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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Just listening to it makes your chest tighten... Recommended heartbreak songs for the Yutori generation (21–30)
Final scene.eill
Singer-songwriter eill, known for her translucent vocals and versatile musicality, continues to draw attention.
Chosen as the theme song for Amazon Prime Video’s reality dating show “Love Transit Season 3,” this track was released for streaming in October 2025.
Set to a classic R&B groove, it delicately portrays the emotions of a woman striving to move forward while holding onto feelings for someone she’s parted ways with.
It’s moving in its depiction of the aching loneliness of having no one left to keep her warm, alongside the complex desire to cherish that love in her heart forever.
Give it a listen when you feel like looking back on a past romance.
Even though she won’t be my girlfriend anymorewacci
Wacci is a five-member band beloved by many listeners for their down-to-earth, relatable lyrics and warm melodies.
Released digitally in September 2025, “Even Though She Won’t Be My Girlfriend Anymore” is a song that portrays the conflicted emotions of having to choose to part ways while still holding on to feelings of love.
Its lyrics—mixing gratitude, regret, and a resolve for the future at the very moment a romantic relationship ends—will likely resonate deeply with anyone who has experienced a breakup.
Yohei Hashiguchi’s sincere vocals, paired with an arrangement that blends the band’s sound with sweeping strings, gently envelop the story as it unfolds.
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.
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.
cream sodaoishikuru meronpan
A track from Oisicle Melonpan’s 10th mini-album “bouquet,” released in October 2025, marking the band’s 10th anniversary.
With its transparent melody and refreshing sound, this pop tune evokes bittersweet memories.
The groovy performance pairs perfectly with Nakashima’s gentle vocals.
Yet the lyrics tell a poignant story of waiting in a café for “you,” who never arrives.
Immerse yourself in the ensemble where exhilarating guitar-rock sound meets lyrical poignancy.
Passing smiles, a goodbye kissA.B.C-Z
Released in September 2025 as the second installment of a three-month consecutive release, this track is a mid-tempo number written and composed by the rock band LEGO BIG MORL.
It’s a bittersweet love song that echoes the lineage of the group’s past works, marked by a nostalgic melody and emotive vocals.
The lyrics delicately depict hearts growing apart despite their physical closeness, foreshadowing the end of a romance and evoking a poignant ache.
Dramatic and romantic J-pop.
Pink Strawberry Chocolate FridayNumber_i
This is a solo track by Shiyoh Hirano.
Centered on the sweet, bittersweet memories of a past love, it conjures scenes like walking hand in hand along the railway—just like a moment from a film.
The structure is superb, unfolding from rap-like spoken lines into a beautiful chorus, and his husky, gentle vocals further heighten the song’s melancholy.
The track is included on the album “No.Ⅱ,” released in September 2025.
When you want to quietly look back on an old love, listening to it will surely keep you company.