Get fired up for the hot season! Summer songs recommended for Gen Z

Live the summerRyokushokushakai

Ryokuoushoku Shakai “Living the Summer” Music Video / Ryokuoushoku Shakai

This is a song by Ryokuoushoku Shakai that portrays the brilliance of summer and the strength of the people who live within it.

It combines a cider-like freshness with the resilience to stand up even when covered in mud, and it just might give courage to those who listen.

Not only the sparkle of youth, but also the earnest effort and passion behind it, come through on a driving, exhilarating sound.

Released in July 2020, the track is widely known as the theme song for tvk’s “RIDE OF KANAGAWA 2020 High School Baseball.” A special edition centered around this song was also included in the album “SINGALONG,” released in September of the same year.

It’s an uplifting anthem that gives you a strong push forward when you’re taking on a challenge or feeling a bit worn out by the summer heat.

COCONUTNiziU

NiziU(니쥬) 2nd Album「COCONUT」M/V

Perfect for the season when the summer sun is dazzling, this is a summery track from NiziU’s album “COCONUT.” Just listening to it lifts your spirits, evoking a refreshing scene of blue skies and the sea.

Its vibrant sound makes summer memories with friends shine, and the nine members’ vocals convey the openness and positive energy of summer.

The album “COCONUT,” which includes this song, was released in July 2023 and debuted at No.

1 on the Oricon Albums Chart with 142,000 copies sold in its first week.

The album also features the movie theme song “Paradise” and the drama theme song “LOOK AT ME.” It’s a perfect pick to elevate karaoke, road trips, and all your summer outings—highly recommended for anyone looking to enjoy the season.

mixMarushii

Marcy – Mix (Official Music Video)

Known as the song from the Google Pixel 7a web commercial, this track by Marcy has captured the hearts of many.

Its delicate, emotional melody creates an atmosphere where the bittersweetness and warmth of late summer coexist.

It carefully depicts the subtle movements and tremors of the heart in love, gently resonating with listeners.

Released in August 2023, the song is also included on the album Candle.

Ephemeral FireworksKamisama wa saikoro o furanai

God Doesn't Play Dice “Ephemeral Fireworks” [Official Lyric Video]

God doesn’t roll dice—but He plays a tune.

This single, as fleeting as fireworks blooming and vanishing in the summer night sky, has captured the hearts of teenagers and won’t let go.

A story of a fragile, bittersweet summer romance rides on a beautiful melody by Shusaku Yanagida, striking listeners right in the heart.

You can almost see the lukewarm breeze and the shoreline in your mind’s eye, stirring a nostalgic, poignant feeling.

Released in July 2020 as their major-label debut single, the song also appears on the EP “Bunka-teki Tokuiten” released the same year and on the album “Jishō no Chiheisen,” which topped the Oricon Weekly ROCK Album Ranking in March 2022.

Perfect for summer twilights, moments when you want to get a little sentimental, or when you want to soak in a beautiful melody.

It’s sure to color a page of your summer memories.

Give it a listen.

This year for sure, a gyaru — early summer ver.hanabie

Hanabie. – This Year for Sure, Gal ~Early Summer ver.~ Be the GAL ~Early Summer ver.~ – Music Video [HANABIE.]

It’s a track brimming with intense energy that feels like a herald of summer.

Hanabie’s signature “Harajuku-core” sound brilliantly fuses the aggression of metalcore with pop-friendly accessibility, firing up the listener’s adrenaline.

You can almost feel the protagonist’s resolve—“This year for sure”—coming through directly on the back of powerful performances and shouts.

The music video’s theme of blending gyaru culture across generations is also highly unique and a definite highlight.

Released ahead of the pack in July 2023 and included on their milestone major-label debut album, “Rai-se wa Ijin!” (In My Next Life, I’ll Be a Great Person!), this song truly symbolizes the group’s rising momentum.

Their first headlining tour featuring this track sold out every show, underscoring the buzz surrounding them.

When you want a rush of exhilarating catharsis or the courage to step into a new version of yourself, this song is sure to give you a strong push forward.

Summer memories scented by the windAAA

AAA / “Summer Memories Fragrant on the Breeze” Music Video

A song whose bittersweet yet beautiful melody seeps into the heart, like recalling an old love in a fleeting moment on a summer evening.

Don’t the memories AAA sings of—days of summer now gone and a fragile romance—spread through your chest like a pale watercolor? The track was included as the B-side to AAA’s single “Wake up!” released in July 2014, and later featured on the album “GOLD SYMPHONY” released the same year, as well as the following year’s best-of collection “AAA 10th ANNIVERSARY BEST.” It was used in Ito-Yokado’s yukata commercial, coloring the memories of many alongside the sights and sounds of summer.

For those who want to soak in a sentimental mood at summer’s end, this song will gently stay by your side, bringing you close to those sweet-and-sour memories of days gone by.

Drowning in summerBocchi

Bocchi – Drowning in Summer [Official Music Video]

What Bocchi, surging through the scene with a youthfully vibrant sound, has delivered is a track that contemplates the passing summer.

The song evokes a bittersweet yet beautiful landscape, like a summer twilight.

Its emotional guitar lines and vocals that seem to speak directly to the heart gently—yet powerfully—stir the listener’s feelings.

While it accompanies the sentimental mood of summer’s end, it also wraps you in a curious sense of uplift that gives quiet courage to step into tomorrow.

The track is the title song of their first EP, “Drowning in Summer,” released in June 2023, and its music video, with over 650,000 views on YouTube, garnered major attention.

It’s the kind of song that will make your heart swell when you want to sink into a slightly nostalgic mood on a late-summer drive, or when you’re alone at night, quietly reflecting on memories.