[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.
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- [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 Times] (41–50)
A love on the verge of witheringSuzuki Suzuki
This song poignantly portrays a couple who, after their youthful days end and they enter the working world, gradually drift apart until their relationship ends.
It’s sure to resonate with anyone in college who feels distance growing with someone important.
Released by Suzuki Suzuki in April 2021 as the final installment of their love-themed trilogy, it’s characterized by beautiful harmonies.
The lyrics, in plain and realistic language, capture the fragility of a relationship where busy days lead to fewer meetings and dwindling contact.
Its mellow tones will stay close by your side.
[For High School Students] Depressing Songs That Stay Close to Your Feelings [Tough] (51–60)
MetronomeYonezu Kenshi
It’s a poignant song by Kenshi Yonezu that depicts the growing mismatch of feelings between two people who matter to each other.
It’s included on his 2015 album Bremen.
The lyrics liken two metronomes that initially tick in the same rhythm but gradually fall out of sync over time to a relationship drifting apart, offering solace to the pain of loss that everyone experiences.
The gentle tempo and piano tones are soothing, and you can’t help but be drawn in.
It’s a song I especially want those grieving the loss of someone dear to listen to.
Birthday Complexsensei tasukete
Sensei Tasukete-san’s song is a melancholic piano-pop number that portrays the complex feelings of a girl on the eve of her birthday.
Vivid lyrics linger in the mind, such as the image of a girl after school waiting for her teacher while blindfolded, and a scene where a cake is smashed to bits.
Released in January 2025 as a debut single, it drew attention especially among young people, with the teaser video on TikTok garnering over 41,000 views.
It’s a track that gently accompanies those who feel impatience as their birthday approaches and are unsettled by the prospect of growing up—one you’ll definitely want to hear.
Wolverine Nenzutto mayonaka de ii no ni.
A piercing song that captures feelings of loneliness and self-denial.
It’s a track by the band ZUTOMAYO (Zutto Mayonaka de Iinoni), centered around the vocalist ACA-ne.
It’s included on the mini-album “Koke no Ichinen Kaiba ni Takusu,” released in October 2024.
The pain of emotional repression is conveyed through ACA-Ne’s transparent vocals and a funky guitar sound.
It’s a song that will resonate with teens and people in their twenties struggling with relationships.
The track “TAIDADA,” also included on the same album, was used as the ending theme for the anime Dandadan.
At all times.Makihara Noriyuki
One of Noriyuki Makihara’s signature songs, released in 1991.
It’s a highly recognized track that has been covered by many artists over the years.
While anyone can feel rushed or anxious in daily life, this song conveys a desire not to dwell on the past but to keep moving forward while valuing one’s true self.
It strongly expresses the wish to turn that authenticity into personal strength.
The song feels like a message to oneself—a self-encouragement anthem.
Always With MeKimura Yumi
This is Yumi Kimura’s signature song, which was used as the theme song for the Studio Ghibli film Spirited Away.
The timbre of the lyre and her gentle vocals match the film’s world perfectly.
The relaxed rhythm and the softly sung lyrics about views on life resonate directly and feel calming.
It’s not that I want to die.Asanomachi
A song whose fleeting, translucent vocals almost bring you to tears.
Its lyrics—like the soft words that slip out in the stillness before sleep—gently embrace a lonely heart.
Asanomachii’s delicate production and KAFU’s crystal-clear voice blend beautifully, creating a work that deeply moves its listeners.
Released in August 2024 and included on the album “Yoi no Machi,” this track quietly stays close to those who feel life is hard or who struggle to find where they belong, and to those whose hearts are worn out by modern society.
It’s a song to lean on when you don’t want to force yourself to look ahead, but instead wish to face your feelings just as they are.