Emotional songs you’ll want to listen to in summer: classic tracks by rock bands and singer-songwriters.
When you think of summer, what kind of image comes to mind?
It’s a season that’s hot and liberating, with lots of fun events, right?
But alongside that glamorous image, don’t you sometimes feel a vague sense of wistfulness—something a bit emo?
In this article, we’ll introduce a bunch of emo songs you’ll want to listen to in summer, the kind that resonate with those feelings.
From band tracks to singer-songwriter pieces, we’ve gathered many songs across eras and genres, so be sure to take your time listening while reading the lyrics.
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Emotional songs you’ll want to listen to in summer: Classic tracks by rock bands and singer-songwriters (91–100)
fireworksaiko
One of singer-songwriter aiko’s signature songs is Hanabi, released in 1999.
It’s cherished as a classic that portrays summer romance.
The lyrics depict a scene of gazing alone at the summer night sky while overflowing with thoughts of a loved one.
The rhythmic band arrangement also conveys a surging feeling of love.
With a touch of poetic flair, it’s an emotional love song whose poignant phrases resonate deeply.
Let her voice—showing many shades of expression—bring you the feeling of summer.
GarnetOku Hanako
This is the theme song of the animated film “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time,” a track where Hanako Oku’s vocals resonate deeply with the heart.
It captures the sparkle of days gone by and an unchanging feeling for someone precious—listening to it might just make your heart ache a little.
Released as a single in July 2006, it further heightened the film’s emotional impact.
Try listening to it on a summer evening when you want to sink into a slightly sentimental mood or when you’re remembering old friends.
It’s a song that will surely stay gently by your side.
Summer MemoriesKetsumeishi
This is a classic Ketsumeishi song whose somewhat wistful yet warm melody seeps into the heart, evoking the days of summers gone by.
Casual conversations on trips with friends and those sudden moments of excitement come vividly back to life, as if they happened just yesterday.
Released in July 2003, the track reached No.
3 on the Oricon Weekly Chart.
It’s also included on the acclaimed album “Ketsuno Police 3,” became widely known as a Vodafone commercial song, and has even been selected as the official song for the Japan Camping Car Show 2025.
Beyond its popularity on TikTok, it’s the perfect tune for belting out together on a summer drive or for walking alone along the beach at dusk, lost in memories.
ReunionVaundy
This is a number by singer-songwriter Vaundy.
It serves as the opening theme for the TV anime “The Summer Hikaru Died” and is set for release in July 2025.
Vaundy himself delved into the original work and created the song based on a sense of “unease about not knowing what will happen next.” The rock sound, tinged with a foreboding atmosphere, is distinctly Vaundy.
The lyrics reflect the joy of a long-awaited reunion while projecting an unshakable doubt and loneliness—the fear that the other person may no longer be the same.
It meshes seamlessly with the original’s raw, prickling mood and its delicate, complex emotional nuances.
Coastline CiderKetsumeishi
A melody reminiscent of the sound of waves brings back memories of summers gone by.
It’s a track from Ketsumeishi’s digital single released in June 2025, chosen as the theme song for ABC-MART’s “SUPER SUMMER SALE” commercial.
Set to a comfortable rap, it vividly portrays the bittersweet memories of youth.
Within it lies the mindset of a protagonist who, while immersed in reminiscence, strives to look ahead.
Listening to it while driving along the coastline at dusk might just put you in a nostalgic mood.
Summer of UniformsMayo Okamoto
It’s a fresh, bittersweet song by Mayo Okamoto that unfolds scenes of youth before your eyes—summer sunshine and the sea glimpsed from the window of a swaying train.
It delivers the thrill we felt rushing around in our school uniforms, carried by a crisp acoustic sound.
The quickening heartbeat for the person who just happened to sit beside you, the wordless, frustrating feelings—don’t they overlap with the precious memories everyone keeps tucked away inside? When you want to linger in the shining memories of your school days, why not gently open the album of your heart with this song?
Lamp starharuka nakamura + suis from Yorushika
You’re drawn into its delicate, lyrical sound.
It’s a collaboration between composer haruka nakamura and suis, the vocalist of Yorushika.
The song was written as the theme for the film “Kono Natsu no Hoshi o Miru,” set to be released in July 2025.
suis’s crystalline voice gently accompanies the quiet, beautiful piano melodies woven by haruka nakamura, creating an immersive feeling as if you were inside a planetarium.
The story—tinged with the ache of an irretrievable past and the discovery of a small light of hope in the darkness—perfectly matches the film’s worldview.
Listen, and you’ll find yourself forgetting the daily bustle and quietly looking up at the night sky.