Recommended ballad songs for junior high school students. Famous and popular J-Pop songs.

sceneHatsuboshi Gakuen Shinozawa Hiroshi

Hatsuboshi Academy “Scenery” Official Music Video (HATSUBOSHI GAKUEN – Koukei)

This is a song where the pauses are very important, and you should sing each phrase carefully, almost as if savoring it.

One of my students who’s really into First Star Academy loves this character and practiced a lot.

The key is not to rush—sing each word of the lyrics with intention.

When you sing, using a head-voice base brings out the right vibe.

The pitch right before the last chorus is slightly low, so be careful not to let your pitch drop.

Since the song is generally head-voice based, keeping that mindset and sending a steady stream of air forward will make the low notes easier to produce.

Rather than changing your singing style, focus on engaging the vocal folds and using your breath well.

For those not used to singing, the relaxed melody makes it easier to practice because you can take slower breaths!

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Kubota Mami

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If I could become a constellationkessoku bando

[Lyric Video] Kessoku Band “If We Could Become Constellations” / In-episode song from TV anime “Bocchi the Rock!” Episode 12

Kessoku Band’s most famous song, “If We Could Become a Constellation.” The melody isn’t difficult and the rhythm is calm, so many of my vocal training students chose to sing it.

Actually, JOYSOUND staff are doing something called the “95-Point Challenge” with this song, so with practice you might be able to boost your score quite a bit! The overall vocal range is G3–C#5.

The chorus hits C5 repeatedly, so some people might feel it’s “high,” but the melody has momentum, so if you focus on accents, you’ll be fine! First, listen carefully to identify which parts are the high notes.

Take the spots where you think, “Maybe here?” and turn them into accents by riding the rhythm with some drive.

The key point is to project your voice forward! Start with sectional practice so you can produce sound comfortably, and do your best!

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Kubota Mami

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horizonback number

back number – Horizon

A gem of a ballad delivered by back number, a band that captures listeners’ hearts with poignant lyrics.

Beginning with a gentle piano melody, this song weaves a story about the pain of dreams and hopes suddenly collapsing, and the will to look forward and begin anew.

Many will find their own experiences reflected in the raw, urgent feelings—like a cry for one’s existence—born from unnoticed loneliness.

Created for high school students whose Inter-High was canceled, the song was released on YouTube in August 2020.

It’s a classic that quietly stays by your side when summer fun has passed and a faint loneliness sets in.

A Gentle BallAimer

Aimer “Gentle Ball” Lyrics/English/Indonesian | NHK “Minna no Uta” | 25th single “SCOPE”

Set at a starlit nighttime ball, this enchanting work spins a fantastical tale.

Aimer’s husky voice blends exquisitely with the classical waltz motif, vividly portraying mysterious scenes unfolding in the stillness of the night.

Beautiful like a fairy tale yet tinged with a certain wistfulness, its world seems to mirror the feelings of a girl wavering on the boundary between dreams and reality.

Included on the single “SCOPE,” released in February 2025, and broadcast around the same time on NHK’s Minna no Uta, this piece is made all the more magical by arrangements from Ryota Nakano and Yusuke Tanaka.

It’s a song that will stay close to your heart—whether you’re spending time with friends after school in an empty classroom or lost in thought while gazing up at the night sky.

lilacMrs. GREEN APPLE

Mrs. GREEN APPLE “Lilac” Official Music Video

Mrs.

GREEN APPLE has delivered a gem of a song that beautifully captures both the brilliance and the fragility of youth.

It delicately portrays the feelings of trying to embrace everyday anxieties, inner conflicts, and the pains of growth as cherished memories.

The song was also chosen as the opening theme for the anime “Oblivion Battery” and won the 66th Japan Record Awards in December 2024, marking an unprecedented achievement of back-to-back wins for the band.

This heartwarming track offers empathy and encouragement to middle school students grappling with the uniquely turbulent emotions of adolescence and feelings of self-doubt.

It will surely stay close to your heart and give you the courage to look ahead.

Bunny GirlAKASAKI

[AKASAKI] Bunny Girl (Lyric Video)

AKASAKI’s hit song “Bunny Girl.” Thanks to its explosive popularity on TikTok and Instagram, I think any high school student would know it.

While the track is great for hyping up a crowd, it’s also exceptionally easy to sing.

The main reason is its vocal range: mid1 C to mid2 E.

For a recent Japanese pop song, that’s remarkably narrow, making key adjustments easy and allowing anyone—regardless of gender—to sing it.

Definitely consider adding it to your repertoire.

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Ryo

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Christmas songback number

back number – “Christmas Song” Music Video

It was released in 2015 as back number’s 14th single.

Chosen as the theme song for Fuji TV’s Monday 9 p.m.

drama “5→9: The Monk Who Fell in Love with Me,” it won the Best Drama Song at the 87th The Television Drama Academy Awards.

The lyrics, which portray the feelings of a slightly timid boy in love, are likely relatable to many guys.