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 Hear in Summer | Exquisite Summer Songs That Embrace Heartache (1–10)
fireworkskyanai
Hanabi resonates with its steadfast vocals and pure, universally relatable lyrics.
After Vanilla drew attention in 2022, singer-songwriter Kyanai paused their activities for a while and resumed in January 2023.
They say this song is packed with all the memories they let go of in the past.
Summer fireworks are beautiful, yet somehow fleeting, aren’t they? In the scenes where we build our lives, parting is inevitable.
While savoring that bittersweetness, the song gently wraps you up, as if to say: with both hope and despair, you are who you are right now.
The Sea and the Boyanzenchitai
A work that conjures nostalgic scenes through Koji Tamaki’s deeply emotive vocals intertwined with the delicate performance of Anzenchitai.
It’s a song that gently depicts, as if painting a distant summer memory, the glittering surface of the water and a boy standing by it—awakening a tender longing for the past.
Released as a single in December 1986, it was also included on the masterpiece Anzenchitai V, released the same year.
When a quiet moment brings on a wave of sentimentality, this warm melody will surely wrap around you.
If you feel like immersing yourself in those faint memories of long ago, why not give it a listen?
fireworksSandaime Jē Sōru Burazāzu fromu Eguzairu Toraibu
A gem-like ballad by Sandaime J SOUL BROTHERS from EXILE TRIBE that portrays a bittersweet love, evoking fleeting lights that shimmer and vanish in the summer night sky.
Told from a female perspective, the fleeting sparkle of a late-summer romance and the faint premonition of an eventual parting are carried on a beautiful melody that resonates with listeners.
Known as a signature track from the single “0 ~ZERO~,” released in August 2012, it was also loved as the ending theme for Asahi Broadcasting’s “Onegai! Ranking” that same month.
Why not listen to it on a night when you want something to gently accompany the quiet loneliness and lingering ache that follows the bustle of summer?
Ballads to Listen to in Summer | Exquisite Summer Songs That Embrace Heartache (11–20)
The End of SummerMoriyama Naotaro
Singer-songwriter Naotaro Moriyama has made full use of his distinctive voice and exceptional vocal ability to release numerous masterpieces.
The moment I heard this song, what struck me was the beauty of its Japanese sensibility and poetic lyrics.
At first glance, the lyrics seem to depict a heartrending love story.
However, Moriyama himself has said he created this piece as an anti-war song.
Of course, it can be appreciated as a love ballad, but once you read the lyrics again with “anti-war song” in mind, you can’t help but think, “Indeed,” while also sighing anew at the beauty of the words.
The distinctly Japanese emotional tone I felt upon first listen surely stems from this as well.
It’s a highly recommended piece—an exquisitely beautiful song to hear in summer.
Summer-patterned catOfisharu Higedan Dism
This song, filled with bittersweet summer memories, might be something you’ve heard somewhere.
It’s included on Official HIGE DANDism’s HELLO EP, released on August 5, 2020.
It’s a gentle ballad featuring Satoshi Fujihara’s memorable piano-and-vocal performance.
The song delicately portrays scenes and emotions that symbolize the beginning of summer, carrying a warmth that resonates with listeners.
With imagery like meeting up with a cat and a pure longing to chase after summer, it can evoke a sentimental feeling when listened to at summer’s end.
It’s a song that quietly stays by your side when you feel a little lonely or wistful.
Point of No ReturnCHEMISTRY
With a title that strikingly means “point of no return” in aviation terminology, this CHEMISTRY track blends lyrics that portray lingering attachment to an irretrievable past and the difficulty of moving forward with beautiful harmonies that resonate with a listener’s sentimental heart.
Released in June 2001, this gem of a ballad was also included on their debut album, The Way We Are.
It topped the Oricon chart for two consecutive weeks and earned Double Platinum certification.
When you feel the loneliness at summer’s end or a sudden pang of wistfulness, this song will gently embrace you.
Ghost of the SeaYonezu Kenshi
It has a melody that evokes a mysterious and grand worldview.
It’s a song by Kenshi Yonezu, the singer-songwriter also known for his work as a Vocaloid producer under the name HACHI.
It was released in 2019 as his second digital single.
The track was written as the theme song for the film Children of the Sea.
Yonezu has said he originally loved the manga and had hoped that if it were ever adapted, he would be the one to create the theme song.
