A spine-chilling, terrifying song. Japanese music that evokes madness and horror.
Don’t you ever feel like listening to scary songs? That sensation where curiosity about scary things wins out—like with horror movies, haunted houses, or famous ghost spots.
In this article, I’ll introduce tracks with chilling themes: horror-inspired worlds, madness and hidden psychology, twisted love, and more.
If you’re a horror-song freak, this is a must-read.
It might also help when you’re thinking, “There was a scary song I heard once long ago, but I don’t remember the title.”
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A spine-chilling, terrifying song. Japanese tracks that evoke madness and horror (1–10)
utter scumnakiso
It’s a Vocaloid track where madness and dependency intersect.
Nakiso used Kaai Yuki and released it in March 2022.
The lyrics, intertwining one-sided affection and a desire to control, leave a strong impression.
Commands and pleas appear in alternation, expressing the protagonist’s unstable state of mind.
The sudden, push-you-away sound arrangement gives you chills.
There’s also a remix version by STEAKA and even a novel adaptation, so check them out if you’re interested.
beast trailCocco
Cocco is known for having many works that sing of almost violent feminine passion, and this song in particular makes that tendency especially apparent.
From the dissonant intro and the screams in the interlude to the lyrics that somehow evoke a sense of bloodiness, an uneasy, grotesque atmosphere pervades from beginning to end.
a May flyRADWIMPS
The hit song “Satsuki no Hae” by the hugely popular band RADWIMPS.
The melody is typical pop, but because the lyrics are themed around sexual assault, the song as a whole is quite scary.
That said, the lyrics themselves use straightforward, conversational language, so it’s still a catchy track.
It feels like a scary song for kids.
A spine-chilling, terrifying song. Japanese tracks that evoke madness and horror (11–20)
FEELS LIKE HEAVENHIIH
This “FEELS LIKE HEAVEN,” famous as the theme song for the smash-hit horror film Ring.
Beyond its melody, the chorus lyrics are highly distinctive, so many of you probably still have them stuck in your heads.
Pay attention to how the song’s arrangement masterfully conveys a sense of fear.
I bear a grudge.Nakajima Miyuki
The scary song included on Miyuki Nakajima’s seventh original album, “Ikite Itemo Ii Desu ka,” is “Urami-masu” (“I Will Hold a Grudge”).
The fear it conveys is apparent from the title alone.
From the very first line she sings, “I hold a grudge,” directing that resentment toward the person who toyed with her.
Lyrics suggesting she wants to leave a message on the door of the one she resents—thanking them for their kindness with her own fingernails—hint at madness and heighten the sense of dread.
There’s nothing more terrifying than human grudges.
Mononoke DanceDenki Gurūvu
My brain gets wrecked by its avant-garde sound.
It’s a track by Denki Groove, released as a single in February 2008.
It was used as the opening theme for the anime “Hakaba Kitaro.” The lyrics, inspired by traditional Japanese ghost stories and urban legends, feel like opening a door to another world.
And perhaps thanks to its light, nimble rhythm, it has a charm that makes you want to listen to it over and over.
It contains both fear and addictiveness, and even after time has passed since its release, it doesn’t feel dated at all.
stigmatized propertyfox capture plan
The song “Jiko Bukken” is part of the soundtrack for the 2020 film “Stigmatized Properties,” starring Kazuya Kamenashi of KAT-TUN.
It was created by fox capture plan, an instrumental band known for scoring many famous films.
While some tracks add fear through their lyrics and story, this piece stands out for instilling a sense of terror through the music itself, making it compelling to listen to despite its scary elements.
With a tinnitus-like motif and dynamic shifts in volume and tempo, it quickly transforms into a truly frightening track.