A collection of uplifting, youth-themed songs — timeless tracks that set your heart on fire
There are so many songs that evoke youth—friendship and bonds with peers, club activities, romance, and more.
Whether you’re a student in the midst of your youth right now or an adult who enjoys listening to remember those days gone by, there’s something for everyone.
In this article, we’ll introduce a selection of especially upbeat youth-themed songs all at once!
If you’re looking for songs that don’t have a somber mood but instead lift your spirits as you listen, these are particularly recommended.
Be sure to listen to each track while feeling the passion of your youthful days.
- [Youth Anthems] A curated selection of popular and latest songs to hype up your school cultural festival
- A collection of upbeat friendship songs that brighten your mood, themed around friends
- Club Activity Youth Songs: Motivational Anthems and Timeless Tracks of Memories with Teammates
- A roundup of youth-themed songs recommended for high school students
- Bright friendship songs recommended for high school students. A collection of hype-up tracks.
- [Clubs, Friendship, Romance] Youth songs middle schoolers should listen to
- [For adults too] Youth songs that let you look back on your memories
- A bright song about comrades. A roundup of classic tracks that make you feel the bonds.
- Upbeat, bright songs: a collection of tracks that lift your mood when you listen
- A poignant masterpiece that sings of adolescence. Popular songs you’ll want to hear during your teenage years.
- Packed with everything from friendship to romance! Youth anthems recommended for Gen Z
- Summer songs that get middle schoolers excited: Popular tracks you’ll want to listen to in your youth
- A love song that feels like youth. Love songs you want to listen to—and remember—during your adolescent years.
A collection of uplifting, youth-themed songs: timeless tracks that set your heart on fire (11–20)
Mock youthMEGA SHINNOSUKE
This song is a perfect fit for the nostalgic mood at summer’s end.
Its refreshing guitar sound is soothing, yet carries a faint melancholy that really sinks into the heart.
What the piece portrays is the fleeting beauty and poignancy of youth—those radiant days passing by as if they were nothing more than a game of make-believe.
If you listen to it on a night when you’re reminiscing about the fun of summer and feeling a touch wistful, those shimmering days may feel all the more precious.
Opening DeclarationNovelbright
It is a highly message-driven song that conveys sincere feelings and a powerful drive toward a bright future.
It vividly depicts youthful figures stepping out from ordinary daily life to chase their dreams with friends.
The passionate resolve to walk together under the vast sky resonates with a grand orchestral sound in this masterpiece.
Released in April 2021 as the title track of the album “Kaimaku Sengen” (Opening Declaration), it has become a signature work symbolizing Novelbright’s major-label debut.
In 2022, it was also selected as the theme song for Nippon TV’s nationwide high school dance club support project on the program “Sukkiri.” This piece is certain to shine as BGM for entrance marches and competitive scenes at sports days and athletics festivals.
It’s the perfect cheer song to boost the feeling of wanting to dash full speed toward your dreams together with your friends.
PUZZLEShimizu Shota
It’s a gospel-style cheer song that fills your heart with the bonds of friendship and hope for the future.
The fact that Shota Shimizu returned to his hometown of Osaka and created it together with students from his alma mater adds an extra layer of warmth to the piece.
Released in October 2024, it was later included on the album “Pulsatilla cernua.” The choral performance with around 20 students on THE FIRST TAKE is truly overwhelming.
If you’re taking on a challenge with your team or stepping into something new, listening to it will surely give you courage.
Its polished sound also pairs perfectly with a leisurely café time on your day off.
STAND BY MEGOING STEADY
Bittersweet romance, a weak man…
that’s the kind of lyrics it has.
Going Steady have sung many songs about youth, but perhaps none exposes vulnerability like this one.
The way it starts slow, almost like a ballad, and then suddenly becomes intense toward the end is also a must-hear.
DarlingMrs. GREEN APPLE
A heartwarming story that portrays the brilliance and uncertainty found in a fleeting moment of youth.
Mrs.
GREEN APPLE expresses it through a lyrical melody that gently embraces young people searching for their identities.
This work delicately captures the moments when one’s true feelings from deep within intersect with honest feelings toward others.
It was born as the theme song for NHK General’s special program “18-sai Matsuri” broadcast in December 2024.
The performance, created together with a thousand 18-year-olds, has left a deep impression on viewers’ hearts.
At life’s turning points that everyone experiences, when taking a new step forward, this song will surely give you the courage to live as yourself and resonate with many people.
Blue and SummerMrs. GREEN APPLE
A youthful pop tune, reflecting the cool hues of the sky and the summer sunlight, has arrived from Mrs.
GREEN APPLE.
Woven with exhilarating guitar riffs and a lyrical melody, this track heralds the beginning of summer.
Released in August 2018 as the theme song for the film “Ao-Natsu: Kimi ni Koi Shita 30-Nichi,” it portrays an honest, relatable first love and a longing for summer.
The song carefully expresses the emotions of falling in love with a season one once felt indifferent to, gradually discovering its charm, and carries a powerful message about believing in human connection.
Performed at the 75th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen in December 2024, it has become a staple of the summer season.
It’s the perfect track for creating radiant memories of youth—like running along the seaside with friends and talking about love under a bright blue sky.
A collection of uplifting, youth-themed songs: 21–30
My Past Life, Many Lifetimes AgoRADWIMPS
As a youth anthem perfect for summer, this song continues to be loved by many.
Created by RADWIMPS, it’s also well known as the theme song for the blockbuster 2016 animated film “Your Name.” The lyrics, carried by a driving, exhilarating melody, convey the powerful feelings of two people drawn together by fate since long ago and the earnest determination to overcome any obstacle to find each other.
Just listening to it brings the film’s story back to life and is sure to stir your heart.
It will give you courage when you’re thinking of someone special or striving toward your dreams.