Recommended love songs for women in their 20s. Classic and popular Japanese love songs.

LemonYonezu Kenshi

Kenshi Yonezu – Lemon

A song written specifically for the Friday drama “Unnatural.” The drama follows a forensic pathologist protagonist and her colleagues in the same lab as they brightly and thrillingly unravel the mysteries and cases lurking behind “death.” At its core lies “human death,” which is also the theme of this song.

“Lemon” sings about feelings toward death through the perspective of “me” and the “you” who has passed away.

In the first verse, it portrays the feelings of “me” who has lost a loved one—the sorrow and the happiness of everyday life that is only realized after the loss—while the second verse depicts, from the deceased’s perspective, the feelings of wishing for “my” happiness.

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maybeYOASOBI

YOASOBI “Tabun” Official Music Video

YOASOBI writes lyrics based on novels, and this song was written from Shino’s short story “Tabun” (“Probably”).

It portrays the feelings of heartbreak from a male perspective.

The protagonist insists that the breakup wasn’t anyone’s fault and that it was probably fate, trying to act tough.

Yet the words that slip out reveal how important the other person was and how lonely he feels without them.

It’s a song that depicts those emotions—literary in expression yet directly resonant—creating a uniquely compelling world.

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PretenderOfisharu Higedan Dism

Official HIGE DANDism – Pretender [Official Video]

Haven’t you ever had the experience of “we dated, but somehow it just didn’t work out”? The protagonist of this song also finds that their romance with “you” isn’t going well, feeling the frustration of being the only one trying and not being in sync.

While they think you’re precious and it would be painful to part, they try to convince themselves you’re not their destined one and decide to break up—capturing a poignant inner struggle.

Although it’s a heartbreaking breakup song, it’s sung over a bright, rhythmic melody, giving it a sense of positivity—almost as if the singer feels glad to have fallen in love with “you.”

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A Naked Heartaimyon

Aimyon – Naked Heart [OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO]

A song chosen as the theme for the TBS drama “My Housekeeper Nagisa-san.” It’s a love song that portrays a woman who, though exhausted by romance that never seems to blossom, still yearns for love.

While everyone around her is in relationships, she’s alone, unable to make things work.

Even as she feels anxious and impatient about her situation, she believes that someday it will go well, and she keeps moving forward little by little.

Set to a melody that carries a sense of nostalgia and familiarity, the lyrics candidly express both the strength and the vulnerability of women.

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Only for you, clear skiesYorushika

Yorushika – Just Clear Skies for You (MUSIC VIDEO)

Yorushika is a rock band consisting of two members: the composer n-buna and the vocalist suis.

This song is depicted from two perspectives: the “me” in memories—caught in the in-between of no longer being a child but not yet fully an adult—and the “me” living in the present.

You can vividly feel the scenes of the narrator cherishing and reflecting on memories with “you,” preserved in memory or in photographs.

While memories gradually fade, some youthful moments never disappear.

This is a track that gently revives those kinds of memories.

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Dried flowersYuuri

Yuuri “Dry Flower” Official Music Video (Short ver.)

This song is the after-story to Yuuri’s signature track “Kakurenbo.” While “Kakurenbo” portrays the feelings of a boyfriend who can’t get over a breakup, “Dry Flower” is sung from the girlfriend’s perspective.

She’s the one who initiated the breakup, yet her thoughts keep returning to her ex.

She tells herself they probably weren’t right for each other, but she can’t bring herself to truly dislike him, and she continues to wish for his happiness—capturing a tender, heartrending state of mind.

Be sure to listen to it together with “Kakurenbo”!

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24/7 YOU…LANA

LANA – 24/7 YOU… (Official Music Video)

Are you familiar with LANA’s first love song, released to coincide with Valentine’s season? It captures the delicate shift from friends to lovers and the exhilaration of thinking about someone all the time, written in natural, chat-like language.

The hardness of the Trap beat, co-produced with JIGG, fuses with her distinctive melodic sensibility, resulting in a song with real backbone—not just sweetness.

Released in February 2024, the track was later included on the EP “19.5” and on the career-defining album “20.” While there wasn’t a specific tie-in, it drew attention in tandem with the announcement of her Zepp Shinjuku show, which is still fresh in our memories.

It’s recommended for anyone feeling the flutter of a new romance or wanting to immerse themselves in a love story told in down-to-earth words.