Love songs by girl bands: recommended classics and popular hits

DESTINYnegoto

Negoto – DESTINY [Official Music Video]

This is a song that was also used as an ending theme for the popular anime Gintama.

Its Chinese-style intro is unique, and the music video is fun as well, so I recommend enjoying it together with the visuals.

Negoto is a band from Chiba that made their major debut in 2010, and their songs are still frequently featured in commercials.

tropical nightSHISHAMO

SHISHAMO “Tropical Night”

It’s a single released in 2015.

The music video was directed by Masakazu Fukatsu.

The song carries a mature, calm vibe and expresses feelings for him.

It’s a love song that sings about a girl’s heart completely absorbed in her boyfriend.

Absolute relationshipakai kouen

Akaiko-en – Absolute Relationship (MV Full Ver.) [Theme Song for Fuji TV Saturday Drama “Lost Days”]

This piece condenses the subtle distance and complexity of human relationships into just 100 seconds.

The edgy sound of Akai Ko-en blends beautifully with lyrics that portray a sincere desire to understand the other person.

Despite its brevity, the song’s structure leaves a powerful impression, and Yosaki Tsuno’s sharp insight shines throughout.

Released as a single in March 2014, it was chosen as the theme song for Fuji TV’s Saturday drama “Lost Days,” which began airing in January of the same year, and it reached a personal best of No.

20 on the Oricon Singles Chart.

It’s a heartwarming song that stands by anyone struggling with relationships that don’t go as planned.

Moonlight ReverseRīgaru Rirī

Legal Lily – “Moonlight Reverse” Music Video

Released in August 2024 as a pre-release track from the album “kirin,” this song marks a major turning point for Regal Lily.

Having handled their own arrangements until now, the band worked for the first time with an external producer—Seiji Kameda—to create this love song.

While the chorus’s repeated, aching sentiments evoke a distance that feels farther than the moon, the straightforward emotions hit you squarely in the chest.

The sound, where fragility and passion coexist, will resonate not only with alternative rock fans but also with those who seek the lyricism of ballads.

In the music video, actress Hana Sugisaki stars, visualizing the heartache that resurfaces when looking at the moon.

Honoka Takahashi has said that the process changed how she engages with words, making this a work that signals the band’s next stage.

NOW ON AIRakai kouen

Akai Koen – NOW ON AIR

As you’d expect from a song created with the concept of “an anthem cheering on all troubled girls,” it’s a refreshing yet glamorous track whose piano sound will especially lift women’s spirits.

The music video features many women and employs unique filming techniques, making it a memorable and entertaining watch.

H.A.N.A.B.I ~The Summer You Were There~ZONE

H.A.N.A.B.I ~The Summer You Were There~ – ZONE

A summer rock number that blends a driving sense of speed with a poignant ache, as if awakening the faint stirrings of first love slumbering deep in the heart.

The Hokkaido-born girls’ band ZONE released it in 2003 as their 10th major-label single.

Its lyrics, which capture fleeting yet cherished moments of love against summer scenes—fireworks, sunsets, and shrine stone steps—resonate no matter how old you are.

Issued as a strictly limited-edition run of 100,000 copies with six tracks, including solo arrangements for each member, it reached No.

3 on the Oricon weekly chart and was certified Gold.

Though it had no tie-ins, it became a classic on the strength of the song alone, winning over many listeners’ hearts.

It’s a track you’ll want to play when that sudden end-of-summer loneliness hits, or when you feel like remembering who you were back then.

It’ll get stained.Chatto Monchī

Chatmonchy “I’ll Be Dyed” Music Video

A mid-tempo number where the loneliness that drifts through the night city intersects with thoughts of someone special.

Wandering down an unfamiliar street, narrowing their eyes through cigarette smoke, the protagonist’s wavering emotions are vividly captured in lyrics by Akiko Fukuoka.

Eriko Hashimoto’s soaring vocals deliver a stinging blend of bitterness and wistfulness—a song that conveys the complexities of a woman’s heart.

Released as a single in November 2008, it was written as the theme song for the late-night NTV drama “Tonsura.” It also drew attention for being the first time Seiji Kameda served as producer, and it broke into the top 10 on the Oricon charts.

It has become a signature track, repeatedly included on releases such as the album “Kokuhaku” and various best-of compilations.

A song that stays by your side on nights when love leaves you swaying and you want to cherish your time alone.