[2025] Moving Western songs that touch the heart: A roundup of recommended masterpieces

Pink Pony ClubChappell Roan

Chappell Roan – Pink Pony Club (Official Music Video)

Chappell Roan, a singer-songwriter from Missouri, USA, is an artist who has been familiar with the piano since around the age of ten and has honed her talent over the years.

The piece she released in April 2020 is truly a moving song that showcases the piano’s beauty.

The gentle yet anticipatory piano chords in the intro instantly capture the listener’s heart.

In the chorus, the powerful piano seems to celebrate the protagonist’s self-liberation and joy depicted in the lyrics.

The lyrics portray someone leaving their hometown, pushing forward despite their mother’s opposition, and striving to shine as their true self in a new world—offering courage to those who listen.

The song is included on the album “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” and in February 2025 it peaked at No.

9 on a major U.

S.

music chart.

A heartwarming moment came in August 2024 when she sang it with her parents on Carpool Karaoke.

It’s the kind of song that gently gives you a push when you’re looking to discover a new version of yourself.

FireworkKaty Perry

Katy Perry – Firework (Official Music Video)

This is a heartwarming dance-pop number themed around hope and empowerment.

Created by American artist Katy Perry, the song carries a message about discovering one’s inner light and potential, and was released to the world in October 2010 as the third single from the album Teenage Dream.

It expresses the importance of unleashing the light hidden within the heart through a beautiful melody, resulting in a track that inspires self-affirmation and courage.

It was performed at the Super Bowl Halftime Show in 2015, and again at the coronation concert for King Charles III in the UK in 2023.

It’s a perfect song for anniversaries with someone special, when you want to recognize each other’s radiance.

PeacefieldGHOST

Ghost – Peacefield (Official Audio)

A grand ballad in which Sweden’s Ghost—known for their heavy metal sound and theatrical flair—captivate with a surprisingly graceful and delicate tone.

Tobias Forge, famed for his anti-papal stage persona, delivers vocals that resound with the solemnity of a church hymn, stirring the listener’s soul.

Seamlessly blending religious themes with a sweeping melody, this track is the lead single from the album “Skeletá,” slated for release in April 2025.

As a bold new venture from a powerhouse band that won the 2016 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance, it’s a gem where quietude holds immense strength.

Truly a must-hear masterpiece for any music fan seeking peace of mind.

TryColbie Caillat

Colbie Caillat – Try (Official Video)

It’s a song that makes me genuinely want people to watch the music video.

Besides Colbie Caillat, various other women appear, and by seeing what kind of women they are, I think even those who aren’t good at English can understand what the song is about.

Viva La VidaColdplay

Coldplay – Viva La Vida (Official Video)

This song is widely used in Japan for everything from variety shows to all kinds of programs.

By now, the mass sing-along of the intro is arguably the biggest highlight of a Coldplay concert.

I really hope you’ll check out footage from festivals and the like for this track as well.

Somebody That I Used To KnowGotye feat. Kimbra

Gotye – Somebody That I Used To Know (feat. Kimbra) [Official Music Video]

Born in Belgium, Wally De Backer is an indie rock singer-songwriter who performs under the name Gotye.

This song, which samples the guitar break from Brazilian musician Luiz Bonfá’s track “Seville,” features vocals by New Zealand singer-songwriter Kimbra.

Something In The WayNirvana

Nirvana – Something In The Way (Unplugged In New York).mp4

A song Kurt Cobain wrote about his life.

The lyrics were what he spray-painted on the wall under the bridge where he lived for a while after being kicked out of his home.

It’s one of the songs performed on MTV Unplugged shortly before his suicide.