Lovely love song

A classic song about a forbidden love

Keyboard playerSAKI
I’ve been playing the Electone since I was six, mainly performing Disney music, anime songs, and music from dramas and films. I post performance videos on YouTube and social media, and I also give concerts. Building on my Electone experience, I took up synthesizer and piano during my student years and performed at school-sponsored events. As a writer, I’ve covered not only music-related topics but a wide range of genres, so I hope to draw on my experience to deliver articles that make readers think, “I want to try that!” or “I want to listen to that!”
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSICsasashina
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSIC. JFC-certified fact-checker. I’m Sasashina, a mom currently raising an elementary schooler and a preschooler. During my student years at Kyoto College of Science and Technology, I studied a wide range of fields including sound, lighting, and video technology, building a foundation in comprehensive stage production and creative expression. After graduation, I joined a music production company, where I still work, consistently building experience in production and engaging in a variety of music-centered tasks. Currently, I mainly handle articles for children, drawing on what I’ve learned about parenting and what I feel and discover through daily interactions with my kids. I hope my work can be of help to you, even in a small way!

Adultery dramas we often see in dramas, movies, and TV talk shows—the love that can never come true.

We’ve gathered songs about these “forbidden loves.” There are many beautifully portrayed dramas that make your heart race, but what if you yourself were to fall into a love that isn’t allowed…? Here, we’ll introduce plenty of songs that capture the bittersweet feelings of such forbidden love.

From songs told from a woman’s perspective to those from a man’s point of view, there are more tracks about forbidden love than you might think.

Perhaps that’s because many people are secretly suffering over a love that shouldn’t be….

Masterpieces about forbidden love (41–50)

Adam and Evego!go!vanillas

go!go!vanillas - “Adam and Eve” Music Video

Adam and Evego!go!vanillas

A song that poignantly portrays a love story where one feels on the verge of drowning in sweet words whispered by the ear.

It offers a modern interpretation of the Old Testament’s Adam and Eve, expressing the turmoil of a man and woman who fall into a forbidden love through go!go!vanillas’ characteristically delicate sound.

Though the relationship is morally impermissible, the heart is captivated by the beauty of the moment, intertwining with a dreamlike melody.

Released in March 2021 as a track on the album “PANDORA,” the piece debuted alongside a music video directed by Takuro Okubo.

Its emotional storytelling harmonizes beautifully with the band’s signature, striking guitar riffs.

Recommended for those who find themselves wavering amid complex emotions.

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Timeless songs about forbidden love (51–60)

selling oneselfRosu

selling oneself

selling oneselfRosu

A beautiful tragic love song that portrays the heartrending emotions of a woman living in the night city.

Amid a dark, mysterious atmosphere, the protagonist gives herself to a man she does not even love, while continuing to harbor unwavering feelings for the one she truly longs for.

In a darkness without even a single ray of light, the searing emotions of a woman consumed by an impossible love are vividly expressed through Ros’s protean vocals.

Released in March 2022, the song is also included on the album “Yoru no Shizu.” It is a track that deeply resonates with those pained by unrequited love or troubled by a forbidden romance.

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AFFAIRSuga Shikao

Suga Shikao / AFFAIR

AFFAIRSuga Shikao

This is a song by Suga Shikao that portrays the deep anguish of a forbidden love—two people drawn to each other despite knowing it’s not allowed.

Released in October 2000, it was used as the theme song for the drama “The Lover’s Code: Wanting to See You.” There’s an anecdote that the track was refined for over three years before completion.

The torment of guilt alongside feelings so deep there’s no turning back makes your chest tighten, doesn’t it? If you listen to it on a night when you’re troubled by a complicated love with no way out in sight, you may find yourself empathizing deeply with its helplessness.

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Sleepless nights are because of you.MISIA

MISIA – Sleepless Nights Are Your Fault (Official HD Music Video)

Sleepless nights are because of you.MISIA

A wistful medium-tempo ballad released in August 2002.

It portrays the inner turmoil of being drawn to someone you shouldn’t love, set against the loneliness of the night and fragile hopes.

The earnest feelings—sleeplessness when memories surface, the desperate wish to see them even if only in a dream—are delicately woven through MISIA’s rich expressiveness.

Included on the album “KISS IN THE SKY,” the song was used in Kirin Beverage’s “RAKUDA” commercial and served as the theme song for the Fuji TV drama “Love Quotient” (Ren’ai Hensachi).

Recommended for those who want to connect with the bittersweetness and depth of romantic feelings.

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Bad personsenritsu kannano

Kano Kanaru “Bad Person” M/V

Bad personsenritsu kannano

A heartrending unrequited love song that delicately portrays the feelings of a woman who has stepped into a forbidden romance.

While trapped in memories that resurface with the chill of autumn, her determination to move forward leaves a strong impression.

Kanano Senritsu’s fragile vocals beautifully express the inner turmoil of the conflicted woman.

Released in September 2024 as Kanano Senritsu’s solo major debut track, the song depicts the complex emotions of recognizing the other person’s lies yet accepting them, as well as a mixture of regret and lingering attachment—inviting empathy from those who have experienced something similar.

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PuzzleBAND-MAID

BAND-MAID / Puzzle (Official Live Video)

PuzzleBAND-MAID

A connection that felt like destiny, yet a relationship that could never be.

This BAND-MAID song portrays the struggle of a forbidden love.

The way the narrator tells themselves it’s okay not to be someone special to the other person may resonate painfully with anyone in an unrequited love.

These helpless emotions are sung with delicacy over powerful beats and a passionate sound.

The track is included on the album “Just Bring It,” released in January 2017.

Even knowing it won’t be reciprocated, the feelings won’t stop—this is a work that stays close to that complex state of mind.

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No PromiseChara

No Promise

No PromiseChara

A song by Chara that portrays the aching feelings of a woman torn by a relationship without promises.

She longs to hold on to someone who seems about to leave, yet she can’t secure any promise for the future.

That inner conflict is delicately rendered in a whisper-like vocal.

Featured on the album “Soul Kiss,” released in July 1992, the song captures the frustration of being unable to stop loving someone—knowing it won’t be reciprocated, yet unable to let go—which perhaps only those who’ve experienced it can truly understand.

A love in which only one person suffers is something that, at some point, we probably ought to bring to an end.

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