I Want to Be Healed from the Heart: Recommended Western Ballads Sung by Female Vocalists
Ballads are known for having many melodies and lyrics that really hit you in the heart.
Suddenly, but do you know the clear definition of a ballad?
In fact, the definition of a ballad is quite ambiguous: as long as it’s a “story-like song,” it can be considered a ballad regardless of the melody.
So this time, we’ve picked out some classic ballad masterpieces.
Unlike in Japan, Western ballads feature a wide variety of melodies, so be sure to check them out.
The first half features famous classics, but the second half includes lesser-known yet incredibly tasteful tracks.
If you’re well-versed in Western music, don’t miss ranks 11–20!
- Beautiful, lovely Western music. A roundup of recommended classic songs.
- Nothing but classics! A nostalgic collection of ’80s Western ballads
- All masterpieces! Western pop ballads that were hits in the ’90s
- [Touching the Heart] Timeless Ballad Masterpieces. A Collection of Unfading Classics and the Latest Songs [2026]
- Popular Western Ballad Songs Ranking [2026]
- Piano ballads of Western music—from timeless hits to the latest songs
- [1980s] A Collection of Classic Western Ballads with Female Vocals
- [2026] Moving Western songs that touch the heart: A roundup of recommended classics
- [Western Music] Ballads that resonate with the heart: Classic love songs
- [Songs I'd love women to sing!] Popular ballads performed by female artists
- For lovers of husky voices: Female singers in Western music
- [Western Music] Female vocalists known for their beautiful voices
- Recommended ballad songs for women
I Want to Be Healed from the Heart: Recommended Western Ballads Sung by Female Singers (81–90)
I Will Always Love YouWhitney Houston
It became a huge hit, topping the Billboard chart for 14 weeks as the theme song for the film The Bodyguard.
In 2012, she passed away at the young age of 48.
Although the title I Will Always Love You makes it seem like a sweet love song, it’s actually a heartbreaking breakup song.
It’s a masterpiece that leaves you utterly overwhelmed by Whitney Houston’s vocal prowess.
Lover’s RockSade
For some reason, people often think Sade is a female solo singer, but Sade is actually a British band.
Speaking of signature ballads by Sade, there’s “Lovers Rock.” It’s packed with emotions every woman experiences, like love and anxiety.
That breezy, light voice—like a gentle wind—really grips a tired heart, doesn’t it?
The Voice WithinChristina Aguilera
A track that sings about believing in yourself and your instincts.
It’s a piano-driven ballad released in 2003 by American singer Christina Aguilera, and it reached the Top 10 on charts around the world.
I Loves You PorgyNina Simone
Nina Simone, often called the greatest singer America let slip away.
Above all, isn’t her greatest appeal her expressive power? Armed with that expressiveness and artistic sensibility, she continued performing as an artist around the world in her later years, especially in France.
She’s also known as a prominent figure who took part in the civil rights movement.
The ballad of hers I’d especially recommend is “I Loves You, Porgy.” It may be a lesser-known song, but it’s a masterpiece that lets you savor her rich lower register and expressive power to your heart’s content!
CompanyRickie Lee Jones
She is one of America’s leading female singer-songwriters, an artist who has been active for a long time from her album debut in 1979 right up to the 2020s.
She has released many classic songs—including “Chuck E.’s In Love,” known in Japan as “Koisuru Chuck”—that have greatly influenced later generations of female artists, and she enjoys strong popularity here in Japan as well.
Rickie’s self-titled debut album, known in Japan as “Roman,” includes the song “Company,” a melancholy ballad that grows from simple piano into a gradual band ensemble, a hidden gem that highlights Rickie’s languid, beautiful voice.
Though “company” might make you think of a business, here it’s used in the sense of companionship or romance, as she movingly sings of the bittersweet feelings she holds for a former lover.
Even without understanding the lyrics, Rickie’s performance is undeniably moving, and reading the lyrics in translation will deepen your appreciation of the song.
