[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 curated selection of deeply dark and heartrending tracks that empathize with painful feelings (41–50)
The moon for youCocco
Cocco has released many works that portray the darkness of the heart.
This song, “Moon to You,” is another track that conveys inescapable despair and loneliness.
It’s not just her songs—there’s a sense of agitation hidden within her beautiful, powerful voice that seems to fit perfectly with how you feel when you’re down.
While drawing out those darker emotions, her music somehow calms the heart in the end.
On a gloomy night, try listening to it alone, slowly and attentively.
[Dark Songs] A carefully selected set of deeply dark or heartrending tracks that empathize with painful feelings (51–60)
The Slope of KarmaPorunogurafiti
There’s none of the usual gentle, big-brotherly Porno Graffitti anywhere to be found.
The words about stealing, sin, and hell weigh down my heart; listening to the song makes me feel downright depressed.
There’s a bit of salvation, but no smiles.
Karma is the law of cause and effect that says all deeds come back to you.
Porno Graffitti’s interpretation of karma is just too heavy…
Room 304, The Cherry Blossoms of White DeathDIR EN GREY
They’re a very famous band known as a passionate visual kei act that makes full use of death growls.
Not only are their music videos intense, but the synergy between the sound and the lyrics is outstanding.
That immersive, pitch-dark atmosphere they plunge you into is really cool, isn’t it?
Tenshō Shō Tenshōkikuo
This is a track by Kikuo, a Vocaloid producer known for his distinctive musicality and creativity that could be seen as art.
It has an addictive sound—something like EDM or dubstep, yet not quite describable by those labels alone.
It was released on a video-sharing site in 2012.
If you reverse the latter half of the vocals, a hidden message emerges, so definitely give it a try.
The illustrations used in the video are scary as well…
When the con man starts to laughNashimoto P
Sharp-edged guitar and distorted bass tones.
It’s a Vocaloid rock number that sends decadent imagery racing through your mind.
Known for lines like “Aa aa aa aaa aa aa aaa,” it’s one of Nashimoto-P’s signature songs, released on Niconico in 2009.
The final phrase in particular really hits home.
First, try listening without reading the lyrics—you’ll be drawn deeper into the world of Nashimoto that way.
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.
Hill of DespairPlastic Tree
A dark and lonely song that tells you there’s despair because there’s hope.
It’s an early Plastic Tree track, and it’s a masterpiece marked by a heartbreaking surge of emotion and vocalist Arimura’s wistful, sultry delivery.
It’s not just sad—it also carries a sense of beauty.