[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 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…
atonementKasamura Tōta
Even if something seems trivial to others, it isn’t trivial to you—right? For those who struggle with worries that others dismiss as “no big deal,” I especially recommend this track by the Vocaloid producer Toa Kasamura.
Released in 2018, it’s a piano-driven ballad whose beautiful tones carry a poignant sorrow, as if each note seeps into the depths of your heart.
Place a hand over your chest and listen while reflecting on the life you’ve walked so far.
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.
reincarnationboku no ririkku no bouyomi
Rinne Tensei is a song that condenses feelings of impatience, despair, and resignation.
Released in 2018 by Boku no Lyric no Boyomi—known on Niconico under the name Shigaisen—it starts off with a subdued atmosphere, then swells powerfully into the chorus, offering comfort to a downcast heart.
It’s the kind of track you’ll want to listen to alone with your eyes closed when helpless emotions swirl amid repetitive days.
Highly recommended with headphones or earphones.
[Dark Songs] A curated selection of deeply dark and bittersweet tracks that resonate with painful feelings (61–70)
The happiest way to die in the worldkoka
This song portrays the thoughts that flash through your mind when you’re at rock bottom—complex ideas that can even seem contradictory.
The way the negative emotions of leaving or disappearing are layered over warm, piano-centered sounds conveys a sense of emotional instability.
Although the lyrics say that the ideal way to disappear would be when no one is left to grieve, the pervasive sense of suffering also feels like someone desperately trying to talk themselves through it.
It’s a song that gently resonates at a deep level with the universal, downcast question of “how to vanish from here.”
RevengeMy Hair is Bad
A song with a frightening title.
It portrays the sorrow of being betrayed by someone you loved.
It expresses the depth of romantic resentment and the darkness straight on.
While the melody is catchy and the vocals are on the higher side, the lyrical content is bleakly despairing.
It conveys the sadness and anger of having a genuine love wounded.
Just by listening, it makes you think from a different angle than a typical love song: “I should cherish my current partner.”
Bacterial contaminationKanimiso P
This is a Vocaloid song that tackles the heavy theme of bullying.
It’s a track by Kanimiso-P, also known as the creator of “Dancing☆Samurai,” released in 2012.
Beyond the song’s content, the music video is downright dark, crafting an extremely frightening worldview.
That said, plenty of people love songs with this kind of atmosphere.
Definitely give it a listen.