Be moved by YouTube Shorts! Popular songs that resonate with the heart

evening primroseNEW!Novelbright

Novelbright – Evening Primrose [Official Music Video]

It’s a love ballad that begins with a heart-wrenching piano intro that tightens your chest—impossible to listen to without tears.

Unable to forget an ex-lover and inevitably drifting back to those memories… Yudai Takenaka’s overwhelming high-tone vocals deliver that helpless emotion with dramatic intensity.

Released digitally by Novelbright in December 2020, the song was featured as the Monthly Song for the weather segment on Fuji TV’s “Tokudane!”.

Its performance on the YouTube channel “THE FIRST TAKE” drew a huge response, and it was later included on the album “Kaimaku Sengen.” Give it a careful listen when you want to soothe the pain of heartbreak or have a good cry and feel refreshed at night.

Welcome back.Tani Yuuki

Welcome Back – Tani Yuuki [MV]

Singer-songwriter Tani Yuuki, who set out on a musical path after receiving a guitar from his grandfather.

While he may be strongly associated with TikTok sensations like “Myra” and “W/X/Y,” this song is a sublime ballad that gently wraps around the heart.

Included on his first album, Memories, it was released as a single on his own birthday in November 2022.

Its lyrics, which convey the feelings of thinking of a loved one from afar—as if waiting for their destined partner since the moment they were born—are sure to move listeners to tears.

The earnest love that believes they are bound by a “red string” even when far apart spreads through the heart on a calm melody.

If you listen on a night when you’re thinking of family or a partner you can’t see, it may help you reaffirm that bond.

hundreds of millions of light-yearsNEW!Omoinotake

Omoinotake | Hundreds of Millions of Light-Years [Official Music Video]

Omoinotake’s “Ikuoku Kōnen” (“Hundreds of Millions of Light Years”) is a song about a love that remains unchanged across unfathomable distances and time.

Released as a single in 2024, it was written as the theme song for the TBS drama Eye Love You and generated major buzz.

As of October 2024, it surpassed 300 million total streams, and it continues to be cherished by many as a modern classic.

The message that feelings don’t fade no matter how far apart you are resonates deeply alongside Reo Fujii’s clear, translucent vocals.

Within its bright, pop sound, the arrangement carries a tinge of wistfulness that tightens your chest a little more with every listen.

Give it a try on nights when you long to see someone but can’t, or when you want to reaffirm your feelings for someone important.

Love WindIkuta Rira

Lila Ikuta “Koikaze” Official Music Video

A solo number by Lila Ikuta—who also shines as the vocalist of YOASOBI—that portrays the confusion and flutter of the moment love begins.

Released in April 2025 as the theme song for ABEMA’s romance reality show “Kyo, Suki ni Narimashita: New Zealand Edition,” this marks her third contribution to the series.

The song delicately traces a heart that had grown timid about falling in love, finding courage through someone’s straightforward feelings and resolving to take a sure first step.

Its refreshing melody, like a gentle spring breeze nudging you forward, and Ikuta’s crystal-clear vocals are immensely soothing.

If you’re feeling a bit afraid to step into a new romance, why not entrust your heart to this kind, encouraging anthem?

lulu.NEW!Mrs. GREEN APPLE

Mrs. GREEN APPLE「lulu.」Official Music Video

Released in January 2026 as if heralding the dawn of Phase 3, this work was chosen as the opening theme for Season 2 of the TV anime “Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End.” Its grand sound, which conveys the sense of loss felt along the journey and the relentless flow of time that continues nonetheless, gently stands by the listener’s heart.

It blends Mrs.

GREEN APPLE’s signature catchiness with a heart-wrenching poignancy, the kind that loosens your tear ducts even when you just catch a snippet in a short video.

The rollout—linking a live broadcast right before release to the MV premiere—also became a hot topic, leaving a strong impression of a new step for the band.

It’s a song that softly nudges you forward on lonely nights when sadness wells up out of nowhere, or when you need the courage to face ahead.

waxing; filling up; becoming full; growing (e.g., the moon growing fuller)NEW!Fuji Kaze

Fujii Kaze – Michi Teyu Ku (Overflowing) / Official Video

Fujii Kaze, whose profound musicality and unpretentious personality draw intense attention at home and abroad.

This work is a sublime ballad whose gentle piano timbre and conversational vocals seep into the heart.

It conveys a philosophical message that letting go of attachment lightens the heart and brings a sense of fulfillment, soothing the listener’s soul.

Written as the theme song for the film “If She Blooms in April,” released in March 2024, the track also drew attention as his first love song.

It was performed at Nissan Stadium in August of the same year, moving many fans to tears—truly a masterpiece.

Recommended for quiet nights when you want to pause and reflect on yourself, or gently face the emotions deep within your heart.

Shadows of SummerMrs. GREEN APPLE

Mrs. GREEN APPLE “Summer Shadow” Official Music Video

This song, crafted by Mrs.

GREEN APPLE, features a breezy band ensemble and crystal-clear harmonies that are truly beautiful.

The lyrics, imbued with a sense of late summer, portray a feeling that pins unspoken excitement and hesitation on “the fault of summer,” a sentiment that is sure to move many listeners with its poignancy.

You’ll be drawn into a world that gently captures the fleeting loneliness of growing up.

Released in August 2025 as the song for the “Kirin Gogo no Kocha” commercial, it also drew attention as the band’s first summer-themed work in about seven years.

Put it on during a sentimental night, and it will surely stay close to your heart.

BOW AND ARROWYonezu Kenshi

Kenshi Yonezu – BOW AND ARROW

This is a song by Kenshi Yonezu, chosen as the theme for the TV anime “Medalist.” A passionate piece that Yonezu, a fan of the original creator, personally requested to make.

It portrays, over a driving melody, the earnest relationship of two people—one supporting and one being supported—running in tandem toward their dream.

Released in January 2025, the song is marked by a powerful message that stirs the listener’s heart.

When you’re taking on a challenge or stuck at a wall and can’t take the next step, listening to it will surely give you courage.

It will gently nudge you forward, supporting your determination not to give up.

catNEW!DISH//

DISH// (Takumi Kitamura) – Neko / THE FIRST TAKE

This is a signature ballad by DISH//, also known for having lyrics and music written by singer-songwriter Aimyon.

It portrays the lingering feelings for a free-spirited ex, like a cat, and the poignant desire to reunite despite a sense of loss.

The unique perspective of “what if ‘you’ appeared as a cat…” really tightens listeners’ chests.

Originally released in 2017 as the B-side to the single “Bokutachi ga Yarimashita,” it drew major attention in 2020 after a performance on the YouTube channel THE FIRST TAKE and was also featured as an insert song in a drama of the same name.

Kitamura Takumi’s expressively rich vocals are sure to bring tears, so give it a careful listen on nights when you’re nursing the pain of heartbreak.

Christmas songback number

back number – Christmas Song (full)

This is one of back number’s signature winter songs, memorable for its beautiful melody that seems to resonate across the winter night sky.

Released in November 2015 as their 14th single, it became a massive hit as the theme song for the drama “5→9: From Five to Nine.” It’s now cherished as a classic winter tune.

The song’s greatest charm lies in its lyrics, which straightforwardly express a deepening affection for someone special.

You can vividly picture the protagonist overflowing with the desire to see the one they love, and it makes your heart ache as you listen.

Interestingly, aside from the title, it doesn’t use any words tied to a specific day, giving it a universal love song quality that truly resonates.

Also included on the album “Chandelier,” this heartwarming track is perfect for a quiet night when you’re thinking of someone important.