A poignant masterpiece that sings of adolescence. Popular songs you’ll want to hear during your teenage years.
I’d like to introduce Japanese songs themed around adolescence!
Adolescence is said to be the most sensitive time, swaying between childhood and adulthood.
It overlaps with one’s youth, and whether you’re a teenager living in the present or someone who has already passed those years, there are all kinds of worries and inner conflicts you can vividly remember…
In this article, we’ve gathered songs centered on the theme of adolescence: tracks you’ll want to listen to during those years, and timeless, popular songs that resonate deeply when heard in your youth.
If you’re in your teens right now, or if you’re looking for the songs you listened to back then, be sure to give these a listen!
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A collection of poignant masterpieces that sing of adolescence. Popular songs to listen to during your teen years (11–20)
ready-madeAdo
Ado made her major debut in 2020 at age 17, and the digital-only release of “Usseewa” that same year became a hot topic.
This song, “Readymade,” was also released in 2020.
Its lyrics portray the adult world as seen from a teenager’s perspective and, as noted in the official MV description, seem filled with a sense of incompatibility.
The lyrics are provocative, but the upbeat groove makes it addictive after just one listen.
Alongside “Usseewa,” it’s perfect for blowing off some steam!
Real FaceKAT-TUN
This song was released in 2006 as KAT-TUN’s debut single.
The lyrics were written by Shikao Suga, and the composition was done by Takahiro Matsumoto of B’z.
The lyrics portray the feeling of trying to act grown-up by stretching beyond one’s years and the impatience that leads to mistakes, capturing the real side of a teenage boy who wants to look cool.
That aspect is still quite endearing, but you can also feel the toughness of someone determined to carve out their own future.
It’s a song I’d recommend to boys who are entering adolescence and don’t want to be treated like kids anymore!
Puberty ♥ SensationHatsune Miku
Adolescence is the period when you transition from a child to an adult.
It’s the age when you start becoming aware of your own sexuality and the opposite sex.
This song is about sexuality during adolescence, and while it rides on a cool sound, the lyrics contain some rather candid words.
If you’re curious, please listen to it when you’re alone, okay? It’s quite a shocking song, but I think learning about sex during adolescence is very important.
However, one wrong step can leave a big scar on your life, so especially girls should be careful!
Awkward AdolescenceHoneyWorks feat. Kagamine Ren
HoneyWorks is an artist especially popular among teenage girls.
This song, released in 2013, portrays the changing distance between a brother and sister as they enter adolescence.
The little sister has started paying attention to her appearance but is still a bit clingy, while the older brother is at an age where he wants to act cool and can’t be as straightforward as he used to be.
The way the two of them are depicted is really adorable! Many people probably find that once they hit puberty, they talk less with their siblings, but it’s not because they dislike them.
Listening to this song might inspire you to put your feelings into words once in a while or play together like you used to.
Blink of YouthShiina Ringo
Seishun no Mabataki (A Blink of Youth) is a song Ringo Sheena self-covered after originally providing it to Chiaki Kuriyama in 2011.
It was included on her 2014 album Gyaku Yunyuu: Kouwankyoku.
From the very beginning, the lyrics resonate with adolescence.
Things that were easy to do as a child become difficult once we’re adults—that’s a feeling everyone can relate to.
But what’s striking about this song is not just that; the ending leaves the impression that she’s also accepting who she is now as an adult.
Adolescence is irreplaceable, but becoming an adult isn’t a bad thing either—that’s the message it seems to convey.
CorrectRADWIMPS
This RADWIMPS song brilliantly portrays the struggles of youth.
While it’s known as a staple for graduation season, it’s far more than just a graduation song.
It depicts the uncertainty of life that school doesn’t teach you about, and the process of finding your own answers.
Written for the 2018 NHK special program “RADWIMPS 18 Matsuri,” it has since become widely loved.
Centered on themes of adolescent anxiety and hope, as well as friendship and love, this song is recommended for anyone trying to find their own path.
It gives you the courage to face an uncertain future and discover answers that are uniquely your own.
A collection of poignant masterpieces about adolescence. Popular songs you’ll want to hear in your teenage years (21–30)
SeventeenKamiyama Yagi
This is a song packed with the unique restlessness of adolescence, a spirit of rebellion, and an impulse to leap into the outside world.
You’ll be captivated by the sound where driving guitars and buoyant grooves overlap.
It links with the fragile yet powerful lyrical worldview crafted by Yoh Kamiyama, creating a thrilling atmosphere.
Released in March 2022 and included on the album “CLOSET,” which came out in April of the same year, this track later received a remix version that gained attention when it was used as a campaign song in a collaboration project with Sony’s Xperia.
It’s sure to give you strength when you need a boost or before an important challenge.