[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 bittersweet tracks that resonate with painful feelings (101–110)
Only on nights when I want to dieAina ji Endo
On nights when your heart is restless and you feel alone, Aina the End’s “Shinitai Yoru ni Kagitte” sings a quiet empathy for those carrying such feelings.
The song’s bittersweet yet warm lyrics stir the listener’s emotions while offering a measure of comfort.
Aina’s husky voice, weaving a melody both delicate and powerful, breaks through the stillness of the night with intensity while conveying a tender closeness to the listener.
It’s a song I recommend for moments when you want to listen quietly by yourself—one that rests gently against your heart.
As you take in its embracing vocals and lyrics, your loneliness may begin to ease, little by little.
If I Could Paint LifeYOASOBI
This is “If I Could Draw Life,” released in 2021 by the musical duo YOASOBI, known for hits like “Racing into the Night” and “Gunjō.” It serves as the theme song for the stage play “If I Could Draw Life,” and reflects on the lives of one’s loved ones and oneself.
The chorus melody feels almost understated yet unforgettable once you hear it—truly striking.
It’s a song I want you to listen to when you’re hurting and feel like disappearing.
How will I live? Is the person or problem I’m struggling with now truly worth staking my life on? Listening to this song brings such questions to mind.
Love Me Up (Prod. Chaki Zulu)Awich
It’s a song that opens with a bright rap, but the content is dark.
A seductive love song that plays with the phrases “roll it” and “smoke it.” It showcases just how high-level Awich is.
The catchy melody and her distinctive vocals really stick in your ears.
While it’s not overwhelmingly dark, the lyrics are trippy in many ways, so definitely look into it.
In a sense, the catchy melody actually makes it feel heavier.
Also, pay attention to producer Chaki Zulu’s excellent taste.
ART( OBKR / Yaffle Remix ) feat. Gottz,Tohji,Shurkn PapOKAMOTO’S
A litany of the dark sides of modern society.
You can savor the feeling of staring into that darkness.
A life that keeps losing to the lure of money, even as you atone for days filled with emptiness.
If you listen when you feel that futility, it might awaken you.
This track lets you experience the heavy, murky darkness of money.
Recommended for those who want a rap number that satirizes contemporary times.
It’s not quite deranged.
Alkalemiamol-74
It’s a song by mol-74 that depicts a powerful sense of regret—realizing only when it’s already too late.
The layering of piano tones with a mechanically repeating guitar phrase evokes a sadness that settles in the heart.
The vocal melody, which includes higher notes, intertwines with the quiet rhythm, effectively conveying instability and pain—an impression that really stands out.
Throughout, it expresses the feeling of “if only I could do it over,” and its atmosphere, like a cry from a anguished heart, makes this a track that shakes an already fragile spirit.
[Dark Songs] A carefully selected set of deeply dark and heartrending tracks that empathize with painful feelings (111–120)
MirageBikkeburanka
Vickeblanka’s fourth single, Mirage, released in 2020.
The song was the theme for the drama The Way of the Dragon: Avenger with Two Faces, a live-action adaptation of a hard-boiled novel starring Hiroshi Tamaki.
While his piano melodies usually sound very refreshing, in this track they instead stir up unease, coming across as sounds that deepen the weight of heavy feelings.
It’s a powerful song that seems to justify one’s doubts and slumps.
A night that makes me want to dieRen
There are times when something sad happens and you feel like throwing everything away, right? That raw state of mind is vividly captured in “A Night That Makes Me Want to Die.” It’s a track released by next-generation artist REN.
While it starts as a laid-back R&B song, the flow accelerates as the protagonist’s despair deepens, giving the piece a heightened sense of immediacy.
Then, in the latter half, it gradually returns to a slower tempo, and it closes with a certain line of dialogue.
