Unrequited love breakup songs in Western music. Recommended masterpieces and popular tracks.

Lovers AgainEXILE

EXILE / Lovers Again (Short Ver.)

Back when EXILE had seven members, they had a lot of classic love songs.

Among them, this is the definitive heartbreak song.

The track tells the story of a man who initiated a breakup but, overwhelmed with regret, comes to realize once again how precious his former lover is.

It shows us that heartbreak can take many different forms.

Love DrizzleShonan no Kaze

Shonan no Kaze “Koi Shigure” MUSIC VIDEO

This is a song about parting with someone I loved very deeply.

Just listening to it is painful because it’s such a pure love song, but in the end it’s a song that faces heartbreak.

It’s the kind of song you’ll want to listen to after a breakup, when you’re able to think about both the other person’s happiness and your own.

alreadyMao Abe

Mao Abe - Mou (Konpeitou version)

This is a song that honestly expresses a girl’s true feelings as she lays everything on the line at the end of a relationship.

The sentiment of “I wanted you to love me more, but it’s far too late now” matches perfectly with Mao Abe’s strong, unwavering vocals.

MemoryBOØWY

I tried singing | BOOWY Kyosuke Himuro MEMORY Memory BOØWY 1224 Shibuya Public Hall

A classic ballad by the legendary Japanese rock band BOØWY, counted among their most popular songs.

The lyrics depict the mindset of a man who, at the end of a romance, is about to slip away alone—so powerful they cut straight to the heart.

Yet there’s a certain stoic purity to it that many men will surely relate to.

Time goes byEvery Little Thing

Every Little Thing「Time goes by」

It’s a famous song by Every Little Thing that sold over a million copies.

The lyrics say it’d be nice if, someday, we could laugh about having argued and not being able to be honest.

If only we could turn a heartbreak into nourishment for life like that.

Like magicSHISHAMO

SHISHAMO “Like Magic”

It’s a perfect song for girls.

When you go through a breakup, it’s easy to get jaded, but this song lifts up the feeling of not forgetting to keep polishing yourself and of how wonderful it is to stay your sparkling self.

It’s not a love song, but I think it’s soothing.

100 What-Ifs for Youflumpool

flumpool “100 What-ifs for You”

It expresses the utterly helpless, lost feeling right after being rejected.

Vocalist Yamamura himself has said, “The lyrics are written as if in a tunnel in the dark, but I’m sure that time will become time that leads to tomorrow,” so I think the message comes across quite directly.