Theme Songs, Insert Songs, and Popular Song Rankings by Female Singer-Songwriters [2026]

The summer you gave meieiri reo1rank/position

Leo Ieiri - “The Summer You Gave Me” (Full Ver.)

“Kimi ga Kureta Natsu” by Leo Ieiri is a song about a poignant summer love that you can’t forget, one that lingers in your memory.

Released in 2015, it was chosen as the theme song for the drama Koinaka, starring Sota Fukushi.

The lyrics depict a love that won’t come to fruition and has no future—feelings left unspoken and kept inside the heart—overflowing with a sadness so intense it makes your chest ache.

For those who once put a lid on their own love, knowing it wouldn’t be realized, the song may especially resonate with the pain they felt back then.

It gently stays close to the feelings hidden in your heart.

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SAKI

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Letter to TomorrowTeshima Aoi2rank/position

Aoi Teshima “Letter to Tomorrow (Drama Version)”

Aoi Teshima, with her beautifully translucent voice and one-of-a-kind presence.

This song became the theme for the drama “Love That Makes You Cry” (Itsuka Kono Koi wo Omoidashite Kitto Naite Shimau).

Featuring in-demand actors such as Kasumi Arimura, Kengo Kora, and Mitsuki Takahata, the story follows people struggling to live and to love while feeling as if they might be swallowed up by the city of Tokyo—something many viewers likely related to.

It’s a song whose delicate, gentle, yet deeply grounded and unwavering vocals feel achingly tender, as if softly staying by your side.

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hiyori

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ForceSuperfly3rank/position

Superfly 『Force』Music Video

From the intro’s powerful guitar to Shiho Ochi’s commanding vocals, this is a breathtakingly rock-driven number.

Superfly’s “Force” is the theme song for the drama Doctor-X: Surgeon Michiko Daimon, starring Ryoko Yonekura as a strong female doctor.

The song overflows with every kind of strength—laying your whole self bare, including your weaknesses; the power to love; and the power to believe.

It resonates with the cool, badass vibe of Yonekura’s drama, too.

Listening to it gives you a refreshing sense that energy is welling up from within.

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hiyori

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moonlightOnitsuka Chihiro4rank/position

Chihiro Onitsuka – Gekkou (Moonlight)

The drama Trick, starring Yukie Nakama and Hiroshi Abe, became hugely popular for its humor and complexity.

It’s a beloved series that began airing in 2000 with Season 1 and continued through special episodes and films, culminating in a final special in 2014.

Its ending theme is Gekkou, one of Chihiro Onitsuka’s signature songs.

Released in 2000 as her second single, the song was a big hit alongside the drama and helped bring Chihiro Onitsuka to widespread fame.

It remains a consistently popular ballad at karaoke.

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utatane

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unfinishedieiri reo5rank/position

Leo Ieiri - "Mikansei" (Full Ver.)

Singer-songwriter Leo Ieiri captivates fans with songs that evoke the duality of “light and shadow” and a voice that pierces the heart.

Her 16th single Mikansei (Incomplete), written as the theme song for the TV drama Absolute Zero: Uninvestigated Incidents, features a chorus melody that’s catchy for its striking leaps in pitch.

The lyrics convey contradictions that make you unsure of what you truly want—something many people have surely felt at least once.

It’s a sentimental number whose wistful ensemble tightens the chest.

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Hoshino Takashi

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TOMORROWMayo Okamoto6rank/position

Mayo Okamoto “TOMORROW” — from the DVD released on March 2: ‘Mayo Okamoto 20th Anniversary Tour ~Your Only Story Is Here~’

Just by listening, you feel energized—this is singer-songwriter Mayo Okamoto’s debut single and signature song, with total sales reaching 1.77 million copies.

It was the theme song for the TV drama “Second Chance,” and was later selected as the entrance march for the national high school baseball tournament.

It’s also fresh in our memory that she performed it herself on the 2017 broadcast of “24-Hour Television.”

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KOH-1

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Can You Keep A Secret?Utada Hikaru7rank/position

Hikaru Utada – Can You Keep A Secret?

Hikaru Utada’s “Can You Keep A Secret?” is a song that conveys the emotional wavering one feels toward a loved one.

Released in 2001, it became etched in many listeners’ memories as the theme song for the drama “HERO.” There’s also an episode that Utada came up with the melody while driving through New York, which seems to add to the song’s free-spirited atmosphere.

The more you listen to the lyrics, the more you feel the conflict of wanting to stay by a loved one’s side but being unable to, and the aching desire to keep those feelings secret—something anyone can relate to.

It’s a track that touches the heart of those in love.