Today's recommended ballads: A carefully curated selection of heartwarming, gem-like masterpieces!

MetronomeYonezu Kenshi

Kenshi Yonezu – Metronome

A gemlike ballad that gently captures the subtleties of meetings and partings.

It likens the relationship of two lovers to a metronome, meticulously portraying how hearts that once beat in unison gradually fall out of sync.

Kenshi Yonezu’s delicate vocals and memorable melodic lines convey the ache of love with nothing left unsaid.

Included on the album Bremen, released in October 2015, the song also garnered attention for its distinctive music video composed of hand-drawn illustrations.

It is a track that will surely resonate deeply with anyone suffering the pain of heartbreak or struggling with growing distance from someone dear.

Mobnoderella≠ME

≠ME (Not Equal Me) / 10th Single “Mob-no-derella” [MV full] / “Mob-no-derella”

This is a beautiful medium-tempo ballad that uses the fairy tale Cinderella as its motif to portray the sorrow and wistfulness everyone experiences.

Rino Sashihara’s delicate lyrics, paired with the graceful melody crafted by 17-year-old composer Sota Sekiguchi and Katsuhiko Sugiyama, gently envelop unrequited feelings and loneliness.

In director Toshitsugu Ohno’s music video, the fragile emotions of twelve girls who cannot become the leads at the ball are expressed with stunning visual beauty.

Scheduled for release in April 2025 as the title track of ≠ME’s 10th single, the song will come in four formats: Type A, Type B, Type C, and the Noimi edition.

Even as it depicts being hurt in the shadow of someone else’s happiness, this song instills the hope that you will surely find a light that belongs only to you, offering solace to those carrying deep wounds in their hearts.

rootKing Gnu

King Gnu – Root

A heartwarming mid-tempo ballad that, while understated, powerfully captures the will to live.

This King Gnu masterpiece gently portrays the dignity of quietly persevering without seeking the spotlight and the feelings for a loved one through the symbolic motif of “roots.” Carried by beautiful piano and string melodies, it weaves in choir parts reminiscent of a nursery rhyme and oriental-inspired arrangements, brilliantly expressing the flow of time and values that never change.

Released digitally in October 2024, the song was written as the theme for TBS’s Sunday drama “The Diamond Sleeping in the Sea.” It’s a perfect track for anyone who wishes to be someone’s support and to walk forward together with someone precious.

Merry XmasBoA

BoA / Meri Kuri

This heartwarming winter song is a 3/4-time ballad that gently portrays the season’s atmosphere and the deep bond between lovers.

Released in December 2004 as BoA’s 15th single, it was also featured in a commercial for Toshiba’s au CDMA 1X WIN W21T.

In the music video, filmed in Hokkaido, a sudden first snowfall was woven in as a dreamy visual element.

In 2015, a self-cover version titled “Happy 15th Anniversary ver.” was also released.

Depicting lovers growing closer at heart through everyday moments—like dates under the winter night sky and picking out gifts—the song is embraced across generations as a Christmas staple.

Sakura (Solo)Moriyama Naotaro

Naotaro Moriyama – Sakura (Solo)

It was released in 2003 as Naotaro Moriyama’s second single.

The song, which had been included with a band arrangement on his debut mini-album “Kawaita Uta wa Sakana no Esa ni Chodo Ii,” was reworked into a solo piano version and released as a single.

It has become a highly popular song for graduation ceremonies and a beloved “sakura” song.

It is also one of Naotaro Moriyama’s signature tracks.

StoryAI

AI – Story

This “Story” is AI’s 12th single, released in 2005.

It’s truly a masterpiece, with many unforgettable phrases.

It’s a powerful message song that only AI could sing—one that grabs your heart.

A cloudy night sky with a forecast of rain.SHISHAMO

SHISHAMO 'Cloudy Night Sky Has a Forecast of Rain'

The song “Cloudy Night Sky, Forecast: Rain” is packed tight with a girl’s cute yet aching feelings.

With simple words, it’s a love song that conveys simple emotions straight to the heart.

The dreariness of the cloudy sky links with that hazy, unsettled mood, doesn’t it? It’s a medium-tempo ballad that will make any girl in love feel a flutter.

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