[Relatable Lyrics] Emo songs to listen to when you're stuck after a breakup or relationship troubles
Heartbreak, relationships, work, school—sad and painful things can happen in so many parts of life.
You might find yourself hating someone, lamenting your bad luck, or even feeling self-destructive at times.
Here are some “dark” songs to listen to in those moments.
Because these lyrics are written and sung by artists who have been through a lot, they’re raw and real enough to sit with your feelings—and I’m sure you’ll relate.
I’d be happy if listening to the songs I’m about to introduce helps lift your spirits, even just a little.
- [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
- [Unrequited Love] Heart-wrenching Love Songs | A Roundup of Tear-Inducing Crush and Breakup Tracks
- [Yami Song] A mental breakdown track that sings the true feelings of a melancholic heart
- [For High School Students] Melancholy Songs That Stay Close to Your Feelings [Tough Times]
- [Dark Songs] A carefully curated selection of deeply dark tracks and heartbreaking songs that accompany you in tough times
- [Tearjerker] Songs that make your heart tremble with tears & moving tracks with lyrics that touch the soul
- [Trash Songs] A carefully curated selection of tracks about the lowest, worst kind of loser—and hidden gems!
- My heart aches with bittersweet pain! Breakup songs I’d recommend to Gen Z
- [Female Heartbreak Song] A soul-stirring song dedicated to you, who loved with all your heart.
- A breakup song with great lyrics. A beautiful message that lingers in the heart.
- For When You Need a Good Cry: Soul-Soothing Tearjerker Classics — Life, Love, and Work
- Gently staying close to a wounded heart… A Reiwa-era heartbreak song
[Empathy in Lyrics] Depressing songs to listen to when you’re stuck in heartbreak or relationships (71–80)
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.
Act like an adult.suisou gurashi
A bittersweet love song that portrays the complex emotions of a woman who goes to meet someone on the last train at midnight.
Released by Suisougurashi in March 2022, the song delicately captures the feelings of a woman swept up in an adult romance.
Set to jazzy sounds and a catchy melody, it vividly depicts her inner conflict as she keeps the relationship going by hiding her true self to suit the other person’s convenience.
With a clear, translucent vocal, it expresses a woman wavering between her straightforward affection and the anxiety of losing her sense of self.
A song that offers comfort to those hurting from unrequited love or heartbreak.
Only I liked it.suisou gurashi
A heartbreak song by suisougurasu that delicately portrays the ache and lingering attachment of love.
Eye’s clear, translucent vocals beautifully capture the painful feeling of being left behind while the other person moves on to their next romance.
Many listeners will relate to the lyrics, which depict how a casual message from the person you like can throw your heart into turmoil.
Released in September 2021, this song is sure to resonate with anyone who can’t forget someone they love or is suffering from a love they can’t let go of.
I can’t bring myself to hate (you/it).ren
A work that sings of emotions born in the space between loss and lingering attachment.
Even when cornered into a situation where they can’t help but depend on the other person, their love is so deep they can’t even bring themselves to hate them.
Ren’s clear, translucent vocals capture that aching feeling beautifully.
The lyrics vividly portray the subtle, complex emotions hidden deep in the heart, creating a worldview that truly resonates.
Released in September 2021, this piece is also known as Ren’s debut song.
Its delicate, acoustic guitar–driven arrangement enhances the poignancy of the vocals.
It’s a song that stays with you when you’re suffering from lingering attachment or obsession toward someone you love, or when you love them so much you can’t let go.
nonsenseHitsuji Bungaku
There are times when you feel vaguely empty or your spirits sink, right? The song I want you to listen to at such times is “Kudaranai.” It’s a track included on the album “our hope” released by Hitsujibungaku.
Moeka Shiotsuka, the band’s vocalist, sings about the emotional fluctuations she felt through her music activities.
Because it focuses on negative feelings that anyone can relate to, it’s easy to empathize with and appealing in the way you can listen while reflecting it onto your own experiences.
