[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 heartrending tracks that empathize with painful feelings (41–50)
reassessmentMARETU
From an intro brimming with eeriness, the melody continues with a sense of madness.
It’s a song about the losers in the history humanity has repeated, wishing for a do-over within the cycle of reincarnation.
The track conveys madness and an indefinable heaviness.
It speaks from the perspective of someone who has become a victim within the cycle, embedding a message of lament and anger toward an unchanging system.
Accepting the song too straightforwardly might lead to dangerous ideas.
[Dark Songs] A carefully selected set of deeply dark or heartrending tracks that empathize with painful feelings (51–60)
night after nightKurahashi Yoeko
Yona Yona Yona, sung by Yoeko Kurahashi, is a track included on her first album, Fujinyo (For Ladies), released in 2002.
Kurahashi is a singer-songwriter from Aichi Prefecture known for her uniquely captivating worldview.
An unofficial music video uploaded to Niconico in 2007 surpassed one million views, boosting the song’s popularity.
The lyrics—depicting the struggles of a protagonist who can’t find anything good in life and can’t learn to like herself—leave a strong impression, and together with the ominous piano phrase in the intro, they create a dark atmosphere.
It’s a song whose words many can relate to when they’re feeling down, so please give it a listen!
No, noReoNa
If you’re looking for songs that are intensely dark and heavy, I highly recommend ReoNa.
She’s a singer-songwriter who creates many tracks themed around despair.
Among her songs, the one I especially want you to hear is “Nai Nai.” It was written as the theme song for the anime Shadows House.
The lyrics list various things the singer lacks, and the song is put together around that idea.
It’s also packed with tight rhymes, so it becomes addictive the more you listen.
Participation prizesoredemo sekai ga tsuzuku nara
They’re a punk band formed in 2011.
The name is so unusual that once you hear it, you can’t forget it.
It almost feels like they’re saying, “We’ll give you a participation prize, so let’s stop putting up with this,” but… that kindness is frightening.
I get a sense of danger, as if life could be taken away in a hopeless instant—how do you take it? The song itself has a punk-like exhilaration, but there’s a certain darkness to it.
I’ll destroy every part of the me you want.Abe Mao
The aggressively biting lyrics leave a strong impression.
The reckless vocals and the sharp tone of the strummed acoustic guitar drive the entire track forward with overwhelming force.
The textures of the other sounds are also extremely rough, embodying the world depicted in the lyrics.
aloneNakajima Mika
Although both the melody and the lyrics are very dark, it’s a beautiful song packed with Mika Nakashima’s charm.
Her strained, squeezed-out vocals are truly heartrending and brim with sadness.
As the title suggests, it conveys a palpable sense of loneliness—of being “alone.”
Song of the Eternal NightKami wa saikoro o furanai
Yonaga Uta is a song filled with unbearably bittersweet feelings for someone you can no longer meet.
Although it was released in 2019, it drew attention and became a hit in 2020.
It can be considered one of the signature songs of Kami wa Saikoro wo Furanai, and it’s a recommended number for those heartbroken or down after a breakup.
Everything about this song—the melody, the lyrics—is achingly sad, and many people find themselves in tears even if they haven’t gone through a breakup.
If you’re experiencing a painful love, you’ll relate to it even more and won’t be able to hold back your tears.
