Ken Hirai's classic and popular songs
Let me introduce you to songs by singer-songwriter Ken Hirai.
His charm lies in his high, beautiful vocals and rich expressiveness.
He has many famous songs, such as Rakuen, Hitomi wo Tojite, and Ookina Furudokei, which helped ignite his popularity.
He’s apparently a huge Southern All Stars fan, and it’s said that back in his student days he even delivered a demo tape to Keisuke Kuwata’s home.
Ken Hirai’s greatest and most popular songs (1–10)
Because it won’t reach / Because it doesn’t reachNEW!Hirai Ken
This is a ballad written as the theme song for the film “50 First Kisses,” starring Takayuki Yamada and Masami Nagasawa in dual leading roles.
It sings of a bittersweet love for someone whose memory resets every day, and the music video’s clown dance in a tatami room became a hot topic.
The vocals over a light electric guitar are particularly striking.
The key point is the chorus’s choppy, start-and-stop melodic line, where the singer intentionally inhales and exhales during the breaks to let you enjoy the sound of the breath.
Try singing it with an easy touch, without overexerting yourself.
Can I call it magic?NEW!Hirai Ken
It was written as the theme song for the Panasonic LUMIX GX7 Mark II commercial featuring Haruka Ayase and went on to become a long-running hit.
It’s a quiet, love-filled ballad where the acoustic guitar tones resonate with Ken Hirai’s vocals.
The overall vocal range of the song is F2–B4, and compared to other songs, the high notes aren’t unexpectedly that high, making it a range that seems singable in falsetto.
In fact, Ken Hirai sings it softly in falsetto to create a bittersweet mood, so it’s best to sing with the sensation of releasing a thin stream of sound from the top of your head.
For the low notes in the A section, be sure to raise your eyebrows and take care not to strain your throat.
LIFE is… ～another story～NEW!Hirai Ken
This is a renowned ballad that was rearranged from a track on the 2003 album “LIFE is…” and released as a single the same year as the theme song for the drama “The Life of Quill, the Seeing-Eye Dog.” Even in difficult circumstances, it expresses the “truth” of facing forward and living on, conveyed through Ken Hirai’s poignant yet warm vocals, making it a song that’s extremely popular among fans.
With its beautiful sound highlighted by piano and string accompaniment, it’s also a personal favorite of mine.
The verse sits in the low range and the chorus leaps into the high range, creating a large contrast, so be sure to lift your facial muscles from the start to avoid your pitch dropping.
Even as the melody changes, if you focus on projecting all your voice from your temples, you’ll find it easier to sing.
Dear daysNEW!Hirai Ken
Produced by Kiyoshi Matsuo for the first time in ten years to cap off the 15th anniversary, this exquisite ballad, tinged with sadness yet evoking hope for the future, was released on May 4, 2011 as the theme song for TBS’s Sunday drama JIN: The Final Chapter.
The song spans a very wide vocal range from G#2 to C5, with a clear structure where the range gradually rises from the A verse to the B verse and then the chorus.
The low notes in the A verse are pitches you don’t often use, so be careful not to let your voice get muffled.
Take a deep breath and project your voice forward, letting the air flow.
The start of the chorus uses phonemes that make falsetto easy to produce, so if you really let your head voice resonate, you should be able to hit the notes without any problem.
NonfictionNEW!Hirai Ken
Based on the artist’s real experience of losing someone close, this medium-tempo ballad explores views on life and death and loneliness, and served as the theme song for the TBS drama “A Little Giant” in the April 2017 season.
Kenshi Hirai himself said it “cuts into the dark side of life,” and it’s a masterpiece that expresses an earnest questioning of death and a sense of loss.
The chorus is famous, so I think many people know the song.
The overall vocal range is C3–A4, and the falsetto in the chorus is especially distinctive; if you can’t hit that comfortably, the performance can feel underwhelming.
Rather than belting in chest voice, sing more strongly in falsetto.
Try placing a hand on the back of your head and imagine sending your voice in that direction as you sing.
Make my heartNEW!Hirai Ken
This is the theme song for Doraemon the Movie: Nobita’s Great Adventure in the Antarctic Kachi Kochi, released on March 1, 2017.
It was her first anime theme song, written to evoke the bond between Doraemon and Nobita—a touching medium ballad that resonates with the heart.
The accompaniment is piano throughout, and if you sing without rushing, the tempo shouldn’t run.
Since it’s basically sung gently, lightly resonating in the nose and head as if you were humming will suit the atmosphere perfectly.
When humming, use plenty of breath as if you’re humming a tune.
Be careful not to produce the sound in your throat, as that will turn into a throaty voice.
Things I like about youHirai Ken
You want to tell the person you love how you really feel, but when the moment comes, you get shy and can’t say it… This song captures that frustrating yet endearing feeling of being in love.
It’s a single released by Ken Hirai in 2007 and was also used as the theme song for the drama “Enka no Joō.” It was later included on the album “FAKIN’ POP.” The lyrics, written in down-to-earth language, and the gently buoyant melody really sink into your heart.
The clumsy, awkward figure of someone in love is sure to make your chest tighten.
When you want to renew your gratitude for a beloved partner, or on nights when you’re thinking of an unrequited love, why not listen to this track and let it fill you with warmth?
ParadiseHirai Ken
A hit song released in January 2000 that became the catalyst for Ken Hirai’s big breakthrough.
His distinctly striking features and dreadlocks became hot topics in Japan.
Many people got hooked on Ken Hirai because of this track! No matter how many times you listen, his beautiful vocals and stylish music are truly soothing.
even ifHirai Ken
Released in December 2000.
A mature love song with a clear, transparent feel, where Ken Hirai’s gentle, beautiful voice over piano accompaniment resonates with the heart.
It’s a bittersweet and sensual track popular among women, evoking unrequited feelings and the nuanced push-and-pull of adult romance, like in a stylish bar at night, directed toward someone you secretly love.
GREEN CHRISTMASHirai Ken
While singing about a realistic Christmas scene—one without white snow or Santa Claus—this ballad is imbued with deep prayer and love.
Released in December 2000 as the B-side to the single “even if,” it shipped 360,000 copies and was featured as the J-WAVE CHRISTMAS SONG 2000.
In the recording, they pursued an extreme laid-back feel, stripping back instruments to create space.
At Ken Hirai’s winter concept live series “Ken’s Bar,” it has long been beloved as the standard pre-show SE.
With a voice that gently envelops the heart, this is a recommended song for those who wish to offer a prayer on a Christmas night spent alone.