Masterpieces of bittersweet breakup songs. Recommended popular tracks.

LOOPSIRUP

SIRUP – LOOP (Official Music Video)

An emotional R&B tune that resonates with bittersweet memories of love.

Portraying happy, everyday moments with a lover—like café dates and casual conversations during a drive—the song is, in fact, a poignant love ballad that looks back on a lost romance.

SIRUP’s gentle, velvety vocals blend perfectly with the sophisticated sound production.

Released in August 2018 as part of the album “SIRUP EP2,” the track garnered a huge response, with its music video surpassing 10 million views.

Evoking real-life everyday scenes, it captivates with a comfortable groove that fuses R&B, soul, and hip-hop.

It’s the perfect song for when you want to bask in memories with someone special, or when you’re feeling the ache of love.

Song of PointillismMrs. GREEN APPLE

Tenbyouno Uta

A gem of a duet song that delicately weaves together the tenderness of a budding crush and the sorrow of parting.

Released in 2018 as an insert song for the film “Aonatsu: 30 Days with You,” it blends the voices of Mrs.

GREEN APPLE and Sonoko Inoue into a track that leaves a fleeting yet warm afterglow.

From both male and female perspectives, it carefully portrays the joy of meeting, the premonition of goodbye, and feelings that are hard to put into words.

The gentle tones of piano and acoustic guitar express the subtle shifts of the heart as summer draws to a close.

It is a heartwarming piece that offers comfort to those who have experienced parting with someone dear or who wish to cherish irreplaceable memories.

for a whilerikon densetsu

Divorce Legend – For a While (Official Music Video)

A ballad that portrays a bittersweet love, scattered with striking imagery—an hourglass by the window, light reflected in cracked glass.

Released by Rikon Densetsu in January 2025, this work features melodies that evoke a sense of loss and nostalgia, striking straight at the heart.

Crafted over three years since the early days of their career, it conveys a strong resolve to keep moving forward while staying close to memories of someone precious.

It’s a song you’ll want to listen to while walking at night, savoring the ache of a broken heart.

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.

Blue BenchSasuke

Blue Bench / Sasuke

It’s a pure love song wrapped in a sense of longing.

Set on a nostalgic bench after the lover is gone, it delicately portrays the emotions of looking back on an unrequited love.

Regret over not being able to convey one’s feelings and lingering attachment to a love that will never return resonate through the delicate vocals and melody.

Released independently in 2003, the song sold out all 500 copies immediately, despite being available only at a single store in the artist’s hometown of Ōmiya.

When you think back to “that moment” when you couldn’t be honest with a beloved partner, this song will be there to embrace your heart.

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.

AloneMayo Okamoto

Mayo Okamoto — alone

A gently woven ballad that carries hidden feelings along with a piano melody.

Released by Mayo Okamoto in November 1996, this song portrays the heartrending emotions of a woman whose boyfriend is taken by her close friend.

Though she puts on a brave face and smiles for those around her, she continues to carry loneliness in her heart.

The pain she feels upon glimpsing the couple by chance on a station platform, and her yearning not for sympathy but for true love, are expressed with delicate nuance.

This piece is a long-cherished ballad she had nurtured since before her debut.

It’s a song that quietly stays by the side of anyone trying to look forward while bearing the pain of heartbreak.