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

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.

I don’t plan to see you again—take care.SCANDAL

SCANDAL "I Don't Plan to See You, Take Care" / Awanaitsumorino Genkidene – Music Video

A quintessentially SCANDAL, hard-hitting, rock-flavored track.

The lyrics, however, are bittersweet—trying to sever feelings for someone they love.

It powerfully sings about the loneliness and dilemmas right before a breakup.

Recommended for those who can’t forget an old love.

secret base ~What You Gave Me~ZONE

secret base ~What You Gave Me~ ZONE (Full)

ZONE’s signature song “secret base ~Kimi ga Kureta Mono~” was released in 2001.

Written and composed by Norihiko Machida, this mid-tempo number evokes nostalgia: being called out at an intersection at summer’s end brings back memories of days spent together in a secret base and of sharing dreams for the future.

It’s one of the girl band’s classic tracks, expressing the hope of reunion after parting.

Love and Boredomyonige

I tried playing “Koi to Taikutsu” by yonige

“Koi to Taikutsu” (Love and Boredom) is included on the 2015 mini-album “Coming Spring.” The lyrics and composition were handled by vocalist Arisa Ushimaru.

The song’s lyrics portray the gloomy feelings of a “me” who, swayed by societal norms and the mood of those around them, feels on the verge of losing their place.

While longing to destroy everything amid monotonous days, the protagonist still can’t quite give up on hope—an inner struggle of youth expressed in unadorned words.

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.

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.