[Touching the Heart] A Collection of Recommended Ballads for Men

spin; weave; compose (e.g., a story)tota

Tsumugu / Tota

A signature ballad by Tota that intertwines a fleeting sense of loss with a powerful wish for the future.

It beautifully captures the subtle emotions of a protagonist who, despite experiencing farewells and loss with someone dear, resolves to live strongly, resulting in a moving piece that resonates closely with listeners’ hearts.

The short version, posted in June 2021, quickly became a hot topic, and the long-awaited full version was released in February 2023.

Subsequent appearance on THE FIRST TAKE drew even more attention.

It’s a song that gently stays by your side when your heart is deeply wounded or when you’re thinking of someone important.

OrangeSMAP

Orange/SMAP

It’s one of those classic ballads you want to hear in autumn, with a poignant yet warm piano melody that brings twilight scenery vividly to mind and gently soaks into the heart.

SMAP has many great songs, but this is one that many people might single out as especially special.

It depicts a breakup scene with a lover, yet its appeal lies in the fact that it’s not merely sad.

Concluding the farewell by deliberately replacing parting words with words of gratitude conveys a deep affection for the days they spent together and makes your heart swell.

There’s also a well-known story that the lyrics were changed at Takuya Kimura’s suggestion during the August 2000 recording.

Although it was a B-side to the single “Lion Heart,” its popularity earned it a place on their best-of album—a true gem of a ballad.

Gray and Blue (+Masaki Suda)Yonezu Kenshi

Kenshi Yonezu – Gray and Blue (+Masaki Suda)

This is a song by Kenshi Yonezu that drew huge attention through a collaboration with Masaki Suda, who also radiates overwhelming presence as an actor.

The track is included on Yonezu’s fourth album, “BOOTLEG,” released in November 2017.

Looking back on the bygone days of youth, this slightly sentimental piece is perfect for long autumn nights when the clamor of summer has subsided.

It depicts a yearning for those radiant “blue” days and the struggle of living in a “gray” reality, with the poignant feeling of missing an old friend you can no longer see conveyed through their two voices.

It’s a heart-tugging song that, when you listen to it as you recall happier times and feel a bit lonely, seems to awaken emotions tucked away deep in your heart.

trace (of someone/something), semblance, vestige; a lingering image or memory of how someone/something used to beNovelbright

Novelbright – Remnant [Official Music Video]

When you’re heartbroken and feeling down, I recommend trying to sing “Omokage.” It’s a song released by the rock band Novelbright.

This piano-centered ballad portrays the inability to forget an ex and the longing to see them again.

The high notes are beautifully featured, so if you’re good with higher ranges, you’ll be able to make the most of your voice.

It also seems like a great song to dedicate to a hurt friend—it’s sure to be healing.

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yamamoto

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Bridge of Gloryyuzu

Eikou no Kakehashi – Yuzu (Full)

This song portrays the hardships and setbacks in life, and the journey of overcoming them to grasp hope.

It beautifully expresses the light that awaits beyond tears no one sees and the sweat shed in silence, woven with melodies and words that deeply resonate with listeners.

Released by Yuzu in July 2004, the song was chosen as NHK’s official theme for the Athens Olympics, and, together with the moment the men’s gymnastics team won gold, it became etched in the memories of many.

Loved as a cheer song for everyone striving toward their goals, it continues to offer support: to those taking steady steps toward their dreams and to those confronting the walls before them.

As a piece that accompanies the important moments of life, it delivers a powerful, heartfelt message that truly resonates.

It always begins with rain.ASKA

ASKA – It Always Begins with Rain

Released in 1991 as ASKA’s third single.

The song was used in Panasonic’s “HALF Compo” commercials and as the theme song for the Toho film “A Delicious Marriage.” It peaked at No.

2 on the Oricon weekly singles chart but went on to sell over a million copies.

It remains one of ASKA’s most popular solo tracks.

Voice of the Seaurashima tarou

"The Voice of the Sea" Full ver. / Urashima Taro (Kenta Kiritani) [Official]

Here’s the song released in the summer of 2015 from au’s “Santaro Series,” in which Kenta Kiritani, playing Urashima Taro, sings of Princess Otohime.

The composition is by BEGIN’s Miyuki Shimabukuro, and it’s crafted as an Okinawan-inspired piece with the soothing tones of the sanshin.

Incidentally, it’s said that Kiritani himself plays the sanshin, which is pretty impressive.

Also, while piano is often used for ballads, the combination of piano and sanshin feels refreshingly new, making the song particularly memorable.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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