Just listening makes my chest tighten... Breakup songs recommended for the Yutori generation
Heartbreak songs have always stirred our emotions with their bittersweet ache.
Even in today’s world, where young people are said to be drifting away from romance, the pain of a broken heart remains the same.
Here, we’ve picked out a selection of breakup songs from the J-POP scene that we especially recommend to the yutori generation.
From universally known stars to the new wave of artists, we’ve gathered a wide range of hit tracks—give them a listen!
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- Recommended heartbreak songs for women in their 40s: classic and popular Japanese hits
- Breakup songs popular among women in their 20s. Tear-jerking love songs.
- Recommended breakup songs for high school students: classic and popular J-pop tracks
- Nostalgic Showa-era heartbreak songs. Soothe your heart with timeless classics that can move women in their 60s to tears.
- Masterpieces of bittersweet breakup songs. Recommended popular tracks.
- Recommended breakup songs by male artists for the Yutori generation
Just listening makes your chest tighten... Breakup songs recommended for the Yutori generation (11–20)
asking for the moonKANA-BOON
A song that expresses the pain of heartbreak set to a pop sound.
Its up-tempo melody pairs perfectly with lyrics full of the unique struggles of youth.
Released in April 2013, this track became the springboard for KANA-BOON’s major-label debut.
Recommended for those dealing with relationship miscommunications or anxiety about their partner.
With catchy guitar phrases and a driving, exhilarating sound, it wraps your aching feelings in warmth—a breakup anthem that resonates with the yutori generation.
Fall in love with me againYUTORI-SEDAI
Even after the breakup, I find myself scrolling through the photos still left in my camera roll and wishing I could go back to those days.
This song captures that earnest lingering attachment in words that feel true to the YUTORI-SEDAI generation.
Released in March 2021, it’s an important track that marks a turning point for them, created with careful thought about how it would resonate with listeners.
It doesn’t just say, “I want to start over”; it delicately portrays the way feelings from a love that should have ended suddenly resurface in quiet moments—something anyone with an unforgettable someone will painfully relate to.
Its warm sound and wistful vocals might gently give you the courage to hope for a second chance.
Effeminate; overly sentimental; being clingy/whiny (context-dependent)Gōruden Bonbā
This is the seventh single released in 2009 by the visual kei air band Golden Bomber.
Characterized by its candid portrayal of a heartbroken man’s clingy emotions, it blends elements of Showa-era pop and Eurobeat.
Reportedly based on Sho Kiryuin’s real-life experiences, the song became a karaoke favorite, ranking 3rd on Daiichikosho’s 2012 karaoke request chart and 2nd on JOYSOUND’s annual ranking.
It’s a moving track that resonates with the yutori generation, who can sing it while empathizing with the pain of heartbreak.
The taste of loveneguse.
A digital-only single released in November 2025.
In contrast to the lively pop-rock they excel at, this one is crafted as a mid-tempo slow number.
The lyrics look back on a relationship that has already ended, poignantly blending the regret of wishing they’d been more honest about their feelings at the time with the certainty that they were truly happy.
It’s a track that makes you want to revisit past loves—perfect for the chill of the season.
LAST NOTEWashio Reina
It’s a song that lets you sink into a quiet, profound afterglow, like watching the end credits of a film.
This piece closes out Reina Washio’s mini-album “freivor,” released in November 2025.
As the final installment of a trilogy themed around perfume, it delicately portrays the feeling of not forcibly erasing past loves or painful memories, but gently accepting them—like a scent that lingers on the skin.
Telling yourself “I’m okay now” as you try to face forward and walk on alone—that image is truly moving.
Why not give it a listen on a quiet night when you want to spend time with yourself?
one grainwacci
A ballad that wraps the meaning of tears shed at the moment of parting in the tones of piano and strings.
Written and composed by Yohei Hashiguchi and arranged by Hajime Inaba, the single “Hitotsubu,” released in October 2025, explores the end of a romance.
The lyrics are superb, imbuing each individual tear with a different emotion, and the way farewells, memories, a protected future, and a lost everyday life intersect is truly moving.
If you’ve recently gone through a breakup, this one will hit you hard.
Just listening to it makes your chest tighten... Recommended heartbreak songs for the Yutori generation (21–30)
Counting YouBoA & Tohoshinki
This song, the first collaboration between top artists based in South Korea, is a ballad themed around the heartache of parting and growing apart.
Chosen as the theme song for the drama “Even If Every Love Comes to an End,” which begins in October 2025, it captivates with a grand sense of scale that mirrors the show’s romantic worldview.
The lyrics, depicting emotions that overflow even when you want to forget and the tightening pain that deepens as distance grows, are truly heart-wrenching.
It’s an emotional number perfect for nights when you can’t help but think back on past loves.