A classic song about a forbidden love

CountdownCocco

Cocco “Countdown” Music Video

This is Cocco’s shocking debut work, depicting the end of a forbidden love driven by sheer passion.

The provocative, self-destructive words that corner the other person may be a reflection of frustration and despair at a relationship with no way out.

Released in March 1997, the song is also included on the album Bougainvillea.

Because you love someone so much, you feel a twisted impulse to destroy the relationship with your own hands—knowing it’s selfish, yet unable to stop.

Perhaps such overwhelming passion comes from being consumed by a love that should never be.

Play ball!YU-KI

YUKI “Play Ball”

To mark the milestone of her 10th anniversary as a solo artist, YUKI delivered a song that evokes the beginning of a forbidden love.

Contrary to its bright, cheerleader-like sound, the worldview seems to portray a woman’s strong will as she plunges into the game of love without thinking of the consequences—“even if it’s a strikeout.” Her desperate plea for divine help conveys the pain of being unable to stop her feelings, even while knowing the relationship is forbidden.

This monumental single was released in May 2012.

Even though you know it’s wrong, this is a song that confronts your heart with a certain resolve to stake everything on this love.

Shitsuren feat. MatsuriTakase Tōya

Toya Takase / Shitsuren (Unrequited Love) feat. Matsuri (Official Music Video)

A duet song by Toya Takase and Matsuri that delicately portrays the emotions of two people consumed by a forbidden love.

Within a relationship so dependent that they can’t even bring themselves to part, the contradictions and inner conflicts born from caring too much for each other are expressed with aching tenderness.

Released in June 2024, the song has resonated especially with Gen Z.

It’s a moving track that offers solace to those experiencing a bittersweet love—longing for someone while suffering under the weight of those very feelings.

You are a cigarette; I am a soap bubble.Lovely Summer Chan

You are a cigarette; I am a soap bubble.

A melancholic guitar-pop song by Lovely Summer Chan that delicately depicts the end of a bittersweet love.

Featured on her major-label debut album “LSC,” released in November 2016, the track expresses the faint feelings for someone out of reach and the fragility of having no choice but to accept it.

Through the contrast between “cigarettes,” a symbol of adulthood, and “soap bubbles,” which vanish in an instant, it strikingly portrays the distance between two people who can never truly meet.

It’s a highly relatable song that offers comfort to those who strive to move forward even while suffering from an unrequited love.

Sleepless nights are because of you.MISIA

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

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.

I could never say I like you.fayray

I could never say I like you.

A ballad delicately portraying the feelings of a woman swaying between urban loneliness and an unrequited love, released in January 2003 as Fayray’s 14th single.

While her feelings deepen for someone who is already engaged, she fears breaking their relationship and can’t bring herself to confess—emotions depicted alongside a beautiful piano melody.

Also chosen as the theme song for the Yomiuri TV/Nippon TV drama “Message: Words Keep Betraying,” this work showcases Fayray’s growth as a singer-songwriter.

It’s a song that offers solace to those suffering from the pain and conflict of love, recommended for anyone struggling with an affair or unrequited feelings.

Bad personsenritsu kannano

Kano Kanaru “Bad Person” M/V

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.