For you starting a new chapter! Uplifting songs to listen to in spring

Only the graduation photo knowsNEW!Hinatazaka46

The Only One Who Knows Is the Graduation Photo by Hinatazaka46

With the arrival of spring, many of us have probably experienced a bittersweet farewell.

Released in January 2025 as the group’s 13th single, this song features the group’s ace, Nao Kosaka, in the center position.

Timed with the graduation of first-generation members—including the captain, Kumi Sasaki—it’s a work of special significance for both the members and the fans.

The melody tinged with heartache and the lyrics that paint scenes of spring come together to make your chest tighten every time you listen.

For those carrying unspoken words and hidden feelings, it will surely resonate gently.

While it’s a classic idol song, its vaguely nostalgic sound is also part of its charm.

As the season of new beginnings arrives, be sure to give it a listen.

HARUNEW!eill

HARU

Singer-songwriter eill, who draws on roots in K-POP and jazz, captivates fans with her diverse musical sensibilities.

This track, included on her album “PALETTE” released in February 2022, was written as a commercial song for Tokyo Online University.

Its light, R&B-infused rhythm pairs exquisitely with her lustrous, powerful vocals.

It carries a positive message that the very moment your heart is moved is the true starting point, and it’s a song that will lift your spirits each time you listen.

It’s a perfect anthem to motivate yourself when you want to take a first step toward a new life or a new goal.

Be sure to add it to your spring playlist.

gardenNEW!Fuji Kaze

Fujii Kaze – Garden (Not a MV)

The message is striking in how it teaches us the strength of accepting encounters and partings that come with the changing seasons just as they are.

Included on Fujii Kaze’s album “LOVE ALL SERVE ALL,” released in March 2022, this song’s gospel-like chorus and gentle sound pair beautifully with the spring air.

It’s also well known as the CM song for NatureLab’s “Laundrin,” so many of you have probably heard it before.

Imbued with the desire to carefully nurture the inner world within ourselves, it gently supports those who feel anxious about a new life in a changing environment.

It’s a warm masterpiece you’ll want to listen to when you wish to center your heart amid ever-changing days.

exceed; surpass; go beyond; cross (over)NEW![Alexandros]

[Alexandros] – Transcend (MV) (Anime “Uma Musume: Cinderella Gray” Season 1 Opening Theme)

It’s a track brimming with powerful energy that feels like breaking through your own limits.

Crafted by [Alexandros], who have delivered countless rock anthems, this song pairs tension and liberation to match the anime’s world, which follows the protagonist’s growth into a “monster,” and it really hits you in the chest.

Released in April 2025 as a pre-release single from the album “PROVOKE,” it was chosen as the opening theme for Season 1 of the TV anime “Uma Musume: Cinderella Gray.” It also drew attention for dropping right after the broadcast began.

If you’re feeling anxious in a new environment or need to fire yourself up, listening to it is sure to give you courage.

Why not let this song spark that springtime urge to dash forward?

dreamNEW!GReeeeN

GReeeeN – Dream

A song that gently stays close to the mixed feelings of anticipation and anxiety at the moment of stepping into the future.

It carries GReeeeN’s signature down-to-earth warmth and powerful message, giving you the courage to single-mindedly pursue your dreams.

Released as a single in February 2016, it was written for the commercial of the job-hunting website “CareerTasu Shūkatsu 2017.” Spring is a season of many changes—advancing to higher education, finding a job, moving.

Even as you waver, this track will surely support your heart as you try to move forward.

Give it a listen as a good-luck charm for your new life.

Kasuga ShadowNEW!GRYCHIC

CRYCHIC – Kasuga Kage / THE FIRST TAKE

A song by CRYCHIC, a band born from the multimedia project BanG Dream!.

It was featured as an insert song in the anime BanG Dream! It’s MyGO!!!!!.

The piano melody riding on a waltz rhythm is truly beautiful, blending the gentle sunlight of spring with a bittersweetness like the shadows it casts.

After first being included on the bonus CD of the anime’s Blu-ray released in April 2024, a one-take recording for the YouTube channel THE FIRST TAKE was released in April 2025.

Its delicate words mirror the shifting emotions of spring.

In this season when anxiety and anticipation about new environments mingle, why not listen to it quietly?

Spring in ShimokitaNEW!KALMA

Spring in Shimokita

KALMA is a three-piece band based in Hokkaido that plays youthful guitar rock.

Released in April 2024, this song is a fast-paced spring track set in Shimokitazawa, Tokyo, portraying the start of a new life and the urge to say “I want to see you.” Its lyrics overlap the unique excitement of a season marked by changes—like moving to Tokyo or starting school—with the feelings of being in love, sure to set listeners’ hearts ablaze.

Cherished by fans as an anthem following “Sakura,” a beloved spring classic, this track brims with positive energy that gives you the courage to take a step forward into new days filled with both hope and uncertainty.

It’s a song you’ll want to hear especially if you’re nervous about a new chapter in life or can’t wait to see someone special.