Unrequited Love Songs in Western Music: A Collection of Heartbreaking Classics [2025]

One ThingOne Direction

One Direction – One Thing

The handsome boys from the UK sing just for lovestruck girls about your unique charm—the “One Thing” no one else has.

Its irresistibly replayable, happy melody and sweet lyrics tickle the hearts of those with a crush.

wish you were gayBillie Eilish

Billie Eilish – wish you were gay (Official Audio)

This song is about Billie Eilish singing to a man she has an unrequited crush on, saying, “If only he were gay, I could give up.” Ironically, after releasing the song, she said on Instagram Live that he really was gay.

In the second verse, there’s a clever trick where the numbers gradually decrease from 12 to 6.

It’s a track that powerfully conveys the heartbreak of unrequited love.

Always Been YouJessie Murph

Jessie Murph – Always Been You (Official Video)

This is a heart-wrenching love song sung by Jesse Murph, an American singer-songwriter drawing attention for her genre-defying musicality.

It portrays the bittersweet feelings of unrequited love—realizing that no matter how you compare them to others, it’s always been “you” in my heart.

The more you try to forget, the more their smile and voice stick in your mind—a familiar experience in love.

Through her husky, soulful vocals, the unstoppable longing and the frustration of being unable to confess come through with piercing clarity.

The fusion of country and pop further dramatizes and colors these pure emotions.

New RulesDua Lipa

Dua Lipa – New Rules (Official Music Video)

Released in 2017, “New Rules” is a song by British female singer Dua Lipa.

It portrays a woman who, falling harder and harder for an unrequited love, tries to stop her feelings by setting new personal rules.

The lyrics capture the pain and heartache of one-sided love.

Women experiencing unrequited feelings or struggling in love will likely relate to it.

IrresponsibleKiana Ledé

Kiana Ledé – Irresponsible (Official Music Video)

This song by American R&B singer Kiana Ledé conveys her aching emotions.

Carried by a melancholic melody, it tells the story of a heart shattered by the irresponsibility of someone she trusted.

The despair of realizing that the flirtatious signals that made her believe the feelings were mutual were nothing but her own misunderstanding is truly painful.

The way she wavers between blaming the other person and being unable to let go of her feelings is something anyone who has experienced unrequited love can painfully relate to.

Kiana Ledé’s soulful voice seems to envelop and soothe this unbearable suffering.

Call Out My NameThe Weeknd

The Weeknd – Call Out My Name (Official Video)

This is a song by The Weeknd, a singer from Canada.

It expresses an unbreakable attachment and poignant lingering feelings toward a former partner.

Even while knowing she’s no longer his, he vows to drop everything if she ever calls for help—a one-sided devotion.

Such feelings, with nowhere to go, tighten the heart.

His vocals, like a cry from the soul, and the ethereal, beautiful melody pierce deeply into the chest.

Anyone who has suffered the pain of still thinking about someone even after the relationship has ended will likely empathize acutely with this feeling.

It might be a song that stays by your side until the very moment this love truly ends.

GorgeousTaylor Swift

Taylor Swift – Gorgeous (Lyric Video)

Feeling so mad at someone for being just too “gorgeous”!? This is a humor-filled unrequited love song sung by American artist Taylor Swift.

Set to a lively synth-pop sound, the lyrics strikingly portray being tongue-tied in front of a love-at-first-sight crush and the complicated feeling of liking someone so much it actually makes you angry.

Many people have probably experienced going blank the moment they see their crush or being swept away by their own emotions.

You could say it’s a song packed with that uncontrollable rush and flutter of the very moment love begins.