Beautiful, lovely Western music. A roundup of recommended classic songs.

HeroMariah Carey

Mariah Carey – Hero (Official HD Video)

A ballad filled with quiet strength that makes you aware of the power sleeping within yourself.

Included on the 1993 album “Music Box,” it spent four consecutive weeks at No.

1 in the U.S.

as a single.

It was originally intended to be offered to another singer as a movie theme song, but Mariah Carey ended up singing it herself, revising the lyrical perspective and arrangement to complete it—so the story goes.

Even when you’re sunk in disappointment or doubt, the lyrics remind you not to rely on someone else but to remember the hero within.

Riding on the simple resonance of piano and organ, the restrained-then-released vocal delivery conveys the meaning of the words directly.

Performed at weddings and memorials alike, this piece carries a universal message that stands beside anyone at a crossroads in life.

Lovin’ YouMinnie Riperton

Lovin’ You

The classic song “Lovin’ You,” still loved around the world today, was released in 1974 by Minnie Riperton, a singer-songwriter from Chicago.

Minnie possessed an extraordinarily wide vocal range of five and a half octaves, and that range is fully showcased in this song.

In the phrase at the end of the chorus, the highest note reaches F#6—remarkably high.

It’s achieved using the whistle register, a well-known and highly challenging vocal technique.

This is a track that leaves you in awe of Minnie’s ability to sing impossibly high notes with such beautiful resonance.

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Yoimachi Jēn

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SunflowerREX ORANGE COUNTY

Rex Orange County – Sunflower

This is a work by Rex Orange County, a singer-songwriter from the UK, whose softly hazy sound and sweet, smooth vocals resonate pleasantly in the ears.

The track was released in March 2017 ahead of his second album, Apricot Princess.

It portrays the delicate emotions of a protagonist who longs to be like the sun for the person they love, yet wavers with insecurity due to a lack of confidence.

Anyone who has ever been in love will deeply relate to that pure, single-minded devotion.

The music video by Illegal Civ Cinema further enriches the song’s world.

On those restless nights when you’re thinking of someone special, why not let the warm melody of this piece gently embrace you?

Night Before ChristmasSam Smith

Sam Smith – Night Before Christmas (Lyric Video)

Singer-songwriter Sam Smith, known for his distinctive high-tone voice, originally focused mainly on ballads, but his musical style has evolved since around “Unholy,” and he’s now exploring a variety of genres.

His Christmas number “Night Before Christmas” is a piece imbued with a soulful vibe.

Because it’s in 3/4 time, the rhythm can be hard for Japanese listeners to feel, but the tempo is very slow and the melodic leaps aren’t extreme, so if you’re comfortable with Black music, definitely give it a try.

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Ryo

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Viva La VidaColdplay

Coldplay – Viva La Vida (Official Video)

This is a song by the British rock band Coldplay, whose grand strings portray the sorrow of a king who has lost his power, striking straight at the heart.

Released in May 2008 from the album “Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends,” many will remember it for winning Song of the Year at the 51st Grammy Awards.

You may also have heard it in Apple’s iPod commercials.

Among fans, it enjoys overwhelming popularity as “majestic yet bittersweet,” and “like an anthem for life.” The protagonist’s emptiness—“I once ruled the world, and now I sleep alone”—echoes the hollow feeling that can follow great success.

Reflecting on the fragility of life revealed only after reaching the top makes you want to cherish the happiness you have now.