Staff Picks #1: Spring

Spring is in the air, and members of JaME's English team have put together a list of songs that would be a welcome addition to any spring playlist.

Do you have any songs that remind you of spring? Let us know your choices by leaving a comment at the bottom!

Anna
Alice Nine - Mugen My favourite Alice Nine B-side ever, dreamy and gorgeous.	SID - Dreamer Full of energy and hope, it's one of the first SID songs I heard, and the one that totally made me fall in love with Mao.	GACKT - Sekiray ~seki-ray~ A GACKT classic, beautiful use of piano and one of my favourite live performances from the Drug Party DVD.	Abe Mao - Motto So full of confidence and bounce, and it lifts my spirits every time I hear it. Plus, the PV is super cute.
Christine
The Birthday - Nazeka kyou wa This song really captures the optimism I feel at the start of the season, and the imagery of the lyrics is just so light and carefree.	Dragon Ash - Ambitious Another optimistic song, going along with the idea of “spring” as a new beginning. It’s hard to not get fired up when Kj says “The world is yours now”.	GLAY - Soul Love While Haru o ai suru hito may be the more obvious choice, I think there’s an innocence to Soul Love that really embodies the “springtime” of a new love, when every moment spent with someone feels fresh and exciting.	the pillows - Wake up! dodo It’s upbeat and catchy, and when Yamanaka says “Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!” it just reminds me of coming out of hibernation.
Jessieface
Alice Nine - Subete e When it's not raining and the weather is nice, it's nice to roll down the windows when driving, and belt out the lyrics. The moment Shou sings "yuko--------u", it feels as if every fiber in my being is alive again.	Acid Black Cherry - Kimi ga iru kara A soothing acoustic number that complements a sunny afternoon.	Yeti - nagashi While nagashi is of a sadder but reflective nature, when Satoshi sings "tomorrow, when we wake up as adults" it is a reminder that like spring, circumstances change unexpectedly.	Yuzu - Haruzou At just 2 1/2 mins, this upbeat, acoustic track is the embodiment of spring.
Kay
ohashiTrio - Sakura The Japanese spring isn't complete without sakura, the cherry blossoms. This is a light-hearted song about the Japanese symbol of spring.	lecca - Startline Spring is like a new beginning, right? This is an upbeat, bouncy track from lecca.	Yuzu - Irotodori The first sunny day of the year always makes me cheerful, and this song (not to mention the silly PV) matches that mood perfectly!	Naotaro Moriyama - Kaze ni natte An optimistic-sounding song that reminds me of a light spring breeze.
Tomo
Arai Akino - Kanaete A soothing song that represents the beauty of Japanese spring, as symbolized by cherry blossom trees. Walking under cherry blossoms at night while listening to this song is very romantic.	GLAY - Haru o ai suru hito April is the beginning of the new school year as well as the corporate year in Japan. GLAY’s song gives encouragement for a fresh start of a new season of life.	T-BOLAN - Bye For Now March is the month students in Japan graduate from schools and move on to new environments. This is a song thankfully saying goodbye to the season of life that's about to become the “good old days”.	Sayulee - You're Not Alone An uplifting song for those who feel isolated and overwhelmed in a new work place, school, city, or even country.

If you're looking to discover some new music, or if any of these songs happen to catch your interest, head over to our YouTube playlist to give them a try.

Please note that only videos from official sources are included, so some songs may be missing.