[Heartbreak Songs] A selection of poignant love songs that pierce the heart of those with unrequited love
A bittersweet crush that makes your chest tighten.
But have you ever had a moment when you suddenly realized that your feelings would never come true?
Like when the person you like asks you for love advice and your heartbreak is sealed, or when you and a friend fall for the same person and you can’t bring yourself to confess—things like that.
Unrequited love can end for many reasons besides confessing and being rejected.
In this article, we’ve gathered “unrequited love heartbreak songs” for those who can’t forget the one they love and feel pangs of regret whenever they remember.
May you find a song that gently stays by your aching heart.
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- Unrequited love songs that strike a man's heart. Love songs from a male perspective that really hit home.
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[Heartbreak Songs] A selection of bittersweet love songs that pierce the heart of those with unrequited love (61–70)
someone I likeUeno Yūka
This is a tearful breakup ballad written and composed by Hanako Oku, who has sung many love songs.
The story painted in the lyrics is that the person the protagonist falls for is the same person their friend falls for…
Isn’t this a situation many of us experienced back in our school days? Some of you might even be struggling with this kind of relationship right now.
The lyrics are filled with feelings of regret, and listening to this song may give you the courage to take a step forward.
Just… I miss youEXILE
EXILE has always continued to shine as a leader of each era.
Among their work, many people might say they love EXILE the most from the time they were singing “Tada… Aitakute”! The songwriting duo of Shunsuke Kiyokiba and Hitoshi Harukawa, who created this track, also truly shine here.
The lyrics—“We broke up after our romance, but I still want to see you; I won’t ask for anything…”—could easily come off as clingy, yet they’re expressed with refined, elegant wording.
It’s a song you’ll want to listen to when you get a bit sentimental remembering an old love.
Because it’s important…kerakera
Kerakera became widely known to the public with “Starlaboration,” which was chosen as the theme song for the drama Last Cinderella.
During their indie days, they released this unrequited-love song, “Taisetsu dakara… (Because You’re Important…).” Without confessing their feelings, they try to keep the same distance as before by staying close as a friend.
The lyrics, which portray a heartbreakingly bittersweet love, resonated with listeners and drew a lot of attention.
RESETCHIHIRO
The title “RESET” expresses the protagonist’s desire to reset everything after falling into a love that simply cannot come true.
There’s absolutely no chance the other person will ever like them back; friends tell them to give up; and they themselves painfully understand it’s a hopeless love.
Even so, there are times when you just can’t give up, aren’t there? It’s incredibly painful—do you keep going as you are, or do you reset like in this song? The answer is up to you.
Unrequited loveHamada Shogo
Shogo Hamada’s “Kataomoi” is a quiet, sorrowful ballad that recalls an unfulfilled love.
No matter how much you wish, the love won’t come true; if carrying the pain means holding on, you’d rather just forget it.
Yet even thinking that, the feelings were so strong that you simply can’t forget.
The song gives voice to that poignant, aching emotion.
Unrequited lovemiwa
This song marks a new frontier for miwa, as it’s her first to feature a piano performance since her official debut.
You usually picture miwa bouncing around energetically when she sings, right? In contrast to that familiar image, the somewhat mature and gently mellow melody here tenderly echoes the song’s motif of unrequited love.
The lyrics—about liking someone for so long but not knowing what to do—straightforwardly capture the feelings of a woman encountering her first love, and it’s refreshing to hear.
It’s a track I’d love anyone currently in love to listen to.
MPRINCESS PRINCESS
A major presence that could even be called the “founding mother of girls’ bands,” PRINCESS PRINCESS—aka PuriPuri—scored this huge hit.
If you’re in your 50s, it’s right in your wheelhouse.
When the lyrics mentioned a boyfriend whose initial is M, fans at the time were all abuzz: “Who is M?” This straightforward breakup ballad—about a beloved boyfriend M she never wanted to part from—also opened up a new frontier for PuriPuri.
If you’ve gone through a breakup, you might sing this at karaoke to soothe the hurt.
A nostalgia-filled heartbreak song—highly recommended across generations.