Winter songs with lyrics that really hit home. Winter tunes you’ll want to listen to closely.

Before it turns whiteRyuya Miyase

Ryubi Miyase (Miyase Ryuya) – Before It Turns White [Official Music Video]

Set to a light, jazzy pop sound, this winter song celebrates the arrival of the season and budding romance.

Actor Ryubi Miyase wrote the lyrics under the name “Ryubi Miyase,” infusing them with a desire to vividly capture both the cityscape before it turns completely white with snow and the moments spent with a loved one.

The track was newly written as the opening theme for Miyase’s first leading drama, “First Love of the Snowdrop,” which began airing in October 2024.

It was released for streaming to coincide with the broadcast and was packaged as a long-awaited first single in December 2024.

With stylish chord progressions and a sweet, soothing vocal, it’s perfect for nights when you want to sink into a romantic mood.

It’s a must-listen for anyone who wants to enjoy a winter romance while reflecting on the drama’s storyline.

ebb and flowRAY

Ray – ebb and flow (Audio)

A ballad that evokes the stillness of the ocean floor and emotions that ebb and flow like the waves.

Ray’s crystal-clear vocals resonate as if delicately tracing inexpressible heartache and confusion.

Released as a single in February 2014, it was used as the latter opening theme for the anime Nagi no Asukara.

The lyrics, which mirror the complex human relationships depicted in the latter half of the story against a winter backdrop, tighten your chest while also carrying a gentle warmth, giving the song a mysterious allure.

Its beauty stands out even more when listened to in the cold winter air.

It’s a track that quietly stays by your side when you want to spend a quiet night lost in thought or face the emotions deep within your heart.

February is cryingtsuki to adabana

Moon and Ephemeral Blossoms — “February Is Crying” (Official Music Video)

This song is included on Tsuki to Adabana’s first EP, “Live Houses and You,” released in August 2020 by the Hyogo-born rock band.

It’s a guitar-driven rock track that blends urgency with melancholy, vividly conjuring scenes of dry late-winter air and a city waiting for dawn.

The lyrics go beyond simple romance to portray respect and jealousy toward an admired person, as well as the inner conflict over a relationship that might break if you get too close—something that really tightens the listener’s chest.

The music video was released in July 2020 and drew attention, especially within the live house scene.

Try listening as you overlay it with that feeling of holding back because you care too much, in the chilled air just before spring arrives.

Capturing both the fragility and intensity of February, this work is sure to resonate with your most complex emotions.

Winter SongSHISHAMO

Winter Song

This song, performed by three girls who were still in high school and included on their self-produced album “Graduation Project,” captivates with a fragility that feels like the crisp clarity of winter air turned into sound.

Its protagonist is a girl with a one-sided crush, and the lyrics intertwine her feelings for someone out of reach with the season’s chill, evoking bittersweet memories many of us share.

Clean guitar arpeggios and the surging dynamics in the chorus create a deeply affecting finish.

The track was included on an album released in January 2013 and was later re-released alongside their major-label debut album “SHISHAMO.” Although it had no tie-in, it has steadily become a seasonal staple.

On a winter night, when you want to quietly reflect on your feelings of love alone, this song is sure to keep you company.

snowTHC!!

THC!! 'Snow' OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO

Released independently in 2003 and re-released on a major label in 2005, this track by the Shonan-born crossover band THC!! is a classic that conjures warm memories in wintertime.

KANAMI’s translucent vocals intertwine exquisitely with Ritz’s groovy rap, while the hardcore-rooted, powerful band sound delivers a heat that won’t yield to the cold.

Set against a landscape of softly falling white, the lyrics—like holding onto feelings that won’t fade—are bittersweet yet forward-looking, conveying the protagonist’s determination to etch irreplaceable memories into their heart.

Chosen as the ending theme for TBS’s CDTV, it’s a song you’ll want to revisit every winter—perfect for nights spent with someone special or quiet moments of solitary reflection.

broad daylightKing Gnu

King Gnu – Hakujitsu

If only the incessant snowfall could wrap everything up and bleach even our past sins and pains white.

King Gnu’s 2019 digital single carries such an earnest wish.

Created as the theme song for the Nippon TV drama “Innocence: False Accusation Lawyer,” the track portrays the regret of someone who has committed an irreparable mistake, alongside the resolve to face forward and start walking again.

Even if you wish to be reborn pure white, the past is continuous and cannot be erased.

Still, the longing prayer to have the snow hide everything will undoubtedly resonate deeply with those spending time in winter’s chill, confronting themselves.

Snow, fall and scatter toward you.Wagakki Band

Wagakki Band / Snow, Fall and Scatter Toward You

This is Wagakki Band’s enchanting winter ballad, where shamisen and koto weave their tones together with Yuko Suzuhana’s vocals interlaced with shigin (poetic recitation).

Included on the album “Shikisai,” released in March 2017, it was also chosen as the theme song for the stage play “Laughing in Purgatory,” performed that summer.

Set against a landscape of falling, accumulating snow, it portrays a heartrending tale of feelings that cannot reach the one who matters most.

Highly recommended if you’re looking for a dark, beautiful rock ballad that seeps into the depths of your heart on a cold night.