List of seasonal songs: a classic guide to finding tracks that fit the current season

Daphne (winter daphne)NEW!DISH//

DISH// – Sweet Daphne [Official Video]

This is the kind of piece you want to listen to at that turn of the seasons, when you suddenly catch a hint of spring in the cold wind.

It’s a single released in 2021 by DISH//, a four-member band fronted by Takumi Kitamura.

It drew attention for being co-written with Hattori from Macaroni Empitsu, and it was used as the theme song for the drama “The Winner in February: The Classroom of Guaranteed Acceptance.” Its lively, march-like rhythm and warm band sound gently wrap themselves around the listener’s heart.

Centered on gratitude for those who always support you and the joy of having a place to return to, it’s perfect for spring, a time for new beginnings like entrance exams and starting a new life.

How about listening to it together with someone dear to you, as a way to express that “thank you” that’s usually too embarrassing to say out loud?

evening primroseNEW!Novelbright

Novelbright – Evening Primrose [Official Music Video]

The rock band Novelbright, whose heartwarming melodies have earned overwhelming support especially among young people.

Among their songs, the one we recommend for the chillier seasons is Tsukimisou.

With a piano-and-strings arrangement, it’s a beautifully crafted love ballad.

It portrays lingering feelings and affection for an unforgettable lover, and Yudai Takenaka’s emotionally rich vocals are sure to bring you to tears.

Released in December 2020 as a digital-only single, the track was also used in the weather segment of Fuji TV’s Tokudane!.

Loved over the long term, it has surpassed 300 million streams.

On long, lonely nights when you crave connection, why not spend some quiet time alone with this masterpiece?

Magic of a Summer NightNEW!indigo la End

indigo la End “Summer Night Magic”

indigo la End is a band led by Enon Kawatani, who’s also active in groups like Gesu no Kiwami Otome and Genie High.

This track is the B-side included on the single “Kanashiku Naru Mae ni,” released in June 2015.

It’s a beautiful ballad that vividly captures the indescribable atmosphere of a summer night and the fleeting nature of a summer romance—something you can feel deeply from the music video.

The lyrics portray the protagonist’s aching emotions as they understand the love has ended, yet fall under the spell of the night and sink into memories.

Many listeners will feel a tightness in their chest at the sensitivity of describing those irretrievable days as “magic.” With its cool guitar tones and Enon Kawatani’s soothing falsetto, it’s a song you’ll want to listen to quietly, alone, on a humid midsummer night.

Goodbye, CosmosNEW!asagīnyo

Goodbye, Cosmos

A song by Asagi-nyo brimming with a sense of liberation that makes you want to graduate from a self bound by others’ gaze.

It’s the theme song for her self-produced Vlog film “Goodbye, Cosmos,” released in March 2022, and it came out as a single that May.

Using the meaning of the white cosmos flower—“harmony”—as a motif, it conveys a resolve to bid farewell to the self that always goes along with those around you.

The light rhythm and warm vocals bring back the pure feelings of childhood.

When you’ve lost confidence by comparing yourself to others, it will gently resonate with those who wish to live by their own measure.

It’s a refreshing number like an autumn breeze, giving you the courage to face forward just as you are.

snowlightNEW!&TEAM

&TEAM ‘Yukiakari’ Special Video for LUNÉ

&TEAM, a global group under HYBE LABELS JAPAN active on the world stage.

This track, included on their 2nd album “Yukiakari,” released in December 2024, is a number that evokes hope like a light shining on a winter night.

As the finale to a story depicted through spring, summer, autumn, and winter, it expresses the strength of a bond that moves forward with trust in each other, even amid harsh cold.

Symbolic of the album that topped the Oricon Daily Chart on its release day, the song captivates with its beautiful choral work and the warm sound crafted by Soma Genda and others.

Why not give it a listen when you’re feeling uncertain or on a night when you want to feel the bond with your treasured friends? The light kindled in your heart will surely give you the courage to move forward.