Emotional friendship songs recommended for high school students

best friendNEW!SG

Best Friend (Soulmate) – SG (Official Lyric Video)

A song by SG that I want to give to a dear friend.

As the title suggests, it’s a warm message song themed around the bond with a friend deeply connected at heart.

Life brings many partings—graduations, turning points—but this song straightforwardly sings about an unchanging friendship despite distance, and the hope of meeting again.

Released as a single in March 2022, it resonated with many people, ranking high in LINE MUSIC’s real-time music video charts.

Known for “Bokura Mata,” SG penned this track in his own words, offering not only the sorrow of parting but also the courage to look ahead.

It’s perfect as BGM for graduation season, as well as for times when you want to express gratitude that’s hard to say, or when you’re thinking of a friend far away.

Futabaaimyon

Aimyon – Futaba [OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO]

This piece was written for the NHK special program “AIMYON 18 Matsuri” and released for streaming in March 2022.

It’s a moving mid-tempo number that Aimyon created after watching videos of worries and hopes sent in by 1,000 18-year-olds from across the country.

It also opens the album “Hitomi e Ochiruyo Record,” gently singing about reaching toward the sky even while holding onto anxiety.

It’s perfect for telling friends who are graduating and going their separate ways both your gratitude and the feeling that “we’ll be okay even if we’re apart.” Its message—gather strength underground during uncertain times and one day let your own unique flower bloom—gives a quiet push to those setting off on a new journey.

MemoriesNiziU

NiziU 「Memories」 Dance Performance Video (One Take ver.)

Born from an audition show, NiziU has been captivating the world with their cute dancing and vocals.

Released digitally in February 2024, this track is an emotional pop song that blends the excitement and bittersweetness unique to spring.

It was chosen as the theme song for Universal Studios Japan’s “Uni Spring 2024,” and it was also announced that it will be included on the mini-album AWAKE.

The message—depicting the moment when everyday life with friends, once taken for granted, becomes an irreplaceable treasure at the milestone of graduation—is sure to resonate with students in the same situation.

Believing that bonds won’t fade even when you’re apart, it’s the perfect song to express your gratitude to your cherished friends!

footprint(s)Little Glee Monster

Little Glee Monster “Ashiato” Music Video

Little Glee Monster is a vocal group whose overwhelming singing ability moves listeners to the core.

Their 16th single, “Ashiato” (Footprints), released in September 2020, is a grand number penned by the members themselves that gives you the courage to keep moving forward even in times of uncertainty.

Its powerful lyrics, which seem to affirm their own journey, are perfect for looking back on the days spent with friends during graduation season, when everyone sets off on separate paths.

Written as the required piece for the Junior High School division of the NHK All-Japan School Choir Competition and also broadcast on NHK’s “Minna no Uta,” the song has become widely loved as a choral piece.

It’s a moving track we hope you’ll listen to when you want to send thanks and cheers for the future to the dear friends with whom you’ve laughed and supported each other along the way!

All of them are classmates reunionzutto mayonaka de ii no ni.

Zutto Mayonaka de Iinoni. “Aitsura Zen’in Dousoukai” MV (ZUTOMAYO – Inside Joke)

A track by the music unit ZUTOMAYO (Zutto Mayonaka de Iinoni.), led by ACA-ne.

It conveys the will to move forward true to oneself without being swayed by the surrounding atmosphere, expressed through distinctive wordplay and a rhythmic sound.

As the title “Reunion” suggests, it evokes a future where we meet again after walking our own paths—a perfect song for graduation season.

Released in June 2021 as a collaboration with the online RPG PSO2: New Genesis, it also drew attention as a Spotify TV commercial song.

The track is included on the album “Nobishigusa Korite Himagoi.” It’s an ideal number for those who want to send positive energy to friends—fighting in our own places even when apart, and someday meeting again with smiles.

Gazing up, the sky is blueHata Motohiro

Motohiro Hata / Aogeba Aozora Music Video

This heartwarming medium-tempo ballad sung by Motohiro Hata reminds us that parting isn’t an end, but the beginning of new days.

The gentle tones of the acoustic guitar and his clear, “voice of steel and glass” tenderly soothe hearts weighed down by anxiety or loneliness.

One of the song’s greatest charms is how it portrays a strong bond that remains even when people are apart—without ever using the word “goodbye.” It drew attention when it aired from March 2019 as the theme song for SoftBank’s “Graduation” TV commercial, and it was later included on the album Copernicus.

It’s the perfect song to give to a dear friend you’ve spent so much time with, conveying gratitude for the past and a heartfelt “let’s keep walking together” for the future.

Until we meet againHirai Dai

Until we meet again

A heartwarming ballad that portrays departure and the hope of reunion.

Dai Hirai, known for his refreshing surf-music sound, released it as a single in 2015.

It was later included on the album “Slow & Easy.” Set to gentle acoustic instrumentation, the song carefully weaves together the sorrow of parting and the wish to meet again with a tender “see you,” slowly seeping into the listener’s heart.

It’s a perfect companion for moments of separation—like graduation or job transfers.

It also fits when you want to look back on memories with friends and express your gratitude.