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.
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Poignant, heart-touching K-pop songs: “Setsuna” tracks that resonate with many emotions (131–140)
ERASE MEONEUS
This is a song I want you to listen to when you feel like forgetting everything.
Released on May 8, 2023 as the title track of the 9th mini-album “PYGMALION.” Blending orchestra and EDM into an emo-pop style, it’s both familiar to the ear and deeply stirring.
The tempo and pace are mid-range with a sharp-edged sound, yet the arrangement and lyrics make it achingly bittersweet.
It’s a track that will stay by your side through heartbreak or rough days.
Give it a deep listen alongside WANNA’s dazzling charm!
Broke up today(오늘 헤어졌어요) (Feat. TANAKA)Onestar(임한별)
Im Han-byul, who has a background in a boys’ band and also thrives as a solo artist, released this track, “Broke up today,” in 2023 under his OneStar moniker, featuring TANAKA.
The lyrics, depicting the sadness and loneliness of a breakup, intertwine with beautiful strings and piano.
A love story set in winter pairs perfectly with the crystal-clear sound.
It’s a sentimental love song where his vocals, infused with a heart-wrenching longing, resonate alongside TANAKA’s harmonies.
LONELYSISTAR
SISTAR’s final single, which gained popularity for its healthy sexiness.
It’s a song about heartbreak, but there’s no male lead; instead, the members are shown throughout, lingering over the farewell.
Seeing the group—known for many summer tracks—take a commemorative photo on the beach at the end is truly moving.
In My DreamSUPER JUNIOR
SUPER JUNIOR, a group whose members have each long led the Korean entertainment scene as individuals as well, released this song on their 4th album, BONAMANA, in 2010.
It’s a ballad that chronicles the feelings after a breakup.
The narrator dreams of peacefully drifting into sleep and spending happy moments there, only to wake and find their lover no longer by their side—overflowing with that kind of poignant sorrow.
The wish to simply fall into an eternal sleep seeps into the hollow left in the heart by lost love.
Their vocal performances, too, draw you in and make you empathize, as if being gently wrapped in the emotion.
Go for a Walk(산책)Sung Si Kyung(성시경)
A singer who commands overwhelming support for ballads, Sung Si-kyung released this heartrending love ballad in June 2024.
It came out as a remake track for producer Shim Hyun-bo’s 25th-anniversary project, “About Love.” Originally sung from a woman’s perspective by Park Ki-young, this version shifts to a man’s point of view, suffusing the song with deep emotion.
It evokes memories and scenes with someone dear to you, from ordinary days to moments of drifting apart.
Be sure to pay attention to the music video as well, whose visual storytelling conveys a sense of connection even amid heartbreak.
THIS AIN’T ITTAEYANG
“It wasn’t supposed to be like this…” This is a breakup song that embraces the feeling of regret after parting ways.
Released in 2014 by Taeyang—BIGBANG’s SOL—who exudes a charismatic presence even as a solo artist.
Because he still loves the other person, he neither blames them nor forces himself to be strong and move on—just pure longing.
Those who tend to carry heartbreak for a while will especially relate.
The soft acoustic tones and Taeyang’s delicately rendered, beautiful vocals are bittersweet yet soothing.
Stay In That SeasonThe Stray
When something shocking happens, something you can’t fully process, it can feel like time stops and the days just pass you by.
That’s exactly what ‘Stay In That Season’ portrays.
Released in 2023 by The Stray, it captures the state of a heart that can’t catch up with the flow of time, lingering in that season.
Wrapped in an even more fragile atmosphere by his vocals, this song is one to listen to when you’re heartbroken or when nothing seems to go right.