Resonance of Twilight: Emo Western Songs Echoing at Summer’s End
Don’t you ever feel strangely sentimental at the end of summer? Blue skies and white clouds, the sea at dusk, listening to the sound of the waves… We’ve selected classic Western songs that perfectly match that mood.
From tracks you’ll want to listen to while basking in summer memories to slightly emotional ballads and melodies that resonate especially in this season, you’re sure to find a song that speaks to your sensibilities.
Why not savor the bittersweet feelings of summer’s end together with some wonderful Western music?
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Afterglow of Dusk: Emo Western Songs That Resonate at Summer’s End (21–30)
Under The BridgeRed Hot Chili Peppers
Even now, after the 2020s have passed, it remains a gem of a ballad by the world-famous rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, whose popularity shows no sign of fading.
Released in 1991 to massive success, it appears on the acclaimed masterpiece Blood Sugar Sex Magik—one of the most important albums in the band’s career—and when issued as a single, it reached No.
2 on the U.S.
charts.
The moment John Frusciante’s iconic, dry-toned arpeggios ring out, you’re instantly drawn into the song’s unique world.
While the track itself isn’t explicitly themed around summer, the profound loneliness and sorrow in its lyrics resonate even more deeply when listened to at the end of the season.
HonestyBilly Joel
Billy Joel is an American singer-songwriter famous for hit songs like “Just the Way You Are” and “The Stranger.” This is a single taken from his 1978 album 52nd Street.
The title, “Honesty,” is a word that means “sincerity.” In this work, he earnestly conveys that while it’s hard to find sincerity, he still wants to remain sincere.
Isn’t She LovelyStevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder, the American multi-talent.
Not only does he write and compose his own songs, he also produces other musicians and contributes as an instrumentalist, truly showcasing his multifaceted abilities.
“Isn’t She Lovely” is a track from his 1976 album Songs in the Key of Life.
The “Aisha” in the title refers to Stevie’s own daughter, and the song was created to celebrate her birth.
Just The Way You AreBruno Mars
In April 2018, EXILE ATSUSHI covered Bruno Mars’s “Just the Way You Are” with Japanese lyrics, and it became a hot topic.
Billy Joel also has a hit song with the same title, and what both songs share is the attitude of “I love you for everything you are—your good parts and your flaws alike.” Whether that stands up objectively is another matter; love makes even pockmarks look like dimples.
That’s what romance is like.
Bruno’s original version was released as a single in 2011.
The Summer EndsAmerican Football
For music listeners who love the so-called ’90s genres of post-hardcore, emocore, and post-rock, the name American Football carries a special resonance.
Formed in 1997 around Mike Kinsella, a key figure in the American indie scene, the band released a single album before disbanding in 2000.
Miraculously, they reunited in 2014 and have since remained active, touring Japan and releasing new works.
Their sound—characterized by delicate, beautiful guitar arpeggios, tender melodies, and a palpable tension born from members with punk and hardcore roots—enjoys strong popularity here in Japan as well.
The track from their debut album mentioned here is, as its title suggests, a perfect masterpiece for the end of a summer day.
It’s also recommended for those who want to listen to music beyond the usual mainstream hits.
ceilingsLizzy McAlpine
This piece by Pennsylvania-born singer-songwriter Lizzy McAlpine is marked by a poignant melody that evokes the end of summer.
The story reveals that the nighttime scene with a happy lover is actually the protagonist’s imagined remembrance of days gone by, tightening the chest with its bittersweet twist.
Lush strings and her delicate vocals seem to guide you into the liminal space between dream and reality.
Featured on her April 2022 album “Five Seconds Flat,” the song reached No.
54 on the Billboard Hot 100.
It’s a perfect classic for those long September nights when summer memories are fading and you want to sink into a slightly sentimental mood.
Cruel SummerBananarama
For those who came of age in the ’80s, the British girl group Bananarama needs no introduction.
Amid the disco boom of the time, they scored huge hits in Japan, and their quintessential summer song is surely “Cruel Summer,” also known by its Japanese title “Chigireta Heart.” Its sound is quintessentially ’80s new wave with a catchy melody, yet it isn’t a bright song—there’s a distinctive, lingering sense of melancholy.
A literal translation of the original title would be “Cruel Summer,” and indeed the lyrics tell the story of a woman who experiences a painful breakup in the summer.
The Japanese title likely follows the lyrics, and you could say it’s an excellent title that captures the essence of the track.
Perhaps some people make a point of listening to this song at the end of every summer, deliberately revisiting those bitter memories.