“Lemon” (2018) is a song of grief. The singer has lost someone, and he still wishes it were all a dream; memories come back with a bittersweet sting, like the scent of a lemon cut in half. He'll keep their light inside him, even through the pain.
Kenshi Yonezu wrote it as the theme of the TV drama Unnatural, and has said he was thinking of his grandfather's death. It became one of the most-watched Japanese music videos on YouTube and one of the best-selling Japanese singles of its decade.
The Japanese is slow and clearly sung, with emotional basics: dream, sadness, bitter, light, to forget. A beautiful first song — and listen for his famous little “ue” vocal sound.