A tear-jerking love song. A love song that stays close to a hurting heart.
Love isn’t always fun, is it?
You might mustered up the courage to confess your feelings only to be rejected, be led on and strung along, or realize from the start it was a love that could never come true… Chances are, you too have experienced a painful love.
In this article, we introduce tear-jerking love songs that sing about that kind of heartbreak.
If you’re hurting right now, why not try finding a song that stays close to your feelings?
Listening to songs about the same situation might help you find clues for facing that love.
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- [For when you want to cry] A ballad love song. A heartbreaking love song.
Tear-jerking love songs. Love songs that stay close to a hurting heart (101–110)
Sunday’s Maison desfuri
A heart-wrenching song that portrays a colorful yet bittersweet longing for love.
Born from a collaboration between the music project “Nichiyoubi no Maisonde” and Weekly Shonen Sunday, it was released in April 2025.
Former TUYU vocalist Rei delivers a clear, translucent voice that vividly conveys the pain and sadness of a forbidden love.
It’s a delicate and beautiful love song that offers solace to those who resonate with the complex emotions of romance or who are suffering from unrequited love.
Oh, my former lovermatsuri
This heartwarming song by Matsuri gently portrays the feelings of a woman who, while reminiscing about a former lover, tries to move forward.
Released in March 2024, it weaves together lingering attachments to someone who comes to mind late at night and a positive resolve to take a new step.
With vocals that embrace the listener and carefully chosen words, it offers solace to those hoping to recover from heartbreak.
Included on the album “Someday, It Became Part of Life,” its music video presents a worldview themed around a “journey through memories.” It’s recommended for anyone who relates to the complex emotions after a romance ends or who needs the energy to move on.
Say goodbye to the love I clung to.matsuri
This is a song by Matsuri that delicately portrays the feelings of a woman breaking free from a past dependence on love and trying to take a new step forward.
Released digitally in June 2022, it features striking lyrics about the struggle between telling herself she’s forgotten her former partner and the bittersweet memories that occasionally resurface.
The track gained popularity on TikTok and resonated with younger listeners, and a music video starring Yuu Miyazaki was also produced.
It’s a warm breakup song that offers comfort to those trying to face forward despite heartache and to those who still feel lingering attachment to past love.
My love was overflowing.mosao.
A heartbreaking yet gentle breakup song, where tender vocals and the guitar’s timbre seep into your soul.
The feelings of a woman who believed the “ordinary happiness” of everyday life with her lover would continue, only to find herself bewildered by how their relationship has changed, are spun with delicate, diary-like words.
Released by MIMOSA in September 2020, this work vividly portrays a complex state of mind where one-sided feelings, self-loathing, and regret intersect, resonating deeply with many listeners.
The earnest wish to return to happier times is overwhelming, making it a track that strikes a chord with couples who have experienced stagnation or separation.
If you’re struggling with a relationship with someone important, this song will surely be by your side.
worst; minimum; the lowest; awfulren
Carried by a piano melody where poignancy and fragility melt together, Ren’s translucent voice resonates throughout.
Portraying the anguish and heartache of a protagonist who can’t forget their feelings even while their lover keeps secrets, this work lays bare the inability to say anything to someone who’s crying, as well as the anxieties and frustrations lodged in both hearts.
Released in October 2022, it sparked major buzz, with a short video set against Tokyo’s night skyline—posted on social media—surpassing one million views.
With lyrics and a melody that speak to Gen Z, this song gently embraces listeners struggling with impossible love, such as affairs or unrequited feelings.
Tear-jerking love songs: Love songs that comfort aching hearts (111–120)
Taiwan cherryren
This work is striking for Ren’s empathetic, heartfelt vocals.
It delicately portrays a woman who, after overcoming the pain of parting, is determined to move forward.
Many listeners will likely relate to the lyrics, which feel as if they speak directly for their own feelings.
Released as a digital single in February 2023, it also came with a lyric video.
Recommended for those sensing the end of a romance or wanting to take a new step.
The poised, resolute strength in the vocals will surely give you a gentle push forward.
I can’t put it into wordsofukōsu
A gemlike ballad that gives voice to the ineffable emotions faced at love’s end.
Included on Off Course’s album “over,” released in December 1981, and later issued as their 23rd single in February 1982, this song gently portrays the subtle shifts of feeling that emerge through parting from someone dear.
The “la la la” that threads through the chorus is a striking phrase that reminds us how, at times, it can express the heart more eloquently than words.
Used in a Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance commercial, it has surely lingered in many listeners’ memories.
It’s a song that stands beside you through life’s many moments, embracing the complex emotions we feel—cherishing someone important, tenderness, and a sense of loss.