Classic and popular songs about unrequited love

JulianPurinsesu Purinsesu

Princess Princess 'Julian'

This is a ballad that sings of a bittersweet, aching love.

Released by Princess Princess in November 1990, this gem of a song delivers a cathartic performance of unfulfilled feelings, vividly portraying the complex emotions toward someone precious who is slipping away.

With lyrics by Kanako Nakayama and music by Kaori Okui, it drew attention as the band’s first ballad single and was also featured in a commercial for Citizen’s Lighthouse.

It reached No.

1 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart and ranked 13th on the 1991 year-end chart.

For anyone experiencing the pangs of unrequited love or harboring deep feelings for someone important, this song will surely offer gentle solace.

habit of laughingIgarashi Haru

Haru Igarashi – Laughing Habit (Official Music Video)

A song that portrays the ache of a love too deep to forget, even as time passes.

In this track, Haru Igarashi delicately captures the frustration of how trivial everyday moments turn into special memories, and the poignancy of nights spent with those memories when you can’t move on.

Even the way the other person laughed and their gestures remain vividly etched in the mind, and the feeling is so intense that you find yourself praying to God, “Please let me forget everything.” Released in March 2025, this work will gently accompany those whose hearts are filled with memories they can’t forget, no matter how hard they try, and those who are still unable to accept parting from someone dear.

Unrequited loveSUPER BEAVER

Unrequited love

A gem of a love song that portrays the bittersweet unrequited love almost everyone experiences at least once.

In this work by SUPER BEAVER, the emotional band sound seems to directly embody the world of the lyrics.

It’s featured as an insert song in NHK General’s late-night drama “Vanilla na Mainichi,” beautifully aligning with the show’s atmosphere.

Shibuya Ryota’s deeply expressive vocals are truly moving.

It’s a song that stays close to the hearts of those currently facing their feelings for someone.

You let me do as I please, and yet…arekunn

You’re the one who let me fall for you / Arekun [Official Music Video]

A heart-wrenching love song by Are-kun that delicately portrays the feelings of a woman suffering from complex emotions after being led on and ultimately betrayed.

The protagonist falls in love and rides an emotional roller coaster in response to the other person’s behavior, while gradually sensing the loneliness of a cooling relationship.

Released in September 2020 and included on the album “Breath,” the song gained traction primarily on social media and drew widespread empathy.

It’s a resonant track that offers comfort to anyone who’s been strung along by suggestive behavior or is struggling with their feelings for someone they care about.

Try loving—it’s not like you’ll lose anything.neguse.

Bedhead. 'Try loving me—it won't cost you anything' Official Music Video

A one-sided crush song from a woman’s perspective crafted by Neguse., depicting unreciprocated feelings and complex emotions.

Released in April 2023, the track gained traction on social media, and by September its music video surpassed 2 million views.

In contrast to its poppy, catchy sound, the lyrics convey the weight and ache of saying “I like you.” It’s a song that offers comfort to those struggling with emotional distance or anxiety in love—highly recommended for anyone who relates to the frustration of a bittersweet crush.

selling oneselfRosu

selling oneself

Set in a red-light district, this narrative song portrays a courtesan bearing an aching love for a man she adores.

With delicate wording, it weaves the emotions of a woman wavering between her unrequited feelings for someone who won’t even meet her gaze and the reality of living as a courtesan.

Ros’s protean vocals vividly express the poignancy and sorrow.

Released digitally in March 2022 and included on the album “Yoru no Shito,” the piece has also been tied to projects such as the drama series “My Beautiful Man.” It will resonate deeply not only with those suffering from impossible love, but with anyone who knows the bittersweet ache of loving someone relentlessly.

senpainozomi

Noashi (Noa) – Senpai [Official Music Video]

An unforgettable song that delicately captures wavering feelings for an older upperclassman.

Told from the perspective of a younger student tossed about by their senior, it portrays the anguish of love.

While captivated by every little gesture—the red lipstick, swaying earrings, and pale fingertips—the narrator is painfully torn by the fear they might be nothing more than a way to pass the time.

Released in August 2023, this self-produced work was entirely handled by Noshi, from lyrics and composition to arrangement.

It’s a song that speaks for your heart—highly recommended for anyone who has fallen hard for someone much older, or who’s stuck in the haze of not knowing how the other person really feels.