Recommended for high school students! Stylish J‑pop and songs by trending popular artists

Nagisaimase

【imase】Nagisa（MV）

Singer-songwriter imase, whose track “NIGHT DANCER” recently became a global hit, is still fresh in our memories.

He also made waves by making his major debut just one year after starting his music career.

This song is a refreshing, danceable number inspired by 1980s city pop.

The retro synthesizer tones evoke the arrival of summer and feel so pleasant.

The lyrics feature a strong-willed woman who boldly pushes a romance forward, yet the nuanced shifts in his vocals convey her fragility too, making your heart skip a beat.

Released in May 2023, the track was also used as the theme song for the news program ABEMA Prime, so many listeners may find it familiar.

It’s a stylish song you’ll want to play on your way to school, and it’s included on his first album, Bonsai.

AlgernonYorushika

Yorushika – Algernon (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

Yorushika is a musical duo that has won popularity with their ennui-tinged melodies and profound messages.

They have many high school fans as well.

Composed by n-buna and inspired by a famous novel, this work centers on the delicate emotional shifts that occur as the world slowly changes through an encounter with someone.

The protagonist’s feelings—hesitant yet striving to look forward—overlap with vocalist suis’s clear, translucent voice, making your chest tighten as you listen.

Released in February 2023, the song was also used as the theme for the drama “Yugure ni, Te o Tsunagu” (Hold My Hand at Dusk).

It is included in the music art collection “Gento.” It’s the kind of song that, when you’re feeling a bit down or want to spend a quiet night deep in thought, will gently give you a supportive push and leave you with a warm, tender feeling.

I don’t need it.Sakanakushon

I don't need it.

This rock number features lyrics that reveal true feelings at odds with the words themselves, piercing the heart over a danceable beat.

Created by Sakanaction, it will be released digitally in February 2026.

It was written as the theme song for the drama “Kochira Yobi Jieieiyu Ho?!” Ichiro Yamaguchi, the band’s vocalist, produced it in response to a request from Koji Kato, a senior from his hometown.

Even while rejecting, you can’t help but want it… Many people will probably relate to that kind of contradictory emotion.

It’s perfect as late-night driving BGM.

TOGE TOGEMON7A

【MON7A】「TOGE TOGE」（Music Video）

Singer-songwriter MON7A, currently a high school student, has cultivated a unique fan culture through social media and enjoys overwhelming support from younger audiences.

After his 2025 digital release “Oyasumi Taxi” became a huge hit on TikTok, he made a much-anticipated major debut with the track “TOGE TOGE.” Released in January 2026, this song is a high-velocity number that fuses nostalgic 8-bit game sounds with a rock-driven beat.

Its lyrics portray the impulse to act prickly toward others as a way to avoid getting hurt, along with a longing for the human “voice” that can’t be satisfied through purely digital exchanges—sentiments that are likely to resonate deeply with listeners living in the present day.

It’s a song that offers comfort to anyone struggling with relationships in our online society.

Song SevenRADWIMPS

Nanoka

RADWIMPS, who continue to captivate countless listeners with their unique worldview.

Featured on their 2009 masterpiece Altcolony no Teiri, this song is especially striking for its structure, opening with a grand, gospel-like chorus.

Despite its six-and-a-half-minute length, the dramatic arc—from a quiet, storytelling tone to a chorus that erupts with emotion—never fails to stir the heart with each listen.

Lyrics by Yojiro Noda that affirm fate and express love for family—like “Oton to Okan” (Dad and Mom)—are surely etched deeply into the hearts of many who spent their youth with this music.

It’s a number that creates moving, unifying moments across entire venues at live shows, so give it a listen on a night when you want to forget the bustle of daily life and immerse yourself in music.

The calling voiceVaundy

The calling voice

Written by singer-songwriter Vaundy as the theme song for NHK General’s “Vaundy 18-sai Matsuri,” this piece was released digitally in December 2025.

It was created on the premise of being sung together with “1,000 18-year-olds gathered from across the country.” It brilliantly fuses introspective personal emotions and a forward-looking stance toward the future with the anthemic exhilaration of voices raised in unison.

It’s a track brimming with overwhelming energy that powerfully pushes the backs of those who are earnestly taking on a challenge.

Lip NoiseTOMOO

TOMOO – Lip Noise【OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO】

Featured on the second major album DEAR MYSTERIES, this piece is a song that depicts a yearning for untouchable beauty.

As the title—symbolizing a sound that cannot become sound, a transparent boundary of emotion—suggests, it delicately traces the ache of a closeness you long for but cannot reach.

The restrained, piano-centered arrangement gradually grows heated toward the end, letting you feel the moment when pent-up emotions break free.

It’s a profound track that makes you want to revisit its lyrical world again and again.