Friendship songs to listen to in April: a collection of classics themed around new encounters
In Japan, April marks the start of a new fiscal and school year, and it’s a time when many people begin life in new environments such as schools and workplaces.
Along with that, it’s also a season for forming new relationships—and a time when you may find yourself missing the relationships you’ve had until now.
In this article, we’ll introduce a selection of friendship songs perfect for April.
We’ve picked many tracks, including songs about newly blossoming friendships, songs that reflect on friends who are far away, and springlike tunes themed around cherry blossoms.
Be sure to give them a listen.
If you listen while reading the lyrics, you’re sure to find the one song that fits you perfectly.
Friendship songs to listen to in April: A collection of classic tracks themed around new encounters (1–10)
My friend — from here on out, forever…Ketsumeishi
This song is well-known among children because it was used as the theme song for the Crayon Shin-chan movie, and it’s also famous for featuring the comedy trio Dachou Club in its music video.
“Tomo yo ~ Kono Saki mo Zutto…” is a track you’ll want to dedicate to friends who are setting off on different paths during graduation season or at a new beginning.
They’re friends you used to spend ordinary days with without a second thought, but from now on you won’t be able to see them as casually as before—and thinking about that can suddenly make you anxious, right? This is a friendship anthem that gives you strength in those moments and turns your feelings into the conviction that your bond will remain unchanged forever.
FriendFukuyama Masaharu
“Tomoyo” by Masaharu Fukuyama is a song that sends cheers to friends who are pushing forward and doing their best along a tough road.
It’s included on the album “f.” It’s for friends who sprint desperately toward their dreams and goals even when the path is steep.
The light of hope may appear and fade over and over, and at times nightmarish events may strike.
Even so, if seeing your friend’s persistence makes you want to send them encouragement, why not give them this song? It will deliver your cheers—and all the strength you can muster—to a friend who’s on the verge of losing heart or going through a hard time.
CharacterRyokushokushakai
Ryokuoushoku Shakai always moves me with their straightforward, sincere lyrics.
Their song “Character,” written by all the members and also featured in a commercial, is a quintessentially Ryokushaka pop tune that grabs your ear from the intro and pulls you deeper with its lyrics.
It’s the kind of track you’d want to give to a friend who’s down or struggling, filled with a wish to cheer them up.
I recommend it as a song that will surely share a positive feeling with anyone who listens.
best friendKALMA
Many people want to say thank you to the friends who are always by their side.
But if you feel shy about directly expressing your gratitude or feelings, how about using a song to convey them? The three-piece band KALMA released a digital single in 2021 with the straightforward title “Best Friend.” Its lyrics, which reflect on the days spent with a best friend and express heartfelt thanks, are highly relatable—many listeners may even find themselves thinking, “Is this about me?”
telepathyORANGE RANGE×MONGOL800
Friends bound by a strong bond stay connected at heart no matter where they are! ORANGE RANGE’s “Ishin Denshin” makes you feel exactly that.
It’s an album track from “musiQ,” but it gained attention and popularity after being used in an au commercial.
While the song itself sings about the heart-to-heart connection between lovers in a long-distance relationship, many parts also resonate with the bond between friends striving in distant places.
I believe friends tied by a deep, strong bond share, in a sense, an emotional connection no different from lovers.
This is a song that makes you feel proud of a friendship that rivals any romantic relationship.
HarukaYOASOBI
YOASOBI is now a unit you can’t leave out when talking about the Japanese music scene.
Their song “Haruka” is the sixth single, released digitally in 2020, and it was created in collaboration with broadcast writer Osamu Suzuki.
The song sings about the presence of someone who’s precious—an inseparable partner of sorts—someone you may not realize is always nearby watching over you and cheering you on.
Surely you, too, have a person or friend you feel that way about.
There must be someone quietly looking out for you as well.
Youth and a momentmakaroni enpitsu
Whether you’re in the thick of your youth right now or well past that stage, this is a song that will make anyone’s heart skip and wash over you with a bittersweet ache.
“Seishun to Isshun” by Macaroni Empitsu, a band whose high-level musicianship has impressed countless artists, is—as the title suggests—a track themed around youth.
While we tend to imagine youth as something bright and bursting with energy, this number conveys the shadowed side of it—the poignant feelings that well up—evoking a sense of springtime melancholy.