[Hidden Gems] A Collection of Songs About Part-Time Jobs: Music That Resonates with Working People

Part-time job at a bakeryAnjurumu

Part-time job at a bakery

It’s a song that elevates a seemingly common story—of a bakery’s poster girl being courted by customers—into a wonderfully light-novel-style narrative, characteristic of Tsunku’s production.

The tune is gentle, with a refreshing melody line, crafted with karaoke appeal in mind.

Hello Work (Japan’s public employment service)andā za kauntā

Hello Work / Under the Counter

As expected, this song is also themed around working part-time at a convenience store.

Since they had a tie-in with the employment office at the time, the band’s sound is packed with taste and stands apart from ordinary guitar rock.

Sadly, the band ended up breaking up, much to fans’ regret.

Please, ShenronKyūso Nekokami

Kyuso Nekokami – Onegai Shenron @ Borofesta 2013

A guitar rock track with a wildly bold theme: the protagonist, tasked with training a hopeless new part-time hire, vents their frustration by appealing to Shenron like a prayer to the gods.

The riff is needlessly cool.

This was their breakout song—the killer tune that got them invited to all the big festivals.

Byte FighterBakusute Sotokanda Itchōme

Backstage Akihabara 1-Chome – Part-Time Fighter (Short ver.) [HD]

It’s a concept song that fits today’s music industry: an aspiring idol working part-time while aiming to become a top-tier idol.

The group itself, to put it simply, is a team of maid café part-timers, so the lyrics feel authentic and easy to relate to.

Manager, I’m quitting my part-time job.Su凸ko D凹koi

Su凸ko D凹koi "Manager, I'm quitting my part-time job." Music Video

A song written by a protagonist whose only redeeming quality is their seriousness, chronicling their hardships at a part-time job.

True to the title, it culminates in a raw, painful account of dropping out of the job, resulting in an avant-garde pop track.

Part-time Job of Evilfaneru

[Faneru] Part-time Job of Evil (Aku no arubaito) Spanish-subbed ~.wmv

I don’t think there has ever been a song that showily and theatrically glammed up a convenience-store part-time job to this extent.

It dramatically portrays the story of a protagonist—once a part-time worker reigning at the pinnacle of the convenience store—who ultimately drops out.

Under the SunSuchadarapā

UNDER THE INFLUENCE “RIZE x Scha Dara Parr”

A track that made me realize SDP treats the company president, sponsors, and part-time staff all from the same perspective and folds them into their music.

Their word choices are nothing short of superb, and I’d say this is the origin of top-tier party sounds in Japanese hip-hop.