[Dark Songs] A carefully curated selection of deeply dark tracks and heartbreaking songs that accompany you in tough times
There are times when something tough or sad happens and you just feel down, right?
In those moments, listening to overly positive songs like “Keep your head up!” or “You can do it!” can actually make things harder for some people, surprisingly.
So in this article, instead of upbeat tracks, we’ll introduce songs with a darker mood that gently sit with your more negative feelings.
By intentionally listening to songs with heavy or heartbreaking lyrics, you might find your feelings become just a little easier to bear.
- [Melancholy] For when you want to sink all the way. Masterpieces that depict various kinds of gloom.
- [Yami Song] Fight darkness with darkness!? Deep tracks that stay close to your pain
- Songs that hit home when you're feeling blue: masterpieces of Japanese music
- Masterpieces that sing of despair. Recommended popular songs.
- [For High School Students] Melancholy Songs That Stay Close to Your Feelings [Tough Times]
- [Songs to Listen to When You Want to Die] I want to disappear... A song to support you who feel that way
- [Tearjerker] Songs that make your heart tremble with tears & moving tracks with lyrics that touch the soul
- [Yami Song] A mental breakdown track that sings the true feelings of a melancholic heart
- [So touching it makes you cry] A heartbreakingly wistful and sad song that tightens your chest
- Hidden gems of yami songs. Recommended popular tracks.
- [Songs of Bereavement] Songs about losing a loved one. Tracks to listen to while thinking of someone dear
- [Bereavement Song] To you whom I can no longer meet... Tear-jerking songs about death
- [Relatable Lyrics] Emo songs to listen to when you're stuck after a breakup or relationship troubles
[Dark Songs] A carefully selected list of deeply dark or heartrending tracks that empathize with painful feelings (71–80)
Bacterial contaminationKanimiso P
This is a Vocaloid song that tackles the heavy theme of bullying.
It’s a track by Kanimiso-P, also known as the creator of “Dancing☆Samurai,” released in 2012.
Beyond the song’s content, the music video is downright dark, crafting an extremely frightening worldview.
That said, plenty of people love songs with this kind of atmosphere.
Definitely give it a listen.
ArabesqueLily Chou-Chou
A famous song by the singer-songwriter Lily Chou-Chou, who appears in the film All About Lily Chou-Chou.
It’s a memorable track with a melancholic melody that feels steeped in pain.
Salyu’s squeezed-out, heartfelt vocals are wonderful.
At daybreakkinoko teikoku
A song I’d recommend for expressing hatred is “When Dawn Breaks.” You’ve probably had painful or sad experiences that left you resenting someone, haven’t you? The song captures those murky, pent-up feelings with nowhere to go, as well as the emptiness of retaliation.
It’s a much heavier theme than the title suggests.
Coupled with vocalist Chiahi Sato’s deep tones, it’s incredibly compelling to listen to.
By the way, some of the lyrics are sometimes rearranged in live performances.
If you’re curious, look it up.
reincarnationboku no ririkku no bouyomi
Rinne Tensei is a song that condenses feelings of impatience, despair, and resignation.
Released in 2018 by Boku no Lyric no Boyomi—known on Niconico under the name Shigaisen—it starts off with a subdued atmosphere, then swells powerfully into the chorus, offering comfort to a downcast heart.
It’s the kind of track you’ll want to listen to alone with your eyes closed when helpless emotions swirl amid repetitive days.
Highly recommended with headphones or earphones.
RevengeMy Hair is Bad
A song with a frightening title.
It portrays the sorrow of being betrayed by someone you loved.
It expresses the depth of romantic resentment and the darkness straight on.
While the melody is catchy and the vocals are on the higher side, the lyrical content is bleakly despairing.
It conveys the sadness and anger of having a genuine love wounded.
Just by listening, it makes you think from a different angle than a typical love song: “I should cherish my current partner.”
Someone, the sea.Aimer
This song, Dareka, Umi o (Someone, the Sea), was used as the ending theme for the anime Terror in Resonance.
The anime tells the story of boys whose future was unjustly taken from them as they strike back at society, and from this track you can feel the protagonists’ emotions depicted in the show—anger, despair, and resignation.
More than the lyrics themselves, I especially recommend the atmosphere of the song, which seems to accept your sinking feelings just as they are.
It’s sung by Aimer, a popular singer known for her distinctive voice.
When Someone’s Wish Comes TrueUtada Hikaru
A song that’s also popular among women with unrequited love is “Dareka no Negai ga Kanau Koro” (“When Someone’s Wish Comes True”).
It’s recommended for those who are feeling down after parting with someone important.
The song was also used as the theme for the film CASSHERN.
It evokes the image of a woman torn and sorrowful in a situation where if she wishes for her own happiness, someone else will suffer, and if she lets go of her own happiness, she’ll lose something precious.
In life—not just in love—there are times when we don’t know the right path.
In those moments, it’s painful that you have to choose one path even though any choice will leave you with regrets…