Popular “yami” songs: Japanese music / J‑Pop artist rankings [2026]
When you’re feeling down, entrust those feelings to songs that sing about the same emotions.
This time, we’ll introduce Japanese artists who specialize in “dark/healing songs,” ranked in order.
Before long, you’re sure to feel better.
- Popular Depressive Songs Ranking [2026]
- Ranking of Dark/Jaded Japanese Songs [2026]
- Popular Japanese Music / J-POP Artist Rankings [2026]
- [Yami Song] Fight darkness with darkness!? Deep tracks that stay close to your pain
- Hidden gems of yami songs. Recommended popular tracks.
- Popular Tearjerker Song Rankings [2026]
- [Yami Song] A mental breakdown track that sings the true feelings of a melancholic heart
- Popular Unrequited Love Songs: Japanese Music/J-Pop Artist Rankings [2026]
- Popular R&B. Japanese Artist Rankings [2026]
- Popular Unrequited Love Song Rankings [2026]
- Yami songs recommended for women
- [Relatable Lyrics] Emo songs to listen to when you're stuck after a breakup or relationship troubles
- Ranking of Sad Songs by Japanese Pop Artists: Popular Tracks [2026]
Popular “yami” songs: Japanese music / J-pop artist rankings [2026] (11–20)
Black sheepKeyakizaka4611rank/position
Have you ever felt like you can’t trust anyone, that there’s no one in this world you can rely on or truly understand you except yourself? The song “Black Sheep,” perfect for times like that, is the eighth single released by Keyakizaka46 in 2019, with Yurina Hirate as the center.
When you’ve fallen into distrust of people, how about letting yourself drop all the way to the bottom? I can’t help but relate to the feeling that if things go well by making myself the bad guy, then that’s fine.
mentally unstable personMioyamazaki12rank/position
It’s a super cool, aggressive-sounding “menhera” song.
It’s by the Tokyo-based rock band MIOYAMAZAKI and is included on their 2015 mini-album “Otona ga Dame tte Itta Yatsu” (The Stuff Adults Said Was No Good).
The track opens with a woman’s monologue, and the lyrics will give you chills as the song unfolds.
I’m sure some of you can’t help but think about someone in this way, whether you like it or not.
Give it a listen when you’re in the mood to sink into a darker state of mind.
moonlightOnitsuka Chihiro13rank/position
Moonlight portrays the sense of helplessness and loneliness one can feel in this wide world.
Released in 2000 by singer-songwriter Chihiro Onitsuka, it is known as one of her signature songs.
Carried by a beautiful yet fleeting piano melody, her voice conveys a deep solitude and anxiety.
The song is filled with messages that prompt deep reflection on life—questions everyone holds, like “What am I living for?” It’s a ballad that depicts the trembling emotions of losing someone dear or losing your place in the world.
Please lend an ear to its gently resonant melody and lyrics.
I wanted to be your last girlfriend.Koresawa14rank/position
Koresawa is a female singer-songwriter who debuted in 2011, known for her distinctive bear-themed visuals and for not showing her face.
Her relatable lyrics have earned her strong support from women.
“Saigo no Kanojo ni Naritakatta” (“I Wanted to Be Your Last Girlfriend”) features heartbreakingly clingy lyrics that contrast with its bright sound.
Even so, its upbeat melody makes it an easy-to-listen-to ‘yami song’ about emotional pain.
There was no meaning to being born.mafumafu15rank/position
This is Mafumafu’s signature work, a cry from the heart that chronicles losing one’s sense of self-worth and ceaselessly questioning the meaning of life.
It’s included on the album “Kagurairo Artifact,” released in October 2019.
The song confronts the value of discarded lives, a society indifferent to others, and the powerlessness of being unable to save anything despite having the potential to become anyone.
Though the lyrics are filled with despairing questions, they ultimately resound with a strong resolve that we must go on living.
It’s a song that stands beside those who find life hard or have lost sight of their own worth.
Just being alive is admirable.ReoNa16rank/position
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.
Hated by life.Kanzaki Iori17rank/position
When standing on the brink of profound agony, any words can be a source of encouragement.
Kanzaki Iori’s “Hated by Life Itself” is a song that stays close to you in exactly such moments.
Its weighty piano melody and plaintive strings are gentle on the ears yet resonate powerfully with the heart.
Like a single beam of light piercing the dark night, the lyrics stir the listener’s emotions and instill the courage to rise again.
With a wealth of cover versions available on YouTube, this song is one I’d recommend to anyone searching for a reason to keep living.
Kill my ex-boyfriendGōruden Bonbā18rank/position
This is the fourth single by Golden Bomber, released in 2008.
Golden Bomber is famous as an air band, but their songs themselves are always distinctive and draw attention.
As you might guess from the shocking title, this song expresses resentment toward the boyfriend of the person the singer has fallen for.
However, because it has a bright, rock-style feel, it doesn’t come across as too heavy—that’s the key point.
MarshmallowDECO*2719rank/position
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 thought about killing myselfamazarashi20rank/position
amazarashi is a rock band from Aomori Prefecture.
Their songs are striking for lyrics that, while afflicted, still carry a certain gentleness.
This work, too, has an extremely intense title, but in the end someone’s presence brings salvation.
It’s a song that gently stays close to a worn-out heart.