Best/Loved Songs with Great Lyrics by Female Singer-Songwriters: Ranking [2026]

Summer LoveInoue Sonoko64rank/position

Sonoko Inoue – Summer Love

It’s a refreshing song that feels like the start of summer! It’s a track by singer-songwriter Sonoko Inoue, released as her second single in June 2016, and it peaked at No.

17 on the Oricon Weekly Chart.

Chosen as the ending theme for the TV drama “Koe Koi,” it reached a wide audience.

The lyrics, written in down-to-earth language, capture the frustration of not being able to take that one last step toward the person you like, along with the overflowing feelings of love—and just listening makes your heart flutter.

There’s also an adorable, catchy phrase that feels like casting a love-fulfilling spell.

This song might just color a beautiful moment in your summer.

lamplightYuga65rank/position

Yuga – Tomoshibi (Official Music Video) / Theme song for the TBS Friday drama “My Wife Is a Elementary School Student.” Sea of Light by Yuga

This song was written as the theme for the TBS Friday drama “Tsuma, Shogakusei ni Naru” (My Wife Is a Little Girl Now).

It delivers, on a gentle melody, the message that no one is ever truly alone—we live alongside the feelings of someone precious to us.

Many listeners will likely see themselves in the lyrics, which say that the presence of a loved one is a sure light illuminating the night road.

Please give it a listen when you want to once again feel the presence of someone important to you.

Last LoveKato Miria66rank/position

Miliyah Kato 'Last Love'

The work she created is a breakup song that perfectly fits the phrase “a heartbreakingly sad love ballad.” Through lyrics she wrote herself, it portrays with striking realism the aimless sense of loss and the lingering attachment that won’t fade after losing the one you love.

The grand, beautiful strings only seem to accentuate the loneliness at heart, and the clear, translucent vocals resonate as if asking a question—so achingly bittersweet.

Released in June 2010 as her 18th single, the track was later included on her acclaimed album HEAVEN, which became her first to top the charts.

When you’re carrying the pain of an unforgettable love, this song gently stays by your side in your helplessness.

Sayonara, baby.Kato Miria67rank/position

Miliyah Kato 'Sayonara Baby'

This is a bittersweet love song about a heart swaying between true feelings and outward appearances.

She wants to believe his words, yet deep down she doubts them, and still can’t bring herself to end things… You can sense her wavering emotions in the chorus’s back-and-forth between the man and woman.

The track is a work by singer-songwriter Miliyah Kato, released in September 2008 as her 13th single.

Its arrangement is striking, unfolding from a wistful piano intro into a danceable four-on-the-floor sound.

The song is also included on the acclaimed album “Ring.” When you’re unsure of the other person’s feelings and don’t know what to do, listening to this might resonate with your complicated state of mind.

YOU… feat. Izumi Nakasone (HY)Kato Miria68rank/position

Miliyah Kato “YOU… feat. Izumi Nakasone (HY)”

Speaking of collaborations between powerhouse female singers, we can’t forget this song by Miliyah Kato and Izumi Nakasone of HY.

Based on real unrequited-love stories sent in by radio listeners, the two artists co-created this gem of a ballad.

Released in September 2014 as their 30th single, it was also included on the milestone 10th-anniversary album “MUSE.” The frustration of not being able to put your feelings into words, and the emotional wavering as you move toward confessing your love, come through poignantly in the harmony between Kato’s delicate vocals and Nakasone’s warm voice.

Chosen as the theme song for a radio drama, this track just might gently give you the push you need if you’re struggling with a one-sided love.

Love ForeverKatō Miriya × Shimizu Shōta69rank/position

Miliyah Kato × Shota Shimizu “Love Forever”

The golden duo representing the J-POP scene, Miliyah Kato and Shota Shimizu, have an unmissable duet song.

While celebrating the joy of meeting, its lyrics occasionally hint at an inevitable end, making it achingly bittersweet and tightening your chest.

Told from both of their perspectives, it’s a track that powerfully conveys gratitude toward the person who saved them from lonely days.

Released in May 2009 as a single by Miliyah Kato and included on the classic album “Ring,” the song became hugely popular, with its music video winning an award at MTV VMAJ 2010.

The section in the latter half where their harmonies intertwine is a must-hear.

It’s a masterpiece perfect for nights when you want to bask in the beautiful memories and bittersweetness of love.

remainingYoshizawa Kayoko70rank/position

Kayoko Yoshizawa 'Left Behind' MUSIC VIDEO

A song that expresses the lingering memory of heartbreak alongside the changing seasons, with delicate lyrics and an emotionally rich melody.

Kayoko Yoshizawa’s clear, translucent voice vividly portrays the aching feelings of a woman who cannot accept the end of love.

Released in October 2017, the song’s background is also intriguing—it was turned into an official recording in response to fervent requests from fans.

Through the scene of returning home at dawn, the lyrics evoke the afterglow of a love that has passed, offering deep comfort to those carrying the pain of a breakup.

It’s a recommended track for anyone unable to accept the end of a romance or wishing to immerse themselves in memories of the past.