In this article, we’ll introduce a selection of bittersweet songs—the kind that have trended on TikTok or are often used there.
Songs that bare honest feelings: true “setsuna” tracks.
Not only do the lyrics resonate with a wistful heart, but the overall emo vibe is sure to captivate you.
There are plenty of songs so heartrending they make your chest tighten.
Focusing mainly on love songs, we’ve picked out a variety of tracks.
Listening might vividly bring back memories, and they’re great choices for lyric videos, too.
Be sure to take your time and listen.
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A bittersweet song that went viral on TikTok. Heart-wrenching “setsuna” songs (1–10)
AnswerIkuta Rira
This is a song by Rira Ikuta, well known as the theme for the Tokio Marine & Nichido Anshin Life commercial.
The lyrics tell us, “Even when it feels like nothing is going right, if you look back, you’ll see so many traces that prove you’ve lived,” giving us courage and hope.
People tend to label themselves as failures when things don’t go even a little as imagined.
But, as in the lyrics of “Answer,” if we adjust the course of the future we envisioned, it feels like we can choose a path that lets us move forward more easily.
HeyYOAKE
This is a track by YOAKE, a mysterious artist whose vocalist changes with each song.
In “Ne,” which opens with a distinctive, conversational delivery, the lyrics depict a struggle between moving toward a new love and lingering feelings for an ex.
Many people have likely experienced the instability that follows the end of a relationship—thinking you’re done with love one moment, then feeling crushed by loneliness and wanting to rush into something new the next.
Until someone comes along who makes you forget your past love, it may be hard to cleanly move on.
evening primroseNovelbright
This is a song by the five-member rock band Novelbright, which became a hot topic after surpassing 100 million total digital streams.
The lyrics about heartbreak, the wistful vocals, and the sound that highlights the song’s world are striking, aren’t they? The feeling of “If I hadn’t fallen in love, I wouldn’t be suffering this much” is something anyone who has gone through a painful breakup has probably felt at least once.
Listening to Tsukimisou makes you realize that precisely because it’s too late to change things afterward, it’s important to face the person in front of you sincerely and fully enjoy the time you spend together.
Blue MoonNiziU
NiziU’s first ballad single, “Blue Moon.” While NiziU is best known for their energetic, bursting charm, this song lets you feel the members’ straightforward vocal strength, honed through the audition and everything since their debut.
The lyrics evoke memories of spending your first winter with a lover or resonate with long-distance relationships.
There’s a fragile beauty, as if capturing fleeting moments and irreplaceable time in a tight embrace.
The pure vocals each member brings to the song are wonderful, too.
Try using it on TikTok for letter-style videos or memory montages.
I forget you, who are so quiet, in October.atarayo
A breakout hit from Atarayo, a band whose tagline is “a group that grows by feeding on sadness.” From the opening, conversational lines, you’re drawn in naturally.
It’s a heartrending track whose lyrics and worldview drew attention.
On TikTok, it was widely used in videos filled with memories, bonds, and feelings that couldn’t reach their destination.
Beyond just the pain, it’s a song that stays close to the feeling of being hurt precisely because someone is kind to you.
It squeezes your chest so tightly that you find yourself thinking it would have been better if it had never existed in the first place.