[Melancholy] For when you want to sink all the way. Masterpieces that depict various kinds of gloom.

DancerFukkun:)Tatsuki Fukuda
Primarily active in Tokyo, I have experience as a backup dancer for artists, a music video dancer, and a commercial dancer. I continue to work as a dancer while also engaging in article production. After discovering Michael Jackson in junior high school, I began dancing in my second year of high school. Since starting dance, in addition to the J-Pop and Japanese rock I had been listening to, I began exploring Western R&B, rap, alternative music, and other tracks commonly used for dance. In elementary school, I spent three years in a choir, and because I love singing, I often go to karaoke for fun. These days, I enjoy a wide range of music, from Japanese rock and rap to K-pop.
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSICsasashina
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSIC. JFC-certified fact-checker. I’m Sasashina, a mom currently raising an elementary schooler and a preschooler. During my student years at Kyoto College of Science and Technology, I studied a wide range of fields including sound, lighting, and video technology, building a foundation in comprehensive stage production and creative expression. After graduation, I joined a music production company, where I still work, consistently building experience in production and engaging in a variety of music-centered tasks. Currently, I mainly handle articles for children, drawing on what I’ve learned about parenting and what I feel and discover through daily interactions with my kids. I hope my work can be of help to you, even in a small way!

Sad events and days when nothing goes right can happen to anyone.

At times like that, isn’t it music that saves us?

When you’re feeling down, you might immerse yourself in what you love or just take it slow and rest.

On top of that, listening to music that matches your feelings can bring a deep sense of calm.

It’s great to get energy from bright, upbeat songs, but we’re also drawn to darker, more serious atmospheres and lyrics that seem to speak for us.

Here, we’re featuring songs that stay close to a melancholy mood.

Some of them let you feel a light shining in the darkness.

If it’s tough to listen to cheerful music when you’re low, or if you want to let yourself sink all the way down and then reset your feelings, please use this as a reference.

[Gloomy Tunes] For when you want to sink all the way. Masterpieces depicting various melancholies (41–50)

worst; minimum; the lowest; awfulIvy to Fraudulent Game

worst; minimum; the lowest; awful

worst; minimum; the lowest; awfulIvy to Fraudulent Game

Amid a dreamlike, piano-centered soundscape, this work quietly resonates with self-denial and loneliness.

Included on Ivy to Fraudulent Game’s major-label debut album “Kaiten suru,” released in December 2017, it was written and composed by drummer Yuya Fukushima.

The lyrics, which portray the feelings of blaming oneself for not meeting expectations and the pressure of a cornered heart, really hit home.

Give it a listen on nights weighed down by self-loathing.

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Ghostwritersumika

Ghostwriter

Ghostwritersumika

It’s a gentle song that softly wraps around a depressed mood.

It’s a track by sumika, a pop-rock band from Kanagawa Prefecture, included on their second album Chime released in 2019.

It became a topic of conversation when it was chosen as the theme song for the variety show “Tokukai TV Sukatto Japan.” It’s a ballad that sings, “I want to protect the one I care about,” and you can feel your heart warm as you listen.

When you’re having a hard time, you find yourself wishing someone were by your side, don’t you? This is a song I recommend for those moments.

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There was no meaning to being born.mafumafu

There was no meaning in being born. / Mafumafu

There was no meaning to being born.mafumafu

This song is striking for its delicate vocals that surface from the darkness of the heart and its deep lyrics that dwell on nihilism and loss.

While it sings of losing the meaning of life and feeling alienated from society, it also conveys a will to move forward, giving it a philosophical depth.

Released in August 2019 and included on Mafumafu’s album “Kagurairo Artifact,” the piece showcases his finely tuned sensibility and expressive power to the fullest.

The composition is masterful, unfolding from a quiet piano intro into a grand band sound, where elements of emotional rock and balladry fuse in exquisite balance.

It’s a song that lets you feel the presence of someone who shares the same loneliness and sense of emptiness when you’re tormented by them.

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Crescent Moon MelancholyBābī Bōizu

BARBEE BOYS Melancholy of the Crescent Moon

Crescent Moon MelancholyBābī Bōizu

Barbee Boys, a rock band that gained popularity for their distinctive sound featuring intertwined male–female twin vocals and saxophone.

This 1989 November release deftly portrays the unfulfilled complexities of adult love.

Over a floating guitar riff, KONTA and Kyoko’s vocals capture the emotional disconnect between a man and a woman, their bittersweet harmonies resonating deeply.

Released as the band’s 13th single, the song is also known for being featured in a commercial for Meiji’s chocolate bar “body.” It’s a perfect listen when you want to spend a quiet night alone gazing at the city lights or sink into a sentimental mood.

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In conclusion

We’ve introduced songs that portray a kind of melancholy that stays by your side when you want to sink all the way to the bottom.

Did you find a track that resonated with your heart? I think there are many songs whose messages come through even in their heaviness, and whose appeal gently saves you precisely because they come from the same place.

It’s okay to feel completely down! I hope your heart finds healing.