Classic and popular unrequited love breakup songs

staggeringlyyuzu

Furari

The folk duo Yuzu’s “Furari” is a masterpiece that delicately portrays a man’s unrequited love.

In the song, the woman he likes comes to him for advice about her romance with another man, and the depiction of his inner struggle over how to respond feels incredibly real.

Should he confess his feelings, or hold back and just listen as a friend? The lyrics beautifully capture that helpless, conflicted state of mind.

People often say women are more sensitive, but this song places the spotlight on a man’s sensitivity—lyrics of this kind are quite rare.

Why not take this opportunity to give it a listen?

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Yuuki

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I still believe ~sigh~Shizukusa Yumi

Yumi shizukusa – “I still Believe～sigh”【Music Video】【English subtitles】

A heartbreak song by Yumi Shizukusa—an artist whose uniquely moving voice and delicate vibrato have earned wide popularity, and who has also performed theme songs for a nationally beloved anime.

It’s an unrequited love number that expresses feelings that won’t come true no matter how strongly you wish for them.

I wonder if I’d still say it’s too late.Saucy Dog

Saucy Dog “Would I Say It’s Too Late Now?” Music Video <4th Mini Album “Take Me” Released on 2020.9.2>

This song by the three-piece band Saucy Dog can be heard either as a man’s heartbreak after being dumped or as lingering regrets after doing the dumping.

The feelings of noticing how an ex changes, wondering about the person they’re dating now, and secretly hoping you might get back together are emotions anyone who’s experienced heartbreak has probably felt.

If trying your hardest to forget only makes your mind even more consumed by that person, then, like in this song, maybe letting yourself fully soak in those lingering feelings could be what helps you finally take the next step.

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yuri

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petalback number

back number – Hanabira (full)

A heartbreaking breakup song that overlays the fleeting memories of love with cherry blossom petals.

The lyrics delicately portray how memories with a lover linger everywhere in the city, turning even everyday scenes into amplifiers of pain.

While still holding on to love, the reality is that they will never meet again.

This song carries a message that gently embraces that hurt.

Released in April 2011, it was featured as the ending theme for JAPAN COUNTDOWN.

It is sure to resonate deeply with anyone who has experienced a painful romance.

Until the day I can no longer rememberback number

back number – Until the Day It Becomes Unrememberable (full)

When it comes to breakup songs, back number is absolutely indispensable.

I feel like the “breakup period” is exactly what the title of this song captures: “Until the Day I Can No Longer Remember.” As long as you can still remember, your mind keeps circling through different things—you laugh at the happy memories, and the painful ones and the regrets bring the sadness flooding back.

Little by little, with the passage of time, the wounds begin to heal.

But even if you forget everything, is that really for the best…? The muddled emotions that follow a breakup are expressed here just as they are.

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SAKI

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Unrequited lovemiwa

miwa 'Unrequited Love'

With a relaxed tempo, this unrequited love song conveys an overwhelming sense of sorrow, singing of the pain and sadness of harboring feelings for someone whose love will never be returned.

Though love is supposed to be free, it expresses the doubt of whether one is even allowed to fall for that person.

breakup songOkazaki Taiiku

Okazaki Taiiku “Heartbreak Song” Music Video

This song, which portrays the pain of heartbreak and the journey back from it, gives voice to the feelings of a protagonist who has gone through a breakup as grand as a fireworks display.

It poignantly lists places filled with memories of a lover—movie theaters, amusement parks, aquariums—then depicts how they “burn down” over time.

Yet the lyrics also blend humor with a sense of strength, encouraging oneself to stop brooding and face forward.

By staying close to the listener’s heart, this track offers the courage to overcome heartbreak.

It’s a unique breakup song that never gives you time to wallow, showcasing Okazaki Taiiku’s keen eye for detail and distinctive sensibility.