[Carefully Selected] Popular Love Songs: Recommended Romance Tracks

BetelgeuseYuuri

Yuuri “Betelgeuse” Official Music Video

It’s a grand piece that overlays the brilliance of the stars with the bonds between people.

Like starlight that reaches Earth after many years, Yuuri’s powerful voice conveys how our past experiences shape who we are today.

Released in November 2021, it was chosen as the theme song for the TV drama “SUPER RICH.” Resonating with many listeners—surpassing 500 million total streams—this work strikes a chord.

It’s recommended for those who want to gaze up at the night sky and feel their connection with someone important, embracing the universal theme that no one can live alone.

lightlyTomioka Ai

Ai Tomioka – Lightly (Music Video) / GLOBAL WORK “The Sukkirei Knit is a can’t-go-wrong piece.” TV commercial tie-in song

This pop tune, with its positive message and light rhythm, will brighten your mood.

Written and composed by Ai Tomioka herself, the song was released in February 2025.

It was featured in a TV commercial for GLOBAL WORK and became a hot topic.

True to Tomioka’s background living in Australia, the lyrics seamlessly blend Japanese and English, leaving a strong impression.

The words capture the exhilaration of being in love—it’s truly wonderful.

Be sure to listen while thinking of someone you love!

LLLGen’in wa jibun ni aru.

LLL | The cause lies within myself. (GNJB)

A stylish love song that embraces the essence of funk music.

Created through a song contribution from Tsuyoshi Domoto, also known as .ENDRECHERI., this track moves the heart with its groovy rhythm and straightforward, love-themed message.

Released digitally in March 2025 and included on the album “Core-Initiated Innovation,” it’s a recommended listen when you want to feel the importance of love or warm your heart with music.

motion sickness from proximitywanuka

Yori Yoi / Wanuqa [Music Video]

A song by Wanuka that portrays the protagonist’s wavering emotions as they try to confess their feelings to someone they like, borrowing courage from a tipsy buzz yet unable to be completely honest.

Included on the album Aonisei, the track has sparked a major response since its February 2021 release, especially on social media, and has been widely embraced for its uniquely Japanese-flavored melody and relatable lyrics.

The image of a pleasantly drunk protagonist swaying between the desire to get closer and the frustration of not being able to express those feelings is the very essence of a romantic experience everyone’s had.

It’s a heartfelt recommendation for anyone who feels the urge to have someone all to themselves yet struggles to put those feelings into words.

Being lovedKazuki

“Loved,” Kazuki official lyric video

A ballad by Kazuki, released in February 2025, that delicately portrays the pain of heartbreak and lingering attachment.

Based on lyrics written during a high school class, it tells the story of a couple who loved each other but, unable to be honest, ended up parting ways.

If they had never met, they might not have felt lonely—but once they learned what tenderness feels like, it never faded and remained in their hearts.

This song will resonate deeply with anyone carrying such bittersweet feelings.

A must-listen for those who struggle to be honest with their emotions or who have lost someone they dearly loved.

AutomaticUtada Hikaru

Hikaru Utada – Automatic

A towering masterpiece of ’90s J-pop that vividly captures the instant when romantic feelings rise up unconsciously.

Crafted with an R&B flair by a 15-year-old Hikaru Utada, the song delicately expresses the shifting distance and tremors of the heart between two people.

A young talent portrays the complexities of love from a unique perspective.

Released in December 1998, the debut single became an instant smash, selling an astonishing 2.55 million copies.

It also dramatically raised expectations for the album First Love.

Winner of the JASRAC Gold Award, it earned outstanding critical acclaim.

A perfect classic for anyone who wants to relive the flutter of first love or reexperience the brilliance of ’90s J-pop.

First LoveUtada Hikaru

Hikaru Utada – First Love

A romantic ballad by Hikaru Utada that carries tender, bittersweet feelings of love and the pure pain of parting on gentle vocals and a beautiful piano melody.

Released to the world in 1999 as the theme song for the drama “Majo no Jōken” starring Nanako Matsushima and Hideaki Takizawa, the song was included on the album “First Love” and achieved an astonishing sales figure of over eight million copies.

The young Utada’s portrait of a first breakup and the lingering emotions that follow continues to move many hearts as a universal feeling everyone experiences.

Recommended for those who have known fateful meetings and farewells, or who wish to reminisce about their first love.