By Zhaan 
Finally, we’ve arrived at another edition of Sunday Tunes. This time we’re focusing on the most popular games in the Shin Megami Tensei: Persona franchise, which also happen to be my personal favourites.
Persona 3
I’m probably biased since this was my first Persona game, but having listened to all the soundtracks in the series (which typically range from great to god-tier), I think the music in Persona 3 has a slight edge over the rest. If I had to pick an Atlus soundtrack to be stuck on a remote island with, it would probably be this one.
Check out my picks below.
When The Moon’s Reaching Out Stars (Persona 3)
Back in the 2000s I used to walk around the city listening to the Persona 3 soundtrack on my MP3 player, and this track was often on repeat. It has such a nice upbeat energy to it and you just feel good listening to it.
It’s Going Down Now (Persona 3 Reload)
One of the absolute best additions to the remake of Persona 3 is this impossibly catchy battle theme, which somehow has amassed 71 million views on YouTube. This song gets played a lot when I do workouts.
Memories of You (Persona 3)
Ah, this track makes me both sad and happy at the same time. It’s basically the ultimate bittersweet song, and I’ve loved it since before I even played the game. It’s even better with context though.
Persona 5
I’m actually playing through Persona 5 Royal as we speak, and boy is it long. I bought the original version at launch (in 2016), but for some reason I couldn’t get into it at the time. I have, however, been a huge fan of the soundtrack since day one. Now that the game is finally clicking with me, I do regret dropping it back then. It is long, yes, too long perhaps, but it’s one of the best games I’ve ever played.
Beneath The Mask (Persona 5)
I had to start with this one. As far as I’m concerned this track encapsulates the very essence of Persona 5 and of everyday life. It’s a really good song to listen to while relaxing, studying or working on the computer. Any version of this song is gold, with or without vocals, and it never gets old.
The Days When Mother Was There (Persona 5)
Here’s another relaxing track, though it’s more on the bittersweeet side with some darker undertones. It’s been a favourite of mine for a long time, but since I lost my mother a few years ago it hits even harder now.
Also, shoutout to J-MUSIC Ensemble for making this really cool vocal cover.
Keeper of Lust (Persona 5)
I originally had ’Last Surprise’ as my pick here, but quickly realized that I got it mixed up with ’Keeper of Lust, which is my actual #1 battle theme for this game. As for why, I just really love the synth portion at around 1:55 in the video below. So good.
Persona 4
This used to be my favourite game in the series until I played Persona 3 Reload and Persona 5 Royal. There are rumours of a remake coming out soon, so we’ll see if that changes my personal ranking. Either way it’s a fantastic game with some excellent tunes. Listen to my picks below.
Pursuing My True Self (Persona 4)
This is one of the best intro songs to any game as far as I’m concerned. I remember being really disappointed when they replaced it with ’Shadow World’ in Persona 4 Golden, which is not to say I hate that song, but it felt like a downgrade overall and the harmonica is not my cup of tea.
Signs of Love (Persona 4)
It’s been a minute since I played Persona 4, but if I recall correctly this song plays when you get home from school and that’s pretty much exactly what it sounds like. It’s like a warm welcome and a sigh of relief that school is over.
Time To Make History (Persona 4 Golden)
Well, I have to include a song from Golden since I badmouthed ’Shadow World’ a few paragraphs up. There are a bunch of great battle themes to choose from here, but I really like this one. It’s simple yet effective, and the chorus is catchy.
That’s gonna do it for now! I’ll probably revisit the Persona and Shin Megami Tensei series in the future, so stay tuned.