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, don’t miss this! “Great Songs” Coloring the J-POP Scene (41–50)
Portrait of a MaidenREOL
This song, included on the album “Bijigaku” releasing in January 2026, was pre-released in December 2025.
Framed as an homage to 80s idol pop, the track features arrangement by Shin Sakiura.
Its dual nature is captivating: beneath the glittering synths lurk a sense of danger and a hint of poison.
Savor the nuanced emotional expression that lies beneath its pop sheen.
LinariaChroNoiR
ChroNoiR is a unit formed by Kanae and Kuzuha from the VTuber group NIJISANJI.
Released in December 2025, this work is a poignant ballad that portrays an unattainable love from a woman’s perspective.
Set against a beautiful soundscape woven by piano and strings, it sings of feelings that can’t reach the other person and emotions that sway back and forth.
Its delicate world, inspired by the language of flowers, pierces the heart thanks to the duo’s richly expressive vocals.
As the cold deepens, it carries a warmth that gently keeps you company on those nights when you long for someone’s touch.
memeSuda Keina
An up-tempo track themed around “memes,” behavioral patterns that spread from person to person, portraying the somewhat hollow human relationships of today.
Released digitally in November 2025 by Kenshi Sudakeina, who has been crafting a unique world as a singer-songwriter, the piece packs an addictive beat and wry, ironic lyrics into a short runtime of about two and a half minutes, leaving a piercing sensation with every listen.
The music video by longtime collaborator Avogado6 has also garnered attention.
It’s a song I especially want those who’ve realized their own tendency to perform a self tailored to others’ expectations—and the fragility that entails—to hear.
The Deadline of YouthNMB48
NMB48’s 32nd single, released to mark the group’s 15th anniversary.
It’s a song that poignantly captures the ache of facing the inevitable end of youth.
The feeling that you’re the only one being left behind when your friends start carrying business cards; the realization that the time you believed would last forever was actually a deadline drawing ever closer—these raw emotional shifts are heart-wrenching.
The emotional sound featuring striking strings is another highlight.
It’s a pop tune for anyone standing at a crossroads—like choosing a path or starting a job—as well as for those moments when you want to look back on your past self.
Lip NoiseTOMOO
Featured on the second major album DEAR MYSTERIES, this piece is a song that depicts a yearning for untouchable beauty.
As the title—symbolizing a sound that cannot become sound, a transparent boundary of emotion—suggests, it delicately traces the ache of a closeness you long for but cannot reach.
The restrained, piano-centered arrangement gradually grows heated toward the end, letting you feel the moment when pent-up emotions break free.
It’s a profound track that makes you want to revisit its lyrical world again and again.
evening primroseNovelbright
This ballad, which portrays a love you can’t forget even after a breakup, was released by Novelbright in December 2020.
It was selected as the Monthly Song for the weather segment of Fuji TV’s information program “Tokudane!” in February, and the band also appeared live on the show.
The grand arrangement woven by piano and strings is layered with Yudai Takenaka’s emotional high-tone vocals, creating a world that is both heartrending and beautiful.
The lyrics, which reflect on memories spent in a city at dusk and feelings for someone you can no longer meet, will deeply resonate with anyone who has experienced heartbreak.
When you face parting with someone dear—carrying loneliness and regret yet trying to look forward—this song will gently stay by your side.
leap day personRADWIMPS
The theme song for the film “In This Corner of the Limited Time” (Yomei 10-nen), which sings of an irreplaceable love story woven within a finite span of time.
Created by RADWIMPS in March 2022, the piece was composed by Yojiro Noda after carefully reading the script and stepping into the characters’ perspectives.
The lyrics, which delicately depict the miracle of meeting someone so dear you’d wish to share your very life with them, as well as the pain of those left behind, are deeply moving.
Beginning with a piano melody and gradually expanding into a full orchestra, the arrangement superbly conveys the swell of emotion.
It’s a song to listen to when you want to savor the time with someone precious, or to feel the profound value of the person you love.