Recommended entrance songs for high school students: moving masterpieces and popular hits.
At the time of graduating from junior high and entering high school, many of you may be going to different schools from your friends for the first time.
It can feel a bit unsettling to take separate paths from the friends you spent elementary and junior high school with.
Some of you might also be worried about whether you’ll make new friends and keep up with your studies.
On the other hand, many of you probably have hopes and dreams for your high school life.
So in this article, we’ll introduce encouraging songs that can ease those worries, as well as entry songs that inspire a sense of hope.
These are entrance songs we want high schoolers—who may feel like they’ve taken a step closer to adulthood—to hear!
Recommended entrance songs for high school students: moving masterpieces and popular tracks (1–10)
Stand Out Fit InNEW!ONE OK ROCK
Have you ever read the room and ended up suppressing your true self? In the new social world of high school, you might find more situations where you’re expected to be “normal.” That’s exactly when I want you to listen to this classic track from ONE OK ROCK’s album Eye of the Storm.
It’s been on air as a Honda commercial song since 2018, so many of you probably have it stuck in your heads.
The message “hamidashite najime”—“stand out and still belong”—carries the hope that you’ll blend in without losing who you are.
This piece also mirrors the band’s own journey of continual challenges across different cultures.
On the morning you slip into your new uniform, if you play this song, it will surely give you the courage to take that first step as your authentic self.
To Us Who Were Once GeniusesNEW!Creepy Nuts
Starting high school brings a mix of excitement and anxiety about a new environment, and many people wish for the courage to believe in themselves.
That’s when you should listen to this track by the hip-hop duo Creepy Nuts.
It delivers a fiery message that reminds you of the boundless possibilities of childhood and rallies a heart that’s shrunk during the process of growing up.
Included on the mini-album “To Us Who Were Once Geniuses,” released in August 2020, it also gained attention as the song used in Teikyo Heisei University’s TV commercial.
R-Shitei’s rap and DJ Matsunaga’s beat will give you the power to unravel conventions and push forward.
When you hit a wall, listening to this song will help you face ahead, knowing you still have potential.
migratory bird[Alexandros]
![migratory bird[Alexandros]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/O_DLtVuiqhI/sddefault.jpg)
[Alexandros] is a Japanese rock band known for their fast-paced, energetic songs.
One of their popular tracks is Wataridori.
It’s been featured as a movie theme and in commercials, with various tie-ins.
How about letting this song, which sings about setting off on a journey like a migratory bird, give you a gentle push forward? The chorus builds beautifully and makes you feel as if you’re soaring through the sky like a migratory bird.
When the song ends, you’ll likely be left with an irresistible sense of exhilaration.
Highly recommended for anyone wanting to shake off feelings of uncertainty.
Sakura, Bloom!arashi
The hit song “Sakura Sake” by the popular idol group Arashi.
As the title suggests, it’s themed around spring events like graduation and school entrance ceremonies.
Haven’t most people heard this song? It’s an easy-to-listen-to pop tune, so it’s also recommended for choir performances.
parabolaOfisharu Higedan Dism
Official HIGE DANDism is a four-member rock band.
The vocalist Satoshi Fujihara’s soothing high-tone voice and approachable melodies are especially striking.
While songs like “Pretender” and “I LOVE…” may give them a strong image as love song artists, “Parabola” is a perfect cheer song for starting a new chapter in life.
It was also featured in a Calpis Water commercial, and its lyrics—seeking hope in an uncertain future—seem to gently light a lamp in hearts that feel crushed by anxiety.
Take note of the lyrics, which are poetically beautiful yet strikingly real.
From hereWANIMA
As you start your high school life, many of you probably feel both excitement and anxiety.
And chances are, you’re keeping those worries to yourself rather than showing them.
In times like that, blow them away with this song! WANIMA’s “Koko Kara” is included on their first full album, “Are You Coming?” It’s a track I want you to really take in while paying attention to the lyrics.
With its powerful, straightforward words, it’s sure to hit you right in the heart.
And by the time you finish listening, those anxious feelings will likely feel a little smaller.
stepsGReeeeN
GReeeeN’s “Ayumi” is the perfect song for those of you taking your first steps into high school life.
This track packs in all of GReeeeN’s charm and expresses the strength and hope to overcome the setbacks and anxieties you face on the way to your dreams.
High school students who have just overcome the big challenge of entrance exams will surely relate deeply.
The lyrics sung by GReeeeN are full of words that powerfully cheer on the youthful days of continued challenge.
If you ever have days when you feel overwhelmed with anxiety, listen to this song and find the courage to move forward steadily, one step at a time.
It’s a highly recommended track for everyone standing at the new starting line called high school!
Song of BeginningsRyokushokushakai
This song lifts your spirits right from the start, with an intro that evokes a refreshing morning and Haruko Nagaya’s crystal-clear vocals.
Ryokuoushoku Shakai’s “Hajimari no Uta” builds excitement toward the chorus, then bursts with an exhilarating release that’s sure to blow away stress and anxiety.
It’s impressive how lyrics that could be read as resentful are rendered so fresh and uplifting.
It reminds you that the only person who can change you is yourself.
Shineyuzu
Yuzu’s song “Hikare” is one I’d recommend to anyone who, right after finishing their entrance ceremony and thinking, “I’m going to give my all at everything!” suddenly finds their spirit broken by something.
It’s a positive song that tells those who enrolled with hearts full of hope and expectation—but now feel down because they can’t fit in, or their studies or club activities aren’t going as planned—that an even more wonderful future awaits them.
It makes you feel that hardships and setbacks are exactly what allow you to shine.
rainbow-coloredayaka
This is a song released in 2014 by singer-songwriter Ayaka.
It was written as the theme song for the NHK morning drama series Hanako to Anne and became a big hit.
Its message—that no matter what happens in your long life, you’ll surely overcome it—fits perfectly with the occasion of entering a new school.
Her gentle, warm voice is truly soothing.
