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

Summer WindowYuga

summer window

Green swaying in the wind, the sound of melting ice.

It’s a work whose acoustic melodies beautifully evoke such summery scenes in the mind.

Yuga’s translucent voice delicately depicts both thoughts of days gone by and a faint hope for the future.

Released in March 2022, the song received high acclaim from many music fans and critics.

As her first single since the mini-album “Meguru,” it was created together with the longtime comrades of the Mahō Band.

It gently stays by your side, offering quiet comfort for those sudden pangs of sadness that visit when you step away from the rush of everyday life.

Sun No. 410-FEET

10-FEET Taiyo 4-gou

A gemlike medium ballad by 10-FEET that gently accompanies the fleeting sadness, sense of loss, and anxiety about the future that surface on a summer evening.

It captures the delicate emotions of someone trying to look ahead while carrying weakness and doubt, offering listeners a chance to face themselves.

The song is included on the single “Taiyo no Tsuki,” released in July 2017.

It was also featured in a film portraying the comeback of a professional snowboarder, bringing inspiration and courage to many.

When you feel the loneliness at summer’s end, find yourself pausing at a crossroads in life, or need the strength to take a step toward tomorrow, why not give it a listen?

Tears of Tropical FishFlower

Flower “Tropical Fish’s Tears” — 2nd album “Hanadokei (Flower Clock)” out March 4

A Flower song marked by a dreamlike sound that feels as if you’re underwater.

Its poetic lyrics liken the ache of unrequited love to a fish drifting in an aquarium, reflecting the protagonist’s heartache and resonating deeply with listeners.

Released in June 2014 as their seventh single, the track was later included on the album Hanadokei.

On summer evenings, when a sudden loneliness arrives or on nights when you want to sink into a sentimental mood, this song will quietly stay by your side.

Its bittersweet yet somehow warm melody will gently wrap your heart.

Fireworks of ShoesYorushika

Yorushika – Fireworks of Shoes (Music Video)

It’s a song that conjures the image of a summer dusk, where sparklers crackle and burn away in a fleeting moment.

Said to be inspired by Kenji Miyazawa’s story “The Nighthawk Star,” the piece delicately portrays inexpressible emotions, inner conflict over past memories, and the wavering question of why we are here.

Suis’s crystal-clear vocals and the acoustic guitar’s arpeggios gently color its aching poignancy.

Released with a music video in April 2017 and later included in Yorushika’s mini-album “The Flaw in Summer Grass” in June of the same year, it stands as one of their emblematic early works.

When you’re weighed down by a sudden loneliness or a sorrow too deep for words, this song will quietly stay by your side.

A summer night in the citykinoko teikoku

Natsuno Yoruno Machi

This is a Kinoko Teikoku song that seeps into the heart with nostalgia for times gone by and a bittersweet tightness in the chest, carried on a dreamlike soundscape.

Chiaki Sato’s clear, translucent voice gently illuminates the listener’s heart like stars drifting across a summer night sky.

The track was included on their major-label first album, “Neko to Allergy,” released in November 2015.

Give it a listen when you’re feeling a little sentimental at the end of summer or when you want to sink into cherished memories at night.

The Summer That Vanished Beyond the GlassŌsawa Yoshiyuki

Yoshiyuki Osawa – The Summer That Vanished Beyond the Glass

This is a ballad perfect for those moments at summer’s end, at dusk, when a fleeting memory of a past love suddenly tightens your chest.

Its melody, which stirs up beautiful memories like sepia-toned photographs you can no longer touch, is bittersweet yet warmly comforting.

Released in February 1986 as Masayuki Suzuki’s solo debut, it was also widely loved as the song used in Nissin Foods’ Cup Noodles commercials.

It’s said to depict a world that continues the story from Yoshiyuki Ohsawa’s signature song, “Soshite Boku wa Tohō ni Kureru,” which he composed, revealing greater depth the more you listen.

On a sentimental night, this gentle tune may quietly nestle close to your heart.

The Story You Don’t Knowsupercell

The Story You Don't Know

Let me introduce a slightly brighter-feeling rock ballad as well! It was used as the ending theme for the anime Bakemonogatari.

The chorus melody in this song is outstanding—catchy, familiar, and so pleasant to listen to! On the other hand, when you take the time to really read the lyrics…

you’ll find a very bittersweet, frustrating tale of unrequited love.

The ending of this story ties into the song’s title, “The Story You Don’t Know,” and reading the lyrics is sure to make your heart tighten.

The imagery that overlays the stars with the couple’s romance is beautiful, so please take your time and savor it.

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Hane Keisuke

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