[Yutori Generation] Heart-piercing, bittersweet songs & lyrics that touch the soul

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This song, written and composed by singer-songwriter Aimyon, was included as the coupling track to the 2017 single “Bokutachi ga Yarimashita.” It’s a love ballad filled with the aching longing of being unable to forget a former lover and continuing to yearn for them in one’s heart.

Throughout the lyrics, a sense of loss over a lover’s absence mingles with the wish to meet again.

In 2020, it drew renewed attention when Takumi Kitamura performed an acoustic version on the YouTube channel THE FIRST TAKE, and the video has surpassed 100 million views.

It’s a song that can bring listeners to tears—especially those who have just gone through a breakup or experienced parting from someone dear.

366 daysHY

HY – 366 Days (Official Music Video)

This is a ballad that delicately portrays the bittersweet feeling of a love once deeply cherished that never fades from the heart, even as time passes.

The protagonist, unable to stop thinking about the person they parted with all day long, is gently and vividly depicted through Izumi Nakasone’s powerful yet tender vocals.

Included on the 2008 album “HeartY,” it was also used as the theme song for the film “Thread of Red (Akai Ito).” There’s also a well-known anecdote that the songwriter temporarily broke up with their partner at the time in order to write the lyrics.

It’s a song that quietly sits beside those whose heartbreak hasn’t healed, or on nights when you find yourself reminiscing about a past love.

Happy Endingback number

back number – Happy End (full)

This work was released in 2016 as the 16th single by back number, a three-piece rock band from Gunma.

It was chosen as the theme song for the film “My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday.” While the title might seem contradictory because the lyrics portray the bittersweet feelings of a protagonist trying to accept a breakup, in English it can carry the nuance of “a happy time coming to an end,” which deepens the meaning of the words.

Even as the singer tells themselves it’s going to be okay, they can’t sever their feelings for the other person deep down, and that inner conflict comes through almost painfully.

The majestic strings layered over the band sound are also beautiful, and just following the melody can bring you to tears.

Anyone who has experienced a breakup may find their emotions from that time coming back as they listen.

I became someone else’s girlfriend.wacci

wacci “I Became Someone Else’s Girlfriend” Music Video

A song that captures the complex feelings of a woman telling her ex that she’s found a new partner.

Her current boyfriend is mature, kind, and makes her feel safe, yet she can’t help but remember how naturally she could be herself around her ex—the song carefully portrays that inner conflict.

Written by wacci’s vocalist Yohei Hashiguchi after hearing a story from a female friend, the track was released digitally in 2018.

Its popularity spread by word of mouth, and by 2021 it had surpassed 100 million total streams.

Recommended for anyone who wants to treasure their current relationship but can’t quite let go of lingering feelings for an ex.

budKobukuro

Kobukuro – Tsubomi

It’s a masterpiece overflowing with feelings for a beloved person you can no longer meet.

Written by Kentaro Kobuchi of Kobukuro in memory of his mother, whom he lost in his teens, the song was specially composed in 2007 as the theme for the drama “Tokyo Tower: Mom and Me, and Sometimes Dad.” It begins with gentle acoustic guitar and then swells into a dramatic development in the chorus that truly moves the heart.

The lyrics portray hope for a future that will bloom like a bud not yet in full flower, along with the belief that the person you can no longer see is still watching over and cheering you on from somewhere.

When you recall the kindness of someone dear who is now far away, you may find tears spilling out before you know it.