[2025] A Lineup of Next-Generation Artists! Autumn Songs 20-Somethings Should Hear

In the withering autumnivy color

Ivy Color [Withering in Autumn] Music Video

Ivory Color is a band that has delivered seasonal scenes to listeners’ hearts with nostalgic piano rock.

This song is the culmination that concludes the four-season story they’ve woven over many years.

Memories of a past love brush against the heart like the scent of osmanthus that drifts by in an unguarded moment… You can picture that bittersweet yet warm scene, can’t you? Delicate piano and sweeping strings gently cradle the protagonist’s sentimental feelings.

Released in October 2024, this piece is the final installment in the seasonal series that began with “Even If We Forget Spring.” Its simple sound—something of a return to the band’s roots—actually makes the narrative of the lyrics stand out all the more.

It’s the perfect number for a long autumn night when you want to linger in memories just a little.

I jumped into the pool in October.Keyakizaka46

I jumped into the pool in October.

Keyakizaka46 showcased expressive power that transcends the idol framework with a song carrying a serious message.

One track included on their best-of album released in October 2020, “An Instant Longer Than Eternity: We, Who Certainly Existed Back Then,” vividly portrays the impulses of youth compelling them toward out-of-season actions.

The image of breaking out of a dull classroom in search of freedom can also be felt as a desire to shatter dissatisfaction with the status quo and the sense of entrapment.

The song was also used in an AEON Card commercial and is known for the various twists and turns it went through before its release.

It’s a dramatic number that gives you a push on an autumn night when you’re wishing to change something.

The Halloween pumpkin cracked.Hinatazaka46

The Halloween pumpkin cracked.

On long autumn nights, you might feel like indulging in a touch of sentimentality—but how about a song that cheerfully blows that mood away? This number by a unit from the Keyakizaka46 era, the predecessor of Hinatazaka46, is a unique track that sets a bittersweet story—love ending on Halloween night—to an irresistibly bright disco sound.

Its four-on-the-floor rhythm and catchy melody will make you want to dance.

The song is included on the album “Hashiridasu Shunkan,” released in June 2018.

Autumn isn’t only about melancholy—this track might just remind you of that.

It’s also perfect as party BGM with friends.

osmanthus (fragrant orange osmanthus; sweet olive)Natori

Natori – Fragrant Olive

Set on an autumn night scented with fragrant olive, this song portrays people’s lives.

Natori’s distinctive whispery vocals delicately capture the night sky, the scent of osmanthus, and the end and beginning of the night.

The lyrics, themed around faint longing and escape, as well as comfort amid sorrow and pain, are sure to resonate deeply with listeners.

Released digitally on August 25, 2023, the track is also included on the album “Gekijō,” released on December 20 of the same year.

It’s a sentimental pop tune you’ll want to listen to alone on a long autumn night.

NonfictionSaucy Dog

Saucy Dog “Nonfiction” Music Video

Saucy Dog is a three-piece rock band known for relatable lyrics and emotive vocals.

Released digitally in January 2022, this track candidly expresses a heart swaying between ideals and reality.

The opening dives straight in without an intro, and the driving beat exceeding 200 BPM seems to amplify the protagonist’s impatience.

With lyrics portraying the melancholy of comparing yourself to others in the season scented with fragrant olive, it’s likely to resonate with many people in their twenties.

The song was chosen as the theme for the WOWOW original drama “Ryunosuke Kamiki’s Day Off” and is included on their 6th mini-album, “Sunny Bottle.” It’s a rock tune that accompanies a sentimental autumn—one to play when you’re struggling with being yourself.

I want to communicate with a bicycle bell.Yuna Egō

I want to communicate with a bicycle bell.

Yuna Ego, long loved as a member of SKE48 and now active as a solo artist, has released her milestone first solo song—a bittersweet number that vividly conjures an October morning on a chilly walk to school.

The joy of seeing someone you like, and the frustration of not being able to confess your feelings.

The image of entrusting those delicate emotions to the sound of a bicycle bell instead of words is truly heartrending.

Ego’s clear, translucent voice highlights the protagonist’s pure first love.

The track is included on SKE48’s single “I Found You From Back Then,” released in September 2021, and it was also featured on NHK’s international broadcast.

It’s a song that makes you want to overlay the crisp autumn air with sentimental memories of your youth.

100 Things That Hasten AutumnThe Otals

100 Things That Hasten Autumn

A track by the shoegaze duo The Otals with a pleasantly nostalgic sound reminiscent of 2000s indie pop.

The subtle emotional shifts we all experience—anxiety about the passing seasons and unease with the “public-facing” self we present in a new life—are delicately rendered through shimmering guitars and dual male-female vocals.

Everyday snapshots pair with bittersweet melodies to tighten the listener’s chest.

The song appears on the EP “The 100 Things,” released in February 2025.

The fact that it was created right after their first live show in August 2024 speaks to the band’s momentum at the time.

It’s the perfect number for an autumn night when you’re feeling lonely and want to sink into a sentimental mood.