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.
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- [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] (21–30)
IdentitySakanakushon22rank/position
Released in August 2010, this single is a somewhat wistful dance tune that fuses an intense Latin beat with electronic sounds.
It was featured in a commercial for Toshin High School and used as the theme song for the film “Judge!”, and can be seen as a turning point for Sakanaction.
When you feel like you’re losing your sense of self or get anxious comparing yourself to others, this song gently asks, “What does being you really mean?” It’s a number that empathizes with the hazy, restless feelings of junior high schoolers.
I don’t need friends—die.Shinsei Kamattechan23rank/position
Both the title and the lyrics themselves are pretty dark.
It’s a song by the rock band Shinsei Kamattechan, known for their often talked-about aggressive live performances.
It’s included on their 2012 album “Tanoshii ne.” The rhythm and sound get addictive the more you listen.
But somehow—despite how out there the song is—it also makes you feel a bit wistful.
Sparks of Lies96neko24rank/position
Even when you know it’s a hopeless love, hasn’t everyone experienced being unable to control their feelings? You often hear about people who are too afraid of ruining a good relationship to confess their feelings.
This is a song I want those struggling with that kind of bittersweet dilemma to hear.
It portrays a heartrending love, yet, contrary to the lyrics, the up-tempo, catchy performance is really cool.
to liveMizuno Atsu25rank/position
This is a song that gently stays close to a delicate heart that feels weighed down even by the smallest moments of everyday life.
Released in July 2021 as a collaboration between Atsu Mizuno and the Vocaloid Kafu, it has reached 10 million views on YouTube.
The conflicting emotions—wanting distance from school or relationships, blaming oneself, yet still wishing to keep living somewhere deep inside—are carefully portrayed within a simple, piano-centered soundscape.
Listen to it on nights when tomorrow feels frightening, or in moments when you feel no one will understand you.
Hated by life.Kanzaki Iori26rank/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.
Girls don’t cry.katahira rina27rank/position
This is Rina Katahira’s “Onna no Ko wa Nakanai” (“Girls Don’t Cry”).
There are, unfortunately, some outrageous men who toy with girls’ feelings.
Many girls have been made to cry and get hurt by such men.
As the song says, there’s no need to shed tears for people like that! Now’s the time to end those push-and-pull relationships and fall in love with someone sincere and kind (lol).
Stray SheepKamisama, boku wa kizuite shimatta28rank/position
This is a song I especially want people who are struggling with their future or feeling stuck to hear.
They rose to popularity with piercing high notes and sharp lyrics.
In this track, they play gently—and at times intensely—as if saving lost lambs.
Singing, “Don’t worry about those around you; listen to your own voice,” their message will surely give you a little push toward the future.