You can always find a song for any situation in life. Sometimes, you might be secretly in love with a person you should not have feelings for or one you thought was just a friend. This situation is overwhelming because you are not sure whether you should tell them or keep the secret.
Forbidden love can happen at any time. For example, your secret love can be your best friend, coworker, or classmate, and that is okay. Various questions like “is the love worth the risk?” and “is it okay to be honest?” arise when you want to shout to the world and express your emotions.
This article outlines and describes songs about secret love and forbidden love. You can listen to these songs or dedicate them to the person you are secretly in love with to let them know how you feel.
1. “Treat You Better” – Shawn Mendes
Shawn Mendes - Treat You Better (Lyrics)
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This 2016 pop hit qualifies to be a forbidden love song because the narrator loves another man’s girlfriend. He promises the girl many things like treating her better and stopping time for her if she agrees to lift him off the friend zone.
Next: Top songs about crushing on someone you like
2. “You Belong with Me” – Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift - You Belong With Me
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This classic proves that a crush can make you feel young and special, even if you are not. The narrator is in love with her male best friend, but he has a girlfriend. She tries to convince her love interest that she is what he has been waiting for all along.
Next: Top songs that everyone knows (our list of favorites)
3. “Breaking Up Somebody’s Home Tonight” – Ann Peebles
Ann Peebles - Breaking Up Somebody's Home
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The narrator in this track has strong feelings towards somebody else’s partner. The loneliness on a rainy night makes her desire to interfere with the relationship.
Next: Top songs about being lonely and alone
4. “Rewrite the Stars” – Zac Efron ft. Zendaya
Zac Efron, Zendaya - Rewrite The Stars (Lyrics / Lyrics Video)
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This duet describes the forbidden love between a wealthy white playwright and a poor black acrobat. The two people feel each other intensely but cannot be in a relationship because the rich boy’s parents are against it.
They insult the girl’s lowly status, and she runs away. However, the man runs after her and tries to convince her about rewriting the stars and transforming their destiny.
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5. “This Kiss” – Carly Rae Jepsen
Carly Rae Jepsen - This Kiss
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“This Kiss” is one of the best songs about forbidden love. It describes how Carly cheats on her partner with someone she finds more interesting and sentimental.
She is willing to go out for the second day to capture his attention. Carly also states that they are taking the secret relationship too far, but she cannot resist his kiss.
Next: The best songs about cheating in a personal relationship
6. “Confessions” – Usher
Confessions
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In this secret love song, a man confesses to his girlfriend that he had a secret relationship. He also states that he had impregnated his mistress. The narrator says that he wishes he never cheated on his woman or ruined their relationship.
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7. “Last Time” – Trey Songz
Trey Songz - Last Time [Official Music Video]
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Trey Songz explains his decision to end the secret relationship with his mistress. He fears that his boo might catch them.
Next: The best songs about breaking up your relationship
8. “Stuck Like Glue” – Sugarland
Sugarland - Stuck Like Glue (Official Video)
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This song describes how two people stayed in a relationship for a long time, even though everybody else thought that they would break up. The narrator expresses that his love interest understands him better than other people who are against their relationship.
Next: Best songs about lies and lying to people
9. “Forbidden Love” – Madonna
Forbidden Love
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The story narrated in this song demonstrates the doubt, guilt, and potential rejection in forbidden love. For example, the narrator knows that her love interest is not suitable for her, but she does not care.
Next: The top songs about guilt and regret
10. “Uncover” – Zara Larsson
Zara Larsson - Uncover (Official Music Video)
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Zara states that she cannot uncover or expose their secret love in the daylight. She says that they are in love, but nobody knows or sees.
Next: Best long distance relationship songs ever made
11. “Secret Love Song” – Little Mix
Little Mix - Secret Love Song (Official Video) ft. Jason Derulo
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The two characters in this song are in forbidden love and have to hide their relationship. The lady wishes she could shout about their love from the rooftop and hold her secret partner in the streets.
12. “Girlfriend” – Avril Lavigne
Avril Lavigne - Girlfriend (Official Video)
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The confident girl in this 2007 pop song is in love with a man who is already in a relationship. She dislikes the crush’s girlfriend and states that he deserves better.
13. “Crush” – Mandy Moore
Mandy Moore - Crush
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This song’s narrator is secretly in love with a guy who has feelings for another girl. She lacks the courage to express her emotions and escape the friend zone.
14. “Secret Lovers” – Atlantic Starr
Atlantic Starr - Secret Lovers (Official Video)
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The two secret lovers in this song are hiding their relationship to protect their partners and “happy” homes. According to the lyrics, they both know that they should not be together, meaning that their love is forbidden.
15. “Lie About Us” – Avant
Avant - Lie About Us ft. Nicole Scherzinger (Official Video)
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Avant states that he has to sneak and love his mistress “on the low” because his girlfriend and the world do not officially know about the secret relationship.
16. “Love Story” – Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift - Love Story
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The lyric “stay away from Juliet” explains how the love between the two characters in this song was forbidden. The narrator believed that her love interest was everything to her, but her father was against the relationship.
Next: Our favorite T-Swift love songs
17. “Secret” – Ann Marie
Ann Marie - Secret ft YK Osiris (Official Audio)
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The two artists on this track sing about hiding their relationship from the public. It allows them to enjoy memorable nights together, away from the rest of the world.
18. “Saving All My Love For You” – Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston - Saving All My Love For You (Official HD Video)
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Whitney sings how she is in love with another woman’s man. Her friends are against this relationship, but she still saves her love for him.
Next: The best love songs of all time (romantic hits)
19. “Bleeding Love” – Leona Lewis
Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love (US Version - Official Video)
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In this song, Leona declares how she is in a relationship that is hurting and draining her. Her friends think that she is crazy and try to pull her away, but she is still in love with the person.
20. “Teardrops On My Guitar” – Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift - Teardrops On My Guitar
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In this song, Taylor is secretly in love with Drew and spends her night thinking about him. However, Drew is in love with a different girl and even asks Taylor for date ideas.
Next: Top unrequited love songs (our list of favorites)
21. “Slip Away” – Clarence Carter
Slip Away- Clarence Carter
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This song demonstrates the pain of being in a part-time relationship. The narrator asks her secret lover to meet him behind her boyfriend’s back.
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22. “Angel of the Morning” – Merrilee Rush
Angel of the Morning
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This is one of our favorite songs about forbidden love. It shows how women risk their hearts and social standing to be the “other woman.”
23. “I Was Checkin’ Out She Was Checkin’ In” – Don Covay
I Was Checkin' Out She Was Checkin' In
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This underrated song offers painful details on how the narrator cheated on his old lady, but he discovers that she was also cheating on him with another man. Consequently, the situation traps him in awful secrets.
Next: Top painful songs about being hurt
24. “Don’t Matter” – Akon
Akon - Don't Matter (Official Music Video)
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Akon explains how those around him disapprove his relationship, but he remains devoted to his girl.
25. “A Long as You Love Me” – Justin Bieber ft. Big Sean
Justin Bieber - As Long As You Love Me ft. Big Sean
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In this secretly in love song, Justin wants to be with the girl he loves, but his dad is determined to break them up.
26. “Tryin’ to Love Two” – William Bell
Tryin' To Love Two
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This song proves how career and family life demands can make having multiple relationships difficult. In most cases, one has to lie to sustain forbidden love.
27. “Call Your Girlfriend” – Robyn
Robyn - Call Your Girlfriend (Official Video)
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This 2010 pop song involves a story of a man who has met someone else and has to call his girlfriend and tell her about the secret love.
28. “Don’t Mess with My Man” – Irma Thomas
Don't Mess With My Man
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In this song, Irma, a married woman, is in a relationship with a different man. She cares more about the forbidden love because she warns women to stay away from her man but permits them to have her husband.
29. “Sally Go ‘Round the Roses” – The Jynetts
The Jaynetts - Sally, Go Round the Roses [Stereo] (1963)
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The song references a pregnant Sally who feels heartbroken after her boyfriend leaves her for another girl. It suggests that the saddest thing a woman can experience is watching the man she loves with another girl.
Next: The saddest songs of all time (our list of top picks)
30. “Strange Love” – Halsey
Halsey - Strange Love (Audio)
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Everybody thinks that the narrator is insane for being in love with her secret partner. However, she states that she does not have to tell them anything because there is beauty in privacy.
31. “Your Secret Love” – Luther Vandross
Luther Vandross - Your Secret Love
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The two characters in this song are pretending to be just friends in front of everyone else to protect their secret love.
32. “4 AM” – Melanie Fiona
Melanie Fiona - 4AM (Lyrics)
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Melanie sings that she knows that her boyfriend is secretly in love with another person’s partner. This situation bruises her heart.
33. “She Doesn’t Have to Know”- John Legend
John Legend 'She Don't Have To Know'
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This song proves forbidden love because John is “stealing” moments to be with his mistress. He knows that it is wrong but finds it hard to tell his girlfriend the truth.
34. “My Little Secret” – Xscape
Xscape - My Little Secret (Official Video)
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Xscape tells her secret boyfriend that they should hide their relationship from everybody, including his girlfriend. She describes him as “her little secret.”
35. “Girl Crush” – Little Big Town
Little Big Town - Girl Crush (Official Music Video)
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The narrator of this Grammy Award-winning song is in love with a man who loves a different girl. She desires to be like this girl because she believes that it would help her attract the man.
36. “I Wanna Be Your Lover” – Prince
I Wanna Be Your Lover
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This song is about a man whose crush hangs around and dates other guys. He yearns to be with her and uses sweet words to convince her that he would treat her better and be everything she needs if she agrees to date him.
Next: Best 80s love songs (our list of top picks)
37. “Magnets” – Disclosure ft. Lorde
Disclosure - Magnets ft. Lorde
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The narrator is in a secret relationship with a man who already has a girlfriend. She loves the experience and does not want to see it end.
38. “Holding Her and Loving You” – Clay Walker
Clay Walker - Holding Her and Loving You (Official Audio)
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Clay Walker is cheating on his girlfriend and finds it hard to tell her about his mistress because she supported him when life was rough.
39. “Touch my Body” – Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey - Touch My Body (Official Music Video)
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In this track, Mariah agrees to have a physical relationship with her partner as long as it remains secret.
40. “Thinking of You” – Katy Perry
Katy Perry - Thinking Of You (Official)
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In this track, Katy narrates how she thinks of her secret lover whenever she is with her boyfriend. She also expresses how she regrets letting him go.
41. “Just A Friend To You” – Meghan Trainor
Meghan Trainor - Just A Friend To You (lyrics)
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This song features two friends who are in love with each other. However, they act as “just friends” when they are around other people to keep their emotions a secret.
Next: Top songs about friendship of all time
42. “Can I Be Him” – James Arthur
James Arthur - Can I Be Him
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James is in love and yearns to be with a woman who is already with another man.
43. “Be My Downfall” – Del Amitri
Del Amitri - Be My Downfall (with Lyrics)
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This track’s narrator spends the night with his secret lover, yet his girlfriend is waiting for him about 20 miles away.
44. “I Honestly Love You” – Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John - I Honestly Love You
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The singer is in a relationship, but she expresses her love for a man who is also in a relationship with someone else.
45. “How Do I Get There” – Deana Carter
Deana Carter - How Do I Get There (Audio)
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This track’s narrator is in love with her best friend and wonders how she can get lost in his arms.
46. “Dirty Little Secret” – All American Rejects
The All-American Rejects - Dirty Little Secret (Official Music Video)
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The singer tells his secret lover that she is the only one who needs to know about the relationship. He promises to keep her as long as she does not tell anyone about the situation.
47. “Diary” – Alicia Keys
Diary
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Most songs about secret love explain one-sided emotions. Here, the narrator tells her partner that their emotions should remain a secret.
48. “Don’t Stand So Close to Me”- The Police
The Police - Don't Stand So Close To Me
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In this song, a schoolgirl gets into a secret affair with her teacher. It describes the fear and guilt associated with such a relationship.
49. “Run for Your Life” – The Beatles
Run For Your Life (Remastered 2009)
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This track warns a girl to end a forbidden relationship before it intensifies and causes her to lose her life.
50. “Me and Mrs. Jones” – Billy Paul
Billy Paul - Me and Mrs. Jones (Official Audio)
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The narrator states that he is in a strong secret relationship with Mrs. Jones, and they both know that it is wrong.
51. “Untouchable Face” – Ani DiFranco
Ani DiFranco - Untouchable Face
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The narrator in this track yearns to be with someone who already has his better half. She feels horrible for having feelings towards this person and feels like she has lost her identity.
These secretly in love songs demonstrate the emotional challenges that people with secret or forbidden love go through.
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The best love songs of the 70s
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Liam Flynn( Head Editor )
As the Head Editor at Music Grotto, Liam edits content produced from over 30 professional music/media journalists and contributing writers. He works closely with journalists and other staff to format and publish music content for the Music Grotto website. Liam is also the founding member of Music Grotto and is passionate in disseminating editorial content to its readers.