Gen Z listeners, take note! Great songs that color the J-pop scene
The definition of a good song differs from person to person, doesn’t it?
Songs about someone special, ones that give you a push, or those that depict strong determination—all of these could be considered good songs, but it likely depends on the listener’s feelings and situation.
So this time, we’ve focused on Gen Z listeners and compiled a list under the keyword “good songs.”
They’re all great tracks, so we hope not only Gen Z but listeners of all ages will enjoy them.
- An iconic song by a female artist that Gen Z can get hyped about with their peers
- Recommended for Gen Z! Classic love songs sung by female artists
- Tear ducts guaranteed to burst! Heart-wrenching masterpiece songs I’d recommend to Gen Z
- Tear-jerking masterpieces sung by male artists that I’d recommend to Gen Z
- Get fired up for the hot season! Summer songs recommended for Gen Z
- Nothing but famous and hit songs! K-pop tracks recommended for Gen Z
- Hype songs sung by male artists that are recommended for Gen Z
- Revival hits driven by social media! Classic Showa-era songs popular with Gen Z
- Definitely when you want a boost of power! Energetic songs recommended for Gen Z
- Karaoke songs sung by female artists recommended for Gen Z
- Only masterpieces that color the season of meetings and farewells! Spring songs recommended for Gen Z.
- [Women Artists Only] Breakup Songs Recommended for Gen Z
- Packed with everything from friendship to romance! Youth anthems recommended for Gen Z
Gen Z listeners, take note! “Great Songs” Coloring the J-POP Scene (1–10)
Starting Oversumika
A youth-anthem packed with the courage to take a step toward the future and the passion to chase dreams with your friends.
Released in June 2023, this track was written as the opening theme for the TV anime MIX MEISEI STORY: The Second Summer, Headed for the Far Side of the Sky.
While carrying anxieties and impatience about a new environment, it powerfully sings of the resolve to keep moving forward without abandoning what you love.
It’s okay to cry, to have regrets, and not to rush.
The positive message—to start walking in the direction the wind blows, following the quickening of your heart—will gently encourage anyone beginning a new chapter in life or continuing to pursue their dreams.
1000 daysnozomi
This is a heartrending song that portrays the brilliance and fragility of youth.
Released in April 2025, it was written specifically for the new web commercial “Seishun Bonus Time” for the vitamin carbonated drink MATCH.
The lyrics, which frame high school life as roughly 1,000 days, carry both a bittersweet nostalgia for those short yet intense three years and a cheer for the future.
While it’s a power song that rides a passionate melody over a high-velocity guitar rock sound, its delicate depictions—like scribbling and erasing the name of a crush in the corner of a notebook or the secrets one has guarded—are deeply moving.
Fully self-produced by Noshi, who handled all lyrics, composition, arrangement, vocals, and artwork, this track resonates with anyone who spent time in high school or wants to cherish their memories of youth.
Memento moriŌmori Motoki
A song themed around life and death included on the EP “French,” released in February 2021 as a solo work by Motoki Ohmori of Mrs.
GREEN APPLE.
As its Latin title—meaning “remember death”—suggests, it contemplates the finiteness of life through motifs such as parting, departures, and memories, yet delivers a warm sense of affirmation rather than fear.
The piece was adapted into a picture book in September 2021, and further expanded beyond the realm of music with a stage adaptation as a reading play starring Mone Kamishiraishi set for December 2024.
With serene, lyrical soundscapes that seep into the heart, this ballad reflects on the farewells that will one day come and teaches the importance of living in the present.
Gen Z listeners, take note! “Good songs” that color the J-pop scene (11–20)
Q / tenjoōbachi
Queen Bee radiates a singular presence with their original worldview and visuals.
The title track of their 2017 album Q and the title track of their 2019 album Ten function as mirror images that reveal the band’s polar extremes.
The former is a song with bleak lyrics that evoke abuse, symbolizing the resolve to rise from it.
The latter is a magnificent, strings-centered ballad that depicts escaping an abusive home and, though worn down, striving to live—sad yet brimming with hope.
Performed back-to-back during their audience-free livestream in 2020, the two songs vividly highlighted contrasts—attack and defense, light and shadow.
While each stands independently as a single track, they are often performed as a pair live, and their lyrics are clearly connected; thus, I’ve chosen to present them here as a single work.
GloriousBE:FIRST
A song packed with the charm of a dramatic, emotional ballad.
Offering a glimpse into a new side of BE:FIRST, this track celebrates people boldly pursuing the dreams they’ve seen and their own futures, as well as the effort poured into that journey.
Released digitally in November 2023, it was also chosen as the support song for the 102nd All Japan High School Soccer Tournament.
Imbued with a strong determination to overcome hardships and challenges and to dream of a shining future, this is a recommended track for anyone who wants to keep looking forward and doing their best, even in tough circumstances.
CorrectRADWIMPS
A RADWIMPS song with outstanding lyrics that resonate with young people and a refreshing feel.
Written specifically for the NHK special “RADWIMPS 18 Festival,” the piece has become widely loved as a staple for graduation season.
In February 2024, a CD with a choral score was released.
With lyrics centered on themes like friendship, personal growth, and harmony with society—psychological development and self-discovery during youth—the song has struck a chord with many young listeners.
Conveying the message that life’s answers differ for each person, it reminds us of the importance of following our own inner voice.
I’ll call your name.SUPER BEAVER
A four-piece rock band, SUPER BEAVER, known for their straightforward, hard-hitting lyrics and emotional rock sound, has garnered strong support with this track.
Released in July 2021 as the theme song for the film Tokyo Revengers, the song powerfully sings about the importance of human connections and bonds.
Its theme of linking the past and the future aligns perfectly with the film’s time-leap storyline.
Energetic yet deeply expressive, the song is sure to gently encourage those feeling lost in life or wanting to reflect on relationships with loved ones.
Experience this quintessentially SUPER BEAVER, powerful rock tune for yourself.