Classic and popular songs about unrequited love

swallowtail butterflyPorunogurafiti

Porno Graffitti – Swallowtail Butterfly / THE FIRST TAKE

In contrast to the passionate Latin rhythm delivered by Porno Graffitti, what unfolds is a heartbreakingly bittersweet tale of unrequited love.

At first, simply “meeting you was enough,” but somewhere along the way, the wish to be “loved” took hold, and the whole world changed.

Chasing after the other, who flutters like a beautiful butterfly, they seem like a desert oasis—always out of reach.

Knowing they can never have them, the protagonist aches for love as if thirsting for moisture, their anguished cry pressing upon the heart.

Released in June 2001, this million-selling track was also featured in a cosmetics commercial.

When you’re suffering from a love that won’t be returned and can no longer suppress the feeling of “wanting to be loved,” this is a song that stays close to that helpless pain.

Last Love Lettermoon drop

moon drop [Last Love Letter] Music Video

From an intro that bursts with the sweet tang of youth and sets your heart dancing, this is the quintessential popular number by moon drop.

Many listeners are sure to feel their chests tighten at the lyrics’ worldview, where the frustration of unrequited love and unspoken feelings intersect.

The track is included on their first full-length album, “Kono Tenohira ga Mada Kimi o Oboete Iru,” released in January 2022.

It was also used as a CM song for Honda Cars, broadcast across seven prefectures in the Chubu region, including Aichi and Mie, so plenty of people have likely heard its refreshing melody on TV.

This song sets indecisive feelings toward someone you love and a premonition of love’s end to an easygoing beat.

It’s perfect not only for students swaying with tender crushes, but also for anyone who wants to bask in bittersweet memories from the past.

Love letternatsuiro matsuri

[Original Song] Love Letter [hololive / Natsuiro Matsuri / Secret Piercing]

This track, which unveils a dark and luscious worldview that overturns her previously cheerful and bright image, is Natsuiro Matsuri’s digital single released in March 2025.

Set to a piano-and-synth sound crafted by Naisho no Pierce, it portrays a deep affection—bordering on possessiveness and obsession—that spills out precisely because it’s written like a letter.

Sung by Natsuiro Matsuri, the piece features a striking vocal performance where cuteness and madness coexist, revealing a different side of her compared to solo songs like “HiHi High Tension!” Conveying an earnest desire to know everything about the other person, it’s a perfect song to savor on nights when you want a more provocative love song than usual.

LOVE LETTERMakihara Noriyuki

NORIYUKI MAKIHARA LOVE LETTER

Do you know the hidden gem by Noriyuki Makihara that portrays a faint, letter-bound first love? Centered around an undelivered love letter, it delicately captures the emotions of a protagonist seeing off someone dear who is leaving for a distant job.

The imagery—twilight at the station and scenes along the tracks—feels so vivid it tightens the listener’s chest with a poignant ache.

The song was included on the album UNDERWEAR, released in October 1996, and was later used as the theme for NTT East’s corporate commercial “Mother,” featuring Yui Aragaki.

This piece rekindles the unspoken kindness we couldn’t put into words and the bittersweet memories of youth.

It’s a song to savor, especially for those who’ve experienced a springtime parting or who carry unspoken feelings in their hearts.

me me sheRADWIMPS

RADWIMPS – me me she [Official Music Video]

I think it’s a song that’s very RADWIMPS-like.

It expresses how extremely hard and painful it is to forget someone you have unrequited feelings for.

Yojiro Noda’s music is almost like an invention and full of humor, so I think this track lets you experience that sensibility.

365 daysMr.Children

Mr.Children “365 Days” Mr.Children TOUR POPSAURUS 2012

It’s cool to make the number of days people can love each other in a year the title.

It’s a song that conveys the deep feelings characteristic of Mr.Children and resonates from the bottom of your heart.

Sakurai’s vocal timbre is wonderful, and his soaring high notes are a must-hear.

The bassline and more make it an incredibly cool track.

A Little Love SongMONGOL800

MONGOL800 / A Small Love Song

An inspiring message song that gives you courage.

If there’s someone you like right now, you’ll feel like confessing your feelings right away.

It tells you that the person who matters isn’t far away or in some unknown place—they’re close by.

It carries the passionate spirit of the Okinawan people on a simple eight-beat rhythm.