Cool, popular Western hit songs that are highly regarded

Girls Like You ft. Cardi BMaroon 5

Maroon 5 – Girls Like You ft. Cardi B (Official Music Video)

A song released in 2018 by Maroon 5, a pop-rock band with worldwide popularity.

Though they’re a band, they’ve fully incorporated electronic music elements, giving it a modern feel.

The music video features not only the band members but also many women—dancers, singers, athletes, and actresses—familiar faces from TV and dramas, so you’ll likely recognize quite a few of them.

Water SlideMew

Mew – Water Slides

This is a popular track from Mew’s 2015 album “+-,” which is also hugely popular in Japan.

Its dreamy yet dark atmosphere and addictive quality make it a song that sticks in your head after just one listen—it’s truly wonderful anytime you hear it.

The regular version is cool enough on its own, but the acoustic version has its own flavor and is also incredibly cool.

Trop FreshMonsieur Nov

Monsieur Nov – Trop Fresh (clip officiel) [présenté par Musicalement Entre Nous]

Monsieur Nov is an artist from Vietnam.

He may not be very familiar to audiences in Japan, but in Europe he’s a highly regarded R&B singer.

His famous track “Trop Fresh” is a piece that evokes high-quality R&B and neo-soul.

Although he’s from Vietnam, he’s active in France, so all the lyrics are written in French.

The way French liaison works pairs beautifully with R&B, so be sure to check it out!

Only ShallowMy Bloody Valentine

My Bloody Valentine – Only Shallow (Official Music Video)

Here’s a song from My Bloody Valentine, a heavyweight of the shoegaze genre alongside Slowdive and RIDE.

Even if you’re not familiar with Western music or shoegaze, I think it’ll go down smoothly.

In short: it’s just incredibly cool—there’s no better way to put it.

RegretNew Order

New Order – Regret (Official Music Video)

It might be pretty hard to find a song that’s both cool and really good, but I feel like New Order’s “Regret” pulls off both beautifully.

It’s a song with a melody you can’t help but hum along to and a crisp, punchy guitar sound that feels great.

Given that they’re a band that can handle everything from punk to techno sounds, it goes without saying that they’re sophisticated.

LevelsNick jonas

Nick Jonas – Levels

Nick Jonas originally rose to fame on the Disney Channel as part of the band the Jonas Brothers, but lately he’s been breaking out again as a solo artist and is a singer to watch.

This track is an uptempo electropop song, highlighted by Nick’s husky, slightly sexy vocals.

Mas Que NadaNossa

Nossa – Mas Que Nada

With its poignant, heart-tugging melody and crisp, lively tempo, “Mas Que Nada” truly shines.

Covered by the French girl group Nossa, it exudes a different charm and emotion from Sergio Mendes’s version.