A Japanese female singer with excellent singing ability; an outstanding vocalist.
Even when we say someone is “a good singer,” that can mean many different things.
They might have astonishingly steady pitch, a superhuman vocal range, exquisite sense of rhythm, or a truly overwhelming voice.
This time, I’ve picked out female singers who are widely regarded as “great” from various angles like these, as well as female singers who, from my years of experience as a vocal producer and voice coach, make me think, “She’s outstanding!”
Of course, a singer’s appeal doesn’t necessarily lie only in technical skill.
But every now and then, isn’t it nice to listen with a focus on “skill”?
I hope this will be helpful for those who aspire to become singers as well.
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Female Japanese singers with great vocals / high singing ability (1–10)
sunflowerAdo
Ado’s 18th digital-only single, released in July 2023.
It was selected as the theme song for the TBS Tuesday drama “18/40: Dreams and Love If We’re Together.” In this track, Ado’s vocal performance is remarkable for how she varies her voice and delivery across phrases and sections to meet the demands of each part.
While the melody itself isn’t particularly complex, focusing on this “vocal switching” reveals a lot to learn, making it a song aspiring singers should definitely listen to closely.
Like a star…MISIA
The greatest appeal of MISIA’s singing is, above all, her deeply resonant voice and the expressiveness inspired by Black music.
In this work as well, she masterfully switches between a powerful, belted high tone in her chest voice and a soft falsetto that seems to relax for a moment, delivering exquisitely nuanced vocals.
To sing like this, you first need a solid foundation in basic vocal technique—there’s no way around it.
If you have any questions about vocal production, feel free to send me a message!
A flower blooming amid the rubbleNanjō Yoshino
Yoshino Nanjo is active across a wide range of fields: voice actor, actress, singer, and vocalist in a music unit.
The song we’re introducing here, “A Flower Blooming in the Rubble,” was produced as the ending theme for the PC game Grisaia: Chronos Rebellion, and as expected from a professional who works with “the voice,” she delivers an irresistibly appealing and consistently steady vocal performance throughout the entire track.
That stable tone and precise pitch are truly noteworthy.
Great singers. Japanese female vocalists with high singing ability (11–20)
beautiful womanchanmina
Chanmina is a female rapper who enjoys overwhelming support from women across many generations.
She says she’s influenced by K-pop and hip-hop, and although she’s a rapper, she also has advanced vocal technique.
Above all, her standout charm is her mix voice.
She excels at a shout-infused mix voice, which is rare among Japanese female artists.
In Japan, female artists who can use this kind of mix voice are extremely uncommon.
Her techniques like fake (embellished runs) and fall are solid as well, so be sure to check her out.
Pick you upiri
iri is a singer-songwriter with a rare low-register voice for a female artist in Japanese pop.
In her early days she focused on R&B with a strong pop flavor, but recently she’s been leaning into a more core sound centered on neo-soul and alternative R&B.
Her biggest draw is, above all, her falls.
She’s great at falsetto too, and the contrast with her low-note falls is striking.
She’s also an artist with strong musicality, so be sure to check her out.
One-Winged BirdShikata Akiko
Akiko Shikata is a singer-songwriter who also works within the doujin music scene.
“Katayoku no Tori” is her debut single, released in 2009, and it was used as the opening theme for the TV anime Umineko no Naku Koro ni.
It reached No.
11 on the Oricon charts.
hyururira-pappatuki.
Singer-songwriter tuki., who enjoys overwhelming support from young listeners.
She shot to nationwide fame with the smash hit Ban Sanka and has continued churning out big tunes ever since.
Her greatest appeal, above all, is pitch control.
As you can hear on Hyururira Pappa, she locks in pitch perfectly even on vocal lines that alternate between falsetto and chest voice.
While her techniques like runs, falls, hiccups, and shouts may not be top-tier, when it comes strictly to pitch control, she undoubtedly ranks among the very best.