Ballad Masterpiece Selection Performed by Japanese Girls' Bands

What I want you to listen toGIRLFRIEND

[Original] GIRLFRIEND “Things I Want You to Hear”

It’s a really good song.

It’s a graduation song that truly tugs at the heartstrings, with down-to-earth lyrics expressing gratitude to one’s parents—something surprisingly rare for a girls’ band.

Each line in the lyrics depicts specific, everyday actions, and I feel it’s sung to the mother who gently embraces and supports all of them.

At the end of summertankobuchin

At the end of summer

A band featuring vocalist Madoka Yoshida, who is also active as an actress.

The bittersweet chord progressions and hook-filled melodies evoke the feeling of youth.

The detailed depictions of mental landscapes that conjure classrooms and pools are impressive.

Listening with headphones lets you fully immerse yourself in the song’s world.

call my nameChilli Beans.

call my name

Unable to take that one last step, unable to tell your feelings to someone special.

Have you ever felt that kind of frustrating love? Chilli Beans.’s latest work is a ballad that, with just acoustic guitar and vocals, gently stays close to those helpless emotions.

The lyrics—into which the members poured the feelings they keep in their hearts—depict the frustration of reaching out but never quite reaching, and the sorrow of not even being able to share a moment in words; they’re sure to move you.

This song is the final track on the masterpiece “Chilli Beans.” released in July 2022.

The album drew attention with many tie-in tracks and even won the CD Shop Award.

If you listen on a quiet night alone in contemplation, its delicate tones will gently seep into your heart.

My letterZONE

ZONE – My Letter (MV)

A classic by the girls’ band ZONE that captures the frustrating feeling of a crush when you just can’t say “I like you” out loud.

The gentle tone of the acoustic guitar layered with shimmering strings creates a bittersweet yet beautiful sound.

The highlights are the vocal relay that showcases each member’s individuality and their interweaving harmonies.

The pure emotions, expressed in down-to-earth words, sink quietly into the listener’s heart.

Released in October 2003 and included on the album “N,” this song also became familiar as the ending theme of the popular music program “HEY! HEY! HEY! MUSIC CHAMP.” If you’re struggling to convey your feelings to someone important, its delicate melody will tenderly stay by your side—and it just might give you a gentle push forward.

Song of the PianoKaneyori Masaru

Kaneyori Masaru [Piano Song] Music Video

Kaneyori Masaru’s ballad delivers unforgettable memories of love carried on gentle piano tones.

The true-to-life lyrics, woven through Chitose Mina’s emotionally rich vocals, pair perfectly with the piano melodies that melt into the band’s sound.

Its worldview—overlaying everyday scenes with memories of someone dear—will surely tug at many hearts.

Released in January 2022, the song was later included on their major-label first full album, “Watashi no Nocturne.” The anecdote that the composer played while crying from overwhelming emotion speaks to the song’s earnestness.

Whether you cherish a past love or savor your present happiness, this piece will quietly stay close to your heart.

Listen on a quiet night alone, and your own personal story may rise to the surface.

I’ll turn you into a song.Supurīgaru

[Heartbreak Ballad Song] I’ll turn you into a song / Spregel 📝 #GirlsBand #IndieBand #Live #OriginalSong #J-Rock #Spregel #Recommended

“I’m going to turn our memories into a song, just as they are.” This is a song by Spreegal that sings of a slightly bold resolve.

Without romanticizing a broken heart, its lyrics candidly trace the scenes and emotions etched in the mind, stirring deep empathy in listeners.

The track is included on the EP “MEMORIES,” released in April 2024.

Anyone who has experienced an unforgettable love will likely be startled by how unflinchingly honest the words feel, as if they were written about themselves.

While carrying bittersweet memories, the song quietly stays by your side, supporting the part of you that still wants to move forward.

Night TheaterHump Back

Night Theater

This is an outstanding rock ballad by Hump Back that portrays the loneliness brought by the night’s silence and the impatience of not quite being an adult.

The straightforward words and emotional vocals of singer-guitarist Momoko Hayashi seem to speak for those hazy, conflicted feelings unique to our youth.

The single containing this track, Dear Boy, released in June 2018, was also chosen as the ending theme for Nippon TV’s Buzz Rhythm 02, drawing attention at the time.

The down-to-earth lyrics, sung over a bittersweet, medium-tempo melody, gently sink into the listener’s heart.

On nights when everything feels like it’s going wrong and you’re feeling down, listening to this song might give you a quiet nudge to try just a little bit harder.