Some things are easier said than done — and surely, moving on is one of them.
When memories taste sweeter than the present, one can’t help but take the pleasure in looking back at what once was — what could have been rather than what is. Maybe for that same reason, the Philippine sonic landscape seems to be reigned over by these songs of heartbreak, songs of turning to sweet fantasy than painful reality. It could be the natural instinct for romance, an affinity for heartbreak media, or just a mix of the two — but these anthems like these hit extra hard for Filipino listeners.
But this subject matter isn’t only known to the Philippine audience, of course, as yearning can happen in any language, at any place or time. When The Script’s “The Man Who Can’t Be Moved” resurged as a national phenomenon for a good whole year in 2025, one couldn’t help but wonder — are Filipino hearts perpetually aching for more?
On this note, from modern bittersweet favorites to staple heartbreak anthems, here are Billboard Philippines’ picks of songs for those not ready to move on just yet.
“Multo” – Cup of Joe
When the wound is fresh, it feels like you can see traces of them in nearly everything. Whether it take place in cruel reminders of their favorite things to random recommendations of the algorithm of “People you may know,” not being able to move on can literally feel haunting. In Cup of Joe’s “Multo,” the hurt continues to resonate throughout the listener’s day-to-day life, “Hindi na makalaya / Dinadalaw mo ‘ko bawat gabi / Wala mang nakikita / Haplos mo’y ramdam pa rin sa dilim.“
“Sofia” – Clairo
On the flipside, “Sofia” by Clairo is bargaining, asking for one chance. “I think we could do it if we tried / If only to say you’re mine / Sofia, know that you and I / Shouldn’t feel like a crime,” she cries in a manner not knowing if she would be heard. The song is made for the heartbreaks that go unheard, the ones that hurt even more because they’ve gone unnoticed.
“Ikaw Pa Rin” – mrld
For mrld, yearning for one more chance means perseverance. Choosing “the one” may sometimes seem like an arduous task, but in mrld’s “Ikaw Pa Rin,” it’s something done consciously again and again. When the folk hitmaker echoes, “‘Di magbabago ang isip ko, sinta / Ikaw pa rin ang pipiliin / Kahit na araw-araw nang nasasaktan / Ikaw pa rin ang hahanapin,” it reflects that relentless calling to love, even in spite of heartbreak, even in the case we’re not loved in return.
“Backburner” – NIKI
Have you ever been left to crisp up on someone’s “Backburner?” It’s no surprise that the NIKI’s bittersweet melody continues to stand strong at No. 35 of the Billboard Philippines Hot 100 (dated May 24, 2025) for 23 weeks and counting, when the Filipino people can’t help but be suckers for heartbreak melodies. The song rings terrifyingly true to those who can’t help but be there for every beck and call of those they’d long been trying to break ties with, “I can’t lie, it feels nice that you’re calling / You sound sad and alone and you’re stalling / And for once, I don’t care about what you want / As long as we keep talking.“
“Kailan” – Maki
Sometimes, after heartbreak, all we’re left with are questions. Questioning what went wrong, questioning where mistakes were made, heartbreak can leave us lost looking for answers to soothe the unknown. On that note, Maki’s “Kailan” makes the perfect anthem for those trying to cope with the lack of clarity, when all we can do is echo these questions into the void. “Kailan mo naramdaman / Na ‘di mo na ako mahal (na hindi na ako mahal) / Pano mo nalaman / Na hindi na magtatagal (at kaya mong pakawalan).”
“Let You Break My Heart Again” – Laufey
In spite of its angelic composition, Laufey’s “Let You Break My Heart Again” poses as the perfect anthem for the marupok (fragile-hearted). It’s one thing to love someone so much to go through heartbreak once, but it’s a completely different vow to let one’s heart be broken once more. “Ooh, still you take up all my mind / I don’t even think that you care like I do / I should stop, heaven knows I’ve tried.” It’s lonely and heart-wrenching, but when moving on seems impossible, it’s echoing the heartbreak far longer than it needs to be.
“Midnight Sky” – Unique
When we can’t be with those we long for, it feels like we can see them anywhere — from the sun gaping through the trees to the “Midnight Sky.” In Unique’s 2018 track, he cries, “Wishing that I’ll be / The man that’ll touch and see / I’ll give my love that can’t explain / We will be running in the rain / And I will hold your hand.” More than just yearning for a significant someone, the song shapes up the listener in which they’d be enough to love, and to be loved in return.
“Open Arms” – SZA (feat. Travis Scott)
It’s a vulnerable thing to admit that, in spite of being hurt in the past, we’d accept those who’ve hurt us with “Open Arms.” In this track, SZA and Travis Scott experience the push-and-pull in real time, “Open arms, you keep me open / I’m so devoted / You keep me open (ooh) / Open arms / I’m so devoted to you, to you, to you.” At the very end of the song, SZA comes to terms with finally letting go, not just because she feels that her past is holding her back — but by clinging on to the past, she is holding herself back.