Tear-jerking unrequited love songs that will break your heart: timeless classics about unattainable love

Unrequited loveCrystal Kay

Crystal kay- Kataomoi ENGSUB [Concert 10th annivesary]

This is a track from Crystal Kay’s album “4 REAL,” released on November 27, 2003.

It is also included on the 2004 selection album “CK5.” The song powerfully expresses the heartache of unrequited love.

Unrequited LoveUehara Rena

Unreachable Love - Rena Uehara

This song was used as the theme song for the PC game software “WHITE ALBUM2.” When it was adapted into a TV anime in 2013, a rearranged version titled “Todokanai Koi ’13” was released as Rena Uehara’s sixth single.

As the title suggests, it’s a song about a love that doesn’t reach its destination.

swallowtail butterflyPorunogurafiti

Porno Graffitti – Swallowtail Butterfly / THE FIRST TAKE

In contrast to the passionate Latin rhythm delivered by Porno Graffitti, what unfolds is a heartbreakingly bittersweet tale of unrequited love.

At first, simply “meeting you was enough,” but somewhere along the way, the wish to be “loved” took hold, and the whole world changed.

Chasing after the other, who flutters like a beautiful butterfly, they seem like a desert oasis—always out of reach.

Knowing they can never have them, the protagonist aches for love as if thirsting for moisture, their anguished cry pressing upon the heart.

Released in June 2001, this million-selling track was also featured in a cosmetics commercial.

When you’re suffering from a love that won’t be returned and can no longer suppress the feeling of “wanting to be loved,” this is a song that stays close to that helpless pain.

The strong and fleeting onesCocco

Cocco “The Strong and Ephemeral Ones” Music Video

This song portrays a poignant love that sets out on a difficult journey to build something precious for a beloved, only to be confronted with the reality of betrayal.

It depicts, with striking clarity, both the strength to fight for love and the fragility and weakness inherent in being human, while Cocco’s translucent voice resonates deeply.

Released in November 1997, it was featured as the theme song for JAL’s Hawaii campaign commercial.

It’s a piece that offers solace to those who resonate with the turmoil between wanting to protect someone dear and facing an unyielding reality, as well as to those struggling with unrequited love.

wrapTENSONG

TENSONG “Matoi (Wrapped In)” [Official Music Video]

A gem of a love song that portrays a bittersweet form of love between a man and a woman.

It expresses the desire everyone has to love in their own way, rendered through TENSONG’s distinctive sound.

Released in July 2021, the track captured the hearts of many listeners, reaching No.

2 on LINE MUSIC.

It delicately sings of the confusion at parting, love that isn’t swayed by others’ opinions, and experiences that should be etched in the heart as precious memories—all carried by vocalist Takabō’s high, clear voice.

This is a song that stands beside anyone struggling with love and gently conveys that there are many ways to love.

You said the moon is beautiful.berry meet

berry meet / The moon is beautiful [Music Video]

This song paints a picture of a winter night sky and the bittersweetness of love.

Its delicate vocals and acoustic tones settle quietly in the heart like falling snow.

The melody gently embraces the anxiety, hopes, and unspoken frustrations of someone in love, leaving a strong impression.

Released as berry meet’s single in November 2023, it resonated with many listeners.

Listening during the winter season—especially while gazing up at the night sky—deepens the feelings of someone in love.

It’s a perfect track for those with unrequited feelings or those hesitating to confess.

Unrequited lovemiwa

miwa 'Unrequited Love'

A ballad that portrays a heartrending love, seeping into the heart with its translucent vocals and the warm sound of the piano.

Included on the March 2012 album “guitarium,” it was selected as the ending theme for the music information program “saku saku” in February 2012.

The lyrics delicately express the feelings of a secret, unspoken crush and the bittersweet pain of being unable to get closer the more you care.

With a heartwarming melody that gently embraces the frustration of being unable to confess and the anxiety that everyone experiences when they fall in love, this song offers solace and support.

It’s a track we especially recommend to those who are keeping their feelings for someone special tucked away in their hearts.