[High-pitched warning!] Songs with high notes that are hard to sing
The Japanese music scene is known for having a relatively low emphasis on groove, but an unusually large number of high-pitched songs.
In particular, since Japan has finally started earnestly incorporating overseas music in recent years, the overall level of songs has risen dramatically.
With that in mind, this time we’ve picked out Japanese songs that are on the higher side.
From songs with a wide vocal range, to tracks that have pinpoint high parts, to songs that stay in the high register throughout, we selected from a broad set of perspectives—so be sure to find the tracks that suit you!
- Recommended karaoke songs for male vocalists with high voices
- [Taking on a song with a wide vocal range] An S-class challenge track
- A masterpiece with exhilarating high notes. An enchanting high-tone voice.
- [Feels Great to Listen To!] Popular Songs by Female Artists with Captivating High Notes
- I want to sing songs that use a lot of falsetto—tracks that are also good for practicing falsetto at karaoke.
- Recommended for great singers! A collection of impressive songs if you can sing them
- [If You Can Sing These, You're Amazing!] Cool Karaoke Songs for Women
- Pick out the challenging songs that will earn you respect if you can nail them at karaoke!
- [Karaoke] A roundup of songs that are easy for women to sing!
- Recommended for teenage girls! Easy-to-sing karaoke songs
- [Challenge] A Compilation of Anime Songs with High-Pitched Melodies and High-Tone Vocals
- [For Women] A roundup of enka songs that can score high in karaoke
- Great for karaoke song selection! Recommended easy-to-sing songs for Gen Z women
[High Notes Warning!] Very High Songs That Are Hard to Sing (111–120)
Knock U downMizuki Nana
A track included on the album “CANNONBALL RUNNING,” released in December 2019.
It was used as the opening theme for TBS’s TV program COUNT DOWN TV for December and January.
Perhaps because voice actors tend to have solid projection and diction, many of them are great singers, and Nana Mizuki is no exception—she delivers a pretty cool performance here.
In this song, she skillfully switches between a powerful midrange, high tones, and clear high notes using mixed voice.
That means it’s not something you can pull off just by having a high voice; it can be quite challenging.
Do your best to sing it while aiming for proper vocal technique! It’s a mid-tempo rock song with a comfortable groove, so it should be a lot of fun to sing.
[High-pitched caution!] Difficult high-range songs to sing (121–130)
The world is falling in loveCHiCO with HoneyWorks
CHiCO with HoneyWorks is a unit consisting of a female singer and a creator team.
Their debut single, “The World Is Falling in Love,” used as the opening theme for the TV anime Blue Spring Ride (Ao Haru Ride), is a pleasant track featuring a clear, piano-focused sound.
The melody rapidly rises and falls with few places to breathe, and the chorus makes heavy use of falsetto, making it difficult to maintain accurate pitch—so even women who are confident with high notes shouldn’t let their guard down.
With its catchy melody and cute lyrics, it’s a pop tune that, if you can pull it off, will draw attention from both men and women.
affectionKoyanagi Yuki
When it comes to Yuki Koyanagi, I think many people think of this song.
It was released in 2000, and she was only 18 at the time.
Her voice is so passionate and powerful, it’s hard to believe she was just 18! It overflows with the earnest feeling of “I want to be with the person I love.” She sings the end of the chorus in a very high register.
How about singing this at karaoke and amazing everyone around you?
guidelinesUru
This is Uru’s fifth digital-only single, released in May 2023.
It was selected as the theme song for Fuji TV’s Monday 9 p.m.
drama “Kazama Kimichika: Kyōjō 0.” Built on a symphonic backing track, it’s a beautiful ballad that lets you fully savor Uru’s very gentle yet powerful high-toned vocals.
Reproducing Uru’s singing in this track at karaoke is quite challenging for most people; it takes more than just being good at high notes.
Still, if you’re confident in your singing, it’s definitely a song worth attempting! Listen closely to the original for reference, and aim for a performance that is both strong and soft, maintaining clean, controlled tone even in the high passages.
flameLiSA
This is LiSA’s 17th single, released in October 2020.
It might be clearer to say it’s the theme song for the hugely popular anime film Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train.
She freely switches between a cute, girlish tone, powerful high notes using chest and mixed voice, and a beautiful falsetto, so singing this at karaoke might be a bit challenging even for women who are good with high notes.
But that’s exactly why it’s worth the challenge, isn’t it? It’s a gentle, ballad-style song, so it’s by no means easy to sing, but I’d love for you to master it!
NonsensePenthouse
Penthouse is a band with both male and female vocals.
They describe their style as city soul and excel at producing glamorous, sharp tracks.
Their new song, Nonsense, showcases just that.
Along with powerful shouts, it features a variety of techniques that evoke elements of Black music like R&B and soul—such as ad-lib-style “feints” and funky falsetto.
The falsetto in the chorus is especially challenging, as it requires a sudden leap in pitch from chest voice, making it quite difficult.
EGOISTimase
Singer-songwriter imase is known for his use of falsetto.
His falsetto is somewhat distinctive, rooted in a vocal approach similar to funk singers.
His new track “EGOIST” features that falsetto throughout.
If that were all, it would be business as usual for imase, but in this song the falsetto sits unusually low in range, making pitch control more challenging.
The composition is also somewhat irregular, making it a piece that really tests one’s musical sensibilities.