A famous song about setbacks. A song that stays by your side when times are tough or you feel like giving up.
While living, there are happy moments, but there are surely many times when we feel crushed, too.
I researched songs about the theme of setbacks—ones that can give you encouragement.
Rather than songs that just say “Keep it bright and push through!”, I mainly picked tracks that stay close to those frustrating feelings during a setback and the tough times.
So when nothing seems to be going right, please give them a listen.
May setbacks become the seeds of success.
I’m sure music will give you plenty of strength!
- Songs to listen to when you’re feeling down! Tracks that boost your self-confidence
- [Songs to Listen to When You Want to Die] I want to disappear... A song to support you who feel that way
- [Dark Songs] A carefully curated selection of deeply dark tracks and heartbreaking songs that accompany you in tough times
- [Support for the Heart] Songs That Give You Courage When Times Are Tough
- [A Cheer for Myself] A pep song dedicated to you who are doing your very best
- [Deeply Moving] A Tear-Jerking Cheer Song: Popular Inspirational Anthems That Resonate with the Heart
- [Cheer-Up Songs Special] Songs that give you courage when you're feeling down. Encouraging tracks.
- [For those doing their best] A comforting song to listen to when you're tired of life
- [A Life-Affirming Anthem] An Encouraging Song to Cheer You On
- [Yami Song] Fight darkness with darkness!? Deep tracks that stay close to your pain
- [Tearjerker] Songs that make your heart tremble with tears & moving tracks with lyrics that touch the soul
- Masterpieces that sing of regret. Recommended popular songs.
- [For when you want to cry or feel sad] Tear-jerking masterpieces that make you cry when you listen
A masterpiece that sings of setbacks. Songs that stay by your side in tough times or when you feel like giving up (81–90)
To My AdolescenceAka-hoho Shishunki (BOL4)
A healing song by BOL4 (Bolbbalgan4) that wraps the delicate emotions of adolescence in acoustic tones.
It gently traces the emotional journey from days tormented by loneliness and self-denial to gradually finding hope with the passage of time.
Included on the September 2017 album “Red Diary Page.1,” this work made the Melon Music Awards’ Top 10 for three consecutive years, Korea’s largest music awards.
Alongside the crystalline vocals, it brings into sharp relief the complex feelings of sensing parental love yet being unable to accept it straightforwardly, and the image of youths who shrink under the gaze of those around them.
When you feel on the verge of losing yourself, listening to this song will surely let a ray of hope shine into a heart filled with loneliness and anxiety.
Write it as “regret,” read it as “future.”mafumafu
A rock ballad by Mafumafu that gently resonates with the hearts of those carrying sorrow and despair.
Through delicate lyrics and an emotional melody, it portrays the inner cries of a protagonist tormented by anguish so deep they wish for death, yet lacking even the courage to end their life.
Released in January 2021 and included on the album “Yoaiseki Universe,” the song was written for the smartphone rhythm game “Project SEKAI COLORFUL STAGE! feat.
Hatsune Miku.” It is a track that tenderly embraces those who are exhausted by living or burdened by pain they cannot share with anyone around them.
MindsetKamikita Ken
A ballad that evokes deep empathy, woven from tranquil acoustic guitar and delicate vocals.
In this piece, Ken Kamikita turns inward, expressing the emotions and conflicts that lie deep within his heart.
It portrays a heartfelt plea to have one’s existence acknowledged, the anxiety and confusion of searching for the meaning of life, and the complex state of finding a kind of solace in the world’s indifference.
Released in April 2017 on the mini-album “LAYERED” and unveiled alongside a concept book, the work drew attention as an ambitious project that fused music and literature.
When you face hardship and feel on the verge of losing your sense of purpose, this song will stay close to your heart and give you the courage to confront yourself.
Small RevolutionSUPER BEAVER
This song powerfully sings of the small acts of courage hidden in everyday life and the desire for self-transformation.
Included on the album “Ongaku,” it was released in February 2024 as an insert song for the TV Asahi drama “MARS: Zero no Kakumei.” With an emotional rock style characteristic of SUPER BEAVER, its melody and sound quietly yet fervently urge us to give voice to our inner feelings and reevaluate who we are.
It was also featured in TBS’s special music program “Ongaku no Hi 2024” for a mass sing-along project, where it was performed together with many viewers.
It’s a song that gently gives you a push when you feel life is hard or lonely, or when you want to take a step toward tomorrow.
LIFEkimaguren
It’s a cheering song that gives you courage when you’re unsure about your way of life and feel like your heart is about to break.
Released in May 2008 as Kimaguren’s second major-label single, this piece is a classic whose refreshing acoustic guitar and the duo’s harmonies resonate deeply.
It warmly portrays people who, even while losing sight of their true selves, keep searching for the meaning of life.
Embracing the sense of difficulty and loneliness that everyone carries, this song offers a chance to reclaim your authentic self.
When you feel on the verge of losing your sense of purpose, it will gently nudge you forward.