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 Story You Don’t Knowsupercell
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.
Goldfish FireworksOtsuka Ai
While Ai Otsuka is strongly associated with her signature song Sakuranbo, this track, Kingyo Hanabi, is a complete change of pace—a ballad that conveys the presence of a mature woman.
It’s a love song so fragile it almost aches, depicting unrequited feelings for someone you love; just listening to it makes your chest tighten.
Summer is full of events like festivals and fireworks displays—some romances draw you suddenly closer, while others fizzle out in an instant like sparklers.
I especially want people carrying unfulfilled feelings to listen to this song.
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.
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.
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.
Ballads to Hear in Summer | Exquisite Summer Songs that Embrace Heartache (21–30)
The End of Summeraibii karaa
If we’re talking about ballad songs set at the end of summer, there’s no way I can skip this one! It’s a rock ballad with a memorable piano sound, and if you don’t usually listen to rock, you might not know it.
But please give it a listen! It’s a story of a man and woman who gradually grow closer beneath fireworks at a summer festival—so heart-pounding it almost hurts.
It’s a superb ballad that evokes deep nostalgia not only for those who’ve had such experiences in their youth, but even for those who haven’t.