[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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- [Adultery Song] A forbidden song about an affair that sings of an impossible love
- 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 (41–50)
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.
[Empathy & Tearjerker] A Love Song About Unrequited Love (51–60)
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.
passing by each otherSoala
A heartrending love song by Soala that delicately portrays the clumsy emotions of falling in love.
It beautifully captures the fragile moment of parting born from the inability to be honest with the one you love.
Many will relate to the protagonist, who regrets their actions even as they recognize their excessive possessiveness and self-centered behavior.
Released in July 2023, the song drew attention with its airy vocals and comfortable R&B vibe, racking up 20 million streams in just six months.
The warm voice that seems to wrap around a troubled heart and the down-to-earth lyrics truly resonate.
It’s a recommended track for anyone who has ever caused distance by caring too much, or who is struggling with their relationship with a beloved partner.
Love songnatori
This is an emotional song by Natori that delicately portrays the heartache and pain of drowning in misguided love.
The protagonist’s feelings, tossed about by love, are depicted as blurring the line between dreams and reality.
Included on the album “Gekijō” (Theater), the track’s music video reached 3.16 million views in February 2024.
For those who carry an unending pain of love deep within, it will likely feel like a song that speaks your heart for you.
In the quiet, why not lend your ear to this piece?
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.
Bad personsenritsu kannano
A gem of a love song that beautifully captures the complex emotions of a woman torn by a forbidden love, with a heartrending vocal and delicate lyrics.
Kayayu from Young Skinny—a favorite among Gen Z—wrote the song, and Kanano Senritsu delivers a fragile, poignant performance.
Since its release in September 2024, it has resonated on social media, delicately depicting the turmoil of a woman who forgives even as she recognizes her partner’s lies, and the ache of memories that resurface with the changing seasons.
Its universal lyrics invite anyone struggling in love to see themselves in the story.
It’s a song that gently stays by the side of those overwhelmed by complicated feelings for someone who can’t exactly be called a good person.
Your happinessUru
A tale of unrequited love that begins with a poetry reading.
Crafted by Uru herself, this work beautifully portrays deep affection for the other person and a resolute acceptance of parting.
Though close in proximity, a distance in hearts is felt—the aching inability to convey one’s feelings.
Because she wishes for the other’s happiness, she suppresses her own emotions; her delicate inner world is delivered through a simple yet striking melody.
Released in November 2023, the song features a piano- and acoustic guitar–centered arrangement that is simple but deeply moving.
It’s a piece that stands beside those who harbor the complex feelings of loving someone while suffering as they wish for that person’s happiness.