Recommended Western music for elementary school boys: world classics and popular songs

Runaway BabyBruno Mars

Bruno Mars – Runaway Baby (Official Lyric Video)

Bruno Mars, who captivates the world with his high musicality and sweet looks, released the album “Doo-Wops & Hooligans” in 2010.

One of the tracks included is “Runaway Baby.” Its lively, upbeat sound makes it perfect as background music for dance, and there are many kids’ dance performances by elementary school students uploaded on YouTube.

The tempo is fast, so the lyrics are delivered quickly, making it great for pronunciation practice as well.

Bruno Mars sings many songs that show the influence of 1970s soul, so let this be an opportunity to spark your interest in older music, too.

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Hamada Takuya

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Baby ft. LudacrisJustin Bieber

Justin Bieber – Baby ft. Ludacris

Compared to Japanese music, Western music inevitably tends to be more challenging.

So this time, I focused on the vocal qualities of elementary school children and selected a song accordingly.

That song is “Baby ft.

Ludacris.” It’s the work that propelled the global idol singer Justin Bieber to worldwide fame.

Since it’s from before Justin Bieber’s voice changed, it’s a perfect match for elementary schoolers.

It’s an R&B-style track, but among R&B songs, the techniques like melisma (vocal runs) are on the easier side, so be sure to check it out.

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Ryo

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SorryJustin Bieber

Justin Bieber – Sorry (PURPOSE : The Movement)

This is a song by Justin Bieber, who is now incredibly popular.

He sings it casually, but the meaning carries a strong message to today’s youth.

It’s slower than I expected, so it’s easy to catch the words and feels like he’s speaking to you, which makes it a good study resource.

Walk Like an EgyptianThe Bangles

The Bangles – Walk Like an Egyptian (Official Video)

This is a song that became the opening theme for the anime adaptation of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, a manga in Weekly Shonen Jump that’s hugely popular among elementary school students.

Its melody is easy for kids to listen to and it matches the anime well, so it’s extremely popular—especially with elementary schoolers.

ABCThe Jackson 5

ABC

When it comes to songs popular for elementary school English learning, The Jackson 5’s “ABC” is a classic.

Speaking of The Jackson 5, they were a sibling idol group with Michael Jackson as the lead vocalist, known for cranking out massive hits.

“ABC” was released as a single in 1970 and reached No.

1 on the U.S.

charts.

With a title that uses the first three letters of the alphabet—essential for learning English—along with its upbeat rhythm and catchy melody, it’s perfect as a first step into Western pop music.

It’s a highly recommended track for anyone just starting to learn English!

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Hamada Takuya

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STAYThe Kid LAROI, Justin Bieber

The Kid LAROI, Justin Bieber – STAY (Official Video)

Another figure who made headlines through a collaboration with the manga Tokyo Revengers, which is gaining popularity even among elementary school students, is the Australian rapper The Kid LAROI.

In 2021, he collaborated with Justin Bieber on Stay, which reached number one on the U.S.

charts and ranked tenth on Japan’s Billboard Japan Hot 100.

The lyrics include slang and other colloquial expressions, making it a song where you can learn more than just polished grammar.

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Hamada Takuya

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Hello KittyAvril Lavigne

Avril Lavigne – Hello Kitty (Official Video)

Avril Lavigne, who sparked a massive boom in Japan in the 2000s as a rock singer, has performed live here many times and is a musician with deep ties to Japan.

Are you familiar with her surprising 2014 release, aptly titled “Hello Kitty”? It blends a rock-EDM vibe with Japanese lyrics and takes as its theme Hello Kitty, the beloved character from the Japanese company Sanrio.

For girls who probably owned at least one Hello Kitty item, it might be a great gateway into listening to Western music.

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Murakami Shinpei

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