Ballads to Listen to in Summer | Exquisite Summer Songs That Embrace Bittersweet Longing

July 7, sunnyDREAMS COME TRUE

DREAMS COME TRUE “July 7th, Clear Skies”

This song was produced as the theme for the 1996 film “July 7th, Clear Skies,” starring Masato Hagiwara and Alisa Mizuki.

July 7th is Tanabata, the day when Hikoboshi and Orihime are said to be able to meet just once a year.

The lyrics, which connect to that story, tenderly and painfully express the longing to see someone you love.

It’s a song that those in long-distance relationships or with unrequited feelings will surely relate to—and might even be moved to tears by.

That intense, aching feeling of love is something people of any generation can understand, even if they aren’t in a relationship right now.

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Love Sky and the Sound of RainAAA

AAA / “Love Sound and Rainy Sky” Music Video

When it comes to love songs for autumn, those slightly melancholic, bittersweet tunes are the classics, aren’t they? This piece is a gem of a love song packed with the frustrating push-and-pull of romance and those hard-to-express feelings.

You want to say “I love you,” but the fear of what might come keeps the words in your throat.

That delicate feeling of first love overlaps with the gentle scene of autumn rain, and it really tugs at the heart.

This track is a single released by AAA in September 2013 and was also featured in an H.I.S.

commercial, so many of you may find it familiar.

The album it’s included on, Eighth Wonder, became the group’s first to top the weekly charts and won an Excellence Award at the 55th Japan Record Awards.

It’s a song that quietly stays by your side in autumn, when the fun of summer has passed and you start to long for someone.

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.

Chasing summer againaratayo

Atarayo – Chasing Summer Again (Music Video)

Atrayor’s summer ballad that stays close to the feeling of longing for the passing summer.

The nostalgic piano melody and Hitomi’s delicate, emotional vocals leave a strong impression.

The entire song exudes a sweet yet bittersweet atmosphere, portraying joyful summer memories with an unforgettable person and the loneliness of their end.

Rather than wishing “let’s meet again next year,” some may relate to the aching desire to chase after the summer that’s already gone.

Released as a single in August 2022, this work follows the album “In the Polar Night, the Moon Remains Silent.” It’s a song that gently wraps you in your sentimental mood—perfect for an end-of-summer drive or a quiet night alone lost in thought.

Liar MoonYorushika

Liar

This ballad by Yorushika is perfect for autumn, when the hustle and bustle of summer settles down and a certain loneliness sets in.

Delicate piano melodies intertwine with vocalist suis’s clear, translucent voice, seeping deeply into the listener’s heart.

It portrays the loneliness of a protagonist who continues to wait, even as memories of a loved one fade away.

That feeling overlaps with the bittersweetness of summer coming to an end, making it all the more moving.

This beautiful song was produced as the ending theme for the anime film A Whisker Away, released in June 2020, further deepening the story’s emotional afterglow.

On those long autumn nights when you want to reflect on seasons past, it’s a piece to savor alone, slowly and fully.

Late Summer (A Season for One)Arai Yumi

Yumi Matsutoya – Late Summer (A Season Alone) (Live)

This is a song by Yumi Arai that overlays the changing seasonal scenery with the end of a romance and the beginning of time alone.

The sight of leaves blazing with color and delicate flowers swaying in the wind seems to reflect the protagonist’s loneliness.

The song was included on the album “The 14th Moon,” released under the name Yumi Arai in November 1976, and it also served as the theme song for the NHK dramas “Natsu no Furusato” and “Maboroshi no Budōen.” Its poignant melody—mingling a lingering affection for the summer that has passed with a quiet resolve for the seasons to come—resonates deeply with listeners.

Whether you play it on a drive while reminiscing about summer or during a slightly chilly evening stroll, it will gently keep you company.