[2026] Recommended love songs for graduation season: Love songs you’ll want to hear at the graduation ceremony

Word(s) / Words of language / Utterance (kotonoha)EVE

Eve’s new song “Kotonoha” featured! A high school romance depicted, with a must-see-twice “hidden Eve” tucked into the footage!

Eve’s “Kotonoha” is a song filled with the bittersweetness and hope of graduation season.

While looking back on the brilliance of youth, its melody gives you the courage to take a new step, resonating deeply in your heart.

The lyrics, which portray time passing as unspoken feelings are held in the corner of a classroom, and the moment one decides to confess to someone important, are sure to strike a chord with many.

Amid the pure, palpable tension that flows through the song, Eve’s gentle vocal tone further highlights its world.

Embracing a range of emotions, “Kotonoha” is a highly recommended love song to listen to at a graduation ceremony.

fragileEvery Little Thing

Every Little Thing / fragile

“Fragile,” the smash hit by Every Little Thing released in 2001.

It’s also known as the theme song for the hugely popular dating reality show “Ainori” at the time, and it’s a beloved love ballad for people of that generation.

Even couples who are very close and mutually in love can feel anxious and sad when they graduate and have to go their separate ways.

But this song’s lyrics focus less on those anxieties and more on the two of them and their future, offering a reassuring sense of strength.

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utatane

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Until graduationBoku ga mitakatta aozora

The Blue Sky I Wanted to See / “Until Graduation” Music Video

This song portrays the bittersweet feelings of a high school student on the verge of graduation.

The protagonist’s wavering emotions, unable to confess their feelings, resonate deeply with listeners.

Released in January 2024 as the second single from “Boku ga Mitakatta Aozora,” it also drew attention for its music video set in a nostalgically melancholic fishing port.

It’s recommended for anyone carrying feelings for someone special in the limited time before graduation.

The song will also comfort those struggling with a relationship that’s more than friends but not quite lovers.

White LoveSPEED

SPEED / White Love -Music Video-

It’s one of the signature songs by SPEED, a four-member dance and vocal group.

While it strongly evokes a winter image, the way it looks back on memories and wishes for love to be eternal is striking, making it feel perfect for graduation season as well.

The rhythm-forward, danceable sound—along with its passionate timbre and vocals—conjures images of the power of love and overflowing emotions.

The way the lyrics portray the growing passion within the heart seems to blow away the winter cold, giving the song a sense of strength that propels it toward spring.

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beetle (specifically, a rhinoceros beetle)aiko

aiko - 'Kabutomushi' music video

A classic love song beloved by generations: aiko’s “Kabutomushi.” It’s one of those tracks that every woman has probably heard at least once—and maybe even cried to.

Released in 1999 as her fourth single, it’s among the most popular of aiko’s signature songs.

From the lyrics to the melody to aiko’s vocals, every element is a poignant love ballad that makes you think, haven’t we all felt this way? Everyone has a love they can never forget, right?

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utatane

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Sakura, You, and Ituki.

tuki. 'Sakura Kimi Watashi' Official Music Video

A heartrending love song perfect for graduation season, likening a fragile first love to cherry blossoms.

Tuki.’s clear, translucent vocals beautifully capture both the loneliness of parting and the beauty of love.

Released in January 2024, the song paints nostalgic scenes—like the classroom on graduation day and the familiar path home—while giving voice to the regret of wishing time could turn back to say a few more words.

It’s a recommended track for anyone who has faced a springtime farewell or carries feelings they couldn’t express.

Listening to it, anyone will find themselves overlaying their own experiences and feeling their chest tighten.

Before the cherry blossoms bloomkinoko teikoku

Kinoko Teikoku – Before the Cherry Blossoms Bloom

Kinoko Teikoku’s songs beautifully portray springtime farewells and new beginnings.

While gazing up at the night sky, the delicate lyrics capture the emotions that waver between dreams one hopes to fulfill and the realities of life.

Released in November 2015, this track drew attention as their major-label debut single.

Having also provided the theme song for the film “Her Love Boils Bathwater,” their music evokes both bittersweet memories and a hope-filled future.

It’s a song I especially recommend to students nearing graduation and to anyone about to take a new step forward.