Packed with everything from friendship to romance! Youth anthems recommended for Gen Z

maybeYOASOBI

YOASOBI “Tabun” Official Music Video

Released in 2020, this song portrays the raw emotions of a couple facing a breakup.

It captures the cool composure of saying goodbye without tears, alongside the lingering attachment buried deep inside.

The protagonist’s attempt to tell themselves “it can’t be helped” without finding anyone to blame resonates with aching poignancy.

Set to a mid-tempo melody, the lyrics trace the complex feelings of trying to accept the separation while still wishing they could go back to the past.

Included on the album THE BOOK, it reached No.

15 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100.

It’s a song that gently accompanies those struggling in a relationship or those who have experienced parting with someone dear.

Chronostasiskinoko teikoku

Kinoko Teikoku – Chronostasis (MV)

A song that depicts a comfortable moment with someone by your side as you stroll leisurely through a quiet city night.

Featured on the 2014 album “Fake World Wonderland,” this piece uses the visual phenomenon where a clock’s hands appear to stop as a motif to express the fleeting beauty of time spent with a lover.

Its unhurried rhythm matches the very pace of wandering down a nighttime street that’s so enjoyable you don’t want to go home.

It was also used in the film “We Made a Beautiful Bouquet,” poignantly coloring the story’s bittersweet scenes.

It’s a number you’ll find yourself wanting to hear when you feel a tender affection for those ordinary moments with someone special.

DarlingMrs. GREEN APPLE

Mrs. GREEN APPLE "Darling" Official Music Video

A heartwarming story that portrays the brilliance and uncertainty found in a fleeting moment of youth.

Mrs.

GREEN APPLE expresses it through a lyrical melody that gently embraces young people searching for their identities.

This work delicately captures the moments when one’s true feelings from deep within intersect with honest feelings toward others.

It was born as the theme song for NHK General’s special program “18-sai Matsuri” broadcast in December 2024.

The performance, created together with a thousand 18-year-olds, has left a deep impression on viewers’ hearts.

At life’s turning points that everyone experiences, when taking a new step forward, this song will surely give you the courage to live as yourself and resonate with many people.

lilacMrs. GREEN APPLE

Mrs. GREEN APPLE “Lilac” Official Music Video

Mrs.

GREEN APPLE is a three-piece rock band whose colorful body of work, reflecting a wide range of backgrounds, has been drawing attention from a broad spectrum of listeners.

Selected as the opening theme for the anime “Oblivion Battery,” this song delicately portrays the feelings of waiting to reunite with one’s past self or a cherished person, as well as the anxieties and inner conflicts we experience in life.

Its exhilarating guitar-rock sound and clear, translucent vocals inspire the courage to move forward into the future.

Having won the Grand Prize at the 66th Japan Record Awards and surpassed 300 million streams, this remarkable track is sure to become a powerful anthem for teenagers taking their first steps into a new chapter with the arrival of spring.

I should be able to fly (in the sky).supittsu

Spitz / I Should Be Able to Fly in the Sky

This song vividly portrays the wavering emotions of youth.

With poetic expressions of infatuation, anxiety, and a longing for freedom, it’s a beloved Spitz classic that resonates with listeners.

Skillfully capturing the exhilaration of pure love along with the accompanying unease and pain, the piece feels like one’s own story.

Released as a single in 1994 and included on the album How to Fly in the Sky, it gained broad support after being chosen as the theme song for the 1996 Fuji TV drama Hakusen Nagashi, and it reached No.

1 on the Oricon weekly chart.

The lyrics reflect not only sweet romance but also moments of life itself, evoking empathy across generations and enduring affection.

It’s a perfect song for making memories with someone special or for lifting your spirits.

BetelgeuseYuuri

Yuuri “Betelgeuse” Official Music Video

This ballad by Yuuri beautifully portrays the bonds between people, using stars shining in the night sky as its motif.

Its warm lyrics, which liken encounters with loved ones and mutually supportive relationships to stars nestling close together, resonate deeply.

The emotional vocals, piano, and strings weave a grand sound that makes the message even more striking.

Released in November 2021, the song was written as the theme for the popular drama “SUPER RICH.” In October 2023, it achieved the milestone of surpassing 500 million total streams.

It’s a heartwarming piece perfect for moments when you want to feel the bonds with someone special from your youth or express gratitude to someone.

I’ll put it on for you.DAOKO

DAOKO “I’ll Cast a Spell on You” Music Video [HD]

This is an electro-pop number included on DAOKO’s self-titled album “DAOKO,” released in March 2015 to mark her major-label debut.

Like casting a magic spell, it captures the fluttering excitement of a love just beginning, and just listening makes your heart skip.

The desire to become a more wonderful version of yourself in front of someone you like feels so pure and relatable, doesn’t it? The song’s light, stylish vibe is perfect for an afternoon café time or a sunset drive.

It’s a track that sprinkles a little magic, making everyday scenes feel just a bit more special.