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10 songs that feel like Dark Parts

Matched to Dark Parts by Perfume Genius on how the music actually moves — intensity, dynamic swing, texture, tempo — not by genre tag. Here's what makes each one a match.

The song you love
Dark Parts
Perfume Genius
moderate 42/100 intensity 90 BPM
Paixao e Fe — Milton Nascimento moderate 90 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same emotional pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (42/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (90 BPM).

Love Me in Whatever Way — James Blake moderate 80 BPM

98% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (41/100). Same layered texture.

Crying Wolf — Julien Baker moderate 90 BPM

Keeps the same emotional pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (42/100). Measured 99% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (90 BPM).

Veinte Anos — Buena Vista Social Club moderate 90 BPM

Measures 99% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (42/100). Same layered texture.

Chuva de Prata — Gal Costa moderate 90 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same intimate pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (42/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (90 BPM).

Starsong — Ohio Players moderate 90 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (42/100). Same layered texture.

Is That Ok — H.E.R. moderate 80 BPM

Keeps the same emotional pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (38/100). Measured 95% alike.

Are You in Love — James Blake moderate 80 BPM

Measures 95% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (41/100). Same layered texture.

It Matters to Me — Faith Hill moderate 70 BPM

A 94% feel-match — carries the same emotional pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (37/100).

The One — Shakira moderate 90 BPM

94% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (38/100). Same layered texture.

…and if you want it calmer

Same feeling, measured gentler — for when Dark Parts is more than you want right now.

But Daddy I Love Him by Taylor Swift
But Daddy I Love Him — Taylor Swift safe 80 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but its dynamic range stays a gentler 5 where the original climbs to 7. Intensity 29/100, down from 42. Nearly the same tempo, too.

No Strings by Ed Sheeran
No Strings — Ed Sheeran safe 80 BPM

Its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 7, so it lands at 16/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.

For You by Tracy Chapman
For You — Tracy Chapman safe 75 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while its dynamic range stays a gentler 3 where the original climbs to 7. Reads 12/100.

I Remember Everything by John Prine
I Remember Everything — John Prine safe 75 BPM

Holds the same feel while its dynamic range stays a gentler 2 where the original climbs to 7. 8/100, versus the original's 42.

Tell Him by Lauryn Hill
Tell Him — Lauryn Hill safe 80 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 7. Intensity 16/100, down from 42. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Ordinary People — John Legend safe 92 BPM

Nothing in it lurches or startles, so it lands at 25/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Love and Life — Eric Benet safe 80 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while it stays in our safe band start to finish. Reads 45/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Ave Maria by Beyoncé
Ave Maria — Beyoncé safe 70 BPM

Holds the same feel while its dynamic range stays a gentler 4 where the original climbs to 7. 15/100, versus the original's 42.

Frequently asked

What songs sound like “Dark Parts” by Perfume Genius?

The closest feel-matches we measure are “Paixao e Fe” by Milton Nascimento, “Love Me in Whatever Way” by James Blake, “Crying Wolf” by Julien Baker — the top match scores 99% alike. Matching is by how the songs actually move (intensity, dynamic range, texture, tempo, predictability, vocal force), not by genre tag or popularity.

What songs are like “Dark Parts” but calmer?

“But Daddy I Love Him” by Taylor Swift, “No Strings” by Ed Sheeran, “For You” by Tracy Chapman keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.

How intense is “Dark Parts”?

It measures 42/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 7/10, layered texture, mild sudden shifts, and soft vocals. Tempo is 90 BPM.

How do you decide which songs are similar?

Every song in our catalog is measured on 8 dimensions — intensity, dynamic range, tempo, sudden changes, texture, predictability, vocal force and fine sound detail. Similarity is the distance between two songs across those measurements, so matches cross genres and eras. Shared mood tags break ties.

By the numbers: how this song compares

Computed from this song’s place among the 19,209 songs we’ve measured.

Where it sits in 19,000 songs

On our 19k-song scale this lands in the middle band — more energetic than 38% of songs, calmer than the other 62%. Its intensity reading of 42/100 comes from a dynamic range of 7/10, layered texture, mild shifts, and soft vocals. It shares this stretch of the spectrum with thousands of other tracks, so the finer fingerprint below is what really separates it.

What makes it unusual

What stands out most about this song is a slow, unhurried pace: more extreme on that axis than 71% of everything we've measured. At the far opposite end of the library sit the songs built on full chaos — sudden changes, huge quiet-to-loud swings, and relentless energy — the kind of track this one is the counterpoint to.

Feels almost identical to

Closest matches by feel across all 19,209 measured songs — not by genre or artist, by how they actually move.

What it’s good for

Sleep5/10
Focus10/10
Workout3/10
Dinner8/10
Party / hype3/10

Scored from this song’s tempo, intensity, dynamics and texture — not crowd votes.

2017 in context

The 461 songs we’ve measured from 2017 average a dynamic range of 6.0/10. At 7/10, this track is louder and more dynamic than its year.

Mixes smoothly with

Within a few BPM and close in feel — they flow without a jarring transition.

The fingerprint

Intensity42
Dynamics67
Tempo28
Surprise25
Density33
Predictability50
Vocal force25
Trigger load13

The 8-dimension measurement behind every rating on this page.

Want the single closest match, with every dimension compared?

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