Breakup songs sung by male Japanese (J-pop) artists
There are so many words about love.Unrequited love, mutual love, breakups… There are lots of songs about these, too—perhaps it’s a national trait.Interestingly, in Japanese music, breakup songs seem especially common among them.Here, I’ve gathered 30 such heartbreak songs sung by male artists.May these masterpieces seep into and soothe your wounded heart.
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Breakup songs by male Japanese artists (11–20)
Before you become a memorysupittsu
It was released in 1993 as Spitz’s seventh single.
It’s a re-cut single from their fourth album, “Crispy!,” and it became the band’s first song to enter the Oricon charts.
The lyrics overflow with the sorrow of two people who decide to part ways as they are separated from each other, and the bittersweet feelings of the man who wishes she could smile.
It’s a song whose gentle Spitz sound is soothing.
Effeminate; overly sentimental; being clingy/whiny (context-dependent)Gōruden Bonbā
It was released in 2009 as Golden Bomber’s seventh single.
As one of Golden Bomber’s signature songs, this track is performed entirely as a dance piece.
The lyrics are written directly from an experience Kiryuin went through, expressing the feeling of being miserably heartbroken after losing a woman who had said she loved him.
The performance tends to draw the eye, but the lyrics are actually very poignant.
catDISH//
This song, written and composed by singer-songwriter Aimyon, is the B-side to the single “We Did It” released in August 2017.
When Takumi Kitamura performed an acoustic version on the YouTube channel THE FIRST TAKE in March 2020, it sparked renewed buzz, and its total streaming plays surpassed one billion.
The piece portrays lingering attachment and heartache for someone dearly missed, expressing a yearning for a person who has become as free and capricious as a cat.
When you’re worn out from work or relationships, or when memories of a past love resurface, this song is sure to bring you to tears.
Someday Merry ChristmasB’z
Although it wasn’t released as a single, this song—featured on the 1992 mini-album “FRIENDS”—is a beloved Christmas classic.
It evokes a poignant sense of longing as memories of being together resurface, contrasted with the reality that the person you thought would be by your side forever is now gone.
Goodbye, my beloved.Shunsuke Kiyokiba
It was released in 2005 as Shunsuke Kiyokiba’s second single.
It was used as the theme song for the TV Asahi drama “Keiji-beya: Roppongi Okashina Sosa-han,” and reached No.
8 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart.
The song expresses the straightforward feelings and emotions of a man who has lost his love.
It’s a track that showcases Kiyokiba’s outstanding vocal ability.
I love you. ~100 Regrets~Sonar Pocket
It was released in 2010 as Sonar Pocket’s first digital single.
It is the ultimate pure love song, expressing the feelings of wanting to see someone, realizing you still love them, and an unwavering affection for that special person.
The song conveys the poignant emotions of a man whose love only grows the more he tries to forget, and who earnestly wishes to start over no matter what.
Breakup songs by male J-Pop artists (21–30)
Rain MelodyKinKi Kids
It was released in 1999 as KinKi Kids’ eighth single.
As a double A-side single with “Ame no Melody / to Heart,” it reached No.
1 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart.
The song conveys the immense sorrow of realizing that time can’t be turned back, even while feeling regret for not being there when she was needed most, and it expresses the pain of fighting loneliness and solitude.