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

First LoveUtada Hikaru

Hikaru Utada – First Love

A bona fide Japanese songstress who needs no introduction anymore, Hikaru Utada’s love ballad.

The fact that Utada wrote both the lyrics and music while still in her mid-teens shows that talent has nothing to do with age.

In polished, pure language, she sets down lyrics that feel like memories of a first love with a slightly older man—one she still can’t forget.

It’s a little lonely, but love really is wonderful, isn’t it? By the way, her debut album featuring this track was released worldwide and sold close to ten million copies.

A global diva already?

Say goodbye to the love I clung to.matsuri

Say goodbye to clinging love. / Matsuri (Good bye, toxic love) [Official Music Video]

This is a song by Matsuri that delicately portrays the feelings of a woman breaking free from a past dependence on love and trying to take a new step forward.

Released digitally in June 2022, it features striking lyrics about the struggle between telling herself she’s forgotten her former partner and the bittersweet memories that occasionally resurface.

The track gained popularity on TikTok and resonated with younger listeners, and a music video starring Yuu Miyazaki was also produced.

It’s a warm breakup song that offers comfort to those trying to face forward despite heartache and to those who still feel lingering attachment to past love.

swallowtail butterflyPorunogurafiti

PORNOGRAFFITTI “Agehachou” (Tsumagoi Romance Porno ’11 ~ Pornomaru) / PORNOGRAFFITTI “Agehachou (Live ver.)”

Porno Graffitti have a deep love for their hometown of Hiroshima, and on their live tours Hiroshima is often included as one of their key bases of activity alongside Tokyo and Osaka.

Their massive hit “Agehachō” isn’t a song you probably listen to as a straightforward breakup song, right? But if you unravel the lyrics, it can feel as though the swallowtail butterfly is being used as a metaphor for a goddess of fate or a particular woman.

The way the lyrics never explicitly define it as love or heartbreak actually makes it feel even more suggestive.

The song even allows for interpretations like “the moment I wanted them to fall for me, they drifted away.” That kind of breadth is part of Porno Graffitti’s appeal.

Callchanmina

Chanmina – Call (Official Music Video)

Chanmina, a female rapper also known as the Beyoncé of Nerima.

Her song “Call” is a breakup track that puts into words a slightly bitter lament about how a guy she was into suddenly flipped and fell for a girl who’s her complete opposite, leaving her hurt.

The feelings of “I was the one who misunderstood” and “But you liked me at least a little, didn’t you?” intersect, and in the end she puts on a brave face with “I don’t care about you anymore.” As a fellow woman, I understand that feeling well.

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sasashina

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PrologueUru

[Official] Uru “Prologue” Premium Studio Live

Sung by Uru, “Prologue” is a heartbreaking song about unknowingly searching for an unattainable love.

Released as a single in 2018, it was chosen as the theme song for TBS’s Tuesday drama “Chugakusei Nikki” (Diary of a Middle School Student) and reached No.

1 on Billboard’s download chart.

The lyrics perfectly match the drama’s story, which portrays a forbidden romance between a teacher and a student.

It’s a song I’d love for students who’ve found themselves falling for a teacher—or teachers who’ve fallen for a student—to listen to.

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Hamada Takuya

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SoulmateYuika

Soulmate / “Yuika” [MV]

It’s a song by the singer-songwriter Yuika that looks back on the memories the two shared while giving voice to hearts that are slowly drifting apart.

The piano layered over the band sound is striking, and the restlessly moving melody evokes the wavering of the heart.

The lyrics seem to focus on the paths each person takes after the breakup, capturing how they both find different forms of happiness while occasionally looking back on their past memories.

It also conveys a sense of gratitude toward the person they’ve since parted from—an idea that the pain of parting is what made their present happiness possible.

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kappamaki

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I just had a love sadder than anyone else’s.Flower

Flower “Just a Love Sadder Than Anyone Else’s” out 9/14. Best album: “THIS IS Flower THIS IS BEST.”

Included in Flower’s best album released in 2016, “I Just Had a Sadder Love Than Anyone Else” is a breakup song that conveys the sorrow of a woman who’s been cheated on.

Its Latin-inspired sound gives it a mature feel that suits the theme.

When you’re betrayed by someone you liked and trusted, it’s easy to lose your composure and struggle to stay calm.

Even in such a painful breakup, the part where the protagonist holds on to her own thoughts and suspicions about her partner and decides to put an end to it is something we can learn from.

Even if it ends sadly, listen to this song and bring closure to your heart.