I want to hear more than just the classics! Hidden gems of winter songs
When winter comes, we sometimes feel a little lonely, while other times our hearts leap at festive events and dazzling cityscapes.
In moments like these, winter songs gently stay by our side.
There are so many of them, and while the classic hits are beloved for years, many of you may be thinking, “I want to discover something different!”
So in this article, we’ll introduce some hidden gems among winter songs.
There are plenty of wonderful tracks beyond the usual standards, so take your time and enjoy them as your companions this winter.
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[I want more than just the classics!] Hidden winter song gems (41–50)
Snow, fall and scatter toward you.Wagakki Band
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.
white snowKuraki Mai
When it comes to Mai Kuraki, many people probably have a strong image of her as the singer of Detective Conan’s theme songs.
This track was released in 2006 and served as the ending theme for the Detective Conan anime until April of the following year.
If you watched a lot of anime back then, you might be very familiar with this song.
The lyrics depict a poignant story set in winter, and Kuraki’s clear, transparent voice makes you feel as if your heart is being cleansed as you listen.
The North Wind and the SunKubota Toshinobu
Toshinobu Kubota, the singer-songwriter who popularized R&B in Japan.
He’s famous for songs like “LA•LA•LA LOVE SONG,” but I also recommend “The North Wind and the Sun,” where his funky vocals really shine.
It’s included on his 1987 release “GROOVIN’,” and the bass line that melts into the synth sound gives it a dance-music vibe.
The fresh, mature lyrics make it perfect for a date.
Listen to this track on a winter night and you’ll feel a stylish new you emerge!
The snow is piercingly coldatarayo
Set against the crisp, piercing air of winter, this work paints a scene of the season’s first snowfall.
Released by Atarayo in December 2022, the song tenderly portrays the ache of memories with a loved one—recollections of the four seasons flashing back like falling snow.
Seasonal images—cherry blossom-lined streets, a seaside café, a field of cosmos—illuminate the feelings of a protagonist who, despite the pain of parting, tries to take a step forward with a faint hope in their heart.
The transparent vocals and arpeggio-driven arrangement delicately capture winter’s quiet and an introspective worldview.
Chosen as the ending theme for ABEMA’s “ABEMA Prime,” it is performed frequently in winter setlists.
On a clear winter night, it will stay close to you as you look back on the past while resolving to face forward.
Lost SheepChatto Monchī
Using Christmas-like motifs, it portrays a relationship in a deep freeze, stuck in a period of ennui.
Even though reason says “I’m done,” a single email that just says “thank you” brings you to tears—this contradictory feeling is captured with raw honesty in lyrics by Akiko Fukuoka.
The song was included as the B-side to the 2006 single “Shangri-La,” and can also be heard on the 2010 compilation Hyōjō
Try listening to it alone on a cold night when your feelings for someone are wavering.
In that moment when you sway between bravado and your true feelings, it will surely stay by your side.
A Lump of LoveKinKi Kids
This song, Ai no Katamari, was included as the coupling track to KinKi Kids’ 13th single Hey! Minna Genki Kai?, released in 2001.
The lyrics were written by Tsuyoshi Domoto, and the music was composed by Koichi Domoto.
It’s a love song from a woman’s perspective, expressing her feelings for someone she loves, with a painfully beautiful melody that tightens the chest.
It’s filled with single-minded devotion to the person she loves, and the very intensity of that love brings a gentle, lingering sadness.
holly (Japanese holly tree, Ilex crenata)Do As Infinity
Do As Infinity’s 17th single “Hiiragi,” released in 2003.
Speaking of hiiragi (holly), it’s a plant that’s at its best from autumn into winter.
The lyrics weave in this holly, crafting a song that seems to liken winter’s cold and harshness to the trials of life.
It suggests that beyond the cold winter, a warm spring awaits, yet it’s a very serious, piercing, and chilling number.
It’s a song that makes you think everyone has times like that, and it encourages you to keep going just a little longer.