A tear-jerking love song that gently stays by your heart
Tears are inseparable from romance.
There are sad tears shed after heartbreak or from the pain of an unrequited love.
There are joyful tears when love comes true or when a wedding is decided and your heart is full of happiness.
In this article, we introduce moving love songs that stay close to all those different kinds of tears tied to romance.
We’ve gathered a variety of tracks—songs that will cry with you through sorrowful love, and songs that will make you savor your happiness so much it brings you to tears.
You’re sure to find a track that stirs your heart.
Listen to these tear-jerking love songs to heal your wounds or to fill yourself with warmth.
Heartfelt Tearjerker Love Songs (1–10)
HappinessNEW!back number
A back number ballad that tightens your chest with overwhelming poignancy.
It delicately depicts the pain of unrequited love, where the closeness of being right next to someone only makes them feel farther away.
Knowing there’s someone else in their heart, you still force a smile—some listeners may find themselves in tears at that image.
Included on the single “Hanabira,” released in April 2011, and later featured on the October album “Superstar,” this song offers gentle, beautiful tones to those burdened with feelings they can’t express or hearts troubled by unattainable love.
Why not listen to it on a night when you just want to cry your heart out?
beloved captiveNEW!Araki Kazuhito
Singer-songwriter Kazuhito Araki, who has moved many listeners through social media and live performances.
This track was created as an answer song to “April Love Song,” released in April 2021, which drew significant attention.
Taking the perspective of a woman, it candidly expresses the anxieties and attachments of love, as well as the pain that comes from loving someone, in straightforward words.
It gently stays close to the unstable feelings that arise precisely because you care, making it recommended for those troubled by love or for nights when your feelings for someone overflow and you just want to cry.
Its unadorned, earnest vocals will resonate deep within your heart.
somedaySaucy Dog
A three-piece rock band, Saucy Dog, whose cohesion and polish as a band have grown through playing over 100 shows a year.
This song, included on their first mini-album Country Road, is one of their signature tracks that helped spread the band’s name far and wide.
Its lyrics, which yearn for a precious someone who is no longer by your side, will resonate with anyone who has gone through a major parting.
With its lyrical melody and arrangement that stir the heart, it’s a love song that will bring you to tears.
366 daysHY
A mixed-genre band from Okinawa, HY enjoys widespread popularity regardless of gender.
This song was chosen as the theme for the film “Threads of Destiny” (Akai Ito).
Member Izumi Nakasone handles all the vocals, delivering a powerful performance.
It’s a huge karaoke favorite—so much so that many people choose it for karaoke battles on variety shows.
It’s a heartbreaking, heartrending number that pours out lingering feelings: “Even though we broke up, I keep thinking about you, over and over.” If you’ve ever truly been in love, these lyrics will resonate deeply—listen and let them sink in.
Dried flowersYuuri
This song, which became the catalyst for Yuuri—wildly popular among teens and people in their twenties—to break into the mainstream, was released as his second major single, available exclusively via digital distribution.
Its popularity gradually spread on social media, and after his appearance on the YouTube channel THE FIRST TAKE, where artists deliver one-take performances, it exploded in popularity.
Notably, the lyrics portray the end of a relationship from a woman’s perspective.
It’s a masterpiece that grips the heart with its acoustic guitar and Yuuri’s heartrending vocals.
I miss you so much, I want to see you.Nishino Kana
This is the 10th single by singer Kana Nishino, who gained popularity with lyrics that resonate with women and announced an indefinite hiatus from activities in 2019.
Known as one of her signature songs, it became a massive hit, surpassing one million full ringtone downloads within three months of its release.
The message to a former lover, expressed with striking phrases, conveys an almost unbearably poignant feeling.
It’s a heart-wrenching number that anyone who can’t forget someone even after parting ways will surely relate to.
Love SongGReeeeN
This is the third single by GReeeeN, a four-member male vocal group known for the massive hit “Kiseki” and their instantly recognizable, beautifully distinctive choral work.
The song has been featured widely across music and variety shows, as well as in commercials, and in 2019 it even inspired the film “Aiuta: Yakusoku no Nakuhito,” cementing its status as one of the group’s signature tracks.
With lyrics that sing straightforwardly about unclouded feelings, and melodies and rap that carry that message, it’s a song that will resonate with anyone in love right now.
A love song that tugs at the heartstrings, it amplifies your feelings for someone precious.
PretenderOfisharu Higedan Dism
Official HIGE DANDism’s “Pretender” became such an explosive hit that people say almost everyone can hum along to it.
The style of the vocalist singing while playing the piano feels fresh, too! The music video has surpassed 300 million views on YouTube, making it the most-viewed among the band’s songs.
It’s a mysterious track that, while being a song about painful love, also gives off a fun vibe.
Even though it’s about an unrequited love, it’s a wonderful song that doesn’t blame the other person.
Be sure to experience HIGEDAN’s unique world!
First LoveUtada Hikaru
A singer-songwriter whose talent everyone admires, Hikaru Utada’s third single.
It was chosen as the theme song for the TBS drama “Majo no Jōken” (Forbidden Love), which became a hot topic thanks to the co-starring of Hideaki Takizawa and Nanako Matsushima.
Utada’s fluent blend of English and Japanese lyrics is outstanding.
The lyrics portray a bittersweet love that cannot come true despite deep affection, and her husky voice layered over them makes it all the more tear-jerking.
It’s a must-listen for anyone going through a painful romance or wishing someone would be there by their side.
Stop this nightJUJU
This is the 15th single by JUJU, a female singer with a diverse musical background spanning jazz, hip-hop, house, soul, R&B, and EDM.
She has earned high acclaim not only for her original songs but also for her covers of timeless classics.
The track was used as the theme song for the TV drama “Guilty: The Woman Who Made a Pact with the Devil,” and the melancholic vocals and piano tones beautifully color the story told by the lyrics.
Many listeners will relate to the portrayal of someone who accepts the breakup as a fact but whose feelings can’t catch up.
It’s a heartrending breakup song that brings tears as it recalls a painful parting.