[An Adulterous Love] A love song about a secret affair you can't tell anyone about
Affairs are generally considered taboo by society, but sometimes you might fall for someone without knowing they’re married.
You probably have feelings you’re keeping tucked away in your heart, too.
This article introduces songs about “affairs.”
Some songs depict people already in an affair, while others are about accepting there’s no future and choosing to part ways.
Many of these tracks express painful emotions, so you may find one that resonates with how you feel.
If you’d like, try listening to any songs that catch your interest.
- [Adultery Song] A forbidden song about an affair that sings of an impossible love
- Unattainable Love: A Heartbreaking Love Song About Falling for a Married Person
- [Cheating Song] A forbidden love that crossed the line — infidelity song
- A song of forbidden love. A love song about feelings that can't be stopped.
- A classic song about a forbidden love
- [Unattainable Love] A love song about two people who feel the same way but can’t be together
- A love song for grown-ups. A romantic tune to listen to at night.
- A song of forbidden love. A heartrending, sorrowful love song.
- "A Love Song I Can't Tell Anyone" — a love song you can relate to when times are tough
- [Empathetic & Tear-Jerking] A love song about an unrequited romance
- A Tearful Farewell Song: A Love Song About Parting with Someone You Love
- [An Adulterous Love] A love song about a secret affair you can't tell anyone about
- [Jealousy & Possessiveness Songs] A curated selection of popular tracks to listen to when possessiveness feels overwhelming!
[Adulterous Love] A love song about a secret affair you can’t tell anyone (11–20)
Maybe it didn’t have to be you after all.Young Skinny
Young Skinny’s “Maybe It Didn’t Have to Be You” is a forbidden affair song that leaves a deep scar on the heart.
It was also chosen as the opening theme for the drama “When the Intercom Rings.” In the time that passes after a breakup, the lyrics vividly portray the turmoil of blaming oneself, thinking of the other person, and wondering, “What if I had chosen differently?”—drawing listeners into its world.
Both sides hesitate to part, yet there’s no going back.
That bittersweetness flows with their gentle melodies and is sure to make your heart tremble.
LOVE AFFAIR ~Secret DateSouthern All Stars
“LOVE AFFAIR ~Secret Date~” is the Southern All Stars’ 41st single, released in 1998.
“Love affair” means things like an “affair” or “tryst,” and, true to its title, this song is about an extramarital relationship.
It’s a song where you can feel the complex emotions and a man’s weakness: I love you, but I can’t throw everything away.
sunflowerSEKAI NO OWARI
The protagonist, who had been living in a dark world, ends up meeting “you,” someone dazzling like the sun—the beginning of a forbidden love as sung by SEKAI NO OWARI.
Listening to this song, you can feel that bittersweet thrill of knowing the person is off-limits, yet realizing thanks to them your world is starting to gain color.
Maybe it’s precisely because the melody is light and pop that it tightens your chest even more.
This track is included on the acclaimed album “Lip,” which topped the Oricon charts in February 2019.
It’s a song that gently stays with you in that helpless rush of feelings at the moment you fall in love, even when you know it won’t be returned.
Tell me you love me, even if it's a lie.Aquarium Life
A poignant song that captures the frustration of a forbidden love.
Suisougurashi’s music portrays the feelings of people living lives as if confined to an aquarium in small urban apartments.
The lyrics delicately depict the inner conflict of a woman who missed the last train, leaving a strong impression that resonates deeply with listeners.
Released in January 2021, the track vividly illustrates the complexities of modern romance.
It’s recommended for anyone who feels the bittersweet tension of love or struggles to be honest with their own feelings.
Shitsuren feat. MatsuriToya Takase
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.
Song for…HY
Born from keyboardist and vocalist Izumi Nakasone’s real-life experience, this memorable piece wrestles with the meaning of chance encounters and the intense, conflicted feelings for another.
Included on the album “TRUNK,” its earnest vocals, delivered alongside the piano’s beautiful timbre, resonate deeply.
A self-cover version appears on the album “STORY ~HY BEST~,” radiating a timeless charm that hasn’t faded with the years.
It’s a gentle ballad that invites empathy from those who can’t express their feelings, or who must seal them away due to circumstances such as each other’s situations or an age difference.
[Adulterous Love] A love song about a secret affair you can’t tell anyone about (21–30)
Happinessback number
Rather than evoking an affair, this song centers on the theme of an “unattainable love.” It poignantly expresses feelings that make you wonder whose “happiness” the title refers to.
It feels like witnessing the person you love loving someone else, and it tightens your chest.