A lovely unrequited love song

Bittersweet love songs to listen to when the person you like already has a girlfriend or boyfriend

Accompanist / Piano Instructoryuri
Accompanist pianist × piano instructor × web writer. I began piano lessons at age four and, inspired by my piano teacher, decided to pursue music. I went on to specialized music programs in high school and university, where I discovered the appeal of accompanying instrumentalists and singers. Currently, alongside teaching piano, I work mainly in my home region of Aichi as an accompanist for flute, voice, choir, and more. Through lessons, my students often introduce me to trending songs, and my hobby is trying anything on the piano—Japanese and Western pop, commercial jingles, and beyond. Since 2021, I’ve also been active as a web writer, covering music and a variety of other genres.
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSICsasashina
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSIC. JFC-certified fact-checker. I’m Sasashina, a mom currently raising an elementary schooler and a preschooler. During my student years at Kyoto College of Science and Technology, I studied a wide range of fields including sound, lighting, and video technology, building a foundation in comprehensive stage production and creative expression. After graduation, I joined a music production company, where I still work, consistently building experience in production and engaging in a variety of music-centered tasks. Currently, I mainly handle articles for children, drawing on what I’ve learned about parenting and what I feel and discover through daily interactions with my kids. I hope my work can be of help to you, even in a small way!

“The person I fell for already liked someone else.” “After I fell for them, I realized they had a girlfriend.” “I’ve fallen for someone else…”—that’s what my partner told me.

We’ve gathered love songs for those painful moments.

It’s heartbreaking when your feelings are growing, only for the love to become unrequited in an instant.

You can’t confess; even if you did, there’s no hope.

And yet, it’s too late to forget…

Here are some love songs recommended just for you.

“It hurts, but I can’t tell anyone.” When you feel like that, please give these a listen.

Heartbreaking love songs to listen to when the person you like already has a boyfriend or girlfriend (21–30)

double bedMahiru

[MV] Mahiru — Double Bed

double bedMahiru

This is a song by Mahiru that portrays the bittersweetness of staying close to the one you love.

It delicately expresses the sorrow of sleeping alone in a double bed and the lingering aftertaste of a breakup.

Accompanied by piano melodies, the pain of heartbreak slowly seeps into your chest.

Featured on the album EMERALD, released in May 2023, this piece has won wide support from listeners for its piercing vocals and relatable lyrics.

If you’re holding feelings you can’t convey to the one you love, or if you’re experiencing the pain of heartbreak, why not listen to this song and let the emotions tucked deep in your heart be set free?

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

You let me do as I please, and yet…arekunn

You’re the one who let me fall for you / Arekun [Official Music Video]

You let me do as I please, and yet...arekunn

A song I want people who’ve been hurt by someone’s misleading behavior to hear: “Suki ni Saseta Kuse ni” (“You Made Me Fall for You”).

It’s a love song released in 2020 by singer-songwriter Are-kun, known for the hit “Bāka,” and it has resonated with many who’ve gone through the same painful unrequited love.

While the ups and downs of messaging with someone you like can be fun, discovering they never felt the same can leave you thinking, “What was all that time for?” and feeling heartbroken.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

When the person you like already has a boyfriend or girlfriend... bittersweet love songs to listen to at such times (31–40)

Your happinessUru

[Official] Uru "Kimi no Shiawase wo"

Your happinessUru

A song by Uru that poignantly sings of feelings kept hidden in the heart.

It beautifully captures the bittersweet emotions toward someone you love.

While wishing for the other person’s happiness, the ache of not being able to truly connect presses on the chest.

Released digitally in November 2023, this track brought a fresh breeze to Uru’s musical career.

Recommended for those who can relate to one-sided love or the desire to know someone’s true feelings.

It’s a warm piece that stays close to anyone carrying unspoken feelings for someone they love.

It will gently embrace the heart of anyone struggling with love.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

You, him, me, and herBreathe

You, him, me, and her

You, him, me, and herBreathe

An R&B ballad in which BREATHE delicately sings about those wavering feelings of “I thought we were just friends, but I fell for you.” Set within a love square where both parties already have partners, it portrays the conflict between newfound feelings and moral hesitation through scenes like late-summer rain and sharing a single umbrella.

Released in May 2014 as the B-side to the single “Tomorrows,” it was also used as an ending theme for the TV Tokyo anime FAIRY TAIL.

The lyrics were written by Kiyoshi Matsuo, and the harmonies of Satoshi Miyata and Kazuya Tada bring the nuances of emotion to life.

It’s a song that will resonate with anyone torn between friendship and romance or carrying feelings they can’t put into words.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Side DishShimizu Shota

Shota Shimizu “Side Dish” Lyric Video / Shota Shimizu “Side Dish” Lyric Video

Side DishShimizu Shota

Here’s “Side Dish,” an adult tear-jerker steeped in rhythm and blues by Shota Shimizu, who cites influences from Donny Hathaway and Marvin Gaye.

A side dish is a dish that complements the main course, and here it’s used as a metaphor for the many “other friends” who can’t become the official steady partner.

Faced with the harsh situation of “the woman I like starts dating a guy with a bad reputation, and there’s nothing I can do about it,” what would you do? The music video—featuring nothing but a smiling woman—is also a must-see!

Raise the rankinglower

Taki no namida pin ku

Report a problem

I want to be your lover.Abe Mao

Mao Abe – I Want to Be Your Lover [Official Music Video]

I want to be your lover.Abe Mao

This is Mao Abe’s second single.

It candidly sings about the feelings of a sincere one-sided love, matching its nostalgic tone.

The song carries a touch of wistfulness and has catchy, approachable elements that can draw in even first-time listeners.

It’s very easy to listen to.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

I got a boyfriend/girlfriend.My Hair is Bad

My Hair is Bad – I Got a Girlfriend (Official Music Video)

I got a boyfriend/girlfriend.My Hair is Bad

It’s a memorable song with lyrics like a letter telling an ex that you’ve found someone new.

Throughout the lyrics, there’s a sense that the narrator is forcing themselves to show how happy they are, and you can feel lingering feelings for the ex.

As you read on, it’s revealed that the ex has also found a new partner, and that quiet sorrow of knowing the two can never truly go back is implied.

This piece is included on the acclaimed 2016 October release, “woman’s.” When you’re carrying the pain of an unforgettable love, this song will quietly stay by your side.

Wishing the other person happiness while being unable to erase your true feelings is just unbearably bittersweet.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem