A poignant, heart-touching K-pop song. A bittersweet track that resonates with many different emotions.
There are many Korean songs and K-pop tracks that stay close to those bittersweet feelings.
Whether it’s a gently sung melody or a delivery rich with emotion, they draw you deeper into the world of the song.
There are also many ballads that truly tighten your chest and make your heart ache as you listen.
Not just “sadness,” but nostalgia, memories of days that won’t return, and a tender kind of poignancy—here are some ‘setsuna’ songs that capture a range of emotions.
Please listen while reflecting on your own circumstances.
- K-POP and Korean tear-jerker songs: tracks that deeply resonate and bring you to tears
- [Exquisite Ballad Songs] K-pop that touches the soul. Korean Ballads
- [K-POP] Korean 'yami' songs that fit a blue mood
- K-pop and Korean songs that deeply resonate when you're sad
- An emotional Korean song. A gently moving, sensitive masterpiece.
- Tearjerker K-pop ballads: Korean songs that will make you cry
- K-pop that touches the heart: masterful ballads by Korean male artists
- Stylish K-pop and Korean songs. Songs with a nice vibe.
- K-pop and Korean love songs: Love songs that really capture the Korean view of romance
- K-pop that touches the heart: iconic ballads by Korean female artists
- Nothing but famous and hit songs! K-pop tracks recommended for Gen Z
- Various K-pop breakup songs [relatability, next steps, poignancy]
- Popular K-pop and Korean songs that brighten up YouTube Shorts
A collection of soul-stirring, bittersweet K-POP songs that resonate with many emotions (111–120)
Fix make-upCha ga eul
A staple among female ballads and a hit that tugs at the heartstrings, “Fix My Makeup” is a song by WAX, who originally debuted as a member of a rock band before becoming a ballad singer.
For her Japan debut, the song was released under the title “Akai Ito” (Red Thread), with Japanese lyrics written by Takashi Matsumoto.
It’s a heartbreaking breakup song with lines like “All I did was take from you; I couldn’t do anything for you,” and “Why did you love someone like me?” The song has been covered by many artists, and on May 1, 2023, Cha Ga-eul released her own cover.
Her emotive vocals are deeply expressive, drawing listeners further into the lyrics.
Home Is Far AwayEpik High
This is a track released in 2017 by the hip-hop group Epik High, featuring Oh Hyuk from the rock band Hyukoh.
With a stylish beat that links to the sound of rain, it lays out a blue, melancholy mood.
The lyrics are outstanding in their relatability, juxtaposing the situation of struggling to find an empty taxi and being far from home with the singer’s own yearning for the ordinary.
You can feel the bittersweet ache of trying to keep up with the times and realizing your feelings aren’t what they used to be.
It’s a song that stays close to you when you’re feeling down.
Screen Time ft. Hoshi of SEVENTEENEpik High
A new song by EPIK HIGH, the unit that represents Korea’s hip-hop scene and celebrated their 20th debut anniversary in 2023.
Released in November 2023 as a collaboration with Hoshi from SEVENTEEN, it’s a heartbreak song about being unable to stop wondering, “How are they doing?” after a breakup.
Lyrics built around screens—a concept unique to the smartphone era—deepen the sense of relatability.
Though the song says “I’m okay,” it feels like a brave front, slowly seeping in.
It’s bittersweet: while wishing the other person happiness, your chest tightens at the reality that they’re living happily with someone who isn’t you.
You Don’t Know My FeelingsFTISLAND
Included on the band FTISLAND’s 2009 album “Cross & Change.” It’s a heartbreaking number that draws you in with its beautiful minor-key melody.
The lyrics—wishing to never meet again—convey a crushing sense of pain.
The interlude, with its prominent guitar riff that seems to overflow with emotion, is also striking.
In the end, the singer wishes the other person happiness, but with a title like “Without Knowing How Others Feel,” it may also be expressing a note of resentment.
FizzledHyolyn
Hyorin, a singer who previously performed as a member of the girl group SISTER.
In addition to her solo work, she actively engages in collaborations and unit projects, and in 2023 she released the track “Fizzled.” It’s a song that expresses the feeling of being unable to forget the person you loved more than anyone.
Beautiful strings and synth-driven production intertwine with her clear, translucent vocals.
As the title suggests, it’s a sentimental breakup song that confronts emotions fizzling out like carbonation.
Stranger (feat. 10CM)Heize
A popular R&B artist known for her strong songwriting, Heize released this track in December 2023.
It’s the title song of her 8th mini-album, “Last Winter.” The lyrics portray a breakup, capturing the feelings of lovers who, due to small misunderstandings and a growing sense of discord, can no longer truly connect.
Deep down they want to stay together, but they keep hurting each other… In the end, they decide to part ways for each other’s sake, and the song conveys a lingering helplessness and remorse.
The emotive duet with 10cm’s Kwon Jung-yeol adds even more poignancy to the piece.
Lonely NightJUJU SECRET
A debut song by JUJU SECRET, a duo formed by Park Jin-joo and Lee Mi-joo from the variety show “What Shall We Do If We Play?” It has a retro vibe and a rhythmic melody, but it sings about the dilemma of wanting to erase memories of an ex-lover yet being unable to forget—and finding oneself drawn to them again.
From nuances like “I wanted to be the bad one, but I couldn’t,” you can tell the song’s protagonist is probably a kind person.
The lyrics brilliantly capture various shades of love and heartbreak, making it bittersweet yet encouraging.