Tear-jerking youth songs: recommended classics and popular tracks

sentimentalculenasm

culenasm “Sentimental” (Official Music Video)

Culenasm’s song delivers sentimental feelings with raw emotion.

It’s a shoegaze number where roaring guitars resonate beautifully.

Released digitally on February 5, 2025, the track centers on themes of regret over past relationships and the bittersweet wish to return to those moments.

Through its guitar sound, it expresses both the beauty of memories and the ache of regret.

In December 2023, they also provided the theme song for director Hideki Noda’s film “Futari no Kizuato” (The Scars of Two).

It’s a recommended listen for anyone looking to confront past memories and emotions as graduation season approaches.

SakurazakaFukuyama Masaharu

Masaharu Fukuyama – Sakurazaka (Full ver.)

A gem of a love song that captures both the ache of parting and a glimmer of hope.

Its tender, bittersweet feelings and the sincere wish for the other’s happiness seep in together with a gently comforting melody.

Masaharu Fukuyama’s delicate vocals softly embrace the lingering emotions that remain even as he accepts the end of a romance.

Released in April 2000, the song drew attention as the theme for TBS’s popular segment “Mirai Nikki V” on the show “Uunnan no Hontoko!” and ranked second on Oricon’s year-end singles chart.

It became a massive hit, selling over 2.29 million copies in total.

With lyrics that depict a farewell mirrored by the falling cherry blossoms of spring, it’s a song you’ll want to hear in a season of new encounters and goodbyes.

Night of the Sixth-Magnitude StarAimer

Aimer 'Rokutōsei no Yoru' (Night of the Sixth-Magnitude Star)

Aimer, an artist who continues to captivate listeners with her distinctive worldview and exceptional husky voice, delivers this smash-hit ballad.

The song expresses gratitude for being chosen, and it has become a coming-of-age anthem that moves listeners to tears.

lilacMrs. GREEN APPLE

Mrs. GREEN APPLE “Lilac” Official Music Video

A song by Mrs.

GREEN APPLE that portrays the anxieties and inner conflicts of youth while powerfully singing about the courage and determination to keep moving forward.

Amid passing days, a strong resolve to cherish even the wounds and pains that span a lifetime resonates alongside a light, buoyant melody.

Many listeners relate to the stance of trying to accept one’s imperfect self, even while harboring aversion to love and hope.

The track was chosen as the opening theme for the TV Tokyo anime “Oblivion Battery” starting in April 2024, and it won the Grand Prize at the 66th Japan Record Awards.

It’s music that truly symbolizes our era, offering comfort to those lost in life and searching for their authentic selves.

Goodbye ElegySuda Masaki

Masaki Suda “Sayonara Elegy”

A gem of a love song that delicately portrays a heart wavering between loneliness and love.

The soul-stirring cry entrusted by Masaki Suda to Huwie Ishizaki resonates deeply with pure emotion.

In days where kindness feels clouded, a bittersweet yet powerful melody wraps around the shape of love we discover.

Released in February 2018 as Masaki Suda’s third single, it drew attention as the theme song for the NTV drama “Kiss That Kills.” Suda himself made a cameo appearance in the series, and the song garnered notice for blending beautifully with the drama’s world.

A supreme ballad that shakes the soul, dedicated to those who have experienced heartbreak and partings and wish to sublimate the feelings hidden deep within their hearts.