[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)
Azure Daysplenty
Even when you give it your all, your efforts don’t always pay off.
In times like that, the song I want to introduce is “Aoki Hibi.” It portrays the despair you feel when you pour yourself into something and it still ends in failure.
There are various interpretations, but the title is said to refer to the days when you were working hard with excitement and anticipation.
It’s a track overflowing with a sense of futility, yet in the final chorus it gently gives you a push forward.
If you like it, be sure to check out the music video featuring an a cappella performance.
Live.Suiyōbi no Campanella & yahyel
The title carries a powerful yet simple message.
This is a collaborative track by Wednesday Campanella and yaehel.
It contains graphic expressions, so please be cautious if you’re sensitive to such content.
The song was created based on a real scene Kom_I encountered at Shinjuku Station: a person jumping onto the tracks.
The somewhat mysterious melody signifies life and death, and the looping structure represents a cycle of suffering.
It’s heavy, but overwhelmingly beautiful, with outstanding artistic quality.
Just being alive is admirable.ReoNa
For when you’re feeling hopelessly blue, ReoNa’s “Ikiteru Dake de Erai yo” gently brings you light.
Included on the 2021 single “Nai Nai,” this song was written and composed by Vocaloid producer Tota Kasamura.
It portrays someone trying to push on through a haze of gloom, failing to make headway, and spiraling into thoughts like, “There are people worse off than me—so why am I like this…?” Yet, by the end, the lyrics offer words that rescue both the protagonist and you—someone whose heart has sunk just as deeply.
Please listen to the end and let yourself cry it all out.
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.
