[For High School Students] Melancholy Songs That Stay Close to Your Feelings [Tough Times]
School isn’t all fun and games, is it?
It’s sad, but some people might even say, “Most of it isn’t fun at all!”
Still, no matter how tough it gets, those memories and feelings will become the strength that supports you.
In this piece, we’ll introduce some “dark” songs that will stay close to your tired heart.
There are plenty to choose from, so if you go through the songs listed, you’re sure to find something you can relate to.
Let’s borrow the power of music and get through the present together.
- [Yami Song] Fight darkness with darkness!? Deep tracks that stay close to your pain
- [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
- Songs to listen to when you’re feeling down! Tracks that boost your self-confidence
- [Recommended for Teens] Songs to Listen to When Your Heart Is Tired / Songs You Want to Hear
- Emo songs recommended for junior high school students: A roundup of classic and popular Japanese tracks!
- Uplifting songs recommended for high school students
- [Relatable Lyrics] Emo songs to listen to when you're stuck after a breakup or relationship troubles
- [Melancholy] For when you want to sink all the way. Masterpieces that depict various kinds of gloom.
- [For those doing their best] A comforting song to listen to when you're tired of life
- Songs that hit home when you're feeling blue: masterpieces of Japanese music
- [Tearjerker] Songs that make your heart tremble with tears & moving tracks with lyrics that touch the soul
- Yami songs recommended for college students: melancholic tracks to listen to when you're feeling down
[For High School Students] Emo Songs That Stay Close to Your Feelings [Tough] (21–30)
InfluencerNogizaka 46
The word “influencer” tends to evoke someone who affects the broader public, but in this song it portrays an influencer on a smaller scale—someone who influences you personally.
It depicts the constant concern over what the person you like is interested in, and how being swayed by that can sometimes become painful.
The sound, with its passionate atmosphere accented by flamenco guitar tones, gives the impression of a powerful feeling within oneself blazing up.
Where from tomorrowMatsu Takako
This is Takako Matsu’s 22nd single.
It was chosen as the theme song for NHK’s morning drama in the latter half of 2017.
While the melody is bright and laid-back, the lyrics carry a hint of sadness.
It’s a piece that startles you with its vivid depictions of those fleeting moments in everyday life.
[For High School Students] Melancholy Songs That Empathize With Your Feelings [Painful] (31–40)
He was alive, wasn’t he?aimyon
It’s a soul-stirring song that confronts the weight of life.
Released as Aimyon’s ambitious major-label debut in November 2016, it layers warm, heartfelt lyrics over stark despair to question the preciousness and sanctity of living.
Chosen as the opening theme for the TV drama “Is Kichijoji the Only Place You Want to Live?”, its fresh yet powerful vocals resonated deeply with listeners.
Blending elements of folk and pop rock, the song is carried by the gentle tone of an acoustic guitar.
The lyrics, which stand beside those who have felt loneliness or the difficulty of living at least once, quietly echo in the listener’s heart.
When you’re feeling down or troubled, try listening to it alone in silence.
Re:setSEKAI NO OWARI
This is a song I want you to listen to when you want to escape from reality.
It’s included on SEKAI NO OWARI’s 2019 album “Eye” and was used as the image song for the game Catherine: Full Body.
Its defining feature is an aggressive sound that weaves in rap and shouts.
It’s as if the piece turns inner turmoil and conflict directly into sound, giving voice to the cry of the heart on days when you don’t want to go to college.
AnswerIkuta Rira
A warm cheering song that gives you the strength to look forward during tough times.
It’s a track by Lila Ikuta, released digitally in March 2021 and later included on her 2023 album “Sketch.” It was featured in a Tokio Marine Nichido Anshin Life commercial.
The song delicately portrays the feelings of trying to move ahead while carrying weakness and loneliness, offering comfort to the doubts and anxieties everyone experiences.
It’s a song I’d like people who are living through days without clear answers, or who are struggling with choices or relationships, to listen to.
MarshmallowDECO*27
Despite its sweet-sounding title, DECO*27’s track released in October 2025 stands out for its hard guitar riffs and aggressive sound.
The lyrics, depicting the protagonist’s psychological struggle as they realize the relationship is a sham and try to cut through the other person’s deceit, shake the listener with their sharp wording.
Its structure—rooted in rock while incorporating rap elements and drop-like developments—recalls “Ghost Rule” and “Hibana,” yet delivers an even more intense finish.
It’s a song that middle schoolers grappling with the complexities of human relationships can relate to, and one that will likely resonate deeply.
I want to become a kaiju.Sakuzyo
During the emotionally delicate years of junior high, this piece confronts head-on the impulse to break free and the longing for release that well up inside.
Written specifically for the finals of the rhythm game “Project Sekai” in October 2025, it features Hatsune Miku’s voice embodying a fierce desire to escape ordinary life and rampage like a kaiju.
Set to a high-speed fusion of breakcore and drum’n’bass, the track portrays repressed emotions erupting, powered by Sakuzyo’s signature meticulous and weighty sound.
When you feel your individuality being stifled, when you want to change even if it means breaking something, this work will stand by your side.