Ballad Masterpiece Selection Performed by Japanese Girls' Bands

It’ll get stained.Chatto Monchī

Chatmonchy “I’ll Be Dyed” Music Video

A heartbreak song that likens cigarette smoke to a former lover’s feelings, to situations that don’t work out, and to things that fade away.

It depicts the emotions of trying a cigarette for the first time, and it evokes a hazy image of listless college-age romance during a moratorium period.

lighthouseKuroki Nagisa

Nagisa Kuroki “Lighthouse” LIVE at Tokyo International Forum Hall C 2016.06.03 (Encore)

I can feel the grand scale in the lyrics, which liken the subject to a lighthouse and evoke a vast ocean.

As an aside, she used to be Nagisa Kuroki of the band “Kuroki Nagisa,” but after the other members left, she has been performing under the same name as a solo singer-songwriter.

My parentsCatch Up

Catch Up – My Parents

This is a ballad by Catch-Up that strikes the heart with its earnest wish to carry unspoken feelings through song.

It conveys both gratitude toward one’s parents and the frustration of not being able to express it well.

Those delicate emotions are rendered with a slightly gritty sound reminiscent of US indie and Minakumari’s warm vocals.

The track appears on the album Aaji, released in March 2000.

You may find it hard to be straightforward, but deep down you want to say “thank you.” This song will surely offer gentle comfort to anyone carrying that feeling.

Why not listen to it on a night when you want to savor your feelings for someone important?

I×USilent Siren

[Silent Siren] “I×U” Music Video (Short Ver.) [SILENT SIREN]

This is the first single ballad by Silent Siren, a group formed by former reader models.

It’s a heartwarming winter song that sings of the loneliness of not being able to see someone you want to meet and of feelings that continue to grow.

The lyrics portray a protagonist who cherishes small memories—like the other person’s voice and little quirks—and are sure to resonate deeply with anyone thinking of a loved one far away.

Released as a single in October 2013, the track is also included on the album “31 Wonderland,” and it was selected as a POWER PLAY on Nippon TV’s Music Dragon.

The emotionally rich vocals carried by the grand sound will bring warmth to listeners’ hearts in the season when we long for human touch.

It’s fine daysChelsy

Chelsy　「It’s fine days」　MV

It has the vibe of a female singer-songwriter’s song, yet the members’ harmonies give it a band feel as well.

From a rooftop, gazing up at the distant sky, you can sense a longing for hometown and the past, along with a determination to move forward.

The highlight is the bass line, which carries the melody as if singing throughout the entire track.

SunDrop’s

Drop’s “Sun” Music Video

A hard-boiled sound brimming with Showa-era kayōkyoku and ’90s garage punk vibes that evokes a sunset.

The lyrics, which seem to sketch cityscapes through the eyes of boys and girls who moved to Tokyo, will resonate with anyone starting a new life and thinking of their hometown.

Best listened to in the early evening.

WalkORESKABAND

Oreskaband 'Walk'

They debuted as an energetic ska-rock band, but this track is a cool, black-music-infused number that slides from a jazz-kayō-style intro into an R&B/funk chorus.

Although released in 2013, it’s a highly sophisticated song that anticipated the recent city pop boom.