[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!] Difficult high-pitched songs to sing (311–320)
Biting the second handzutto mayonaka de ii no ni.
I think this is a song that’s fun to listen to and fun to sing! Zutomayo’s ACA-san has a cute, easy-to-listen-to voice, but when you actually try to sing it, the range is really high whether you use head voice or chest voice.
By the way, in this song the highest note is E5 in the chorus, and it’s amazing that she belts it in chest voice rather than falsetto.
Keeping the pitch steady in the chorus is especially tough! Also, the rhythm is unique, with lots of spots where notes are subtly lengthened or cut short.
When you sing it yourself, you might find parts that don’t quite line up with the rhythm.
Instead of jumping straight into karaoke, it’s a good idea to sing along while listening to the original track!
LOVE or HATE?Maeshima Mayu
This is a digital single by Mayu Maeshima, released in January 2024.
It was selected as the opening theme for the TV anime ‘Villainess Level 99: I May Be the Hidden Boss but I’m Not the Demon Lord.’ With its very powerful high-tone vocals and slightly idiosyncratic phrasing and vocal nuances, it’s a difficult song with several hurdles to clear if you want to sing it well.
Precisely for that reason, it’s a track I’d love confident singers to take on.
Not only does it require consistently powerful vocal delivery, but the rhythm and groove of the so-called digi-rock backing track are also crucial points for performing it.
Be sure to study those aspects thoroughly before you give it a try.
giftRADWIMPS
Tamamono, known as the theme song for NHK’s morning drama series “Anpan,” is a new track by RADWIMPS.
True to RADWIMPS’ style of embracing a wide range of genres, it features a complex melodic development.
The overall vocal range is quite broad, and the chorus includes phrases that repeatedly switch between chest voice and falsetto.
Other sections also feature dramatic pitch leaps and key changes, making it highly challenging—so if you’re confident in your singing ability, be sure to check it out.
True loveMay J.
It’s a ballad that showcases May J.’s outstanding vocal ability.
The key isn’t very high until the chorus.
However, the chorus starts on a very high note, so I think that’s the main point to watch out for! If you can get past that, it should be easy to sing for people with a high vocal range.
The lyrics are really beautiful, so be sure to read them too!
Are you alive?Kotone
This is Japanese singer Kotone’s sixth digital-only single, released on June 21, 2021.
It appears to have been produced as an original song for the Monday 9 p.m.
drama “Night Doctor.” The track is a classic J-pop ballad, and Kotone’s vocal style here is likewise very traditional, letting you fully enjoy her wonderful singing.
Singing this at karaoke can be challenging if you’re “just good at high notes,” but if you’re a woman confident in your high range, it’s a song you should definitely try at least once.
In the original, some parts are sung in falsetto as an expressive choice, but much of the chorus and other sections are delivered in a powerful, chest-voice high register.
Try recreating that at karaoke—you’re sure to become the center of attention!
[High Notes Warning!] High-Pitched Songs That Are Hard to Sing (321–330)
Black and WhiteDa-iCE
Da-iCE is a dance-vocal group that captivates women’s hearts with their powerful vocal performances.
Speaking of Da-iCE, their hallmark is definitely those soaring high notes, right? Their new song “Black and White” showcases Da-iCE’s high register to the fullest.
The most challenging element here is, without a doubt, the mixed voice sections.
Delivering Da-iCE’s signature, strong and resonant mixed voice across a wide range is no easy feat.
LaughobiaMINAKEKKE
MINAKEKKE is the solo project of Yui Minako.
Characterized by a sound rooted in goth, new wave, acid folk, and trip-hop, it has earned high praise from hardcore music aficionados.
The new track “Laughobia” blends acid folk and trip-hop, boasting a very wide vocal range.
Although it’s sung with a downbeat, moody delivery, the abundance of long tones likely demands more diaphragm and breath control than one might expect.