[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 Times] (41–50)
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.
[For High School Students] Depressing Songs That Stay Close to Your Feelings [Tough] (51–60)
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.
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.