[May 2026] The latest J-Pop releases. Check out the hottest new tracks!

I love you explosivelyM!LK

I love you explosively

Released in February 2026, this track—featured on their eighth double A-side single after their major-label debut, “Bakuretsu Aishiteru / Sukisugite Metsu!”—is a super high-energy love song that wholeheartedly embraces every form of love.

True to its title, the lyrics convey emotion straight from the heart, and the upbeat sound that makes you want to move your body lifts listeners’ spirits.

It showcases the group’s brightness and energy in full force.

A song overflowing with exceptionally positive power.

Love ScabDECO*27

[MV] Love Scab / DECO*27 - Usada Pekora (official)

A highly addictive rock number where sweetness and pain intertwine.

The vocals are performed by Usada Pekora, a talent from hololive, and the track was released in February 2026.

The lyrics and composition are by DECO*27, known for creating numerous iconic songs.

Its late-night drop right after Valentine’s Day also became a major talking point.

With arrangement by Hayato Yamamoto, the sharp guitar sound and catchy melodic lines leave a strong impression.

The lyrics evoke unhealed wounds and lingering dependency in love—listeners troubled by romance may find themselves reflected in it.

It’s an uptempo tune you’ll want to replay over and over, with a cute vocal delivery and heart-wrenching emotional expression that truly hit home.

KATTARINALANA

LANA – KATTARINA (Official Lyric Video)

Rapper/singer LANA, known for her husky vocals and down-to-earth messages, has earned strong support.

Released in February 2026, this track is an exhilarating, high-energy dance tune that blows away everyday hassles and stress.

Its sound—Latin-flavored beats intertwined with house rhythms and the timbre of saxophone—creates a natural rush that makes your body move just by listening.

Following her 2025 EP “Like a Flower,” it’s a release worthy of kicking off the new year.

It’s perfect for times when you want to shut out the surrounding noise or just feel utterly refreshed.

A highly addictive, powerful number that transforms even negative emotions into danceable energy.

Venuskururi

Quruli – Venus

Quruli, who have continued to lead Japan’s rock scene with their diverse musicality.

The track they created as the lead song for their album “Hakanakumo Utsukushiki 12 no Hensō,” released in February 2026, is a pop number highlighted by a beautiful melodic line.

The lyrics, which evoke shifting seasons and scenes from memory, stir a sense of nostalgia in the listener.

The music video features actor Arata Iura and has drawn attention as a cinematic piece portraying a father–daughter story.

It’s a song you’ll want to listen to while gazing up at the sky at dusk, or while thinking of someone dear.

Be sure to experience the album as a whole and feel the beginning of their new journey.

candidHatsuboshi Gakuen

Hatsuboshi Academy “Candid” Official Music Video (HATSUBOSHI GAKUEN – SEKIRARA)

With its emotionally stirring, weighty strings and a determined vocal that resonates at the core, Minami Juousei—the student council president of First Star Academy, voiced by Mashiro Hinataka—takes center stage.

Released for streaming on February 10, 2026, this track was created as an insert song for the mobile game “Gakuen Idolmaster.” The lyrics are by Yuho Iwasato, while Keiichi Okabe of MONACA handled composition and arrangement, with the richness of live instruments amplifying the story’s dramatic flair.

The lyrics, which depict the resolve to bare one’s true self and become genuine, are sure to set listeners’ hearts ablaze.

The music video, unveiled the day before the release, drew attention for its powerful message of forging a path even in the face of adversity.

Give it a listen when you need the courage to charge toward your goals.

Tsuitachi feat. Yoshinotsukuyomi

Tsuitachi feat. Yoshino

Tsukuyomi is a project that links story and music, led by Yurii Kanon—who is also active as a Vocaloid producer.

Released in February 2026, this work is the first installment of the new “Session Story” series, created with vocalist Yoshino.

Its edgy guitar-rock sound and Yoshino’s powerful vocals leave a vivid impression.

The worldview, depicting a will that keeps reaching out time and again to search for what was lost while struggling on the border between dreams and reality, is sure to set listeners’ hearts ablaze.

The song is also used as the ending theme for the anime “Duel Masters LOST: The Sun of Oblivion.” It’s a fast-paced rock tune that gives you a push to live today even as you carry the weight of the past.

I don’t need it.Sakanakushon

I don't need it.

This rock number features lyrics that reveal true feelings at odds with the words themselves, piercing the heart over a danceable beat.

Created by Sakanaction, it will be released digitally in February 2026.

It was written as the theme song for the drama “Kochira Yobi Jieieiyu Ho?!” Ichiro Yamaguchi, the band’s vocalist, produced it in response to a request from Koji Kato, a senior from his hometown.

Even while rejecting, you can’t help but want it… Many people will probably relate to that kind of contradictory emotion.

It’s perfect as late-night driving BGM.