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.
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Bittersweet songs chosen by Gen Z: Music that resonates with the heart (11–20)
SubtitleOfisharu Higedan Dism
A heart-touching ballad that portrays the difficulty of expressing love in words and the fragility of feelings that melt away like snow.
Released digitally in October 2022 as the theme song for the drama “silent,” the song expresses the earnest attempt to convey one’s feelings of love through a delicate, piano-centered melody.
It achieved its first overall No.
1 on Billboard JAPAN’s JAPAN HOT 100, and surpassed 21 million streams.
When you’re frustrated because you can’t put your feelings for someone special into words, this song is sure to be by your side.
Because you are hereUru
With her transparent, crystalline voice that resonates deeply in the heart, Uru released this song as a digital-only single in February 2020.
Written specifically as the theme song for the drama “Theseus no Fune” starring Ryoma Takeuchi, it conveys feelings of love and gratitude toward someone precious.
The lyrics express how having that person by your side makes you stronger and gentler—words that naturally bring tears to your eyes when you think of family, a partner, or someone dear.
Mirroring the drama’s story, it’s a song that gently stays by your side when you want to reflect on the time and bonds you share with those who matter most.
A Naked Heartaimyon
When you’re going through days where love just doesn’t work out, it can feel like you’re the only one being left behind.
The 10th single, released in June 2020, is a warm ballad that gently embraces those bittersweet feelings.
Chosen as the theme song for the drama “My Housekeeper Mr.
Nagisa,” it resonated with many hearts.
Its simple arrangement, centered on piano and pianica, softly wraps unadorned, true-to-life emotions.
It tenderly portrays the feeling of wanting to fall in love again even after repeated heartbreaks, making it a song you’ll want to hear especially if you’ve grown timid about love.
Aimyon’s warm vocals will quietly give you a nudge toward tomorrow.
SparkleIkuta Rira
Released digitally in January 2022, it was selected as the theme song for ABEMA’s romance reality show “Kyou, Suki ni Narimashita.
Mikan Arc.” For this piece, the melody was crafted first, then carefully layered with the tones of an acoustic guitar to complete the track, and it looks back on an unrequited love.
The protagonist’s feelings—overcoming the pain of a love that never came true and trying to move forward into the future—resonate quietly alongside her clear, transparent vocals.
It’s a song that will stay by your side on a night just after heartbreak, when you wish to face forward once again.
waxing; filling up; becoming full; growing (e.g., the moon growing fuller)Fuji Kaze
That even the most brilliant moments must come to an end—and that by letting go of attachment, the heart can be filled.
Released in March 2024 as the theme song for the film “When April Comes, She Will,” this is Fujii Kaze’s first love song.
It gently sings of the futility of love that seeks something in return and the fulfillment that unconditional love brings.
His tender voice, carried by a soft piano melody, teaches us the importance of embracing change.
It’s a song I recommend to those who have experienced parting from someone dear, or who wish to reconsider what it means to love.