[Unattainable Love] A love song about two people who feel the same way but can’t be together

MetronomeKenshi Yonezu

Kenshi Yonezu – Metronome

Kenshi Yonezu, who has gained popularity across a wide range of audiences as a national singer, is beloved by many.

His song “Metronome,” included on the 2015 album Bremen, is one of his most popular tracks as a bittersweet love song.

A metronome is a musical device used to keep time, and the song portrays a sad romance in which, although the lovers liked each other, their tempo fell out of sync somewhere along the way.

You can feel the affection, yet it also evokes the sense of recalling a love that has ended—and the lingering feelings that remain even now.

balladKetsumeishi

Ketsumeishi “Ballad”

When you think of an unrequited love, isn’t this the song that comes to mind for many people? Released in 2011, “Ballad” is Ketsumeishi’s 21st single—a heartbreaking love song that tightens your chest even if you’ve never experienced this kind of romance.

Often referred to as an “affair song” by the public, it’s packed with feelings of wanting to meet but being unable to, loving someone yet being unable to be together, and the sadness wells up as you listen.

Even the music video is so poignant it brings you to tears.

If It SnowsDREAMS COME TRUE

DREAMS COME TRUE – “If It Were Snow”

A DREAMS COME TRUE song that portrays a bittersweet love set in the winter season with a Christmas theme.

The protagonist’s delicate feelings—hoping that falling snow will bring a miracle and make their wish come true—are vividly expressed.

Yet in reality, it’s sleet mixed with rain, leaving a striking impression of thwarted expectations.

Released in November 2006 as their 37th single, it came out in two formats: a limited first edition and a regular edition.

It’s the perfect track for the skin-craving chill of winter, offering comfort to anyone struggling with love.

DistanceJUJU

JUJU　『Distance -Lyric Video short ver-』

Of course it’s not just the lyrics—JUJU is a singer whose voice carries sadness and poignancy, moving you to tears.

Her song “Distance” is guaranteed to stir your emotions and very likely make you cry.

Released in 2013, it was also used as the ending theme for the anime Space Battleship Yamato 2199.

It’s a love song anyone can relate to—being shaken by someone, being swayed by the words they speak.

Once words are spoken, they weigh heavily on the heart; it reminds us of those simple yet important truths.

Absolute relationshipRed Park

Akaiko-en – Absolute Relationship (MV Full Ver.) [Theme Song for Fuji TV Saturday Drama “Lost Days”]

A Red Park song that delicately portrays the bittersweet ache of a love that can’t come together despite being mutual.

As the phrase “absolute relationship” suggests, it delves into the secrets and conflicts that arise within a free-form relationship.

Released in September 2014, the track drew attention as the theme song for Fuji TV’s Saturday drama Lost Days, and its music video—shot with the distinctive approach of 100 cuts in 100 seconds—also garnered buzz.

The lyrics, which candidly express the complexity of human relationships and desire, grow more addictive with every listen and may even move you to tears.

It’s a song that offers empathy and comfort to anyone struggling with a love that can’t be realized, even when both feelings are mutual.

Sleepless nights are because of you.MISIA

Sleepless Nights Are Because of You (from Misia Candle Night at Okinawa Live Ver.)

If you’re suffering from an unrequited love, there are surely many nights when you drift off thinking, “I just want to see him, even if only in my dreams…” One song that embraces those feelings is one of MISIA’s signature tracks, “Nemurenu Yoru wa Kimi no Sei” (“Sleepless Nights Are Because of You”).

At night—especially after you crawl into bed—it’s common in love to overthink and feel your emotions for that special someone swell.

All the more so when it’s a love that can’t move forward.

This is a number that makes you feel as though you just might meet them in your dreams.

In loveHY

HY - “In Love” (Theme song for the film ‘366 Days’) Music Video

A poignant love song that portrays the pure feeling that even if you are not chosen by the other person, the love itself becomes a precious memory.

Written as the theme song for the film “366 Days,” releasing in January 2025, it is included on the album “TIME.” Positioned as an answer song to the 2008 classic “366 Days,” it gently expresses the resolve to look forward after heartbreak.

While continuing to think of the other person, it delicately depicts the subtle emotions of accepting those feelings as cherished memories.

Many listeners will surely relate to the emotions that waver between pure feelings and reality.