Recommended breakup songs for women in their 50s: classic and popular Japanese tracks

SWEET MEMORIESMatsuda Seiko

Seiko Matsuda / SWEET MEMORIES

Once you’re in your fifties, there are a lot of parts of a song like this that strangely resonate.

In the Suntory CAN Beer commercial, the scene where a female penguin singer performs a jazz-style number at a club and a penguin in the audience is moved to tears became a hot topic.

They initially kept the singer’s identity secret, but when it was later revealed to be Seiko Matsuda, it drew even more attention and the song became a hit.

Seiko’s English pronunciation is superb as well.

Farewell SongOhashi Junko

Wakare Uta / Miyuki Nakajima

We couldn’t find a recording by the original singer, so this will be Junko Ohashi’s performance.

For people in their 50s, it was the era that shifted from folk songs to New Music, and when it comes to heartbreak songs, Miyuki Nakajima’s songs are second to none.

A notable feature this time as well is that, although the performers may differ, many of the songs were written by Miyuki Nakajima.

Personally, for breakup songs, I like “Akujo” and “Hitori Jouzu.” The sharpness of her depictions—how she can express cruelty to the point of utter despair—is truly the mark of a genius.

Cheer up!Takeuchi Mariya

Cheer Up – Mariya Takeuchi

“Genki o Dashite” was a song written by Mariya Takeuchi specifically for Hiroko Yakushimaru.

In 1988, Takeuchi recorded her own self-cover.

The song encourages and empowers a heartbroken friend who’s feeling down, giving them a push with a cheerful “Come on, let’s go out!” It has become one of Takeuchi’s most beloved tracks across generations.

JunkoNagabuchi Tsuyoshi

Junko High Quality

The song “Junko,” included on the album Gyakuryū (Countercurrent), gained popularity through cable broadcasting, and many people requested it be released as a single.

However, the artist strongly felt it should remain just one track among the album’s songs, so the single release was delayed by half a year.

At the time, he was dating the popular idol Mako Ishino, and there were occasions at live shows where he changed “Junko” to “Mako” when singing.

That said, it’s very much a heartbreak song, so I don’t think it suits the lovey-dovey period…

Alone in the twilightMatsutōya Yumi

Yumi Matsutoya - Alone in the Twilight (Recording for Speaker Evaluation)

Yumi Matsutoya is a leading Japanese singer-songwriter who has been active for many years.

For women in their 50s, she might be the perfect artist.

She has many classic songs, but the one I especially recommend is “Hitori in the Twilight.” It features a vocal line that showcases her signature Yuming style, yet the melody doesn’t jump drastically up and down, so it’s relatively easy to keep pitch.

The chorus raises the voltage all at once, but the overall range isn’t that wide, so if you choose the right key, even those with lower voices should be able to sing it without difficulty.

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