Timeless songs that stay close to your heart when times are tough. Uplifting tracks with gentle lyrics that really sink in.
What kind of music do you listen to when you’re going through a tough time?
When work, studying, busyness, or relationships wear you down, it can get hard to take in words.
But listening to wonderful music can give you energy, right?
Gentle messages that stay by your side, sounds that softly wrap around you, and bright moods can soothe the heart.
In this article, we’ll introduce classic songs that can ease that kind of pain.
Try listening while you take a break and want to lift your spirits.
May your heart be lit up, even if just a little.
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Timeless songs that stay close to your heart when times are tough. Uplifting tracks with gentle, touching lyrics (41–50)
merry-go-roundYuuri
Yuri’s heartbreak song, which gives simple yet delicate voice to the earnest wish “I want to see someone important to me,” has soothed many hearts with a warm vocal tone that gently wraps the sadness.
Its melody that tries to chase after time gone by and its beautiful arrangement where regret for a loved one intertwines will deeply accompany those carrying pain.
Released in December 2022, this work is a milestone as the first movie theme song Yuri has ever handled, serving as the main theme for the film “Lonely Castle in the Mirror.” When you feel lost on the path as you walk while thinking of someone precious you have yet to meet, encountering this song will surely help nudge you toward tomorrow.
Tomorrow never knowsMr.Children
When you no longer know for whom or for what you’re living, listen to this song.
It’s not about living for a specific someone, nor about searching for such a person—it’s okay to try living for someone, whoever that may be.
A song that sings and questions what it means to live.
SynchronicityNogizaka 46
Synchronicity,” a signature song by Nogizaka46 released in 2018 and winner of the 60th Japan Record Award.
In life, we face all kinds of hardships, encounters, and farewells.
Sometimes it takes time to adapt to changes in our environment, and we struggle.
This song gently stays by your side, letting you split the pain with friends and family and share the joy together.
The gentle atmosphere of “Synchronicity,” painted with Nogizaka46’s compassion, love, and hope, is sure to lighten even the lowest of lows.
It’s a wonderful song that wraps you in a soft feeling, resonating with others who carry the same emotions.
DarlingMrs. GREEN APPLE
The song captures the youthful challenge of confronting one’s true self.
It reaches out to those who carry loneliness and anxiety, delivering a message of self-affirmation—one of Mrs.
GREEN APPLE’s most soulful tracks.
In December 2024, it was performed with 1,000 members of the 18-year-old generation on NHK General’s special program “18 Festival,” becoming a major talking point.
Along with its recurring melody, it gives you the courage to live without pretending to be someone you’re not.
When you feel like you’re losing your way, or when you’re struggling with relationships around you, this song is sure to be a powerful ally.
FlowerFuji Kaze
“Hana,” the theme song for the drama ‘Ichiban Suki na Hana,’ was released in 2023 by singer-songwriter Fujii Kaze, whose genre-defying appeal has been drawing attention.
It features a warm melody centered on lively piano tones.
The song unfolds a one-of-a-kind worldview that likens life to a flower.
Riding on a rhythmic band arrangement, his cool vocals still convey gentleness and compassion.
With a touch of poetic charm, it’s a song that explores the theme of living true to oneself.
Progress (Family Sugar Version)Suga Shikao
Progress, the song that lifts your spirits when you’re stuck and about to give up.
It’s one of singer-songwriter Shikao Suga’s signature tracks.
In the rush of everyday life, do you ever suddenly wonder, “Is this really who I wanted to become?” You might feel jealous or anxious when you see former classmates thriving.
But no matter where you are now, what truly matters is the life you see when you look back.
No matter how hard things get, this is a song that makes you believe those struggles will shape your future self.
When you think you can become a more radiant version of yourself than you are now, it feels like you can get through the tough times, doesn’t it?
DiamondBUMP OF CHICKEN
This is their second single overall and their major-label debut.
It’s a song that makes you want to cherish yourself.
When things are tough, we tend to deny ourselves, but I hope you’ll listen to it at such times.
The gentle yet strong-willed vocals will quietly stay by your side.