[2025] A Collection of Dark Western Songs Middle Schoolers Should Hear

BodybagNEW!Chloe Moriondo

Bodybag – chloe moriondo (official music video)

Chloe Moriondo, who gained popularity from cover videos on YouTube and made her major-label debut.

This track from her May 2021 album “Blood Bunny” is striking for the contrast between its light, catchy pop sound and the dark emotions embedded in the lyrics.

It portrays complex feelings about love—loving someone so much you hate them, and hating them yet still loving them—emotions that even junior high school students can relate to.

Savor the obsession and jealousy hidden beneath the seemingly bright melody as you read along with the Japanese translation.

It’s a recommended song for anyone struggling with love!

FSUMimi Barks

Mimi Barks – FSU [Official Video] Splatter Film

Mimi Barks, who’s attracting attention with her distinctive “Doom Trap” style.

Tracks from her February 2024 album THIS IS DOOM TRAP deepen self-reflection and contemplation of chaos theory through the theme of broken relationships.

The fusion of a raspy voice with metal and hip-hop helps convey profound despair and fear.

Lyrics that weigh the burden of love after a shattered heart and seek liberation from that anguish resonate with many listeners.

This work is perfect for those exploring a path of self-discovery and growth.

Experience Mimi Barks’s powerful message and unique sound for yourself!

used to youmxmtoon

mxmtoon – used to you (audio)

mxmtoon, a Gen Z icon who took flight from her bedroom in Oakland to the world.

This song is featured on her April 2020 EP, Dawn.

It’s a bittersweet yet beautiful coming-of-age track that sings of nostalgia for days gone by.

It seems to portray the complex feelings that mix loneliness with optimism when you drift away from close relationships and familiar places.

The dreamy soundscape—like floating through a dream—and her gentle, intimate vocals tug at the heartstrings.

It’s the kind of song you’ll want to play on nights when you’re feeling a little sentimental.

As you settle into a new chapter of life, in those moments when you suddenly long for the past, it will surely be there to comfort you.

NumbLinkin Park

Numb (Official Music Video) [4K UPGRADE] – Linkin Park

It’s said to be a song sung to the singer’s own mother.

It can also be taken as a song between lovers, but it repeatedly sings about being tired of living the way the other person wants.

Interpretations vary, but even if you listen to it in middle school without understanding the lyrics, I think by the time you graduate you’ll be able to understand parts of it.

Happy?Mudvayne

Mudvayne – Happy? (Official HD Video)

This is a heavy rock band called Mudvayne that went on hiatus.

They’re praised for melodies that sublimate all their pain into beauty and fuse it with heavy rock.

While the band has a simple, very typical lineup, the guitar ensemble is delicate and well worth a listen.

daddyKorn

KoRn – Daddy

It’s striking how the vocalist, Jonathan, lays bare his anger as he sings about the abuse he suffered from his father and the mother who didn’t help him.

Toward the end of the song, the vocals break down into tears while mechanical drums and understated guitar and bass resound.

SoberTool

TOOL – Sober (Official Video)

Rather than “it makes you sick when you listen,” it might be closer to “when you listen while you’re unwell, you feel something welling up from the pit of your stomach.” The lyrics sound like the ramblings of someone in despair—shouting whatever comes to mind, like “self-loathing,” “anger,” “Virgin Mary,” and “I want to do what I want”—but the composition of the song is polished and has a compelling force.