[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 someone dear. Tracks to listen to while thinking of a loved one.
- [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 curated selection of deeply dark and melancholy tracks that resonate with painful feelings (91–100)
If I Had Two LivesInoue Yosui
Released in 1972, this is Yosui Inoue’s “re-debut” song.
The part about reminiscing offers a bit of solace, but otherwise it’s filled with depictions of aging parents, and as you listen, you can’t help but start thinking about “aging.” It’s a strikingly impactful song.
chameleonKing Gnu
A song by King Gnu that stirs up the anxiety within.
Chosen as the theme song for the drama “Mystery to Iu Nakare,” it generally unfolds with a calm sonic atmosphere, yet the irregular piano tones give off an unsettling air.
The way the momentum builds as the track progresses is striking, conveying unstable emotions and heartache with raw clarity.
It’s a song that teaches the importance of releasing your pain instead of bottling it up when you’re struggling.
[Dark Songs] A curated selection of deeply dark and bittersweet tracks that resonate with painful feelings (101–110)
Where We From feat. T-PablowAnarchy
From the opening intro, the track is filled with madness.
It expresses the eeriness and fear surrounding poverty.
The sadness of the past is hard to forget, and within that, you can feel the contradiction of having to live in a modern world overflowing with nihilism.
From start to finish, it’s steeped in insanity and creepiness, recommended for those who like dark, horrorcore-style rap.
It’s hardcore enough that people might misinterpret it, and it’s definitely a track that will divide listeners.
Tears of Sakura feat. Saekidelics & MadkosmosShin Holmes
A question with no answer—“Is my current situation the right one?”—is derailing my life.
This song voices that helpless anger.
Not even a mother knows the answer to that question.
And only tears fall.
If you listen when you’re in despair, it will hit differently.
It’s a recommended song for those who feel a vague anxiety about their future.
Just be careful—listen too much, and you might slip into the darkness.
mentally unstable personMioyamazaki
This is a song that portrays the raw reality of a mentally unstable girl.
Rather than being sad or dark, it’s darkness at 100%.
Even though she knows there’s no point in repeating these things, the fear of doing them anyway comes through.
It reveals the inner workings of a troubled mind—the kind of reality you both want to know and don’t want to know.
It’s a song that weighs heavily on the listener’s heart.
The vocals are cool, so it might get addictive.
HeavenMrs. GREEN APPLE
This is a deeply moving song written as the theme for the film “I Will Tell You the Truth,” starring vocalist Motoki Omori.
It begins in a sacred stillness, unfolds dramatically, and then ends abruptly—an unpredictable structure that defines the track.
The work portrays not only human beauty but equally the ugliness that lies behind it, seeming to reflect complex emotions such as despair and inner conflict in the face of an inescapable reality.
Released in May 2025, this song gently stays by your side and resonates deeply when you’re weighed down by helplessness or a sadness too difficult to put into words.
Lazy BoyCreepy Nuts
Creepy Nuts is a musical duo made up of R-Shitei and DJ Matsunaga—a group you can’t leave out when talking about Japan’s hip-hop scene.
Their track “Lazy Boy” sings about the kind of nonstop, sleepless days the two go through.
The song also carries their resolve to keep pushing forward, even when they’re a bit worn out.
If you’re someone who’s exhausted from work or studying, you’ll definitely relate.
And don’t miss the Zoom-style music video, either.
