[Once More…] A lingering-attachment song: a song about a love you can’t forget
We’ve gathered a collection of classic “lingering-love” songs, packed with feelings you just can’t let go of.
Even if you part ways by mutual agreement, get dumped, or decide to give up on love yourself, when you’re alone you might realize, “I still love them after all…” and notice that lingering attachment within you.
The enormity of what you lost that only hits you after it’s gone; a love that grew until there was no going back.
In this article, we introduce songs that portray all kinds of lingering feelings toward past love.
These are tracks we especially want people to hear who think, “I know we can’t go back, but I still can’t forget them.”
- [Lingering Feelings and Regrets] A Love Song for You Who Can’t Forget Your Ex-Boyfriend
- [Unrequited Love] Heart-wrenching Love Songs | A Roundup of Tear-Inducing Crush and Breakup Tracks
- Songs to listen to when you want to get back together: love songs that will tie the red string again
- [No Going Back] A Love Song About Regret
- [Songs About Loving Yet Parting] Love songs for those who want to overcome heartbreak
- Masterpieces that sing of regret. Recommended popular songs.
- [Unattainable Love] A love song about two people who feel the same way but can’t be together
- A Tearful Farewell Song: A Love Song About Parting with Someone You Love
- [Adultery Song] A forbidden song about an affair that sings of an impossible love
- “I Want to See You”: A love song that makes you cry when you listen to it while you can’t meet
- [Heartbreak Songs] A selection of poignant love songs that pierce the heart of those with unrequited love
- Just listening makes my chest tighten... Breakup songs recommended for the Yutori generation
- [Today’s Heartbreak Song] A poignant love song that gently wraps your wounded heart
[One More Time…] Songs of Lingering Feelings: Unforgettable Love Songs (41–50)
I got a boyfriend/girlfriend.My Hair is Bad
A song filled to the brim with lingering feelings for an ex, “I’ve Got a Girlfriend.” As the title suggests, the song’s protagonist is a man who seems to have found a new girlfriend—someone he can even imagine a future with.
Yet he can’t stop wondering how his ex is doing now.
More than the joy of having a new girlfriend, he feels the sadness of no longer being able to see his ex because he’s in a new relationship.
It’s a plain-spoken song, but for anyone still holding onto regret, it may resonate with a poignant ache.
[Once More…] Songs of Lingering Feelings: Unforgettable Love Songs (51–60)
ArikaMarushii
Marcy is a band that’s especially popular with Gen Z.
Released digitally in January 2023, this track is a gem of a ballad that was later included on the album Candle.
The word “Arika” in the title symbolizes the protagonist’s aching search for where happiness truly resides.
If you’ve ever found yourself looking for traces of someone even after a breakup, you’ll likely relate deeply.
Like the music video released in January 2023 featuring Nagi Hasegawa, it’s a song you’ll want to listen to alone on a winter night.
For those who can’t help but wish to go back to those days, it may stay close to your heart and offer a cleansing release through tears.
HeyYOAKE
It’s a breezy breakup song that makes you want to shake off your lingering feelings and head toward your next love.
The track is by YOAKE, a mysterious band project that operates without revealing its members, and it was released in 2022.
A dance video using this song went viral on TikTok, helping it reach a wide audience.
Centered on a warm, band-driven sound, it’s an easy listen.
The bouncy rhythm feels stylish, and even though it’s a breakup song, it somehow lightens your heart.
tobacco / cigarette(s)Koresawa
The song that offers comfort to those troubled by the feeling of “If only I’d done things differently back then…” is Tobacco.
Released in 2017 by singer-songwriter Koresawa, who creates a wide range of music from cute pop to warm acoustic sounds, it features lyrics that beautifully capture the sentimental emotions of losing a lover, bringing listeners to tears.
It’s a melodic track where her powerful yet fragile vocals resonate.
If you find yourself constantly recalling exchanges with a former partner, give it a listen.
Lingering feelings for youCHIHIRO
The theme of this song is that the feeling of unrequited love continues whether you’ve broken up or are still together.
The title, “Kimi ni Miren” (Lingering Feelings for You), is straightforward too.
The parts about trying to delete the other person’s contact info, and about how you’d end up crying if they got a new boyfriend, are vivid depictions overflowing with lingering attachment.
Maybe lingering feelings are especially common at the end of clumsy romances.
What do you think?
wedge (kusabi)Oku Hanako
You can’t easily forget the happy days you spent with your lover, can you? “Kusabi (Wedge),” a song that gently stays close to the hearts of those who feel lonely, was released in 2015 by singer-songwriter Hanako Oku.
She has performed it since her indie days, and it has earned strong popularity among fans.
Its piano sound, resonant with majestic strings, is striking.
The poignant lyrics, which bring back memories of someone precious, are sure to bring tears.
It’s a dramatic piano ballad especially for those who feel, “I can’t help wanting to get in touch with that person…”
night skyOnda Masanori
Singer-songwriter Masanori Onda rose to prominence after his self-recorded performance videos on TikTok drew attention.
In 2022, he released Yozora (Night Sky).
The song conveys the joy and gratitude of meeting a loved one, resonating deeply alongside his emotional vocals.
The gentle tones of piano and acoustic guitar soothe, as if tenderly embracing the loneliness and anxiety of parting.
This ballad gradually fills your heart with scenes and landscapes from happy days spent with a partner.
Why not listen to it on a sleepless night while gazing up at the night sky?