[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.
- [Unattainable Love] A love song about two people who feel the same way but can’t be together
- [Unrequited Love] Heart-wrenching Love Songs | A Roundup of Tear-Inducing Crush and Breakup Tracks
- A classic song about a forbidden love
- Unattainable Love: A Heartbreaking Love Song About Falling for a Married Person
- "A Love Song I Can't Tell Anyone" — a love song you can relate to when times are tough
- [Songs of Infidelity] A collection of forbidden love songs about unattainable romance
- An empathy song to listen to when you’re hurting and feel like a 'convenient woman'
- Bittersweet love songs to listen to 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.
- A song of forbidden love. A love song about feelings that can't be stopped.
- [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 (1–10)
Snow WhiteFlower
After working as support members for EXILE’s live performances, the dance and vocal group Flower made their debut in 2010.
Their 6th single, Shirayukihime (Snow White), used as the theme song for the NOTTV drama “We’re All Dead♪,” features a dreamlike ensemble that perfectly evokes its title.
A love you can’t stop even though you know from the start it won’t be rewarded is a feeling many people have likely experienced at least once.
It’s a heartbreaking number whose sentimental piano and strings melody pierces the heart.
Stop this nightJUJU
Singer-songwriter JUJU, who moved to the United States in her teens and gained popularity for her highly original musical style infused with authentic Black music, delivers a captivating track with her 15th single, “Kono Yoru wo Tomete yo,” the theme song for the TV drama Guilty: Akuma to Keiyaku Shita Onna.
JUJU’s vocals are both delicate and soulful, making the song a pleasure to listen to.
Its message—wanting to be seen, just for now, even in a love with no clear future—evokes the feeling of being unable to suppress your emotions despite knowing in your head that it’s not allowed.
For those in a similar situation, this heartbreaking ballad is sure to tighten the chest.
You&MeMiura Daichi
Daichi Miura, a singer-songwriter often dubbed the “Japanese Michael Jackson” for his overwhelming dance performances, continues to deliberately pursue originality.
“You & Me,” included on his second album Who’s The Man, is a track marked by its striking piano-and-strings intro.
The story portrays a fragile relationship that would likely shatter if the feelings were spoken aloud—something anyone who’s fallen for someone they shouldn’t can relate to.
It’s a sentimental love ballad whose emotional ensemble stirs the heart.
[Empathy & Tearjerker] Love Songs About Unrequited Love (11–20)
Give me a gentle kiss.DREAMS COME TRUE
DREAMS COME TRUE is a duo whose music, which channels influences from funk and soul into J-pop, has earned support from a wide range of listeners.
Their 31st single, “Yasashii Kiss o Shite,” written as the theme song for the TV drama Sand Chronicle, is a staple in karaoke with a distinctly kayōkyoku flavor.
Its lyrics portray the feelings of someone who remains single-mindedly devoted despite a forbidden love—tugging at the heartstrings even of those who haven’t had such an experience.
The unsettling chord progression in the outro evokes a future with no way forward, making it a sentimental ballad.
GarnetOku Hanako
Singer-songwriter Hanako Oku is known for her energetic street performance activities and for having been exposed to various instruments since childhood.
Her 4th single “Garnet,” chosen as the theme song for the animated film The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, leaves a lasting impression with its clear, translucent vocals carried by a piano-centered ensemble.
The lyrics evoke the image of an immature romance from one’s youth, and many listeners may find themselves relating by recalling their own student days.
It’s a number whose clarity and wistful melancholy will move your heart—one to listen to while remembering a love that went unfulfilled.
A Song Dedicated to the Worst YouYuuri
This is a digital release from November 2025 by Yuuri that sings of frustration and self-loathing toward oneself for being unable to escape a sneaky, unfair relationship—even while knowing the other person isn’t serious.
The lyrics pierce the heart as they call the other person “the worst,” yet also reckon with the singer’s own slyness in accepting a convenient role.
Kisses that feel like a gag to hide true feelings, and words that sound like a curse uttered with a sense that the end is near, vividly depict the psychological mind games of a complicated romance.
It’s a song that will resonate with anyone who knows they should walk away but can’t, or who is facing the end while still holding on to lingering attachments.
WHYKato Miria
Singer-songwriter Miliyah Kato passed a Sony Music audition at 13 and made her major debut at 16.
Her 16th single, “WHY,” released with the catchphrase “Why am I not the one?”, was chosen as the theme song for the au LISMO drama Konyamae Tokkyu – Jinsei Yappa 21 Kara.
The story portrays the complexity of a love that defies logic, where feelings won’t fade even when you know the relationship would disappear if you cut it off yourself.
It’s an emotional love song that shakes the heart with the fusion of a soulful voice and band sound.