A collection of upbeat friendship songs that brighten your mood, themed around friends
There are so many friendship songs that depict bonds and memories with friends.
When you find parts of the lyrics that overlap with your own experiences, you can relate to them, and they become your favorite songs that you want to listen to over and over again.
In this article, we’re focusing on friendship songs with a particularly bright vibe.
We’ve chosen only up-tempo tracks and songs with a catchy feel.
Use this as a reference not only for finding songs to listen to every day, but also when you’re looking for BGM for a friend’s birthday movie, or songs to play for a wedding performance or during the send-off!
A collection of upbeat friendship songs with a friends theme that will lift your spirits (1–10)
2gether 4everNEW!AYANE
Sung by singer-songwriter AYANE, this piece portrays a friendship that supports each other across physical distance.
It captures a down-to-earth relationship—confiding worries over the phone and lifting each other up—and wraps listeners’ hearts in warmth.
Released in March 2023, the song is also included on the album “#Twenty.” Its R&B-tinged, comfortable melody makes it easy to sincerely express gratitude to a friend, which is part of its charm.
If you’ve been asked to do a performance as the bride’s best friend, it could be lovely to play this song as BGM while showing a slideshow of your memories.
The message of “let’s stay friends forever” is sure to fill the venue with a moving atmosphere.
usual membersNEW!riria.
Lilia’s song vividly captures the precious time spent with the usual crew and the sparkle of youth.
It’s a warm, emotional track that reminds us of the irreplaceable friendships built in the everyday moments.
You can’t help but feel that wishful ache—if only those times laughing with friends could last forever.
Released in October 2022, the song was featured in Universal Studios Japan’s “Escape the Usual Tonight” commercial.
Ryo Nagano’s slightly mature sound design amplifies Lilia’s down-to-earth lyrics.
It’s a number you’ll want to listen to in spring—when you’re meeting new companions and hoping to make many memories—while thinking of the dear friends who mean so much.
Friend’s SongNEW!berii guddoman
A passionate number by Bring Good Mann that sings about friendship and bonds that don’t change, even when you’re apart.
The trio’s powerful harmonies and unpretentious words seem enough to blow away any anxieties about a new chapter in life! The lyrics carry a fiery message to a friend you rarely get to see, promising to accept both their complaints and their true feelings.
It’s included on the April 2018 album “SING SING SING 6,” as well as the best-of compilation “BEST BEST BEST.” This track also fired up the venue as the theme song for the “ABC Food & Smile Fes.” It’s a song you’ll want to listen to with a dear friend at the start of spring’s new beginnings—one that makes you want to shout, “How’re you holding up?!” to a friend fighting in a new environment.
I won’t forget the days with you.NEW!Te ga kuriimu pan
At a dear friend’s wedding, I want to offer my congratulations while looking back on our memories together.
The perfect fit for such a warm moment is the single released in March 2022 by the singer-songwriter Tegakuriimupan.
The message of “I won’t forget,” which sings of the ordinary days we shared and our irreplaceable memories, resonates not only with romance but also with the deep bonds of close friendship.
The warm tone of the acoustic guitar and the gentle, conversational vocals are sure to fill the entire venue with emotion.
It’s perfect for tear-jerking moments—sing it after reading a letter to the bride as part of the entertainment, or use it as background music when leaving the hall with friends during the bride’s outfit change.
If it’s the two of usNEW!SUI
Set to a brisk band sound, sui’s song sings in down-to-earth words about the irreplaceable bond between “the two of us.” Released in October 2020, the track caught fire through reactions on social media and has since become familiar, being used in many videos.
Even on days filled with hardships and the cycle of joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure, if it’s with you, we can get through it.
It carries a warm yet powerful message: even if we fail, let’s start over from scratch.
The world that sui—just 17 at the time—portrays will gently encourage those who feel uneasy in new environments and those who wish to live supporting and being supported by dear friends.
Give it a listen while thinking of that best friend you want to stay with forever.
You are my friend.NEW!UNISON SQUARE GARDEN
A signature ballad by UNISON SQUARE GARDEN that gently brings you closer to someone dear, with warmth like spring sunlight.
Featured near the end of their February 2013 album “CIDER ROAD,” this piece showcases a calm ensemble—distinct from their trademark high-speed rock—that’s part of its charm.
Through the act of calling someone’s name, it conveys a message of opening a slightly timid heart and reconnecting, making it perfect for this season of new encounters.
Rather than flashy words, vocals that feel palpably warm will surely give you a reassuring push.
Give it a listen when you want to be honest with someone important to you.
treasurewacci
A heartwarming number that portrays the anxiety and loneliness felt while chasing a dream, and the importance of friends who support each other in those moments.
Just believing you’re not alone can make you stronger, and the time spent together becomes the most irreplaceable treasure—this is the message woven into the song.
It will surely remind you of the bond with “the friends from those days.” The track is included on the album “Kanjō Hyakkei,” released in August 2017.
Interestingly, it drew attention when Miho Takagi named it her “victory song” to listen to before competitions at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics, which also led to a live performance on the TV program “Sukkiri.” It’s a perfect song for those striving toward their dreams or for teammates pushing each other to improve, such as in school clubs.
FlenjerOtsuka Ai
It’s a song you’ll want to listen to when you want to cheer up a friend who’s feeling down, or when you want to cut loose together and laugh it off.
It was released in April 2006 as the 11th single.
Since it was used as the CM song for Toshiba mobile phones and as the theme song for Nippon TV’s “Sports Urugusu,” many people probably heard it often at the time.
The title is a unique coined word that combines “friend” and “sentai hero.” It’s a track packed with Ai Otsuka’s signature wordplay and a passionate embrace of friendship.
I wish you lots of happinessnaniwa danshi
A heartwarming cheer song written and composed by Yujin Kitagawa of Yuzu, which drew attention as a newly penned piece.
Its positive message—encouraging us to find happiness in the little moments of everyday life—is like a prayer of “good fortune to you” for friends graduating and stepping into new environments.
Carried by Naniwa Danshi’s bright, refreshing vocals, this song reassures you that even when you’re apart, your hearts remain close, turning the sadness of parting into hope.
Included on the single “The Answer / Sachiare,” released in April 2022, it also served as the theme song for Fuji TV’s “Mezamashi TV,” delivering a burst of energy every morning.
Why not gift it to cherished friends who feel a bit anxious about their new beginnings, as a way to gently nudge them forward with your familiar smile?
Precious thingsroodo obu mejyaa
Released in 2002, Road of Major’s indie debut single is a quintessential youth punk anthem themed around friendship and bonds.
It delivers universal themes—meeting and parting with friends, supporting one another—through an energetic sound.
Remarkably, as an indie release, the song spent 19 consecutive weeks in the Oricon Top 10 and sold over 900,000 copies in total.
It’s also included on the album “ROAD OF MAJOR” and the best-of compilation “GOLDEN ROAD ～BEST～.” This track is perfect for anyone who has dear friends they’re connected to at heart, even when apart.
Listen to it during graduation season or at the start of a new chapter in life, and you’ll be reminded of the irreplaceable value of those connections.