[Resonates with the Heart] Masterpiece Ballads with Beautiful, Poignant Lyrics

The Beginningayaka

Ayaka / Beginning Time Music Video

A ballad featured as the first track on the album “The beginning,” released in February 2012, whose lyrics express a resolve that coincides with Ayaka’s return to music.

No matter what has happened in the past, everyone can open a new page.

I think those words fit perfectly with starting a new chapter in life with a refreshed mindset.

Everyday life in an unfamiliar environment can be unsettling.

Ayaka’s powerful voice is sure to support you through moments of doubt or hardship.

The song was also used in a commercial and became beloved by many.

It’s a track that gently nudges those taking a new step forward.

Untitled TodayHirai Dai

Hirai Dai / Untitled Today (Lyric Video)

A heartwarming message song that gently sings about the precious moments found in everyday life.

Rather than material wealth, it finds value in the ordinary scenes of daily living and conveys the beauty of believing in the future.

HIRAIDAI’s vocals resonate deeply with listeners.

Included on the album “Life Goes On,” this track stands out with its gospel-inspired chorus and refreshing melody.

The lyrics, which depict the joy of sharing together and the preciousness of small, everyday happiness, offer a sense of peace, as if wrapped in a gentle light.

When you want to appreciate the beauty of spending simple, unassuming time with someone important, why not give it a listen?

Cry On Your SmileKubota Toshinobu

Toshinobu Kubota – CRY ON YOUR SMILE [Official Video Short ver.]

This is a renowned ballad that tenderly yet poignantly captures the feelings of seeing a loved one off as they set out toward their dreams.

Released in October 1987, it became a milestone as the artist’s first entry into the Oricon Top 10.

Built on an R&B foundation, its beautiful melody is paired with lyrics filled with such deep affection that you find yourself in tears even within the other person’s smile—listening makes your chest tighten.

The emotionally overflowing ad-libbed outro is breathtaking, conveying irrepressible feelings that bring tears to your eyes.

Chosen as the theme song for the Toho film “Kamitsukitai,” it’s also included on the best-of album “the BADDEST.” When you listen to it as you cheer on someone dear at the start of a new chapter, it feels like a gentle push on the back.

Last LoveKato Miria

Miliyah Kato 'Last Love'

The work she created is a breakup song that perfectly fits the phrase “a heartbreakingly sad love ballad.” Through lyrics she wrote herself, it portrays with striking realism the aimless sense of loss and the lingering attachment that won’t fade after losing the one you love.

The grand, beautiful strings only seem to accentuate the loneliness at heart, and the clear, translucent vocals resonate as if asking a question—so achingly bittersweet.

Released in June 2010 as her 18th single, the track was later included on her acclaimed album HEAVEN, which became her first to top the charts.

When you’re carrying the pain of an unforgettable love, this song gently stays by your side in your helplessness.

Love is…Kato Miria

MILIYAH Kato “Love is…”

The grand ballad inspired by the classical masterpiece Canon delivers a straightforward message—no matter what happens, we’ll stay together—that truly resonates.

Even when loneliness and anxiety make it hard to see ahead, there is someone who will never give up on you and keep supporting you.

It sings of the strength and preciousness of such love and bonds.

Released in June 2007 as Miliyah Kato’s tenth single, the song also served as the ending theme for the anime Toward the Terra.

Its inclusion in the best-of album M BEST II shows how it has continued to be loved over time.

A pledge of eternal love, this work is the ultimate love song—one that makes you want to stay with the person you cherish forever.

Love Sky and the Sound of RainAAA

AAA / “Love Sound and Rainy Sky” Music Video

When it comes to love songs for autumn, those slightly melancholic, bittersweet tunes are the classics, aren’t they? This piece is a gem of a love song packed with the frustrating push-and-pull of romance and those hard-to-express feelings.

You want to say “I love you,” but the fear of what might come keeps the words in your throat.

That delicate feeling of first love overlaps with the gentle scene of autumn rain, and it really tugs at the heart.

This track is a single released by AAA in September 2013 and was also featured in an H.I.S.

commercial, so many of you may find it familiar.

The album it’s included on, Eighth Wonder, became the group’s first to top the weekly charts and won an Excellence Award at the 55th Japan Record Awards.

It’s a song that quietly stays by your side in autumn, when the fun of summer has passed and you start to long for someone.

heartbeatFukuyama Masaharu

Masaharu Fukuyama – Heartbeat <31st Anniv. Live “Slow Collection”> (Short ver.)

A poignant yet warm ballad that captivatingly portrays the turmoil of an unexpected love.

The protagonist, who had decided never to fall in love, grapples with confusion and a loneliness hidden behind a brave front, all conveyed through Masaharu Fukuyama’s richly emotive vocals.

Included on his original album “AKIRA,” released in December 2020—his first in six years and eight months—the song was chosen as the theme for the drama “#Remolove: Normal Love Is for the Weak.” Its delicate melody reflects the nuances of the protagonist’s emotions, making it a deeply satisfying listen.

Try listening while thinking of someone special.