Resonance of Twilight: Emo Western Songs Echoing at Summer’s End
Don’t you ever feel strangely sentimental at the end of summer? Blue skies and white clouds, the sea at dusk, listening to the sound of the waves… We’ve selected classic Western songs that perfectly match that mood.
From tracks you’ll want to listen to while basking in summer memories to slightly emotional ballads and melodies that resonate especially in this season, you’re sure to find a song that speaks to your sensibilities.
Why not savor the bittersweet feelings of summer’s end together with some wonderful Western music?
Afterglow of Dusk: Emo Western Songs That Resonate at Summer’s End (1–10)
Lost in JapanShawn Mendes
The way it unfolds from a quiet piano intro into a groovy bassline evokes the shift from a late-summer dusk into night.
Sung by Canadian singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes, this track blends R&B and funk in a comfortably smooth mix—both a little bittersweet and irresistibly uplifting.
The lyrics portray a passionate urge to bridge the distance to a loved one far away, driven by a single-minded desire to see them.
That earnest emotion overlaps with the sentimental feeling of summer slipping away, hitting you right in the heart.
Released in March 2018 as a cut from the album “Shawn Mendes,” the song is also known for a music video that pays homage to the film “Lost in Translation.” On a night spent reminiscing about summer, listening as you watch the setting sun is sure to deepen the emotional mood even more.
PhotographEd Sheeran
There’s a timeless song that accompanies those sentimental moments when you look back on summer memories alongside your photos.
It’s a track by Ed Sheeran, the globally renowned singer-songwriter from the UK.
Featured on the acclaimed album ‘×,’ which won British Album of the Year at the 2015 BRIT Awards, this folk-pop ballad was released as a single.
Centered on a long-distance relationship, it portrays a couple reaffirming their love through photographs.
The message—that even apart, hearts remain close—gently seeps in, carried by his soft vocals and acoustic sound.
The music video, which uses real home videos from his childhood, deepens the song’s warm yet bittersweet atmosphere and is truly moving.
As summer comes to an end, why not listen to it while thinking of someone special?
Goodbye JulyMargo Guryan
Margo Guryan, who had roots in jazz and classical music, was active as a composer from the 1960s.
This piece she left behind is a perfect song for the end of summer, singing of feelings for the passing month of July.
Its gentle, floating sound, so characteristic of Guryan, and her whispering vocals that seem to paint scenes right before your eyes are especially striking.
Although she released her only original album, Take a Picture, in 1968, you can hear this work on the collection Words and Music, released in June 2024.
For those who want to savor the fading summer and linger in precious memories, this is a comforting track that embraces that sweet, wistful feeling.
Good DaysSZA
The end of summer brings a bittersweet feeling along with all the happy memories, doesn’t it? There’s a song by R&B artist SZA that gently stays close to that tender mood.
While swaying between past pain and regret, it seeks a glimmer of hope in the future, expressed through her husky, deeply emotive voice.
The lyrics’ world overlaps with the sentimental atmosphere of a summer evening, and listening to it makes your heart tighten.
Released in December 2020 and included on the album “SOS,” the track garnered major attention, reaching No.
3 on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
It’s perfect for a quiet night alone, when you want to bask in the memories of a joyful summer.
It’s a song filled with a kind of magic that gently wraps your wistfulness in warmth.
Only TimeEnya
With a voice that carries a serene, almost sacred resonance, Enya has soothed listeners around the world.
In Japan, too, her ethereal sound is widely known.
This piece conveys a universal message—that only the passage of time can heal all things—set to a beautiful melody that ebbs and flows like the tide.
The many layered vocals seem to bring both the wistful mood of summer’s end and a quiet hope for tomorrow to the heart.
The song is included on the album A Day Without Rain, released in November 2000, and was also featured in the film Sweet November.
In 2001, it touched countless hearts and is known for reaching number 10 on the U.
S.
charts.
It’s the kind of track you’ll want to listen to while gazing at the evening sky, lost in thought.
Chasing CarsSnow Patrol
This is an exquisitely pure love song by Snow Patrol, a rock band from Scotland.
It expresses a heartfelt wish to simply lie side by side with the one you love and forget the clamor of the world.
The deep affection—so profound it’s hard to put into words—rises alongside the sweeping melody and truly hits you in the chest.
Included on the 2006 masterpiece Eyes Open, the song gained worldwide popularity thanks to the hit drama Grey’s Anatomy.
The fact that it remained on the UK charts for an astounding 111 weeks speaks to how deeply it resonated with so many people.
It’s the kind of song that gently stays with you on a late-summer evening, when the fading light makes you a touch sentimental.
Fast CarTracy Chapman
The acoustic guitar arpeggios, blending into the wistful air of dusk, are striking.
This is a gem of a ballad by singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman, who has continued to sing powerful messages rooted in folk and blues.
The song portrays the story of a protagonist who pins their hopes on a fast car in an effort to escape a stifling reality.
Even as they dream that they “might be someone,” the aching emotions of confronting an unyielding reality are deeply moving.
Released in April 1988, the track appears on the classic album “Tracy Chapman” and reached No.
6 on the U.
S.
charts.
Its melancholy melody, which somehow overlaps with scenes of a fading summer, is perfect for moments of solitary reflection.