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 want to listen to in summer: classic tracks by rock bands and singer-songwriters (1–10)
Chronostasiskinoko teikoku
On summer nights, when it’s a bit muggy and strangely quiet, you can’t help but feel a little emo, right? It’s a track by the rock band Kinoko Teikoku, included on their second album Fake World Wonderland, released in 2014.
Ambient guitar sounds, a chill groove, and a melody line infused with hip-hop elements—the combination just gets you.
It’s like your ears, your head, your whole body start to melt into the sound.
It feels perfect for walking down a nighttime street, just like the world the song evokes.
Night journeyYorushika
It’s a work that reveals a grand, fantastical world and grips your heart tight.
Created by the band Yorushika, formed by Vocaloid producer n-buna and vocalist suis, it was released as their second single in 2020.
The song was used as an insert track in the animated film “A Whisker Away.” The quiet opening draws you in, and the chorus—where emotions seem to burst—tugs at your tear ducts.
The literary lyrics align perfectly with the musical style.
It feels like a song that suits a summer evening.
rememberUru
A heart-touching ballad that gently wraps the bittersweet feelings of summer’s end.
This song by Uru was released in September 2018.
Written as the theme song for the anime film “Natsume’s Book of Friends the Movie: Tied to the Temporal World,” it features a striking structure in which emotions overflow all at once in the chorus after a soft, gentle beginning.
It sings about the importance of staying connected in our hearts, even when separated from someone precious.
While in harmony with the anime’s worldview, it also shines with Uru’s unique sensibility.
It might be perfect to listen to on a summer evening at dusk.
Emotional songs you’ll want to listen to in summer: classic tracks by rock bands and singer-songwriters (11–20)
Ghost in the FlowersYorushika
It’s a captivating piece with a beautiful melody that evokes fleeting memories of summer days.
In this number by Yorushika, memories of passing seasons and dear ones are portrayed like faint phantoms.
The summer scenes woven into the lyrics carry a nostalgic scent of summer, overlapping with the landscapes tucked away in each listener’s heart and stirring a gentle ache, don’t you think? Released in April 2020, the song touched many as the theme for the animated film “A Whisker Away.” It is also included on the acclaimed album “The Book of Theft.” Give it a listen when you want to be alone with your thoughts on a summer evening, or when you want to immerse yourself in a beautiful melody.
The summer you gave meieiri reo
We can never go back to that summer romance…
This song by Leo Ieiri, a singer-songwriter from Fukuoka Prefecture, was released in 2015 as her 10th single.
It was chosen as the theme song for the drama “Koinaka.” You’ll be drawn in by the beautiful tones of strings and piano, combined with Ieiri’s clear, crystalline vocals.
If you’re currently nursing a crush, listening might give you the courage to confess—so that you don’t let things end while hiding your true feelings, and so you can pursue a love without regrets.
Boy, the breeze is fragrantatarayo
This song is striking for the contrast between a melody that evokes a refreshing breeze and lyrics that seep with wistfulness.
Released in June 2024, it features Hitomi, the vocalist of Atarayo, whose delicate voice beautifully conveys the complex emotions of a protagonist who has grown into adulthood.
The lyrics—interweaving past promises, failures, and hope for the future—resonate deeply with listeners.
It’s a recommended track both for those nostalgic about their youth and those living it right now.
Listen to it in the wind-kissed season, and it’s sure to become a special memory.
fireworks (launched into the sky)DAOKO × Yonezu Kenshi
Just seeing the words “summer” and “fireworks” side by side is enough to stir up emotions—it’s kind of mysterious, isn’t it? This track is a collaboration between the rapper DAOKO and the singer-songwriter Kenshi Yonezu.
It was released as a single in 2017 and chosen as the theme song for the animated film Fireworks, Should We See It from the Side or the Bottom?.
DAOKO’s and Yonezu’s gentle vocals blend with the dreamlike arrangement to create a sound that’s wonderfully easy on the ears.
It makes you think, I wish I could’ve spent a summer like that.