Bittersweet songs chosen by Gen Z. Music that resonates with the heart.
Poignant lyrics spinning around inside your ears.
A melody that holds your heart on nights when tears are about to fall.
Songs that move Gen Z have the power to cry with you anytime and help you face forward, step by step.
The feeling of “setsunai”—that tender ache—may not change even as times do.
Still, there must be lyrics that only those living in the present, Gen Z, can truly relate to.
There are many tracks that speak for that ache—about life, about love, and more.
In this article, from songs trending on social media, we’ll introduce one that stays close to your heart.
Bittersweet songs chosen by Gen Z. Music that resonates with the heart (1–10)
I miss youRADWIMPS
Released in March 2021, this song expresses the feelings held at the 10-year milestone since the Great East Japan Earthquake.
Placed at the end of the album “2+0+2+1+3+1+1 = 10 years 10 songs,” it conveys a pure longing to see someone—an emotion only RADWIMPS, who have continued singing for a decade, could capture.
It is a ballad whose quiet, emotive melody seeps into the heart, carrying thoughts for loved ones we can no longer meet.
Beyond being a prayer for those lost in the disaster, it also resonates with the sense of distance and loss during the COVID-19 pandemic, giving voice to the universal ache of “not being able to see someone.” It’s a song that gently stays by your side when you feel the loneliness of being apart from someone dear.
JANE DOEYonezu Kenshi, Utada Hikaru
This collaborative song, the first time two of Japan’s leading singer-songwriters have joined forces, serves as the ending theme for the theatrical anime film Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc.
Its lyrics capture a longing for someone lost and the fragility of memory.
Written and composed by Kenshi Yonezu, the track features Hikaru Utada’s clear, airy vocals that sweep through like the wind.
Set for release in September 2025, it will come out as a double A-side single, IRIS OUT / JANE DOE, in multiple CD editions, with the cover illustration newly drawn by Yonezu himself.
It’s a song that offers deep comfort to those who have experienced parting from someone dear or who are tormented by indelible memories.
spin; weave; compose (e.g., a story)tota
Tota’s work is a quiet yet powerful love song, woven as a prayer meant to reach a cherished person in heaven.
Released in February 2023, the song had already drawn major attention since the short version was posted.
Through natural imagery—sky, wind, and clouds—the lyrics express feelings for the departed, where fragility and hope intersect.
Even as tears fall, the protagonist wishes for tomorrow to come, conveying a strength that strives to live on while bearing the sorrow of loss.
It’s a song that gently stays by the side of those who have lost someone dear, and of those who wish to keep moving forward while holding that memory in their hearts.
evening primroseNovelbright
This work portrays a poignant state of mind: unable to forget a once‑beloved person, the protagonist can’t help but keep chasing their lingering shadow as memories of days gone by well up.
Vocalist Yudai Takenaka’s delicate high-tone voice gently envelops the pain of a protagonist who cannot accept the breakup.
The grand sound centered on piano and strings is another highlight.
It’s a song to listen to when you want something to stay close to the pain of heartbreak, or when you can’t take a step into a new love.
leap day personRADWIMPS
Written by RADWIMPS in March 2022 as the theme song for the film “The Last 10 Years,” this piece portrays the love of two people confronting a finite life.
In lyrics crafted by Yojiro Noda after thoroughly studying the screenplay, he tenderly conveys how miraculous and irreplaceable a loved one’s presence is.
The heartfelt wish to keep living together—even if it meant giving away half of one’s own life—deeply moves us.
Beginning with a piano melody and gradually unfolding into a gentle orchestral arrangement, the song fills the heart with both wistfulness and warmth.
It is a profoundly resonant love song meant for everyone who holds someone dear.
rendezvousshaitoopu
Released by Shitope in April 2023, this work is a song that vividly captures the emotions of a man right after a breakup.
With relatable yet distinctive metaphors—like losing his appetite and finding that even cream-filled bread has no taste—it sharply highlights the pain of separation.
The languid, sweet vocals and expansive choral work resonate as if enveloping the bittersweet ache of heartbreak.
It topped Spotify’s Viral Chart and has surpassed 300 million total streams.
It’s a track that deeply comforts those who have just lost someone precious and are not yet ready to accept reality.
The Door to TomorrowTeshima Aoi
Aoi Teshima, whose translucent singing voice gently envelops listeners’ hearts.
Released in February 2016 as the theme song for the drama “Someday, When I Recall This Love, I Will Surely Cry,” this piece is a special track: a rearrangement of a song from the album “Ren’dez-vous” tailored for the show.
Its lyrics, like a letter to a precious person far away, are deeply moving and will surely resonate with anyone who has experienced farewell or a new departure.
The simple arrangement centered on piano and strings, if anything, highlights the weight of each word.
It’s a song that quietly stays by your side when you want to reflect on memories with someone dear, or when you need courage to face forward.