[2026 Edition] Moving Western Songs to Listen to in Summer: Tear-Jerking Masterpieces

I See YouLeona Lewis

Leona Lewis – I See You (Theme from Avatar) [Official Video]

This moving song by Leona Lewis features expansive, translucent vocals that elevate the sound with high sophistication.

It’s a track that smoothly and pleasantly sets a summery mood, and its upbeat, high-life-oriented style evokes a sense of luxury, making it a true classic.

PhotographEd Sheeran

Ed Sheeran – Photograph (Official Music Video)

There’s a timeless song that accompanies those sentimental moments when you look back on summer memories alongside your photos.

It’s a track by Ed Sheeran, the globally renowned singer-songwriter from the UK.

Featured on the acclaimed album ‘×,’ which won British Album of the Year at the 2015 BRIT Awards, this folk-pop ballad was released as a single.

Centered on a long-distance relationship, it portrays a couple reaffirming their love through photographs.

The message—that even apart, hearts remain close—gently seeps in, carried by his soft vocals and acoustic sound.

The music video, which uses real home videos from his childhood, deepens the song’s warm yet bittersweet atmosphere and is truly moving.

As summer comes to an end, why not listen to it while thinking of someone special?

Only TimeEnya

Enya – Only Time (Official 4K Music Video)

With a voice that carries a serene, almost sacred resonance, Enya has soothed listeners around the world.

In Japan, too, her ethereal sound is widely known.

This piece conveys a universal message—that only the passage of time can heal all things—set to a beautiful melody that ebbs and flows like the tide.

The many layered vocals seem to bring both the wistful mood of summer’s end and a quiet hope for tomorrow to the heart.

The song is included on the album A Day Without Rain, released in November 2000, and was also featured in the film Sweet November.

In 2001, it touched countless hearts and is known for reaching number 10 on the U.S.

charts.

It’s the kind of track you’ll want to listen to while gazing at the evening sky, lost in thought.

Dog Days Are OverFlorence & The Machine

Florence + The Machine – Dog Days Are Over (2010 Version) (Official Music Video)

Florence and the Machine, the British band known for blending diverse genres like art pop and gospel.

This song from their 2009 debut album Lungs delivers a powerful message that resonates as a declaration of the end of hard days.

Starting with gentle harp tones and then bursting into emotion with handclaps, Florence Welch’s vocals feel as if they blow away the melancholy of summer’s end.

It’s also memorable that the track closed out the film Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.

3, leading to a 618% week-over-week surge in streams.

Rather than lamenting the passing of summer, it’s an emotional song to hear when you want to hold on to hope for the new season ahead.

Goodbye JulyMargo Guryan

Goodbye July

Margo Guryan, who had roots in jazz and classical music, was active as a composer from the 1960s.

This piece she left behind is a perfect song for the end of summer, singing of feelings for the passing month of July.

Its gentle, floating sound, so characteristic of Guryan, and her whispering vocals that seem to paint scenes right before your eyes are especially striking.

Although she released her only original album, Take a Picture, in 1968, you can hear this work on the collection Words and Music, released in June 2024.

For those who want to savor the fading summer and linger in precious memories, this is a comforting track that embraces that sweet, wistful feeling.