Songs to listen to when you're feeling down. Recommended feel-good, uplifting tracks.
When you’re feeling down, is there something you “always do”? For some people it might be exercise or going for a drive, but I’m sure many turn to listening to music.
As you listen to songs created by many artists, each infused with their own messages, you start to feel encouraged bit by bit, don’t you? This time, I’ll introduce plenty of songs that will stay close to your weary heart and lift your spirits.
I hope you catch the message in each song and that your heart feels a little lighter.
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- Encouraging songs: timeless masterpieces that resonate with the heart, recommended popular tracks
- Energizing songs recommended for women: songs that make you feel positive.
Songs to listen to when you're feeling down. Recommended feel-good tracks (221–230)
Same ThingHoshino Gen
Gen Hoshino brings us a song imbued with the resolve to lovingly embrace the contradictions and absurdities of emotion.
It’s an ambitious work created in collaboration with the UK band Superorganism, featuring English lyrics.
Set to a sleek electropop sound, it paints a worldview where rainy days and sunny days, hatred and love—all hold equal value.
Released in October 2019, it impressively reached No.
1 on the Oricon Digital Albums chart.
Its bold, modern reinterpretation of the traditional concept of wabi-sabi also drew attention.
This is a piece that stays by your side when you feel stuck or face unreasonable circumstances, supporting you as you try to keep moving forward in everyday life.
Why Don’t You Play in Hell?Hoshino Gen
This is a celebrated masterpiece by Gen Hoshino, praised as a soul-baring song that candidly voices profound despair and loneliness.
Born from his time battling illness in a hospital room, the piece powerfully portrays a person struggling on in the face of hopeless circumstances.
Though a pop song, its sophisticated arrangement deftly weaves in elements of jazz and funk, brilliantly expressing emotions swaying between life and death.
Released in October 2013, it was created as a movie’s theme song and carries Hoshino’s earnest feelings as he awaited surgery.
The grand soundscape, adorned with lavish strings and a horn section, conveys a fierce will to claw one’s way back from the brink of despair.
It’s a track you should listen to when you’re exhausted by life and on the verge of breaking.
It will surely resonate with anyone who, even while confronting harsh realities, still strives to look ahead and keep moving forward.
Horse and deerYonezu Kenshi
A song by Kenshi Yonezu characterized by powerful melodies and lyrics that resonate with the heart.
Written as the theme song for the drama “No Side Game,” it was released digitally in August 2019.
Alongside its grand sound, the lyrics—depicting people who confront adversity and keep moving forward—leave a strong impression.
By listening to one’s inner voice and singing of the importance of love and bonds, this piece encourages those who wish to keep challenging themselves without giving up in the face of hardship.
Give it a listen when you’re striving toward a new environment or goal.
pyramid[Alexandros]
![pyramid[Alexandros]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Nqhr58oUxNk/sddefault.jpg)
A song distinguished by a melody and sound that blend tension with power.
Set in the elite world of private bankers serving the wealthy, it’s a perfect fit as the theme for TV Asahi’s Thursday drama, which depicts a story of challenge and growth.
The emotional band sound fuses seamlessly with the drama’s worldview led by star Toshiaki Karasawa.
Celebrating the strong will to push past one’s limits, this track is ideal for getting a boost at karaoke or savoring an even greater sense of exhilaration on a drive.
Everything other than death is just a scratch.Koresawa
This song features Koresawa’s clear, translucent voice, gently accompanying our hearts.
Included on her major-label debut album “Korekara,” released in August 2017, it’s a positive, uplifting anthem that sings about facing life’s hardships and trials with optimism.
Written, composed, and arranged by Koresawa herself, the track fully embodies her unique worldview.
The lyrics, weaving in everyday episodes, leave a strong impression as they celebrate the strength to never be defeated by adversity.
It’s a song that gives you energy when you’re feeling down or losing confidence.
Why not let it become a source of support for your heart?
READY GOE-girls
An E-girls song you’ll want to listen to when you’re feeling down.
With lyrics that convey a forward-looking, positive message, this track gives you energy and brings out a can-do mindset.
It was included as a B-side on the 2012 single “Follow Me,” and its dance- and performance-driven music video is also popular.
The song celebrates the courage to keep chasing your dreams, portraying a determination to keep giving it your all—supporting one another through setbacks and hardships.
It’s the kind of track that gently gives you a push when you’re feeling low or thinking about taking on something new.
Songs to listen to when you're feeling down: Recommended uplifting tracks (231–240)
The Show Must Go OnKen Yokoyama
A hard-hitting, heart-stirring anthem that gives you the courage to face forward.
No matter what challenges you encounter, it reminds you of the importance of holding on to your passion for music.
Included on the album “Indian Burn,” released in January 2024, this track could be called the culmination of Ken Yokoyama’s musical journey.
His powerful declaration that standing on stage is his reason for living is guaranteed to lift your spirits.
It’s a perfect song for when you’re feeling down or need the courage to move forward.
Listen to this track, and you’ll feel ready to face tomorrow with your head held high.