[Exams, Club Activities, Dreams] Encouragement songs recommended for teens: Tracks to listen to when you want to do your best
When you think of your teens, it’s a time when you throw yourself wholeheartedly into everything—studies, club activities, and love.
Some of you may be chasing your dreams and working hard, too.
In this article, we’ve gathered Japanese support songs we want teenagers to hear!
We’ve picked not only tracks by artists popular with younger generations, but also classic cheer-up anthems.
There are plenty of songs packed with messages that resonate with teens, so give them a listen when you’re struggling, want to do your best, or need someone to give you a push.
- An uplifting song with great lyrics. A wonderful, memorable message that stays with your heart.
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- Recommended cheer-up songs for middle schoolers: Classic Japanese hits that will empower student life
- Club Activity Youth Songs: Motivational Anthems and Timeless Tracks of Memories with Teammates
- Before a match or when you feel like giving up! Cheer songs to keep you going in club activities
- For those chasing dreams and goals! Support songs recommended for Gen Z
- [For Success in Exams] An Encouragement Song We Want Hardworking Exam-Takers to Hear
- Mrs. GREEN APPLE Support Songs and Popular Song Ranking [2026]
- Timeless songs that sing of hopes and dreams. Masterpieces that lead those who strive toward the future.
- Songs that help you study hard: a roundup of motivational music to boost your drive and concentration
- [Guaranteed to resonate!] Youth songs that strike a chord with teens. Recommended coming-of-age tracks.
- [Clubs, Friendship, Romance] Youth songs middle schoolers should listen to
- [For those doing their best] A collection of motivational cheer songs
[Exams, Clubs, Dreams] Recommended Cheer Songs for Teens: Tracks to Play When You Need a Boost (21–30)
I am the strongest.Mrs. GREEN APPLE
It’s a song featured in the 2022 film ONE PIECE FILM RED.
It was released under Ado’s name, who performed the vocal parts for Uta, the diva appearing in the movie, but this is a self-cover by Mrs.
GREEN APPLE, who wrote the lyrics and composed the music.
When it comes to Mrs.
GREEN APPLE’s cheer songs, “Ao to Natsu” is probably the most famous, but this track is every bit as powerful.
Give it a listen when you feel like you might give up.
It will surely give you the strength to face tomorrow!
Go for it! — Toward your dreamserica
When you’re feeling completely unmotivated and on the verge of losing to yourself, I want you to listen to this track by erica, known as the queen of “Koku-uta” (confession songs).
Originally included on her 2019 album Koku-uta 3: A Song Gifted to You 2, it was re-released as a single in June 2023.
With lyrics that feel like your past self spurring on your present self, it’s sure to resonate deeply with high school students facing hurdles in their studies or club activities.
If you listen on a restless night before an exam or on the morning of a big day, you’ll likely find yourself sitting down with a stronger mindset.
CathartistRADWIMPS
Created to coincide with a major sporting festival, this song vividly captures physical sensations like sweat and tears.
Released in June 2018 as the band’s 22nd single, it became widely known as the theme for Fuji TV’s soccer broadcasts.
The exhilarating, fast-paced beat and Yojiro Noda’s signature wordplay in the rap section build into a chorus that feels like the world suddenly opens up—truly breathtaking.
The lyrics convey a sense of emotional catharsis that goes beyond simple wins and losses, encouraging anyone who takes on a challenge, not just athletes.
Later included on the album ANTI ANTI GENERATION, the track is also highly regarded as a visual work, with its music video winning at the SPACE SHOWER MUSIC AWARDS 2019.
Listen to it before a make-or-break moment, and it’s sure to ignite your fighting spirit.
lilacMrs. GREEN APPLE
A jewel of a song by Mrs.
GREEN APPLE that layers the brilliance and bitterness of youth onto purple lilacs.
Chosen as the opening theme for the TV anime “Oblivion Battery” starting in April 2024, it became a massive hit, surpassing 300 million total streams.
At the 66th Japan Record Awards, the band achieved an unprecedented back-to-back win.
The lyrics deftly capture the complex emotions of adolescence, while the guitar-driven rock sound resonates deeply.
This work is recommended not only for teenagers striving in exams or club activities, but also for adults who feel nostalgic for their bygone youth.
The more you listen, the more you’ll find yourself cherishing who you are.
FateOfisharu Higedan Dism
Official HIGE DANDism has now become a nationally beloved band known across generations.
Their song “Shukumei” was released in 2018 as their third single, and it was also used as the support song for that summer’s high school baseball tournament.
With uplifting horns and piano that raise your spirits, it’s a track full of exhilaration.
And above all, there’s vocalist Fujihara’s high tone voice—the chorus has a refreshing, soaring feel that gives real strength to a heart that’s about to break or has lost its motivation.
One Man LiveRADWIMPS
It’s a powerful song that asks what music can do when you stand before someone who’s been hurt.
Released in March 2009 and included on the acclaimed album “Altocolony no Teiri,” which reached No.
2 on the Oricon charts, this track is a rock tune whose urgent words pierce deeply, carried by the dynamics of a full band sound.
In 2013, it was performed as the opening song at the outdoor one-man show “Ao to Mememe” held in Tohoku after the earthquake, a story that has become a legend among fans; many remember it alongside the miraculous clearing of the weather that day.
Though it’s an album track, it has been featured at pivotal moments in live shows, renewing its meaning each time.
When you need strength to face the reality in front of you, listening to it will surely give you a powerful push of courage.
ultramarineYOASOBI
“Gunjou” is YOASOBI’s fifth single, released digitally in September 2020, and it was featured as the CM song for Bourbon’s Alfort Mini Chocolate.
You probably heard it often on TV.
Many people may feel hesitant to voice their dreams and hopes for fear of being mocked, but this song cuts through those feelings and spurs you on in a positive direction.