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

horizonYahagi Moeka

TV Anime “Sorairo Utility” Non-Credit Ending Video | Moeka Yahagi “Suiheisen” (Horizon)

How about a ballad whose melody blends warmth with a touch of poignancy and resonates in the heart? Sung by Moeka Yabana, this song served as the ending theme for the TV anime “Sky-Color Utility,” which began airing in January 2025.

It’s a track that teaches the importance of walking proudly down the path you believe in, no matter what others think, and of staying true to yourself.

The piano-centered band sound and the vocals that carefully weave each word soak deeply into your chest.

Give it a listen when you’re about to take on a challenge or feel like you’re losing sight of who you are.

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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First NightYorushika

The First Night

The song “Daiichi-ya” paints summer scenes with emotional depth, and its lyrics are sure to grip your heart.

Many listeners will likely relate to the way it recalls someone who’s no longer by your side, bringing that person to mind in various moments.

Those memories of someone you loved surface at unexpected points in everyday life.

With vocalist sui’s voice and the melody working together, the sense of longing swells even more—making this a ballad you’ll want to listen to on a summer night.

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sea glassSaucy Dog

Saucy Dog “Sea Glass” Music Video <4th Mini Album “Take Me” Released on 2020.9.2>

This work captivates with its emotional atmosphere that conjures vivid scenes of summer.

Listen by the seaside, and you’ll feel as if you’ve stepped into a beautiful moment from a film.

The lyrics, delicately weaving tales of bittersweet love and the fleeting sparkle of youth, resonate deeply with listeners.

Released in July 2020, the song was also included on Saucy Dog’s mini-album “Take Me.” A music video produced in collaboration with a Honda project was also released, vividly portraying the radiance of youth.

It’s a highly recommended track to use as background music when you want to relax by the ocean or get lost in thought at dusk.

Stand by me, Stand by you.Hirai Dai

Hirai Dai / Stand by me, Stand by you. (Lyric Video)

This is a digital single by Dai Hirai that sings of the love between two people brought together by fate, set to the warm, heartening tones of an acoustic guitar.

You can picture lovers who, against miraculous odds among billions, find each other, feel happiness in everyday moments, and support one another.

As summer draws to a close and a touch of wistfulness sets in, listening to this song may help you reaffirm the bond with the person by your side.

Released in September 2020, the track is also included on the album “Life Goes On.” It has colored many couples’ happiest moments as the CM song for Mynavi Wedding.

It’s a song we hope will be heard by two people who, along with their shining summer memories, wish to stay together forever.

Sparklers ~An August Promise~sonā poketto

Sonar Pocket “Sparklers: August Promise” [MV Full]

A Sonar Pocket song whose wistful late-summer scenery and melodious sound seep into the heart.

Layered over the fleeting glow of sparklers, it delicately portrays memories of dates in Enoshima, holding hands beneath sunset skies, and the sweetly bittersweet recollections of a summer romance.

Released in August 2013 as their 14th single, the track was also aired on TV Asahi’s music program BREAK OUT.

Listen to this ballad on a beach at dusk while tuning in to the sound of waves, or while gazing up at the starry sky, and the beautiful memories of summers past will return, kindling a warm light in your heart.

Life is BeautifulHirai Dai

Hirai Dai / Life is Beautiful (Music Video)

A heartwarming song that’s perfect for peaceful moments by the sea.

Dai Hirai’s gentle voice, paired with soothing sounds of ukulele and acoustic guitar, quietly reminds us just how precious the small joys of everyday life are.

The message embedded in this piece—“Life is beautiful”—guides the heart toward those sparkling moments we tend to overlook in our busy days.

Released in June 2016 as the title track of the acclaimed album “Life is Beautiful,” it also became well-loved as the theme for House Foods’ “Java Curry” commercial.

Whether you’re lost in thought on a beach at sunset or standing at a turning point in life, this song is sure to resonate deeply with the listener.