[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
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- "A Love Song I Can't Tell Anyone" — a love song you can relate to when times are tough
- [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] A Love Song About Unrequited Love (51–60)
I became someone else’s girlfriend.wacci

A love song woven with a voice that leaves a bittersweet afterglow, capturing a form of love different from a simple unrequited crush.
The emotions of a woman swaying between reason and feeling are portrayed with delicate nuance.
Though she should be satisfied with her new relationship, the frustration of being unable to sever her feelings for her ex presses on her heart.
Released digitally by wacci in August 2018, the song gradually gained popularity through word of mouth on social media, reaching 100 million total streams in June 2021.
It has sparked a major response, with many artists covering it.
This is a track that deeply resonates with anyone who feels, “I should be happy, yet I’m not fulfilled,” and who carries such complex romantic emotions.
I didn’t want to know, if it meant losing it.atarayo

This piece delicately portrays the turmoil of a woman who realizes that every “word” from the lover she’s supposed to be in love with is a flimsy lie.
She wants to believe but can’t; she doesn’t want to lose them, yet being together only makes it hurt more.
These tangled emotions resonate alongside Atarayo’s urbane sound.
Released in January 2022 and included on their first album, “In the Polar Night, the Moon Remains Silent,” the song emerged from a collaboration with Junwaidan.
It’s a highly relatable track that offers solace to those exhausted by the effort of trusting a partner, and to those who had no choice but to part ways with someone they love.
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.
existenceTENSONG

This is a heart-stirring song by TENSONG that vividly portrays the pain of heartbreak.
Released in December 2020, the track was created by guitarist Takuman based on his real-life experience, carefully depicting the emotions of being trapped in memories while trying to take a new step forward.
Vocalist Takabo’s high-tone voice expresses those feelings beautifully, and the deeply resonant melody line leaves a strong impression.
The music video is an animated piece created by an illustrator who was their classmate and reached 1.8 million views in eight months.
It’s a song that offers comfort to those carrying the pain of a broken heart or who’ve experienced parting with someone important; we recommend listening to it alone on a quiet night.
[Empathy & Tearjerker] Love Songs About Unrequited Love (61–70)
Through countless nightsCHEMISTRY

It’s a CHEMISTRY track that puts an aching poignancy front and center, depicting someone who keeps singing feelings that will never reach their destination.
The distinctive, floating sound seems to express a sense of emotional instability.
With its simple arrangement—wavering organ tones and vocals—the message embedded in the singing and lyrics feels all the more emphasized.
It powerfully conveys the pain of thinking about a beloved person who has gone away, and of piling up unreachable wishes within oneself.
Kasane AiSoala

Soala’s translucent vocals gently embrace the feelings that pass each other by and the wish to reunite, delicately expressing subtle emotions.
Released in January 2025 as a track on the EP “Bluem,” the song is distinguished by its piano-centered, gentle sound and memorable melodic lines.
The music video—featuring model Ryoka Orita and actor Yusei Ito—has also garnered attention, spreading waves of empathy across social media.
It’s a song I wholeheartedly recommend to anyone who carries a “what if”—wondering how things might have been if you’d met in a different way.
What is emotion?This is LAST

The song “#Jō to wa,” which poignantly and beautifully depicts the pain of heartbreak after someone you love leaves, was created by the three-piece rock band This is LAST.
It was also used as an insert song in the romance reality show “Hanataba to Ōkami-chan ni wa Damasarenai,” resonating with many viewers.
While feeling pathetic for being unable to let go of the past, the lyrics don’t express hatred toward the ex-partner; instead, they portray an enduring affection that continues even now.
It’s a track that gently embraces those carrying the weight of a painful love.


