Heart-piercing, bittersweet songs and sad music for Instagram Stories
Doesn’t everyone have moments when they feel a little blue or sentimental? Listening to music can help us connect with those feelings, too! This time, I’d like to introduce some bittersweet songs you can use in your Instagram Stories.
Many of them are about breakups and lost love, but there are also songs that capture different shades of melancholy, like the despair of things you can’t change—so please read to the end! I think sharing those aching feelings with others is a wonderful thing, so I’d be happy if you find a favorite and use it! Now, let’s get started!
- Tear-jerking songs that will loosen your tear ducts, perfect for Instagram Stories
- A bittersweet song I’d recommend for Instagram Reels BGM
- Moving masterpieces that color your Instagram Stories
- A tear-jerking song that moves people on Instagram Reels
- My heart aches with bittersweet pain! Breakup songs I’d recommend to Gen Z
- [Instagram] Recommended emotional songs for Reels
- A winter heartbreak song. A love song that's just too heartrending.
- Tears for a heartrending story… Tear-jerking songs by women recommended for the Yutori generation
- [Instagram] Songs that create an emotional vibe for Reels.
- A song that gives my Instagram stories an emo vibe
- Just listening makes my chest tighten... Breakup songs recommended for the Yutori generation
- A love song that's very popular on Instagram Reels
- A song that gives your Instagram stories a stylish vibe
Touching, heartbreaking songs and sad music for Instagram Stories (11–20)
cold; curt; blunt; unfriendlyRADWIMPS
This song portrays a bittersweet love.
It’s included on the album “ANTI ANTI GENERATION,” released in December 2018.
The lyrics deftly capture the feelings of a protagonist who, despite being confused by the other person’s curt attitude, still can’t give up.
With RADWIMPS’ characteristic delicate lyrics and warm melody, it resonates deeply.
The music video features Nana Komatsu and Fuju Kamio, unfolding a romantic story.
It’s a track that comforts anyone who has experienced unrequited love or heartbreak.
It’s very popular, so it’s perfect for Instagram, too.
LemonYonezu Kenshi
If you want to express a bittersweet feeling through music, this song is perfect.
The lyrics, which depict deep love and sorrow for someone you’ve lost and honor the beautiful memories you shared, resonate deeply.
Released in 2018, it was written as the theme song for TBS Television’s Friday drama “Unnatural.” It is said that Kenshi Yonezu’s grandfather’s death greatly influenced the creation of this work.
The scent of lemon symbolizes the strength of memories, expressing the bond with a beloved person who is no longer here.
It’s a recommended track for those who have experienced parting or who wish to cherish memories with someone precious.
forget-me-notAwesome City Club
This song expresses a bittersweet feeling through its lyrics.
The longing not to forget a beloved person and precious memories resonates over a gentle melody.
Released in January 2021, it is also included on the album “Grower.” Known as an inspiration song for the film “We Made a Beautiful Bouquet,” it has become a track that comforts many hearts.
The warm vocals of Awesome City Club will surely resonate with your emotions.
Using it in your Instagram Stories might help you express your aching feelings.
rendezvousshaitoopu
This is a song by SHITOPE that portrays a heartrending rendezvous in the rain.
Released in April 2023 as a digital-only single, it garnered a huge response.
The lyrics, which express the depth and poignancy of love, resonate deeply with listeners.
It debuted at No.
1 on the Billboard Japan Heatseekers Songs chart and has surpassed 100 million streams, earning widespread affection.
It’s a perfect track for those who have experienced heartbreak or parting, or who feel nostalgic about past love.
Use it in your Instagram Stories, and it’s sure to spark a wave of empathy.
naporiVaundy
This song delicately conveys a heartache so intense it makes you want to close your eyes.
Vaundy’s husky vocals gently wrap around both the warmth of time spent with a lover and the fear that it might come to an end.
Included on the May 2020 album “strobo,” it was also featured in a Bourbon commercial.
With over 300 million streams, it clearly resonates with many listeners.
It’s perfect not only for Instagram Stories, but also for those moments when you want to feel your love for someone special.
JANE DOEYonezu Kenshi, Utada Hikaru
Created as the ending theme for the film “Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc,” this song is characterized by a poetic worldview that symbolically depicts yearning and pain.
A first-time collaboration between two of Japan’s leading singer-songwriters, Kenshi Yonezu and Hikaru Utada, it intertwines translucent vocals with a melancholic melody, imbued with deep emotion centered on memory and loss.
Released in tandem with the film’s premiere in September 2025, it drew attention as a double A-side single alongside the main theme, “IRIS OUT.” Expressing the resolve to move forward even while carrying fragility and hurt, this piece is perfect for posts made in sentimental moments or when thinking of someone dear.
Heart-piercing, melancholic songs and sad music on Instagram Stories (21–30)
spin; weave; compose (e.g., a story)tota
This song is a hallmark of Tota’s bedroom-pop style.
The lyrics, weaving delicate emotions with images of nature, are striking—entrusting feelings to everyday scenes like the sky, wind, and clouds.
They balance the ache of lost love with a forward-looking hope, resonating with many listeners.
Included on the February 2023 album “oidaki,” it has become a hit with over 400 million total plays on social media.
It’s a perfect track for Instagram Stories—sure to strike a chord as background music for moving moments like farewells or reunions with someone special.