[Empathetic & Tear-Jerking] A love song about an unrequited romance
Even when you know it’s a hopeless love and your feelings won’t be returned, you still can’t stop your heart—it’s just impossible, isn’t it?
Your head says it might be no good, but your heart won’t follow so easily, and your feelings only grow stronger.
For you who feel this way, here are love songs that sing of the aching emotions of unrequited love—songs I want you to hear.
Some are from a woman’s perspective, some from a man’s, but whichever you listen to, your chest will surely tighten, and you may find yourself relating as if the song were about you.
Soothe the feelings you can’t tell anyone by listening to tracks from those in the same situation.
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- [Songs of Infidelity] A collection of forbidden love songs about unattainable romance
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- A song that comforts the unrequited, aching feelings when the person you like already has a girlfriend or boyfriend
- “I Want to See You”: A love song that makes you cry when you listen to it while you can’t meet
- Unrequited love songs that strike a man's heart. Love songs from a male perspective that really hit home.
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- [For when you want to cry] A ballad love song. A heartbreaking love song.
- Songs About Age-Gap Love: A Curated Selection of Exquisite Love Songs
[Empathy & Tearjerker] Love Songs About Unrequited Love (71–80)
I can’t bring myself to hate (you/it).ren
A work that sings of emotions born in the space between loss and lingering attachment.
Even when cornered into a situation where they can’t help but depend on the other person, their love is so deep they can’t even bring themselves to hate them.
Ren’s clear, translucent vocals capture that aching feeling beautifully.
The lyrics vividly portray the subtle, complex emotions hidden deep in the heart, creating a worldview that truly resonates.
Released in September 2021, this piece is also known as Ren’s debut song.
Its delicate, acoustic guitar–driven arrangement enhances the poignancy of the vocals.
It’s a song that stays with you when you’re suffering from lingering attachment or obsession toward someone you love, or when you love them so much you can’t let go.
Blue BenchSasuke
It’s a pure love song wrapped in a sense of longing.
Set on a nostalgic bench after the lover is gone, it delicately portrays the emotions of looking back on an unrequited love.
Regret over not being able to convey one’s feelings and lingering attachment to a love that will never return resonate through the delicate vocals and melody.
Released independently in 2003, the song sold out all 500 copies immediately, despite being available only at a single store in the artist’s hometown of Ōmiya.
When you think back to “that moment” when you couldn’t be honest with a beloved partner, this song will be there to embrace your heart.
Don’t Stop LoveKōda Kumi
A medium-tempo ballad by Kumi Koda portraying the forbidden love of an affair.
It beautifully expresses the conflict and sorrow of a man and woman who, despite their pure affection, live a love that cannot be allowed.
Released in September 2011, the song drew attention as the theme for the film “Second Virgin” and was also performed at that year’s NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen.
Included on the albums “JAPONESQUE” and “WINTER of LOVE,” it has become one of Koda’s signature songs.
It is sure to resonate deeply with anyone who relates to the loneliness of not being able to be with the one you love and the earnest desire to go on loving despite the gaze of society.
impure loveDomura Riu
A gem of a love song by Riu Domura that powerfully conveys the pain and poignancy of a love you can’t tell anyone about.
It delicately portrays the feelings of a woman who, despite having been with the one she loves, ends up feeling even more alone.
Depicting the struggle of a woman who suffers in a convenient relationship yet cannot cut off her feelings for the other person, the track was released in January 2024, later included on the album “Irregular Diary,” and has become a fan favorite performed live.
It’s a song we especially recommend to those who have been hurt by love or are currently tormented by an unrequited relationship.
AloneMayo Okamoto
A gently woven ballad that carries hidden feelings along with a piano melody.
Released by Mayo Okamoto in November 1996, this song portrays the heartrending emotions of a woman whose boyfriend is taken by her close friend.
Though she puts on a brave face and smiles for those around her, she continues to carry loneliness in her heart.
The pain she feels upon glimpsing the couple by chance on a station platform, and her yearning not for sympathy but for true love, are expressed with delicate nuance.
This piece is a long-cherished ballad she had nurtured since before her debut.
It’s a song that quietly stays by the side of anyone trying to look forward while bearing the pain of heartbreak.
Because it won’t reach / Because it doesn’t reachHirai Ken
The film “50 First Kisses” portrays a heartrending love story.
Ken Hirai wrote “Todokanai Kara” as its theme song.
The lyrics speak on behalf of the film’s protagonist, depicting a deep love that will never reach the other person.
Many lines tie directly to the movie, so you’ll relate even more if you listen after watching it.
That said, it’s still moving enough to stir your heart even if you haven’t seen the film.
The live version included on the CD features an even more passionate performance, so be sure to check that out as well.
dear personShio Reira
This song focuses on the different readings of the kanji for “love,” portraying the misalignments in how love is expressed and received.
Released in August 2024 as the lead track of the 1st EP “No one,” it also drew attention for being featured as background music on ABEMA’s dating show “He and the Little Wolf-chan Won’t Deceive You.” If you’ve ever struggled with the weight of the word “love” or felt unsure about how to interpret someone’s feelings, you’ll find it impossible not to relate.
You can really feel the kindness of someone trying to accept their partner’s clumsy way of showing love.