[Heartbreak Songs] A selection of poignant love songs that pierce the heart of those with unrequited love

BLUE TEARSJUDY AND MARY

Judy and Mary – Blue Tears

This song by JUDY AND MARY beautifully captures the cold winter night sky and the ache of unrequited love.

Released in November 1993, it conveys a world where distant memories and lingering feelings intersect, carried by delicate melodies.

収録アルバム『J・A・M』に含まれ、その後2006年の映画『シムソンズ』の主題歌に選ばれました。1996年からはフジテレビのバラエティ番組『めちゃ×2イケてるッ！』のエンディングテーマとしても使用されました。寒い夜をひとりで過ごすときも、胸に秘めた想いに向き合うときも、この曲はきっとあなたのそばにいてくれるでしょう。

Only HumanK

K　『Only Human』

A dramatic ballad by K that shines a light of hope, telling us that “beyond sorrow lies a smile.” Chosen as the theme song for the drama One Litre of Tears, the piece portrays people who keep looking forward even as they face life’s hardships.

When you’re exhausted, when you stop and wonder if things are okay as they are, this song gently gives you a push.

Released in November 2005, it reached No.

5 on the Oricon charts.

It’s also included on the album Beyond the Sea and continues to be cherished as one of K’s signature works.

Its tender, enveloping vocals are sure to give you strength.

To you who didn’t choose meKoresawa

Koresawa “To You Who Didn’t Choose Me” [Music Video]

Koresawa’s song portrays the lingering attachment and regret of the one not chosen, along with the complex feelings toward the other person.

While conveying the emotions of a heartbroken woman in a straightforward way, it pairs a catchy, fast-paced band sound with a powerful expression of bittersweet longing.

The track is included on the album “To the You Who Chose Me and the You Who Didn’t,” set for release in March 2025, and an animated music video has also been released.

It’s a song that gently gives a push to those trying to move forward while carrying the pain of heartbreak.

Love even your melancholyKoresawa

Koresawa “Love Even the Melancholy” [Music Video]

A heartwarming pop tune by Koresawa that delicately portrays the feelings of a girl living with the negative emotions everyone experiences.

Released in August 2020, this first single is a re-recording of a song long regarded as a legendary hidden gem.

Set to a gentle, acoustic guitar–driven sound, it conveys the strength to move forward while harboring vague anxieties and loneliness—and learning to accept them.

It’s the perfect track for anyone who resonates with the stance of not denying any feeling but choosing to love them, or for those who want to keep looking ahead even while carrying a touch of melancholy.

So she’s not your girlfriend, huh?Ueno Yūka

Yuhka Ueno “I’m Not Your Girlfriend, Right?” Music Video

A poignant breakup ballad by Yuuka Ueno that portrays the final moments of a couple who have decided to part and arranged to meet one last time.

Crafted by Yohei Hashiguchi of wacci, this song is included on the mini-album “Konya Atashi ga Naite mo,” released in March 2020.

With great care, it traces the feelings of a woman who holds dear memories close to her heart as she tries to accept reality, conveying both the loneliness of no longer being able to be with the one she loved and her resolve to face forward even while lingering attachments remain.

Ueno’s gentle vocals and the warm melody quietly encourage those who, while confronting the pain of farewell, are ready to take a new step forward.

habit of laughingIgarashi Haru

Haru Igarashi – Laughing Habit (Official Music Video)

A song that portrays the ache of a love too deep to forget, even as time passes.

In this track, Haru Igarashi delicately captures the frustration of how trivial everyday moments turn into special memories, and the poignancy of nights spent with those memories when you can’t move on.

Even the way the other person laughed and their gestures remain vividly etched in the mind, and the feeling is so intense that you find yourself praying to God, “Please let me forget everything.” Released in March 2025, this work will gently accompany those whose hearts are filled with memories they can’t forget, no matter how hard they try, and those who are still unable to accept parting from someone dear.

contact lens caseSaucy Dog

Saucy Dog “Contact Case” (from LIVE DVD & Blu-ray “YAON de WAOOON,” recorded at Hibiya Open-Air Concert Hall on April 30, 2019)

Just as you cherish and tuck away mementos, you want to gently store the pain of heartbreak in your heart.

This Saucy Dog song resonates with that feeling.

The bittersweet ache of waiting, somewhere inside, for someone who will never return, softly echoes over a calm melody.

Included on the album Salad Days, this track has been soothing the hearts of those who’ve experienced heartbreak since its release in May 2018.

Each time you notice traces of memories etched into everyday things and feel the warmth of those days again, this is a song that quietly stays by your side.