Autumn Classics: Carefully Selected Exquisite Ballads to Listen to in September

Goodbye ElegySuda Masaki

Masaki Suda “Sayonara Elegy”

This is Masaki Suda’s third single, “Sayonara Elegy.” He’s an actor who’s incredibly busy with films, dramas, and his singing career, and he’s widely supported across generations for his unique worldview.

This song was specially written for him by his beloved singer-songwriter Hyui Ishizaki.

It beautifully captures Ishizaki’s signature rugged charm.

It’s so cool—you’ll want to keep listening forever!

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Adolescence (with an autumnal/reflective nuance)Iwasaki Hiromi

Adolescence (shishūki)

A masterpiece by Hiromi Iwasaki that beautifully captures the changing seasons and the fleeting nature of youth.

Told from the perspective of an 18-year-old, this coming-of-age story gently embraces the delicate emotions of youth and the anxieties of growing up.

With her clear, pure voice and refined vocal technique, she conveys both the bittersweetness of autumn and the stirrings of love with remarkable poise.

Released in September 1977, it reached No.

6 on the Oricon charts and ranked No.

38 on the year-end list.

It also won the Vocal Performance Award at the 19th Japan Record Awards, winning the hearts of many.

Loved across generations, the song continues to be covered by numerous artists, including Akina Nakamori and Naotaro Moriyama.

It’s a track best enjoyed in a calm state of mind, as you savor your cherished memories.

Shonan SeptemberSazan Ōrusutāzu

Shonan SEPTEMBER [2024 Remaster]

Southern All Stars are often associated with summer, but they also have plenty of masterpieces perfect for autumn listening.

This track is a bittersweet, AOR-style ballad set in Shonan.

Included on the album “Sakura,” released in October 1998, its distinctly ’90s sound stirs a sense of nostalgia.

The lyrics depict memories of a bygone love—not just a beautiful recollection, but an honest portrayal of desires and humiliation, which makes it all the more poignant.

It’s the perfect number for those moments when you want to sink into a slightly sentimental mood by the seaside, with the clamor of summer fading into the distance.

When the magic wears offSaucy Dog

Saucy Dog “When the Magic Wears Off” Music Video

On those increasingly chilly, long autumn nights, Saucy Dog’s love songs gently nestle up to your heart.

It’s a slightly bittersweet mid-tempo number that makes you look back on days spent with a beloved partner.

Everyday scenes—like songs sung in the car or late-night conversations—link with the listener’s own memories and may just make your chest tighten unexpectedly.

This track is included on the mini-album “But Really,” released in July 2023.

It’s a self-cover of a song originally provided in October 2021 to voice actor Gakuto Kajiwara, now imbued with the warmth unique to a full band sound.

It’s a perfect song to sing tenderly and with feeling when you want to sink into a sentimental mood.

coarse sugaraimyon

Aimyon – Zarame [OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO]

A song that makes you want to take a long, quiet look into your own heart on an autumn night.

Crafted by Aimyon, it portrays someone carrying a lingering pain, suppressing their emotions while desperately struggling to find hope.

Written as the theme song for the Yomiuri TV/NTV Sunday drama “Let Lonely Deaths Pile Up,” it’s included on the album “Jealous of the Cat,” released in September 2024.

While the song’s tone carries a suspenseful tension, it also has a certain warmth that is so quintessentially Aimyon.

Anyone wrestling with daily conflicts and worries will likely find it relatable.

It’s a ballad you’ll want to sing carefully, savoring each and every word.

SUMMER ENDiri

SUMMER END

If you want to savor that unique late-summer wistfulness with a mellow sound, iri’s tracks are just right.

They weave together the frustrating feelings of a summer romance nearing its end and the changing seasons, portraying a heart swaying between the lingering desire not to wake from a sweet dream and the pull of reality.

iri’s signature husky vocals and comfortable groove gently embrace those fleeting emotions.

Released in September 2019 following the album “Shade,” this song also drew attention as the theme for a romance reality show.

On nights when you find yourself reminiscing about summers past, why not immerse yourself in the bittersweet beauty of this piece’s world?

All of the Youthsuis from Yorushika

suis from Yorushika “All the Young People” Music Video

This is a song that evokes the fleeting tenderness of the last fireworks of summer fading into the night sky.

The vocalist is suis, known as the singer of Yorushika.

It’s a cover of Fuji Fabric’s classic 2007 track, produced by music producer Seiji Kameda.

Released in June 2024, it also drew attention as the theme song for the Netflix film “I Have One Year Left to Live, and I Met a Girl With Six Months Left.” The nostalgia for passing seasons and days that won’t return is delicately rendered through suis’s voice, which blends clarity with a boyish quality, and it truly hits home.

It’s a piece you’ll want to listen to intently on nights when you’re immersed in summer memories, or as the seasons change and you find yourself lost in thought.