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

At the end of summerT-BOLAN

At the end of summer

T-BOLAN’s contributions are indispensable when discussing the J-POP scene of the ’90s.

While their hallmark is passionate rock ballads, they also have masterpieces that quietly seep into the heart.

This work sets the loneliness that creeps in at summer’s end and the helpless feelings toward a love that has passed onto an acoustic soundscape.

Rather than belting it out, the restrained vocals make each word stand out, all the more highlighting the protagonist’s bittersweet emotions.

This track is included on the band’s first acoustic release, the album “Natsu no Owari ni ~Acoustic Version~,” released in September 1992.

It’s a gem of a ballad—perhaps a little different from the songs you’d belt out at karaoke—that you’ll want to listen to intently while lost in thought on a summer evening.

tear(s)Marushii

Marcy – Tears (Official Music Video)

A heartbreaking breakup ballad by Marcy, beloved for their relatable, down-to-earth music.

The structure tells all the radiant memories of a seaside park in the past tense, conveying the bittersweet ache of heartbreak—the way you can’t help but remember, even knowing you can’t go back.

You might recognize that feeling, as if your body still carries the warmth of the other person.

It’s a song that gently stays by the side of anyone who can’t forget a summer romance that has come to an end.

Crazy SummerKIRINJI

Crazy Summer

It’s a late-summer classic by KIRINJI.

The track appears on the EP “Sweet Soul ep,” released in March 2003, and is distinguished by Yasuyuki Horigome’s soft, translucent vocals—he also wrote the lyrics and composed the music.

If you listen to it on a sentimental night when you’re thinking of someone you can’t forget, it just might bring back the air of that day, still warm with heat.

It’s a song I especially recommend to anyone who has experienced an unforgettable, passionate love.

Shadows of SummerMrs. GREEN APPLE

Mrs. GREEN APPLE “Summer Shadow” Official Music Video

Mrs.

GREEN APPLE, known for popular songs like “Lilac” and “Dancehall,” released a perfect end-of-summer track in August 2025.

It’s their first summer-themed song in about seven years since “Ao to Natsu.” The lyrics capture an indescribable, sentimental feeling that comes with the changing seasons.

There’s a bittersweetness in the way the protagonist blames their pounding heart and hesitation on the summer heat and the lengthening shadows.

Give it a listen as you savor the passing days of summer.

silver vineSato Chiaki

Chiaki Sato – Matatabi (Lyric Video)

Chiaki Sato—known as the former vocalist of Kinoko Teikoku and a multitalented solo artist—released Matatabi in July 2024, the theme song for the film Bake Neko Anzu-chan.

Set to warm, country- and folk-tinged guitar tones, the song gently sings of summer days gone by.

Images like festival sounds and lukewarm ramune soda are sure to stir listeners’ unforgettable memories of summer.

It’s a gem of a track to revisit cherished memories with, especially as the days begin to grow shorter.

Love Sky and the Sound of RainAAA

AAA / “Love Sound and Rainy Sky” Music Video

When it comes to love songs for autumn, those slightly melancholic, bittersweet tunes are the classics, aren’t they? This piece is a gem of a love song packed with the frustrating push-and-pull of romance and those hard-to-express feelings.

You want to say “I love you,” but the fear of what might come keeps the words in your throat.

That delicate feeling of first love overlaps with the gentle scene of autumn rain, and it really tugs at the heart.

This track is a single released by AAA in September 2013 and was also featured in an H.I.S.

commercial, so many of you may find it familiar.

The album it’s included on, Eighth Wonder, became the group’s first to top the weekly charts and won an Excellence Award at the 55th Japan Record Awards.

It’s a song that quietly stays by your side in autumn, when the fun of summer has passed and you start to long for someone.

SUMMER ENDiri

SUMMER END

If you want to savor that unique late-summer wistfulness with a mellow sound, iri’s tracks are just right.

They weave together the frustrating feelings of a summer romance nearing its end and the changing seasons, portraying a heart swaying between the lingering desire not to wake from a sweet dream and the pull of reality.

iri’s signature husky vocals and comfortable groove gently embrace those fleeting emotions.

Released in September 2019 following the album “Shade,” this song also drew attention as the theme for a romance reality show.

On nights when you find yourself reminiscing about summers past, why not immerse yourself in the bittersweet beauty of this piece’s world?