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)
MedianocheNEW!zutto mayonaka de ii no ni.
This is a track titled with the Spanish word for “midnight.” Written and composed by ACA-ne, with arrangement contributions from 100kai Vomit and others, it was released in January 2026 as a lead single from the album “Keisoudo,” which is set to be released in March 2026.
The lyrics, depicting the struggle of acting to fit in and the inner wear and tear, really hit home.
Give it a listen on nights when you’re a bit worn out from daily life and want to reset your feelings.
KΛLEIDOSCAPENEW!Haruno
This work by singer-songwriter Haruno, released in February 2026, was produced as the launch campaign song for the action RPG Arknights: Endfield.
It’s an unofficial image song for the in-game character Gilberta.
A medium-tempo track where a dramatic sound meets silky vocals, it’s finished with a pleasing, gently saturating sonic texture.
Give it a listen while reflecting on the worldview of the lyrics, tinged with a quiet sense of longing.
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.
Gen Z listeners, take note! “Good songs” that color the J-pop scene (11–20)
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.
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.
I want someone to tell me, “The moon is beautiful, isn’t it?”NEW!Kakizaki Yūta
Singer-songwriter Yuta Kakizaki, who has drawn attention for his multi-faceted, home-recording production style and for handling the opening theme of the TV anime “SANDA.” Released digitally in January 2026, this work is a track entirely crafted by himself—from songwriting and composition to instrument performance and mixing.
The upbeat track, which fuses J-pop with dance music, has a driving sense of speed while carrying a certain bittersweetness.
The lyrics portray an earnest desire to become someone special to the other person, likely resonating with anyone who has felt anxiety or possessiveness in love.
It’s an emotional pop tune, with addictive repeated phrases and impassioned vocals that strike straight to the heart.