The spread of the coronavirus has affected just about everyone.
Because of it, we live in a world where we have to give up many things in various parts of life—at home, at work, and at school.
We can’t fully enjoy what we love, we can’t meet the people we care about, and even our daily lives are disrupted—the list goes on.
It’s easy to feel down, but if music can lift our spirits even a little, that would be wonderful.
With that in mind, I’ve picked songs that will stand by your side—like a friend who understands you—and energizing tracks that are sure to boost your mood.
Here’s hoping you can face tomorrow feeling at least a little more positive.
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Songs That Won't Lose to COVID (1–10)
horizonback number
Hekosen (Horizon) had its music video released on YouTube first in 2020, and the song itself was released in 2021.
In 2020, the Inter-High School Championships were canceled due to the impact of COVID-19, and back number wrote the song for high school students who were left with a sense of frustration.
The lyrics reflect the feelings of the athletes who had been working hard every day toward the tournament.
Even if things didn’t turn out the way you hoped, the song makes you want to hold the days you spent up to now as something precious in your heart.
New WorldRADWIMPS
In the seemingly endless COVID-19 pandemic, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by anxiety every day.
When you feel like you’re about to lose heart, try listening to RADWIMPS’s “New World.” The song was created around the time COVID-19 began to truly rage, and it portrays the constraints and new values brought about by the pandemic as a “new world.” Even in pain and uncertainty, it strengthens your resolve to find a way to push through.
It offers a small glimmer of hope for the new life that awaits beyond the pandemic.
wishing starAyaka × Miura Daichi
Ayaka and Daichi Miura’s collaborative piece “Negaiboshi.” Released in July 2020, the work was created out of a desire to find something they could do through music during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Its gentle words quietly dissolve the anxiety and loneliness felt in those times, revealing a sense of hope for the future.
The music video, which seems to capture many people’s memories and weave their wishes together, is also deeply moving.
Let yourself be enveloped by the beautiful harmony of these two artists.
SMILE ~Like a Clear, Sunlit Sky~Kuwata Keisuke
Keisuke Kuwata’s “SMILE ~Harewataru Sora no Yō ni~,” released as the theme song for the joint project “Let’s Do It Together 2020,” where Japan’s commercial TV networks joined forces to build excitement for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Although the Olympics were postponed by a year due to the spread of the coronavirus, this song felt like an Olympic theme and gave us a strong, positive push to keep going without being defeated by the virus.
It’s no exaggeration to say that, with Kuwata’s signature style, this song brought light to the world and lifted our spirits.
Your STORYYaita Hitomi
This song, “Your STORY,” was born from the project “#BeyondCorona,” a collaboration between the Sankei Shimbun and Hitomi Yaida, aiming to support those fighting the novel coronavirus with music as we face an uncertain future.
Words collected through the project were selected and woven together by Yaida to complete the track.
It’s quintessentially Hitomi Yaida—an uplifting, positive song that gives you energy.
It’s a piece that stays close to your anxieties while giving you the strength to look forward.
Our TomorrowElefanto Kashimashi
There must be many people who are encouraged by Elephant Kashimashi’s songs, which always come at you head-on with straightforward words and burning passion.
Released in 2007, the song “Oretachi no Ashita” is blazing hot as well—an ultimate showcase of Elekashi’s style.
In these pandemic times, when it’s hard to casually meet someone and we can’t travel far to see old friends or relatives, this track feels like a letter to a long-lost friend: a kind of personal update that also says, “I’ll keep pushing from tomorrow!” It’s the kind of number that’s sure to give you strength.
What I can doNissy(Nishijima Takahiro)
“What I Can Do” by Nissy from AAA is a song he sang to support those living in self-isolation when COVID-19 first began to spread.
When the track was first released, the instrumentation was simple—piano with strings entering in the chorus—but later many other instruments were added, giving the song an even warmer and gentler feel.
It carries the hope that until the day we can meet again with smiles, everyone stays safe and unhurt, and that if your heart grows weary, he’ll be there to embrace you.
It’s a tender song filled with Nissy’s heartfelt warmth.
If you’re struggling because of COVID, please give it a listen!
