[New Year’s Songs] Timeless classics and popular New Year tunes you’ll want to listen to at the start of the year
For New Year’s, you want to listen to songs that fit the season, right?
You might think of traditional pieces like “Haru no Umi,” but isn’t it surprisingly hard to find J-pop that feels perfect for New Year’s?
In fact, while there are tons of Christmas songs, there are relatively few songs for the New Year.
In this article, we’ll introduce lots of tracks you’ll want to play as the year begins, focusing mainly on J-pop!
Be sure to read to the end and soak up the New Year’s spirit!
Of course, we’ve also picked out the classic New Year’s staples!
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[New Year’s Songs] Classic and Popular Tracks to Listen to at New Year (1–10)
The Bell of BeginningsUguisumaru Tomonari (CV: Shimizu Ayaka) Namazuo Toushirou (CV: Watada Misaki) Hotarumaru Kunitoshi (CV: Tachibana Meemu)
This is a character song that vividly colors the dawn of a new year.
It was released digitally by Pony Canyon in January 2021 and later included on the album “Hyakka Ryouran Vol.
3” in July of the same year.
The lyrics intertwine the sound of the New Year’s bell with inner resolve, capturing the exhilaration of straightening one’s back in festive attire and stepping forward into a new self.
Blending the crisp air of the season with a melody full of hope, this number is perfect for watching the first sunrise as you set your resolutions for the year.
The clear, translucent vocals of Ayaka Shimizu, Riho Sugiyama, and Mayuka Nomura gently deliver the sparkle of the New Year.
Happy Happy GreetingKinKi Kids
New Year’s makes everything feel fresh, and for some reason it fills you with excitement, doesn’t it? The song “Happy Happy Greeting” is KinKi Kids’ fifth single, released in 1998 as a limited edition of one million copies.
It’s a laid-back, mellow number, yet it captures that special New Year thrill and a sense of rising hope.
It’s perfect both as a birthday celebration song and for a party where everyone rings in the New Year together.
Mochi GirlGesu no Kiwami Otome.
When it comes to New Year’s, it’s all about mochi.
It’s delicious and you could eat it year-round, but for some reason a lot of people only have it during New Year’s, don’t they? Shining a spotlight on mochi is this song: Gesu no Kiwami Otome’s “Mochi Girl.” I think many of you felt the same shock I did when I first heard it.
The song is included on the 2013 mini-album “Odorenainara, Gesu ni Natte Shimae yo.” The lyrics and the composition are very strange, and yet it somehow makes you want to eat mochi when you listen—another mysterious aspect of this track.
[New Year’s Songs] Classic Hits and Popular New Year Tracks to Listen to in the New Year (11–20)
This is Nyaa’s way of life.nya~tan (CV: Murakawa Rie)
From the anime Etotama, whose heroine is Nyaa-tan, the cat who couldn’t make it into the twelve zodiac signs, here’s a character song sung by Rie Murakawa.
It’s a solo track included on the character song mini-album “Geki-Meshi!! Waga Nya no Bangohan,” released in May 2015.
Set to a high-BPM electropop track by the IOSYS crew, it portrays Nyaa-tan charging forward optimistically on her own path.
The story of a cat striving to join the zodiac perfectly mirrors New Year’s resolutions to work toward our goals in the year ahead.
The energetic call-and-response shouts and Rie Murakawa’s vibrant vocals are sure to boost your New Year mood!
UFO ShrineLOVE JETS
How about an offbeat New Year’s song from LOVE JETS, the masked rock ’n’ roll unit that flew in from outer space? This unique track, which captures scenes of hatsumode and shrine visits from the perspective of aliens who’ve landed on Earth, was included on a single released in December 2003.
Its danceable sound blends a solid rock ’n’ roll beat with elements of disco and techno.
The lighthearted lyrics, where Japan’s annual traditions intersect with a cosmic point of view, are sure to bring a smile.
It’s the perfect song for anyone who wants to enjoy New Year’s festivities from a slightly different angle or to get the party going at a New Year’s gathering.
Relative shock!gurūpu damashii
This is a Group Tamashii number that humorously portrays how kids typically feel when making New Year’s visits to relatives.
It comically depicts the shock of not getting New Year’s gift money, with a touch of lighthearted humor.
The song was included as the B-side to the single “I’ll Buy You Juice ♥,” released in October 2005.
With its energetic punk-style sound and skit-like storytelling that mesh perfectly, this track is sure to put a smile on your face when you listen to it at New Year’s.
New Year Lovey!sutopuri
A New Year’s-themed song written by Wasabi, the drummer of Wagakki Band, has become an indispensable New Year anthem for Sutopuri fans.
Its festive sound, reminiscent of taiko drums and the koto, fuses with a four-on-the-floor dance beat.
The lyrics are sprinkled with New Year motifs like hatsumode (the first shrine visit of the year) and clapping at the shrine, portraying vows for the year ahead between idols and fans through catchy call-and-response.
Included on the December 2022 album “Here We Go!!,” the track also made Sutopuri the Monthly Artist on TV Asahi’s “music-ru TV” in January 2023.
The music video, released on New Year’s Day, heightens the New Year mood with rabbit motifs for the Year of the Rabbit and illustrations in traditional Japanese attire, making it a perfect annual go-to for the start of the year.