The cry of the inner heart resounds! A classic of enchanting poetry reading
Poetry reading is a form of art that involves reciting poems.
It’s hard to grasp just by looking at it… so I did some research!
It seems that many poetry reading tracks, like the renowned “Pellicule” by the much-mentioned Fukashigi/wonderboy, place emphasis on the recitation of the poem.
They can feel more like “spoken narration” than singing.
Rap has a cool technical side that values rhythm and rhyme, and its feel is satisfying, while poetry reading tends to focus on themes like relatable everyday life, making the words sink in more deeply.
It might be closer to a cry from the inner heart.
Hoping you’ll find one song you can truly relate to, I’ll introduce some captivating masterpieces of poetry reading!
An inner cry of the heart resounds! Masterpieces of enchanting poetry readings (1–10)
Pelliculefukashigi/wonderboy
A track by the poetry rapper Fukashigi/wonderboy, who sadly passed away in 2011 at the young age of 23.
The wistful piano phrase that runs through the entire song and the poetry reading, which feels as close as a friend talking right in front of you, are so comforting.
The lyrics, which depict everyday life and ordinary conversations rather than a special worldview or story, may let you feel the contours of each word more clearly precisely because there’s no melody.
It’s a piece that feels like it speaks directly to your heart, different from songs with outstanding melodies.
revolutionMOROHA
A track by the rap duo MOROHA, known for backing created solely with a single acoustic guitar and lyrics with a strong message delivered over a distinctive vocal style.
It serves as the lead song from their re-recorded best album MOROHA BEST: Ten Years Re-recorded, released on their 10th anniversary, and was used as the ending theme for the TV drama From Miyamoto to You.
The striking poetry reading laid over the prominent acoustic guitar tone lingers in the ears, leaving an unforgettable impact after just one listen.
It’s a song that confronts the listener with a cry from the heart—where joyful moments mix with anxiety about the future—endowed with an almost frighteningly compelling persuasiveness precisely because it’s poetry reading.
Nirai KanaiSHU-THE feat. Kitsunebi
“Living in the now”—that conviction is expressed with unflinching honesty in this striking piece of poetry.
It’s a collaboration between rappers SHU-THE and Kitsunebi, released in 2020.
The words pierce the heart, as if raw feelings from deep within were laid directly onto the sound.
It’s a work that will especially resonate with people engaged in creative pursuits—making music, painting, and the like.
Along with a sense of empathy, it stirs an energy that swirls through your body: “I won’t lose,” “I’m going to do this.”
Mayday, maydayamazarashi
A rock band from Aomori Prefecture, amazarashi performs under a name that conveys the idea: “We liken the sorrow and pain that befall us in everyday life to rain; we are left out in the rain, and yet we want to sing about the ‘even so.’” This track, included on their eighth mini-album “Kyomubyo” (Nihilism Disease), overwhelms with relentless, rhyme-laden poetry reading that comes in waves.
The powerful message, which confronts us with the contradictions in human words and actions, hits all the harder precisely because it’s delivered as spoken poetry rather than melody.
At the same time, the melodious chorus elevates the entire piece into a work of art—an exquisitely structured song that becomes irresistibly addictive.
I Quit World Domination feat. daokofukashigi/wonderboy
While understanding the inescapable reality, you still can’t quit.
I imagine many of you have felt that way.
This is a song by the singer-songwriter Fukashigi/wonderboy from Saitama Prefecture.
It’s included on the 2012 album “Sayonara,”.
The lyrics, which contrast people around you steadily and solidly blending into society with your own endless circling, are breathtaking.
If you want to feel the weight of words that hit hard, give it a listen.
tomorrowMOROHA
If you say “I can do it” and then can’t, it’s the same as lying to the person you said it to.
This is a song about someone who keeps moving forward while carrying their anxieties.
It’s by the rap duo MOROHA, included on their 2016 album MOROHA III.
In true MOROHA fashion, it’s arranged with just acoustic guitar and vocals.
Precisely because it’s so simple, every single word sinks in.
When you’re unsure, wondering “How am I going to live from here on out?”, this song might stay by your side.
HOLY DAYMahito za Pīpō
A song by Mahito the People, who also performs as the vocalist of the four-piece rock band GEZAN, formed in Osaka in 2007.
Included on his third solo album, “Imperfect Beast,” the track features an arrangement where every element blends exquisitely: a gradually swelling band sound riding a triple meter, whispered yet powerful spoken-word poetry, and a beautiful, catchy melody.
The spoken-word section in the latter half encapsulates the song’s worldview, delivering a cry that melody alone cannot convey—one that pierces straight into the heart.