[J-Pop] A Collection of Unrequited Love Songs That Stay Close to Your Heart

fragileEvery Little Thing

Every Little Thing / fragile

It’s a heartrending song.

It was also used in the dating reality show “Ainori.” Kaori Mochida’s voice is so captivating that I can’t help but put it on repeat.

Even though it’s supposed to be a wistful song, it somehow has a bit of a rock vibe—such a curious feel.

Love me, please.GOING STEADY

GOING STEADY – Please Love Me

This song expresses straightforward affection.

The chorus, sung with a soaring voice, feels great to listen to.

GOING STEADY’s way of building excitement is really cool.

When you’ve got an unrequited crush, you end up telling little lies just to look cool, don’t you?

Thinking of you, unrequited loveGUMI

[GUMI] Thinking of You, One-Sided Love [Original] / Takanon [Official]

It’s a song that captures the bittersweet situation of having a crush who likes someone else, sung with band-style melodies and cute lyrics—perfectly expressing the unrequited love of adolescence.

Sung by a famous Vocaloid, the song has resonated with many teenage girls who relate to this heartrending scenario.

Sleepless nights are because of you.MISIA

MISIA – Sleepless Nights Are Your Fault (Official HD Music Video)

It’s a classic song by MISIA.

The romance in the song might be mutual, but the lyrics are filled with scenes that people with unrequited love can relate to.

The line about “you were just beside me, smiling and talking to me” captures a feeling we often have in everyday life with someone we really like—even if we’re not dating but things seem to be going well.

MISIA’s powerful yet warm voice is so comforting, giving you a calm, gentle moment.

Because you care so much, you want to see them even when you can’t meet, even in your dreams—feelings anyone in unrequited love can understand.

It’s a wonderfully soothing and relaxing track.

Love SongMONGOL800

Koi no Uta MONGOL800

This is a cover of a GO!GO!7188 song performed by MONGOL800.

The instrument has been changed from guitar to sanshin, and it’s sung by a male vocalist, which makes the song feel very moving.

As the title suggests, it’s a song about love.

It gives the impression of a long-standing unrequited love—liking someone so much yet never saying it out loud, with no chance of the feelings being conveyed, fulfilled, or ending—but the sincerity of that devotion truly comes through.

In the sanshin version, the soothing tone is very comforting and helps you settle into a relaxed, unhurried pace.

For those feeling rushed in their current romance, this might be a song that helps you regain your own rhythm.

A Little Love SongMONGOL800

MONGOL800 / A Small Love Song

An inspiring message song that gives you courage.

If there’s someone you like right now, you’ll feel like confessing your feelings right away.

It tells you that the person who matters isn’t far away or in some unknown place—they’re close by.

It carries the passionate spirit of the Okinawan people on a simple eight-beat rhythm.

This boyThe Beatles

This Boy (Remastered 2009)

An early Beatles song, one of John’s specialty unrequited-love numbers.

John himself seemed quite satisfied with how it turned out, and afterward he wrote a sort of follow-up, “Yes It Is.” Still, what truly gives this song its sense of reality is, above all, John’s heartrending voice.