Breakup songs you’ll want to sing at karaoke. Heart-healing songs about parting ways.

tobacco / cigarette(s)Koresawa

Koresawa “Tobacco” [Music Video]

It’s a painfully honest story song that realistically portrays heartbreak.

Over more than six minutes, post-breakup emotions are carefully traced alongside the gentle tones of an acoustic guitar.

A pack of cigarettes left behind by an ex becomes the trigger for recalling the time they spent together, and looking back, only regret remains—such a bittersweet inner landscape is woven through Koresawa’s delicate vocals.

Released in March 2017, just before her major-label debut, this piece can be considered a culmination of her work.

It’s also included on the album “Korekara,” where it continues to be loved.

The melodious, straightforward lyrics are sure to resonate deeply with anyone who has experienced heartbreak.

On nights when you want to face your own feelings, try singing it at karaoke.

unrequited loveShibata Jun

Jun Shibata – Unrequited Love

This is her fourth single, released in 2002, and the first since her debut to reach the Oricon Top 20.

Set to a gentle melody and clear vocals, the song portrays a woman’s complex feelings as she sings about not wanting to give up on a sad unrequited love, yet also wishing to bring it to an end.

Someday Merry ChristmasB’z

B’z – Itsuka no Merry Christmas

A staple karaoke song that’s also popular as a Christmas tune.

Originally included on the 1992 mini-album “FRIENDS,” it later appeared on other albums in various versions—piano and orchestral instrumentals, drum arrangements—making a total of seven albums.

A renowned piece that has been covered by many artists on TV and in live performances.

The lyrics depict a man reflecting on a past romance behind the bustle and glamour of Christmas.

Cotton HandkerchiefŌta Hiromi

Cotton Handkerchief (with lyrics) - Song by Hiromi Ohta

This song was released in 1975, and it has been covered by many artists and is still loved by people of all ages.

The lyrics depict an exchange of letters between a man who moved to the city and a woman who stayed in their hometown.

It’s bittersweet, but I’m sure it’s a song that will get everyone excited.

While Listening to OliviaAnri

Anri / Listening to Olivia [Official Video]

It was the debut single and her biggest hit.

The Olivia in the title refers to the British singer Olivia Newton-John, and the song’s protagonist is a woman who enjoys listening to her.

It conveys a distinctly feminine strength—the resolve not to look back on a love that has ended or on the person she once loved.

SNOW DANCEDREAMS COME TRUE

DREAMS COME TRUE – 「SNOW DANCE」

A winter song emblematic of the late 1990s.

Set to a Latin rhythm, it paints a picture of a city blanketed in falling snow.

DREAMS COME TRUE is a duo consisting of Miwa Yoshida and Masato Nakamura, and their distinctive style shines throughout this piece.

Released in December 1999, the song was also included on the album “monkey girl odyssey.” This work gives voice to those who experienced heartbreak in the final winter of the 20th century.

The quietly accumulating sorrow—like snow—seeps into the heart through Yoshida’s vocals.

It’s a song that warms the spirit when it feels like it might succumb to the winter cold.

OVERTIMEHaruno

Haruno “OVERTIME” MV

This is a song by Haruno themed around a bittersweet farewell and lingering feelings.

Released in May 2024, it features a contemporary musical style that fuses electropop and synth-pop.

Set to an upbeat rhythm, it portrays the emotions of two people at the end of a relationship.

Haruno’s gentle vocals and the exhilarating sound crafted in collaboration with Australian producer Taka Perry accentuate the poignant theme.

It’s a track that comforts those trying to move forward while carrying the pain of heartbreak.

Why not sing it out at karaoke and let it heal your heart?