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 (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 WindowYuga
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.
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.
Sun No. 410-FEET
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
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.
Song for…HY
A gem of a ballad whose gentle piano melody and bittersweet vocals slowly bloom in your chest.
Based on the real experiences of HY’s keyboardist and vocalist Izumi Nakasone, it portrays a single-minded love that, despite a fateful encounter, runs up against the wall of age and keeps waiting in faith for a reunion.
Many listeners will likely feel their hearts tighten at this earnest devotion.
The song is included on HY’s album “TRUNK,” released in July 2004, which reached No.
1 on the Oricon charts.
On a summer evening, when a sudden loneliness washes over you, this warm melody is sure to echo softly in your heart.
Ballads to Hear in Summer | Exquisite Summer Songs that Embrace Heartache (21–30)
Fireworks of ShoesYorushika
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.