love.

The gentle yet powerful vocals bring to life the many feelings unique to one-sided love: quietly watching over someone while hiding your affection, the ache of being unable to confess, and the complex emotions you feel toward yourself for falling in love.

Released in November 2019, it has surpassed 5 million views on YouTube.

It’s a song that gently stays by the side of anyone caught in the midst of a tender, aching romance—overflowing with feelings yet unable to take that crucial step forward.

I MISS YOULINDBERG

I MISS YOU

This is a refreshing youth love song by LINDBERG that sings about the bittersweet feelings of unrequited love.

From springtime encounters to winter farewells, the evolving emotions of love are expressed through Maki Watase’s clear vocals and simple lyrics.

Released in October 1991 as their ninth single, it served as the lead single for the mini-album “EXTRA FLIGHT.” This track remains one of LINDBERG’s signature songs, beloved by many fans.

It’s especially recommended when you want to savor a breezy mood in the season of love, particularly from spring to summer.

While evoking the ache of unrequited love, it’s a song that will resonate in your heart and lift your spirits.

If only I could just come to hate you.Ryohei Ab

Ryohei Abe “If only I could just come to hate you.” Music Video

A pop song that tugs at the heart with the ache of being unable to confess your feelings even while carrying love inside.

Featured on the album “THE BEST 2020 – 2025,” releasing in January 2025, this track pairs warm, rich production with emotional lyrics that gently support anyone struggling with love.

Ryohei Abe’s delicate vocals and expressive delivery resonate deeply with those holding on to fragile feelings.

The song carefully portrays the frustration of being unable to let go of your emotions while agonizing over the distance between you and the one you like.

If you haven’t been able to tell that special someone how you feel, you’ll surely relate.

You look like an idiot.Saucy Dog

Saucy Dog “Like a Fool.” Music Video (Theme song for ABEMA’s “You Can’t Fool Me, Mr. Wolf”)

It carefully portrays the delicate feelings of a woman who can’t express herself well: while harboring the desire to know the other person more and to have them all to herself, and feeling love for them, she’s already fed up, believing there’s nothing more she can do.

Chosen as the theme song for ABEMA’s dating reality show “Don’t Be Fooled by Me and Mr.

Wolf,” the track was released digitally in August 2024, and is memorable for its emotional band sound and Shinya Ishihara’s vocals.

It’s a perfect song for those who can’t grasp how the person they like truly feels and are struggling with inner conflict.

Recommended for anyone who can relate to the sorrow of loving someone yet being unable to move forward.

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.

ContrastTOMOO

TOMOO – Contrast [OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO]

A gem of a love song that exquisitely interweaves longing for someone with a tender ache.

The feelings TOMOO weaves—wavering between the joy and loneliness of love—gently embrace emotions anyone can relate to.

That bittersweet yearning of having someone right before your eyes yet being unable to close the distance between your hearts.

The pure emotion that slips out despite putting on a brave face.

Carefully giving voice to the heart of someone in unrequited love, this song has been airing since January 2024 as the ending theme for cour 2 of the anime Blue Box.

It’s a track we especially recommend to those who are in the midst of a romance, with their loved one nearby yet unable to be fully honest about their feelings.

CHE.R.RYYUI

CHE.R.RY – YUI (Full)

This pop tune, packed with sweet-and-sour feelings of first love, vividly paints a timeless page of youth.

Expressing the emotions of unrequited love through delicate exchanges via cell phone messages, the song captivates with YUI’s clear, translucent vocals and acoustic sound.

Released in March 2007, it became a memorable track as a commercial jingle.

It was also included on the album CAN’T BUY MY LOVE and selected as the ending theme for the TV anime ReLIFE: Final Arc.

It’s a refreshing, encouraging song perfect for the season when spring arrives—one that anyone harboring feelings of love can relate to.