[J-Pop] Dark-themed songs by girl bands: haunting masterpieces that pierce the heart

It’ll get stained.Chatto Monchī

Chatmonchy “I’ll Be Dyed” Music Video

Chatmonchy’s 9th single “Somaruyo,” released in 2008, was chosen as the theme song for the late-night NTV drama Tonsura.

Eriko Hashimoto composed the music and Akiko Fukuoka wrote the lyrics, and it drew attention for being the first time Seiji Kameda served as the track’s producer.

The lyrics portray the inability to forget a former lover, intertwining that feeling with images like cigarette smoke on a night walk and a scene dyed by the dawn.

It’s a captivating song whose poignant, nostalgic atmosphere contrasts with its powerful band sound.

Tokyo ShampooHaze

Tokyo Shampoo

When your heart is worn out by the gap between ideals and reality, this song will surely hit home.

It’s a track by Haze, a girls’ band centered around KATY, included as the first song on their mini-album “glare,” released in August 2023.

SUZUKA’s repeating keyboard phrase leaves a strong impression, and KATY’s slightly husky vocals convey the emptiness of urban life with piercing clarity.

The lights and shadows of Tokyo, along with the understated performance that reveals more flavor the more you listen, seep into a tired heart.

Give it a try when you’re exhausted from chasing your ideals.

Tears of RegretSCANDAL

SCANDAL “Namida no Regret” / Namida no Regret ‐ Music Video

A medium-tempo ballad that delicately portrays the ache of longing and the pains of growing up.

Released by SCANDAL in July 2010 as their seventh single.

It depicts young people gradually becoming adults through a summer farewell.

Tears spilling behind smiles, two silhouettes reflected in a windowpane, and a small nod exchanged in place of “goodbye.” You can feel the emotions where bittersweet memories and regret intertwine.

It’s a song I recommend when you want to recall past love or friendship, or when you’re facing a parting with someone.

No way I’m going to forget it.SHISHAMO

Wasureteyarumonka

An emotional rock number by SHISHAMO that hurls the anger and sorrow of heartbreak straight at you.

Included on the album “SHISHAMO 6,” released in January 2020, this track stands out for its unique structure, unfolding from a reggae-flavored beat into intense rock.

The protagonist’s searing emotions—crying, throwing up, and still trying to live on—pierce the heart through Asako Miyazaki’s vocals.

It’s a work that transforms the anger of heartbreak into catharsis.

to yell, telephone, downpourChatto Monchī

Chatmonchy – Shouting, Telephone, Downpour – Zepp Tokyo 2009

A song whose storm of emotion—woven from the sound of rain and a voice on the phone—won’t leave your ears.

Included on their major-label debut full album Miminari, released in 2006, this track uses the symbolic motifs of a breakup phone call filled with shouts and a fierce downpour to portray emotions that can’t be contained.

The protagonist, who keeps apologizing even while knowing it’s over, embodies the very hesitation we all feel at the moment of parting.

With anger and lingering attachment colliding, this song is sure to resonate when you need to let your feelings out.

person of moistureakai kouen

Uruoi No Hito

From the translucent opening, tones spread out as if you were underwater, creating a mysterious sense of floating.

It’s a track included on the 2012 mini-album “Toumei na no ka Kuro na no ka” (“Is It Transparent or Is It Black?”).

Composed solely of a chorus and a bridge, it’s an experimental piece whose pleasant melody line lingers in your ears.

The lyrics by Yonezu Masaki Tsuno are deeply enigmatic, as if capturing fluctuations of emotion just as they are.

The beauty of the choral work also stands out.

It might strike a chord when something in your heart feels unsettled.

sirenSplit End

"Siren" – Split end (Official Music Video)

The song “Siren,” included on Split end’s first nationally distributed mini-album Yoru, released in February 2018, portrays uncontrollable emotions and inner conflict through a detached, almost cold gaze.

It expresses the anguish of living while tormented by regret and memories of the past.

The band’s emotional sound—where intensity coexists with delicacy—deeply reinforces the lyrical world.