Also great for karaoke with friends! Youthful songs that hype up the Reiwa era
In the past, “youth songs” often brought romantic themes to mind, but in recent years more songs have portrayed youth in a variety of ways.
Of course, youth and romance are inseparable, but there’s been a rise in broader takes on youth songs—tracks about friendship or songs that evoke club activities, for example.
So this time, we’re introducing youth songs released in the Reiwa era.
They’re the kind of tracks that not only lift your spirits just by listening, but also get everyone hyped when sung together at karaoke.
Be sure to check them out!
- Packed with everything from friendship to romance! Youth anthems recommended for Gen Z
- Easy-to-sing youth songs for karaoke: recommended classics and popular hits
- Bright friendship songs recommended for high school students. A collection of hype-up tracks.
- [Clubs, Friendship, Romance] Youth songs middle schoolers should listen to
- An anthem for your 30s. Beloved and popular songs that are both heart-pumping and heart-fluttering.
- Colorful coming-of-age songs perfect for autumn listening
- [For adults too] Youth songs that let you look back on your memories
- [Classic & Latest] Famous and Popular Songs That Sing of Youth
- Friendship songs recommended for high school students: classic and popular J‑pop hits
- Idol Songs from the Showa, Heisei, and Reiwa Eras: Classic and Latest Hits That Light Up Karaoke
- A roundup of youth-themed songs recommended for high school students
- Recommended for high school students! Fun, crowd-pleasing songs for karaoke
- Emotional friendship songs recommended for high school students
Also great for karaoke with friends! Youthful songs that hype up the Reiwa era (11–20)
Youth SicknessFuji Kaze
A male singer-songwriter, Fujii Kaze, who grew up immersed in a wide range of musical genres and piano from childhood, is taking the J-pop scene by storm with emotionally charged songs born from his refined sensibilities.
With its brisk beat, urban arrangement, and soulful vocals, his music vividly evokes the transience and freshness of youth.
Released in October 2020, this work portrays the complex emotions and moments of adolescence, expressing its fragility, struggles, and beauty.
The notion that youth—one era of life—retains a brilliance we keep chasing even into adulthood may be hard to imagine for teenagers experiencing it in real time.
It’s a coming-of-age song that listeners of all ages should hear, one that helps you feel the preciousness of the present moment.
Teenager ForeverKing Gnu
A song by the rock band King Gnu, which has taken the J-POP scene by storm with its one-of-a-kind musicality dubbed the Tokyo New Mixture Style.
Released in December 2019 as the lead track from the album CEREMONY, this piece is a youth anthem imbued with the wish to preserve the sparkle of one’s teenage years forever.
It was also featured in a commercial for Sony’s wireless headphones/Walkman.
The song celebrates the small joys of everyday life, the pursuit of dreams, and the importance of embracing your natural, authentic beauty—and it’s a surefire crowd-pleaser for group karaoke.
Packed with King Gnu’s distinctive worldview and captivating sound, it stands as a quintessential youth song of the Reiwa era.
Pissed Off -another story- feat. Koma Takanashi (CV: Manaka Iwami)HONEY WORKS
A digital single released in November 2025.
Created as an alternate story to the original track “Mukatsuku,” this piece is told from the perspective of Koma Takanashi, voiced by Manaka Iwami.
While struggling with her role as the heroine’s friend, her growing jealousy and possessiveness toward the person she loves are portrayed with aching poignancy.
Set to an up-tempo band sound, the down-to-earth inner conflict should resonate with many who feel inferior to their romantic rivals.
A bittersweet yet forward-looking youth anthem.
AmadeusGalileo Galilei
Released in October 2025, this work was written as the opening theme for the NHK E-TV anime Blue Orchestra Season 2.
Set to a grand ensemble that fuses frenzied strings with a full band sound, it portrays the emotions of adolescence—jealousy of talent, inner conflict, and more.
Its dramatic sonic landscape naturally stirs your feelings as you listen.
It’s a bold rock tune with music itself as its theme.
My Past Life, Many Lifetimes AgoRADWIMPS
As a youth anthem perfect for summer, this song continues to be loved by many.
Created by RADWIMPS, it’s also well known as the theme song for the blockbuster 2016 animated film “Your Name.” The lyrics, carried by a driving, exhilarating melody, convey the powerful feelings of two people drawn together by fate since long ago and the earnest determination to overcome any obstacle to find each other.
Just listening to it brings the film’s story back to life and is sure to stir your heart.
It will give you courage when you’re thinking of someone special or striving toward your dreams.
Memory ScrollAKB48
This song drew attention after an AI-written set of lyrics beat Mr.
Akimoto’s in the TV program “Yasushi Akimoto × AI Akimoto: AKB48 New Song Production Showdown,” aired in September 2025, leading to its release.
The lyrics vividly depict scenes of youth revealed as you pick up a long-forgotten phone from the back of a drawer and scroll through its screen.
The message says that tears shed from nostalgia become the light that guides you into tomorrow.
Experience a new era of music!
Also great for karaoke with friends! Youth songs that hype up the Reiwa era (21–30)
The limits of languageHinatazaka46
This is a track included as a coupling on the single “Onegai Bach!” released in September 2025.
Hina Kawata, who was about to graduate, served as the center.
The song contemplates the vastness of the universe while expressing the limits of putting precious feelings into words and celebrates the bonds of the heart that transcend language.
Its acoustic sound is warm and wonderful.
It’s a message song you’ll want to dedicate to someone setting off on a new journey.