Songs for an Unwinding Heart in May: From Showa-Era Classics to Recent Hit Singles
In dazzlingly fresh May, is there a song that makes you want to hum along on the breeze? Having a track that gently accompanies a Golden Week drive or a sunny-day stroll can make the season’s air feel that much more vibrant.
In this article, we’ll introduce a wide range of songs perfect for May.
From beloved classics cherished since the Showa era to numbers that make your body want to bounce, we’ve gathered works in various styles.
You’re sure to find a song you’ll want to add to your May playlist.
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- [Spring Songs] Classic and Latest Hit Collections Perfect for a Bright, Gentle Spring
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- Spring songs that were hits in the 90s. Classic and popular tracks from Japanese music.
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- Classic songs that sing about flowers. Popular songs related to flowers.
- Spring songs for people in their 60s: A collection of classic tracks about cherry blossoms and farewells
- Classic Japanese songs perfect for sunny days: comfortable tracks that match a blue sky.
- Nursery rhymes and fingerplay songs to enjoy in May! Songs perfect for the fresh green season
- [Spring Songs Recommended for People in Their 30s] Carefully Selected Nostalgic Classics & Big Hits
Songs for an Unwinding Heart in May: From Showa-Era Classics to Recent Hit Songs (21–30)
a May flyRADWIMPS
This is a song by RADWIMPS, a band hugely popular especially among young people.
The title “Gogatsu no Hae” is said to come from the word written as 『五月蠅い』 and read as “urusai,” meaning “noisy.” When the music video for this song was released, its grotesque and bizarre worldview sparked debate.
Try listening to it while putting yourself in the shoes of the protagonist who suffers from love.
Farewell in MayInoue Yosui
May is when summer starts to begin, and it often puts us in a buoyant mood, but Yosui Inoue deliberately wrote a May song with the theme of parting.
Precisely because the sky is a clear blue and the trees turn lush green in this season, a song about farewell seems to resonate even more deeply.
Perhaps only he can sing not just the sadness of parting, but also its freshness.
Songs for May that unwind the heart: from Shōwa-era classics to recent hit songs (31–40)
MayHata Motohiro
A gentle, feel-good pop song that depicts returning to a partner’s family home during Golden Week.
It’s a work by singer-songwriter Motohiro Hata, also known for “Himawari no Yakusoku,” and it’s included on his fourth album, Signed POP, released in 2013.
The story-like lyrics, the enveloping band sound, and the beautiful tone of the strings come together to delight the ears.
A relationship like this with a partner—can’t help but admire it, right?
To MomAI
“To Mom” is a powerful and moving song of gratitude to her mother by AI, an artist born in America and raised in Kagoshima.
The song was created in 2013 for the 50th anniversary commercial of Ghana Milk Chocolate, and it is filled with AI’s feelings for her mother.
It’s a masterpiece that offers thanks for all the hope and kindness her mother showed her.
Every family’s circumstances are different, but dedicating this song would surely delight any mom.
How about gifting a song on Mother’s Day?
The Wheat SongNakajima Miyuki
May is often the season for harvesting wheat.
Rice is planted in early summer and harvested in autumn, but wheat is the opposite: it’s planted in autumn and harvested in early summer.
For that reason, the early summer period before the rainy season is also called “barley autumn” (mugi-aki), and it has come to be known in haiku as a seasonal word for summer.
This song is about wheat and was also used as the theme song for the NHK drama Massan, so please give it a listen in this season.
The Magic of MayKalafina
This is the song “Gogatsu no Mahō” (May’s Magic) by the vocal unit Kalafina, which disbanded in March 2019.
Many of their songs evoke a sense of nostalgia, and this track fully conveys that wistful world.
The melody line is particularly beautiful, and their harmonies are compelling.
Although this video features a piano arrangement, the beauty still comes through clearly.
lilacMrs. GREEN APPLE
A heartwarming rock tune by Mrs.
GREEN APPLE, packed with the bittersweetness of youth and the anticipation of growth.
Centered on memories with loved ones and the finiteness of life, the song was chosen as the opening theme for the anime “Oblivion Battery,” which began airing in April 2024, and went on to win the 66th Japan Record Awards in December of the same year—achieving the remarkable feat of back-to-back Japan Record Award victories.
It offers comfort to those feeling anxious or lonely in a corner of the big city, giving you the courage to face forward while accepting your imperfections.
When you’re starting a new chapter and feeling low around May, listening to this song will help lift your spirits.