Ballads to Listen to in Summer | Exquisite Summer Songs That Embrace Bittersweet Longing
Going to the pool or the beach, having barbecues, heading to music festivals… summer is full of fun things, isn’t it? Precisely because it’s such an open, joyful season, there are moments when you suddenly feel lonely or a touch of wistfulness.
In this article, we introduce mellow ballads that will stay close to those bittersweet summer feelings.
From songs that capture the sadness of summer’s end to tracks themed around love and heartbreak, these warm tunes will wrap you up whenever a sentimental mood unexpectedly arrives.
Give them a listen!
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Ballads to Listen to in Summer | Exquisite Summer Songs That Embrace Heartache (71–80)
Goodbye, Summer DaysYamashita Tatsuro
The song “Sayonara Natsu no Hi,” said to be based on Tatsuro Yamashita’s own memories, is a wonderful love song that brings back recollections of a sweetheart from one’s youth.
Looking back now, those youthful romances may seem immature, but at the time we were completely serious.
Perhaps they linger even more vividly than the romances we have as adults.
It’s a classic summer ballad you’ll want to listen to while remembering your former love.
Apparently, all of the instruments and performance on this track were done by Tatsuro Yamashita himself.
Summer EndKoresawa
The end of summer somehow feels a little lonely and makes you long for someone, doesn’t it? That’s when Koresawa’s track gently stays by your side.
You can almost see the scenes where the fleeting summer is overlapped with the “you” who’s no longer here.
It’s a mellow ballad that tenderly captures that helpless, aching feeling of a summer, a love, and a dream that never came true, carried by her smooth, wistful vocals.
This song is included on the mini-album “Summer Love,” released in August 2022, closing out an album packed with summer memories.
Listen to it on a late-summer drive or on your solitary walk home lost in thought, and you’ll feel a surge of affection for the season that has slipped away.
cotton candyback number
Back number is a three-piece band that has produced many hit songs, including Hanataba released in 2011 and Takane no Hanako-san released in 2013.
Their 2012 release Watagashi is a supreme summer song that perfectly suits the setting of a summer festival.
With its minor-key chord progression, the track has a slightly kayōkyoku-like vibe that makes it especially interesting.
The more you listen, the richer it becomes—surely a hidden gem among their songs.
remainingYoshizawa Kayoko
Singer-songwriter Kayoko Yoshizawa’s 2017 release “Nokotteru” (“What Remains”).
This song captures the transition from summer to autumn; its wistful melody evokes the early-morning air, and Yoshizawa’s slightly languid yet gentle voice matches it perfectly, seeping warmly into your heart as you listen.
The lyrics also convey the feelings of a woman who “doesn’t want to forget the love she found in summer,” making it a track I especially recommend to anyone in love or with someone special in mind.
Lamp starharuka nakamura + suis from Yorushika
You’re drawn into its delicate, lyrical sound.
It’s a collaboration between composer haruka nakamura and suis, the vocalist of Yorushika.
The song was written as the theme for the film “Kono Natsu no Hoshi o Miru,” set to be released in July 2025.
suis’s crystalline voice gently accompanies the quiet, beautiful piano melodies woven by haruka nakamura, creating an immersive feeling as if you were inside a planetarium.
The story—tinged with the ache of an irretrievable past and the discovery of a small light of hope in the darkness—perfectly matches the film’s worldview.
Listen, and you’ll find yourself forgetting the daily bustle and quietly looking up at the night sky.
Evening Fireworksban banzai
A song provided by singer-songwriter Yuuri for the three-member YouTuber group Banbanzai, made up of Gishi, Miyu, and Runa.
Its heartbreaking lyrics, themed around a love triangle, really strike a chord.
With cotton candy, candied apples, and fireworks, the lyrics are filled with summertime imagery that makes you want to get emotionally invested.
It’s perfect for slowly soaking in memories of someone you loved so much you can’t forget, even though you can’t be together anymore.
It’s a romantic breakup song that, while lonely, somehow feels sweet and warm, giving you the courage to look forward just a little.
Summer Longing for LoveKobasoro feat. Harucha
Natsurenbo is a song by Kobasolo, the solo project of musician Koba, who is active in providing songs for other artists.
This track is a beautifully transparent, summery ballad.
The vocals are by singer Harucha, and the song makes full use of the pleasant quality of her voice—irresistible for fans of J-pop ballads.
Listening to it might make your usual route to school or the way home look like a scene from a movie.
I hope you’ll also take in the message woven into the lyrics and enjoy it to the fullest.
