![[Setsuna-kei] Incredibly tear-jerking! Classic heartbreaking J-pop songs](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/KsWTbuB4xH4/hqdefault.jpg)
“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 moving it’ll make you cry! Classic melancholic J-POP masterpieces (1–10)
Wish feat. YU-A (Foxxi misQ)Dōji-T
Dohzi-T, who was active as a member of the hip-hop group ZINGI and later established a rap-plus-singer style in his solo career.
“Negai” is a hit track that, featuring YU-A before her solo debut, surpassed 1.1 million ringtone downloads.
It brings back memories, doesn’t it? Its appeal lies in a sentimental, heart-wrenching melody that vividly rises to the surface the moment you hear it.
The lyrics follow a concrete story, and I think they resonate not only with people in love but even more deeply with those who share similar circumstances.
Regrets about not being able to be honest and memories of happier times come flooding back, making you think, “I want to go back…”—and maybe even cry.
Among ‘setsuna-kei’ songs, this is a standout masterpiece overflowing with poignant sadness.
HAPPY BIRTHDAYback number
The 20th single by back number, the three-piece rock band that now immediately comes to mind when you think of “setsuna-kei” (melancholic) music.
Chosen as the theme song for the TV drama A Story to Read When You First Fall in Love, the track is propelled by vocalist-guitarist Iyori Shimizu’s singing, which weaves in exquisite falsetto to heighten the song’s wistful feel.
Describing the beginning of romantic feelings as “HAPPY BIRTHDAY” is a stroke of genius—an apt expression that many listeners of love songs can relate to.
It’s a standout number that captures emotions everyone experiences with a bittersweet musical tone, showcasing exceptional word choice and superb arrangement.
See you againSEAMO
Just as you can’t stop yourself from falling in love, you can’t keep a cooled-off romance going.
Since it’s not good for either person, most of us choose to part ways.
SEAMO’s “Mata Aimashou” sings about a gentle lie told to make the final goodbye a positive one.
Even if you break up, it doesn’t change the fact that the time you spent together was wonderful.
Rather than turning it into something only sad, even if, deep down, you believe you’ll probably never meet again, you say “Let’s meet again,” and choose to part on a hopeful note.
sayonaraMirei Touyama
The song “sayonara” by singer-songwriter Mirei Touyama portrays a bittersweet farewell with someone you love.
It’s included on her 2019 mini-album “PLAYLIST.” The lyrics depict a sad parting brought on by drifting apart, despite believing you’d always be together making memories.
Even though you don’t truly want to say goodbye, your heart aches as you’re forced to accept it.
For anyone carrying similar feelings, this song will gently stay by your side.
Time, Stop feat. SEAMOazu
After a fun date, saying goodbye can leave you with an overwhelming sense of sadness, right? That feeling is exactly what AZU’s “Toki yo Tomare feat.
SEAMO” (Time, Please Stop feat.
SEAMO) captures.
Released in 2008, this collaboration with rapper-singer-songwriter SEAMO was used as the ending theme for the anime Itazura na Kiss.
Wanting to stay together much longer—one day just isn’t enough! It’s a bittersweet dilemma unique to two people deeply in love.
It’s not like you’ll never see each other again, but you still can’t wait for the next time.
Isn’t this a kind of heartache that anyone who has someone they love has experienced?
maybeYOASOBI
YOASOBI’s “Tabun,” released digitally in 2020, is a track based on a novel of the same name by Shinano.
It was also chosen as the theme song for a film with the same title.
The song portrays a person alone in the room they once shared with their lover, brooding over the breakup.
What ultimately caused it, and where did things go wrong? These unanswerable questions are distilled into the title word “Tabun” (“Maybe”).
The inability to arrive at a clear answer brings on an indescribable haze and a lingering, aching sadness.
With time—and with this song by YOASOBI—that haze will surely begin to heal.
Happinessback number
When it comes to talking about bittersweet love songs, back number is indispensable! “Shiawase” was included as the B-side to their major-label debut single “Hanabira,” released in 2011.
It portrays a poignant story: the person you love loves someone else, and instead of trying to make them turn toward you, you step back and wish for their happiness.
Even though you shouldn’t want to hear stories about their feelings for another person, you force yourself to listen because you want to cherish the time you spend together.
The pain and heartache of an unrequited love that won’t come true are expressed so vividly that it makes your chest ache.