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

Ferris wheelMy Hair is Bad

Kanransha

This is a track from the album “boys,” released in June 2019, cherished among fans as a hidden gem.

The lyrics are striking, capturing a poignant feeling as a fleeting glimpse of a Ferris wheel during a drive stirs thoughts of a lover and time that won’t return.

There’s no flashy tie-in, but it’s a song that epitomizes their knack for distilling everyday scenes.

With a gentle tempo that swells into an emotionally charged chorus, the dramatic structure is sure to resonate deeply with listeners.

More than vocal range, this ballad hinges on the singer’s expressiveness, so choose it when you want to savor the story in the lyrics or as background music for a nighttime drive.

It will quietly keep you company on nights when you want to linger in a bittersweet mood.

Love is litrokudenashi

Rokudenashi “The Flame of Love” / Rokudenashi – The Flame of Love [Official Music Video]

A ballad whose delicate piano tones resonate in the heart.

Created by the music project Rokudenashi, it was released as a single in February 2023 and is also included on the album “Ai ni Saku Hana.” The lyrics, which evoke the warmth of someone’s presence lighting a candle amid loneliness and anxiety, gently comfort a weary heart.

It’s a song you’ll want by your side on down days or when you feel like you’re losing yourself.

Liar MoonYorushika

Liar

This ballad by Yorushika is perfect for autumn, when the hustle and bustle of summer settles down and a certain loneliness sets in.

Delicate piano melodies intertwine with vocalist suis’s clear, translucent voice, seeping deeply into the listener’s heart.

It portrays the loneliness of a protagonist who continues to wait, even as memories of a loved one fade away.

That feeling overlaps with the bittersweetness of summer coming to an end, making it all the more moving.

This beautiful song was produced as the ending theme for the anime film A Whisker Away, released in June 2020, further deepening the story’s emotional afterglow.

On those long autumn nights when you want to reflect on seasons past, it’s a piece to savor alone, slowly and fully.

Blue amberback number

back number – Blue Amber [Theme song for the Kansai TV/Fuji TV Monday 10 p.m. drama 'From the Day I Took You']

A ballad that epitomizes back number, fully portraying deep sorrow and complex emotions.

Released in April 2025, this song served as the theme for the drama “From the Day You Were Taken,” aligning closely with its weighty narrative.

Like rare amber that changes color depending on the angle, the piece explores the multifaceted nature of the human heart.

Even when acting with firm resolve, another self is screaming inside—its wavering comes through with piercing clarity.

The grief of being torn apart by inescapable fate and the indelible memories of love are carried by a beautiful melody, drawing you in until you can’t help but empathize.

It’s a track you’ll want to hear on sleepless nights when you’re burdened with feelings you can’t tell anyone.

Wet BalladDa-iCE

Wet Ballad

Da-iCE is a five-member dance and vocal group expanding their fan base with four-octave twin vocals and stylish dance performances.

“Nureta Ballad,” a track from their seventh album SCENE, features an airy sound and clear, transparent vocals that truly move the heart.

Its sentimental lyrics about someone you can’t forget may resonate with listeners’ own experiences.

It’s an emotional number whose lyrical melody lingers in your ears.

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Hoshino Takashi

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Everyday lifeOfisharu Higedan Dism

Official HIGE DANDism – Everyday [Official Video]

In the days that pass as a matter of course, there are moments when anyone might suddenly feel, “I dread tomorrow.” This song by Official HIGE DANDism, a driving force in the J-pop scene, gently stays close to those restless feelings.

The lyrics portray the heart’s cries worn down by work and relationships, and a quiet despair toward things that can’t be changed.

Yet what makes this piece so affecting is that it isn’t merely dark.

Its calm, warm sound brings into focus the subtle kindnesses in everyday life and the fleeting moments of salvation, tightening the chest all the more.

Released in September 2023 as a double A-side single with “Chessboard,” it was written as the theme song for Nippon TV’s “news zero.” On nights when you can’t help but feel unbearably sad, why not sink into a sentimental moment with this song?

horizonback number

back number – Horizon

A gem of a ballad delivered by back number, a band that captures listeners’ hearts with poignant lyrics.

Beginning with a gentle piano melody, this song weaves a story about the pain of dreams and hopes suddenly collapsing, and the will to look forward and begin anew.

Many will find their own experiences reflected in the raw, urgent feelings—like a cry for one’s existence—born from unnoticed loneliness.

Created for high school students whose Inter-High was canceled, the song was released on YouTube in August 2020.

It’s a classic that quietly stays by your side when summer fun has passed and a faint loneliness sets in.