[Setsuna-kei] Incredibly tear-jerking! Classic heartbreaking J-pop songs
“Setsuna”-style J-POP.
Those wistful lyrics and melodies really make your chest tighten, don’t they?
Starting with Thelma Aoyama’s “Soba ni Iru ne,” this style was characterized by R&B-like love songs that were especially popular from the late 2000s to the mid-2010s.
If you’re from the “chaku-uta” generation (when people downloaded song snippets as ringtones), this might feel nostalgic.
As social media became widely adopted, the style evolved—lyric videos have become a staple, and it feels like there are now more angles from which people can find relatable points.
Here, I’ll carefully select and introduce some nostalgic hits that were popular back then, as well as modern “setsuna” songs!
There are plenty of tracks that speak the feelings you can’t put into words, songs that stay by your side, and songs you can’t help but get completely absorbed in.
I hope you’ll use this as a list to discover new, heart-piercingly bittersweet masterpieces.
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[Setsuna-kei] So Heartbreaking It’ll Make You Cry! Classic Bittersweet J-POP Songs (21–30)
tear(s)Marushii
A love ballad that portrays the ache of heartbreak in stark contrast to the dazzling summer sun.
It’s a work released in August 2025 by the rock band Marcy, known for down-to-earth lyrics that resonate.
Memories of love told in the past tense and words detailing feelings that will never reach their destination shake the listener’s heart.
Skillful metaphors—like the pain of memories lingering as sensations in the body and a future that was never opened—reflect the protagonist’s earnest emotions and are sure to bring tears.
The song is slated to be included on their third original album, set for release in November 2025, which will also feature Aozora, the theme song for the film “Youth Gestalt Collapse.” It’s a track you’ll want to listen to quietly on nights when you want to immerse yourself in unforgettable memories of love.
Happy Endingback number
This song was chosen as the theme for the film “My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday.” It’s a work by back number, a three-piece rock band from Gunma, released in November 2016 as their 16th single.
The band sound, adorned with sweeping strings, is so beautiful it could move you to tears on its own.
The song portrays the painful bravado and lingering attachment of a woman who chooses to part ways even though she’s still in love.
She pretends to be fine while harboring feelings that wither without ever ripening—a portrayal that’s sure to tighten your chest.
If you have someone you can’t forget, this song may just sit with that helpless feeling and keep you company.
[Setsuna-kei] So Heartbreaking You’ll Cry! Classic Bittersweet J‑Pop Songs (31–40)
All of the Youthsuis from Yorushika
The melancholic air at summer’s end and the memories that resurface in a quiet moment—no one captures such aching scenes more beautifully than Yorushika’s vocalist, suis.
Her cover of a classic Fujifabric song has been used alongside moving videos on YouTube Shorts, touching many hearts.
The nostalgia for seasons gone by and time that won’t return, carried by suis’s translucent voice, seems to awaken memories tucked away deep inside.
This track is a reinterpretation of Fujifabric’s 2007 release, produced by music producer Seiji Kameda, and it also serves as the theme song for the Netflix film ‘My Last Year of Life, and the Story of Meeting You with Six Months Left.’ When you want to reminisce at summer’s end or after parting with someone dear, listening to it may gently comfort your heart.
rendezvousshaitoopu
The rock band Shytone, which rose to prominence after a viral hit on social media, released a signature track in April 2023 that sings of a man’s searing emotions after a breakup.
Unable to accept parting from someone he loved deeply, he longs for an impossible reunion; the loneliness of his lover’s traces fading from everyday life is expressed through vocalist So Sasaki’s superb word choices—so moving you might be brought to tears.
The song is also known for surpassing 100 million total streams in November 2023 and is included on the album “Hors d’œuvre.” Why not entrust your heart to its somehow comforting melody that stirs up those bittersweet feelings?
Letter to TomorrowTeshima Aoi
It was chosen as the theme song for the drama “Love That Makes You Cry,” moving the hearts of many.
It is sung by Aoi Teshima, also known for “Teru’s Song.” Originally included on her 2014 album “Ren’dez-vous,” it was rearranged for the drama and released as a single in February 2016.
The song is structured like a letter addressed to one’s future self, depicting the resolve to keep moving forward amid anxiety and inner conflict.
Listening to this piece may gently encourage those who have left their hometowns to pursue their goals, or those who feel like stopping partway through their dreams.
Aoi Teshima’s tender, penetrating voice seems to warmly embrace even feelings of loneliness.
crepuscular raysChevon
Chevon is a rock band known for their literary lyrics.
This song of theirs is a hopeful ballad that gently brings light to the darkness of the heart.
It voices an earnest wish to notice someone’s pain and reach out a hand to them.
Paired with an emotionally unfolding sound, it’s the kind of piece that brings tears to your eyes.
Released in May 2023, this track became a key song leading into the following year’s album, Chevon.
If you’re suffering under a deep sense of stagnation, it’s sure to warm your heart.
Pointillism Song (feat. Sonoko Inoue)Mrs. GREEN APPLE
Mrs.
GREEN APPLE captivates listeners with their overwhelming expressive power.
This song, included on their single “Ao to Natsu” released in August 2018, was produced with singer-songwriter Sonoko Inoue.
As an insert track for the film “Aonatsu: Kimi ni Koi Shita 30-nichi,” it depicts the story of a man and a woman sensing an impending farewell at summer’s end.
The swelling emotions despite knowing time is limited, and the frustration of being unable to hold hands, are conveyed achingly through their two voices.
You can almost see memories piling up like scattered points before your eyes.
When you’re troubled by a love that can’t be, or on a sentimental night, listening to it will gently stay close to that helpless feeling.