The best J-Pop to celebrate LGBTQ+ and various forms of love

There are as many forms of love as there are people. More and more musicians are starting to release love songs that break free from traditional notions, coinciding with an increase in awareness of LGBTQ+ identities. Here is my J-Pop playlist that celebrates and supports LGBTQ+ individuals, as well as embraces diverse forms of life and love.

1. “Family Song” by Gen Hoshino (星野源)

Gen Hoshino is a multi-award-winning singer-songwriter, actor, writer and artist whose name is widely recognized and whose songs are familiar to most Japanese audiences. Family Song is a theme song for the Japanese TV drama series “Kahogo no Kahoko,” meaning “overprotected Kahoko.” In the interview, he says that he wants to re-identify what family is since the form of family is changing in response to diverse shapes of love. The inspiring lyrics describe a universal sense of happiness that can be found in everyday life. It resonates with people regardless of their identity or the person they love.

2. “Ubu-goe” by Omoinotake

“Ubu-goe” means “birth cry” in Japanese, and this song depicts all the feelings you feel when falling in love with someone. What makes this song different from many other love songs is that this is about falling in love with someone of the same sex. It has the message — being in love is usually difficult, but even more so if you are lesbian or gay in Japan. The song respects anyone in love and cheers them up so that they can be honest with themselves, and it reminds us of the beauty and joy of falling in love. Here is my favorite phrase:

“So I’ll shout out my heart
‘Cause rather than being hurt
What I fear more is you and I not understanding each other”

3. “GRRRLISM” by Acco Gorila (あっこゴリラ)

Acco Gorila is a Japanese rapper, drummer and radio personality who writes feminist-themed songs. Not just in the songs she writes, but in various media outlets, she has mentioned gender equality, sexual minorities, lookism and all kinds of discrimination. In the song “GRRRLISM,” powerful phrases like “Break down social norm” and “My body, my choice” really stand out. I’m impressed how she is trying to knock out the society that is unlikely to be changed, with a strong message: we’re going to live however we want by accepting who we are and what we like.

Music accompanies us during moments of love and heartbreak, bridging divides and bringing people together regardless of their background or gender. It reminds us that love doesn’t have to conform to traditional romance between a woman and a man, but can encompass various forms such as familial love, love between individuals of the same gender and self-love.