Takashi Yu's masterworks and popular songs

Sakura SongTakahashi Yuu

Yu Takahashi “Sakura no Uta” Special Short Edit

The 13th single, released in March 2016.

Its simple intro, played with just one guitar, evokes a back-to-basics atmosphere.

It’s a slightly melancholic spring song themed around “sakura,” and the music video features actress Mugi Kadowaki.

The cover photo was shot by photographer Masayoshi Sukita, known for photographing David Bowie over many years.

This is Sukita’s first time handling Yu Takahashi’s cover photography since his major-label debut release, “Subarashiki Nichijō,” so many see this work as the beginning of Takahashi’s second chapter.

I’m excited to see what kinds of songs he’ll bring us next!

My true feelingsTakahashi Yuu

Yu Takahashi 'True Feelings'

Their second single.

Many of you might remember it as the theme song for the drama Q10 starring Atsuko Maeda.

The appeal of this song lies in its simple yet striking lyrics.

We often forget things that happened in the past, and even in the present there’s so much we don’t understand.

But amid all that, there’s one thing I know for sure: I love you.

At first, you might think, “Is this a socially conscious song?” but it’s actually a boldly straightforward love song.

It’s just wonderful!

Are there any crying children?Takahashi Yuu

Yu Takahashi “Nagu Ko wa Ine ga” — Filmed by Sion Sono (Street Free Live @ Tokyo, Otemachi Sankei Building Metro Square Plaza, 2013.7.9)

Yu Takahashi, who calls himself a native speaker of the Akita dialect.

This song is packed with love for his home prefecture, Akita.

The music video, which captures him performing on the street, was apparently filmed by Sion Sono! (Perhaps a connection through the theme song for “Everyone! Esper Dayo!”) While expressing hometown pride, it also serves as an uplifting anthem that encourages everyone with the message “Tomorrow is a new day,” which is so characteristic of Takahashi.

sepiaTakahashi Yuu

Yu Takahashi – Sepia

An impressive number featuring piano accompaniment, where each word is sung with great care.

If you listen closely while reading the lyrics, you might wonder: is it a breakup song, or is it hopeful? It may be a song that listeners interpret differently.

It was also the theme song for the drama “Taburakashi: Daikō Joyūgyō Maki,” starring Mizuki Tanimura.

The ambiguous, delicate situation seems to link with the story’s content.

GraduationTakahashi Yuu

Yu Takahashi “Graduation”

Of course it’s perfect for graduation season, but as the opening line begins with “my beloved,” the song carries a deeper meaning than that.

It feels like it expresses breaking free not only from school, but also from your “past self” and a “stagnant present,” holding a much broader significance.

The warm, gentle melody seems to give you a supportive push on the back.

It makes you want to step forward with hope for the future.

A path I can walk because it’s with you.Takahashi Yuu

A road I can walk because it's with you – Cover by Yu Takahashi

A song you’d want to play at a wedding or on an anniversary.

Set to a cute melody, it looks back on the couple’s memories so far, and the message that follows—“Let’s keep taking care of each other even when we’re all wrinkled”—is heart‑melting! It seems this song was actually written by Yu Takahashi as a wedding song for a friend’s wedding.

Children’s SongTakahashi Yuu

Yu Takahashi "Children's Song"

Included on the final indie-era album “Our Heisei Rock ’n’ Roll” from July 2009.

It’s a track known for its shocking lyrics and music video (after all, the very first line is “a quick glimpse of your panties”).

But if you listen closely, you realize it’s a hard-hitting song that sharply criticizes the contradictions of society.

The lyrics, which seem to urge the younger generation to “fight!”, are genuinely stirring.

One of Takahashi Yu’s appeals, I think, is how he sings about human instincts without sugarcoating them—deliberately raw and gritty.