Bittersweet songs you’ll want to sing at karaoke: recommended masterpieces and popular tracks

While it’s great fun to sing crowd-pleasers that get everyone hyped at karaoke, it can be just as nice to connect over a poignant, melancholic ballad.

So this time, we’ll introduce a selection of bittersweet songs you’ll want to sing at karaoke all at once!

Unlike upbeat tracks that amp up the energy, melancholic ballads tend to be slower in tempo and feature lots of long sustained notes.

That’s why they feel so good to sing!

And above all, many of these songs invite you to empathize with the lyrics and pour your emotions into them, so you’re sure to bond and get excited with the people you’re with through that shared connection to the music.

Let’s dive in.

Playlist

Bittersweet songs you’ll want to sing at karaoke: recommended masterpieces and popular tracks
	Title	Playlist	Review
1	Close your eyesHirai Ken		Ken Hirai’s heartrending love theme song, a moving masterpiece that resonates with the heart.
2	LemonYonezu Kenshi		Kenshi Yonezu’s masterpiece that portrays farewell and memories with a loved one
3	First LoveUtada Hikaru		Hikaru Utada, masterpieces by a genius singer
4	budKobukuro		A moving masterpiece filled with Obuchi’s feelings for his mother
5	Love’s Melody and Rainy SkiesAAA		AAA's heartrending love song, rich in emotion
6	fireworks (launched into the sky)DAOKO × Yonezu Kenshi		A song of bittersweet summer-ending love and fireworks
7	Wherever you areONE OK ROCK		A moving masterpiece brimming with wistfulness and love
8	366 daysHY		A heartbreak song included on HY’s album “HeartY.”
9	SubtitleOfisharu Higedan Dism		A masterpiece that sings of warm love and bittersweet longing
10	Dinner Songtuki.		A poignant song that reflects the emotions of 15-year-old tuki.
11	hundreds of millions of light-yearsOmoinotake		A poignant song about a love that remains unchanged even when far apart
12	cold; curt; blunt; unfriendlyRADWIMPS		A RADWIMPS song that depicts a heartrending love
13	Cinderella BoySaucy Dog		A bittersweet love song from a woman's perspective that resonates with listeners
14	Song of the Eternal NightKami wa saikoro o furanai		A sad ballad of unforgettable love
15	Mutual loveaiko		Aiko’s classic song that portrays a heartrending love
16	Dried flowersYuuri		A heartrending love ballad, a masterpiece by Yuuri
17	rendezvousshaitoopu		A moving song that portrays a heartrending unrequited love.
18	LeoYuuri		A song about the bond with its owner, told from a dog's perspective
19	PretenderOfisharu Higedan Dism		A heartrending ballad that sings of the pain of heartbreak
20	me me sheRADWIMPS		RADWIMPS’s heartrending breakup song, emotions sublimated through song
21	I became someone else’s girlfriend.wacci		A song that portrays the bittersweet emotions of love that spread on social media
22	Tearful KissSazan Ōrusutāzu		Keisuke Kuwata’s heartrending farewell song, a moving masterpiece that resonates with the heart.
23	Because you are hereUru		A heart-touching singing voice, feelings for a precious person
24	I love you, but I can’t love you.AAA		AAA's 50th single, a bittersweet love song
25	Eine KleineYonezu Kenshi		An emotional song portraying everyday awe and farewells
26	forget-me-notAwesome City Club		A poignant love song inspired by a film
27	NAOHY		Unrequited love’s pain: a tear-jerking heartbreak song
28	nape (of the neck)aiko		Aiko’s heartrending breakup ballad, on a winter night
29	I forget you, who are so quiet, in October.aratayo		A song that releases the pain of heartbreak and the tears of the heart
30	evening primroseNovelbright		A moving song that portrays the pain of heartbreak and bittersweet feelings
31	The summer you gave meieiri reo		A heartrending love song: a track by Leo Ieiri that resonates with the heart
32	Departures ~A Song of Ai for You~EGOIST		Guilty Crown Emotional Piano Ending
33	AitaiKato Miria		A song that sings of giving up on love and aching feelings
34	balladKetsumeishi		A love ballad by Ketsumeishi, a masterpiece that brings tears
35	wedgeOku Hanako		A celebrated ballad by Hanako Oku that delicately conveys the sense of loss after heartbreak
36	tear(s)Ketsumeishi		It's okay to cry; a cheering song that helps you move forward.
37	Lovers AgainEXILE		The sorrow of parting, an elegy resounding against a winter backdrop
38	See you againSEAMO		SEAMO’s single that sings about the pain of a broken heart
39	Time goes byEvery Little Thing		A classic song that sings of the sorrow of parting
40	cherry blossomKetsumeishi		A masterpiece whose poignant memories of cherry blossoms and love resonate in the heart
41	Donut holehachi		A bittersweet Vocaloid song produced by Kenshi Yonezu
42	I’m glad I met you.Koizumi Kyoko		Kyoko Koizumi's 32nd single, an upbeat song
43	The Last RainYasushi Nakanishi		A gem-like ballad portraying rain and parting
44	FateOfisharu Higedan Dism		A smash-hit youth anthem that inspires challengers
45	A Naked Heartaimyon		Aimyon’s love songs depict the tremors of the heart
46	Stars swimmakaroni enpitsu		A song that depicts summer feelings that defy fate
47	Spot the differenceSuda Masaki		A positive song by Masaki Suda produced by Kenshi Yonezu
48	tobacco / cigarette(s)Koresawa		Delicately portraying post-breakup emotions with an acoustic guitar
49	That’s all there is to it.Marushii		Marcy’s heartrending love song
50	What is emotion?This is LAST		A song about the pain of heartbreak and the struggle to move forward
51	Gentle RedFukuhara Miho		Miho Fukuhara’s soul-stirring ballad, a song that colors the emotions
52	Karakuri Pierrot40mP		Vocaloid song, an emotional and easy-to-sing track
53	Heartbreak ~Are you happy now?~Sonar Pocket		A Sonar Pocket song that sings about the sorrow of a broken heart.
54	Why did I end up falling in love with you?Tōhōshinki		A beautifully melancholic electronic masterpiece
55	SquallFukuyama Masaharu		A famous ballad, from a female perspective, Oricon No. 1
56	memory of snowfripSide		A masterpiece from A Certain Scientific Railgun
57	OrangeSMAP		A bittersweet youth song about parting, filled with emotion
58	EYES,NOSE,LIPSSOL		A wistful, mature love solo by SOL
59	powder snowRemioromen		Insert song from 1 Litre of Tears, a smash-hit classic
60	One more time，One more chanceYamazaki Masayoshi		Masayoshi Yamazaki’s classic song that portrays the sorrow of a broken heart
61	Blue BenchSasuke		A song of Sasuke’s bittersweet memories of love
62	KanadeSukima Suichi		Signature song by Sukima Switch, an emotionally moving blockbuster hit