Everyone must have experienced it at least once.
In those moments when you feel like your heart is about to break, a lyric or melody suddenly reaches your ears and, in a mysterious way, resonates with you and lifts you up.
The 2000s in particular were a tumultuous era when the way we enjoyed music changed dramatically.
Amid the shift from CDs to online distribution, countless “yami songs” (songs that grapple with darkness or emotional pain) were born, and they still support many people’s hearts today.
Lyrics you can’t help but relate to, melodies that pierce the chest.
Let yourself sink into that bittersweet feeling, along with the nostalgic memories of those days.
- Breakup songs that were hits in the 2000s
- [Yami Song] A mental breakdown track that sings the true feelings of a melancholic heart
- [Unrequited Love] Heart-wrenching Love Songs | A Roundup of Tear-Inducing Crush and Breakup Tracks
- [Yami Song] Fight darkness with darkness!? Deep tracks that stay close to your pain
- Heart-wrenching Japanese hit songs from the 2000s. Songs that make you cry.
- Tears won’t stop with these sentimental lyrics! Heisei-era tearjerker songs
- [Tearjerker] Songs that make your heart tremble with tears & moving tracks with lyrics that touch the soul
- Love songs that were hits in the 2000s. Classic and popular Japanese songs.
- [Heisei Love Songs] A carefully selected collection of gem-like love songs that continue to be cherished even in the Reiwa era!
- Ballad songs that were hits in the 2000s
- Top Female Singer-Songwriters and Popular Songs of the 2000s [2026]
- Nothing but iconic hits that defined an era! 2000s classics popular on TikTok
- [Relatable Lyrics] Emo songs to listen to when you're stuck after a breakup or relationship troubles
Yami songs that were hits in the 2000s. Heart-wrenching tracks (1–10)
moonlightOnitsuka Chihiro
When talking about gloomy J-pop songs from the 2000s, you can’t overlook Chihiro Onitsuka.
This is her second single, released in 2000.
It became the theme song for the first season of TV Asahi’s smash hit drama “TRICK” and was a major success.
me me sheRADWIMPS
It’s a pretty heavy breakup song, but I think it’s perfect for anyone who just went through a split.
You love them so much there’s no way you could ever hate them, you don’t even know how to forget, and you don’t want to fall for someone else.
It’s a song that speaks for the feelings that swirl through your head after a heartbreak.
Lovers AgainEXILE
A gem of a medium-tempo ballad that sings of the resolve and hope to step into a new love after recovering from heartbreak.
It strikingly captures the emotional growth of being able to cherish past pain, even while still carrying a heavy heart.
Released in January 2007 and featured in au’s “LISMO!” campaign commercial, the song peaked at No.
2 on the Oricon singles chart and ranked in the karaoke top 10 for three consecutive years.
Why not take a moment in a warm room to soak in the voice that gently seeps into your heart, and reflect anew on your feelings for someone special?
I’ll be by your side.Aoyama Teruma
This song gently embraces the emotions of a long-distance relationship, carrying a bittersweet yet forward-looking sentiment.
Even when lovers are physically apart, their hearts remain close—an emotion expressed with exquisite balance through Thelma Aoyama’s soft vocals and SoulJa’s rap.
Though busyness can make the emotional distance feel wider, the unwavering resolve to care for each other resonates deeply with listeners.
Released in January 2008, the song topped the Oricon Weekly Chart and won the JASRAC Gold Award, becoming a massive hit recognized by Guinness World Records.
In 2022, a new collaborative track with SoulJa also came to fruition.
It’s a heartwarming message song that will resonate with those living apart from their partners or anyone grappling with the bonds they share with someone important.
It’ll get stained.Chatmonchy
Formed in 2000.
Made their major debut in 2005.
Disbanded in 2018 to much regret.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say they were not only emblematic of the 2000s, but a girls’ band that left its mark on the history of Japanese rock.
This is their ninth single, released in 2008.
It was the theme song for the late-night NTV drama “Tonsura.” A breakup song perfect for listening to while walking down a street at night.
powder snowRemioromen
Formed in 2000.
Made their indie debut in March 2003 and major-label debut in August the same year.
Their third single, “Sangatsu Kokonoka” (released in 2004), has become a staple for graduation season.
This is their eighth single, released in 2005, which became a major hit.
The chorus, sung with powerful, soaring vocals, is particularly memorable.
It’s a heartbreak song perfect for winter.
Although they went on hiatus in 2012, the members have each continued their musical activities.
crescent moonayaka
This ambitious work powerfully sings of the aching feelings of longing for a faraway lover.
Released as a single in September 2006, it showcases Ayaka’s outstanding expressive ability to the fullest.
The song is memorable for its forward-looking resolve to overcome parting and loneliness with a loved one, as well as its strong will to keep thinking of that person, while also conveying a sense of a positive future.
It was featured as the CM song for au’s “LISMO” and as the theme song for NHK General TV’s “Tsunagaru TV @ Human,” and it won the Best New Artist Award at the 48th Japan Record Awards.
It’s a song that offers comfort to those in long-distance relationships or anyone who has experienced a farewell with someone dear.