[Spring Heartbreak Songs] Classic and popular spring tracks to listen to in the season of parting

Sakura RabbitKawasaki Takaya

Takanori Kawasaki - Sakura Usagi [OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO]

A song by Takaya Kawasaki that portrays the delicate emotions of a girl graduating beneath the cherry blossoms.

Released in January 2021, the song centers on the theme of whether one can say “I like you” to the person they love.

The protagonist projects herself as a “Sakura Usagi,” unable to find the courage to confess.

The struggle of wanting to express her feelings but being unable to put them into words will deeply resonate with listeners.

Kawasaki’s captivating vocals and melody are sure to comfort the hearts of those who have experienced springtime farewells.

Melancholy Cherry Blossomsatarayo

Melancholy Cherry Blossoms

A song by Atarayo that portrays parting amid a landscape of dancing cherry blossoms with the arrival of spring.

It delicately captures the feelings of those facing graduation and new departures.

While savoring familiar scenery and shared memories, the lyrics carry a wish to one day reunite in the same place, gently resonating with listeners’ hearts.

Released in March 2023, this track became Atarayo’s first graduation ballad and struck a chord with many.

Though originally a graduation song, it’s also a piece we hope those experiencing the bittersweet farewells of spring—or taking a new step forward—will listen to as a heartbreak song.

blue skyNEW!aiko

aiko - “Blue Sky” music video

This is a bittersweet yet warm medium-tempo ballad that paints a sky whose appearance changes with the cloudiness of one’s heart.

The title may suggest a refreshing image, but in reality it delicately conveys inner wavering.

Released in February 2020 as the 39th single and also known as a song from a Mercari commercial, it was included on the album “Doushitatte Tsutaerarenai Kara” (“Because No Matter What, I Can’t Convey It”).

It will gently stay by the side of those who, in fleeting moments when they look up at the sky, feel loneliness, or who carry the pain of parting while going about their days.

Why not listen to this masterpiece that’s perfect for spring’s melancholy?

windNEW!Kobukuro

Kobukuro “Kaze”

Kobukuro’s fourth single, released in February 2002.

With the hint of spring felt through a light shirt, it portrays the bittersweet emotions of recalling a former lover.

It’s a ballad that conveys a universal strength in facing the pain of parting and growing through it.

In addition to being beloved as the theme song for Fuji TV’s variety show “Uchi Kuru!?,” its strong storytelling was recognized through a drama adaptation starring Miho Kanno.

Give it a listen when you want to heal the wounds of a broken heart with the arrival of spring and take a new step forward.

rendezvousNEW!shaitoopu

Shytoop – Rendezvous (Official Music Video)

Shytope is a three-piece band formed at a university in Kyoto.

This track, included on the single they released in April 2023, spread across social media to a wide audience of all ages.

Written and composed by vocalist So Sasaki, it portrays a protagonist running through the rain while bearing the pain of heartbreak.

The lyrics, which chase lingering memories despite knowing the relationship can’t be restored, will deeply resonate with anyone who has faced a springtime parting.

By November 2023, it had become a record-breaking hit, surpassing 100 million total streams.

When you want to draw a line under the end of a romance, why not listen to this masterpiece that gently accompanies a sentimental mood?

Hide-and-seekNEW!Yuuri

Yuuri “Kakurenbo” Official Music Video

A heart-wrenching ballad that conjures up a poignant scene of parting.

It’s a track released by singer-songwriter Yuuri in December 2019 during his indie days, and it’s also known as a prequel to the later smash hit “Dry Flower.” The lived-in depictions of a room left behind and the lyrics that feel like searching for a vanished lover resonated with many.

The song was later included on his first major-label album, Ichi, and chosen as the ending theme for the Hulu drama “Dry Flower: Shichigatsu no Heya,” among other honors, making it a long-loved work.

Why not listen to it when you want to put an end to a romance with the coming of spring, or on a night when you need a good cry?

Dried flowersNEW!Yuuri

Yuri “Dry Flower” Official Music Video - Director’s Cut ver. -

A heartrending rock ballad that likens lingering feelings for an ex and emotions that don’t fade with time to flowers.

Released by singer-songwriter Yuuri in October 2020, it was later included on the album “Ichi.” Framed as a female-perspective after-story to the male-viewpoint song “Kakurenbo,” this track’s strong relatability is evident from its achievement of topping the Billboard JAPAN year-end overall chart in 2021.

From the conversational tone of the verses to the explosive power in the chorus, the shifting emotions are superbly expressed.

It will gently accompany those who are trying to move forward despite the pain of heartbreak, or on nights when you want to quietly bask in memories.