A wonderful, moving song

Songs that Gen Z feel are 'emo'—tracks that stir their emotions.

DancerFukkun:)Tatsuki Fukuda
Primarily active in Tokyo, I have experience as a backup dancer for artists, a music video dancer, and a commercial dancer. I continue to work as a dancer while also engaging in article production. After discovering Michael Jackson in junior high school, I began dancing in my second year of high school. Since starting dance, in addition to the J-Pop and Japanese rock I had been listening to, I began exploring Western R&B, rap, alternative music, and other tracks commonly used for dance. In elementary school, I spent three years in a choir, and because I love singing, I often go to karaoke for fun. These days, I enjoy a wide range of music, from Japanese rock and rap to K-pop.

Have you recently come across a song that felt “emoi” and truly moved you? Among Gen Z in particular, “emoi songs” are a major topic and are widely shared on social media.

Perhaps you’ve felt healed—or even moved to tears—by melodies that evoke nostalgia, bittersweetness, and an indescribable lingering afterglow.

In this piece, we’ll introduce a selection of highly popular tracks described as “emoi,” songs that deeply resonate with many listeners—especially Gen Z—and stir the emotions.

Songs that Gen Z finds emo: emotionally stirring tracks (31–40)

Memento moriŌmori Motoki

Motoki Ohmori – 'Memento Mori' Official Lyric Video

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.

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In conclusion

Songs with wistful melodies and lyrics overflowing with emotion that many in Gen Z connect with as “emo.” Their timeless, piercing sound continues to reach new listeners through social media. These are tracks that evoke deep empathy and stir feelings too strong for words. Encountering those uniquely emo songs that speak to you will surely add a special touch of color to your everyday life.