[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] Melancholy Songs That Empathize With Your Feelings [Painful] (31–40)
The kid who always gets comparedTsuyu
A song by Tsuyu that empathizes with the pain of being compared to others.
Many of us have been hurt by being measured against someone else.
This work portrays, head-on, the feelings of inferiority and inner conflict from the perspective of the one being compared.
Rei’s clear, translucent vocals and Pusu’s band sound—blending rock and pop—resonate deeply.
The lyrics lay bare the protagonist’s earnest emotions as they are continually compared by those around them, and their determination to keep going even while blaming themselves is truly moving.
The track was included on the February 2020 album “Yappari Ame wa Furun da ne,” and a remixed version was later released.
It was also featured in Konami’s music game SOUND VOLTEX, earning love from a wide audience.
Give it a listen when you’re feeling unsure of yourself or hurt by comparisons.
It will surely whisper, “I understand,” and stay by your side.
There are no gods.Rosu
This song is included on singer-songwriter Rosu’s album “Night’s All” released in December 2024, and she is active primarily on social media.
It tackles heavy themes like revenge, karma, and bondage head-on, featuring lyrics that coldly articulate unforgivable feelings and inescapable attachments.
Within its dark, aggressive world, it vividly portrays the black emotions that may lurk in anyone’s heart.
Rosu began her career as a vocalist, and in 2021 her debut single reached No.
1 on Spotify’s Viral Chart for two consecutive weeks.
This track is recommended for those struggling with relationships or loneliness, and for anyone who wants to transmute the haze in their heart through music.
What do you want to become?Rozarīna
If you’re a college student who feels crushed by anxiety about the future, please give this a listen.
It’s a track by Rozarina, included on the album “INNER UNIVERSE,” released in January 2020.
The song portrays the struggle of being overwhelmed by obligations and losing sight of what you truly wanted to do.
Its smoky vocals and acoustic tones gently wrap around a tired heart.
It’s a number I hope you’ll listen to without holding back your tears.
If being alive is painfulMoriyama Naotaro
This is Naotaro Moriyama’s 16th single, released in 2008.
The song is themed around facing life and death, and the impact of its opening lyrics is very strong.
However, those lyrics are not negative; they carry a message that by taking a moment to reflect on your own life, you can reaffirm what it means to live.
Perhaps it’s important, at times, to listen closely to this song, not run from the pain but rather sit with it, and spend time facing yourself.
I want to forget.wacci
This is a song by wacci that poignantly sings of the pain of wanting to sever memories of an ex but being unable to.
Released in July 2024, it was produced as the third installment of a three-part love song project.
It portrays a protagonist who, even while spending time with someone new, suddenly sees traces of their former lover—and the more they try to forget, the more vividly the memories return, conveying a deep sense of heartache.
If you’re nursing the pain of a breakup, it will surely hit home.
[For High School Students] Emo Songs That Stay Close to Your Feelings [Tough Times] (41–50)
If I were to die tomorrowKitanitatsuya
This is the song by Tatsuya Kitani that I want you to listen to on nights when, deep down, you find yourself wishing tomorrow would never come.
Released in January 2024, it opens the album ROUNDABOUT as the first track.
It begins with a beautiful piano melody and unfolds into a sweeping band sound—an arrangement that leaves a strong impression.
The lyrics carry a single-minded wish for you to keep living, even while holding despair.
For those of you getting through days that make it hard to breathe, it’s a song that feels like someone offering you an umbrella.
Just being alive is admirable.ReoNa
When your heart feels heavy and you can’t move, there’s a song that gently stays by your side.
Included on ReoNa’s fifth single “Nai Nai,” released in May 2021, this piece—written and composed by Toa Kasamura—is a track that resonates deeply.
Carried by the sound of the piano, ReoNa’s whispery vocals speak as if softly reading a diary aloud, giving voice to your innermost thoughts.
Rather than forcing encouragement, the lyrics simply offer the warmth of being there, making it a song you’ll want to hear when you’re worn out from trying too hard.
The choral parts, inspired by hymns, envelop you and quietly convey a blessing for living through today.
It’s a song I especially recommend to anyone getting by while holding on to painful feelings.