Emotional songs that resonate in a sentimental autumn. A collection of autumn tunes.

osmanthus (fragrant orange osmanthus; sweet olive)natori

Natori – Fragrant Olive

Singer-songwriter Natori, who shot to fame with the 2022 smash hit “Overdose.” This new track is a jazzy pop tune, perfect for an autumn night.

Sung in a whispery voice, it paints the sudden melancholy that creeps into a humdrum daily life and the complicated feelings toward the “you” by one’s side.

You can almost picture the sweet scent of flowers gently wrapping those restless emotions.

It’s also fun to listen while interpreting the poetically written lyrics in your own way.

Released in August 2023, the song is also included on the album “Gekijou” (Theater).

On a long autumn night, when you want to sink into a slightly sentimental mood, why not sing it with an ennui-tinged vibe?

Reflected at duskAkiyama Kiiro

Akiyama Kiro - Reflected in the Dusk

Autumn evenings have a certain wistfulness that makes you long for company, don’t they? This track, released by Kiro Akiyama in August 2019, is the perfect companion for that sentimental mood.

The irresistible, top-tier pop tune woven from buoyant piano and shimmering strings is simply delightful.

In contrast to its dazzling sound, the lyrics sing of lingering feelings for someone unforgettable and the aching struggle not to lose one’s true self.

The song came out when he was gaining attention after being selected for Spotify’s “Early Noise 2019,” and it was later included on the acclaimed album From DROPOUT.

It’s a piece with a curious charm that’s both bittersweet and uplifting—why not take your time singing it on a long autumn night?

A Story Floating on the MoonYURiKA

A Story Floating on the Moon

The emotional melody evokes the clear autumn sky.

It’s the ending theme of the final episode of the first season of the anime BEASTARS, sung by YURiKA, who is active as an anisong singer.

It was released as a digital single in December 2019.

YURiKA’s clear, transparent voice beautifully depicts a world that is both bittersweet and gentle.

The lyrics, which cherish warmth even while carrying pain and farewells, seem to mirror the characters’ complex emotions.

It’s a perfect song for a quiet autumn night when you want to be alone with your thoughts.

Like this tonightaimyon

Aimyon – Stay Like This Tonight [OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO]

Singer-songwriter Aimyon, known for her nostalgic acoustic sound, has won wide popularity.

Released in November 2018 as her sixth single, this song drew attention when it was selected as the theme for the TV drama “We Can’t Become Beasts.” The lyrics are striking, comparing emotions to beer foam and portraying the frustration of hiding our bitter-sweet feelings and true thoughts in everyday life.

The words, which suggest that even a painful situation can turn into happiness with a small change, seem to gently comfort the melancholy heart of an autumn night.

With its light, pleasant beat, it’s a track you’ll want to listen to in the season when you long for connection.

a balmy autumn daytsukuyomi

Tsukuyomi “Akiharara” Music Video

How about this song for when you want to sink into a sentimental mood on an autumn evening? It’s a track from Tsukuyomi, a narrative music project led by composer Yuri Cannon.

The piece is set against the story of a girl living with illness and the boy who stays by her side, and it sings of fragile feelings that accept a fading fate while striving to live fully in the present, like autumn leaves turning color.

As you listen, you’re drawn into its heartrending world.

The song was released in August 2024 and later included on the concept mini-album “We Call That God.” Its melody is striking—somehow refreshing yet deeply moving.

Savor it as you cherish time with someone precious.

OrangeSMAP

Orange/SMAP

It’s one of those classic ballads you want to hear in autumn, with a poignant yet warm piano melody that brings twilight scenery vividly to mind and gently soaks into the heart.

SMAP has many great songs, but this is one that many people might single out as especially special.

It depicts a breakup scene with a lover, yet its appeal lies in the fact that it’s not merely sad.

Concluding the farewell by deliberately replacing parting words with words of gratitude conveys a deep affection for the days they spent together and makes your heart swell.

There’s also a well-known story that the lyrics were changed at Takuya Kimura’s suggestion during the August 2000 recording.

Although it was a B-side to the single “Lion Heart,” its popularity earned it a place on their best-of album—a true gem of a ballad.

horizonback number

back number – Horizon

A gem of a ballad delivered by back number, a band that captures listeners’ hearts with poignant lyrics.

Beginning with a gentle piano melody, this song weaves a story about the pain of dreams and hopes suddenly collapsing, and the will to look forward and begin anew.

Many will find their own experiences reflected in the raw, urgent feelings—like a cry for one’s existence—born from unnoticed loneliness.

Created for high school students whose Inter-High was canceled, the song was released on YouTube in August 2020.

It’s a classic that quietly stays by your side when summer fun has passed and a faint loneliness sets in.