Challenge yourself with difficult songs at karaoke! Tracks that will earn you praise if you can sing them well
Even when you think, “I want to try this song at karaoke!”, once you actually give it a shot you sometimes run into unexpected hurdles—like a range that’s too wide or rhythms that are too complex.
What technical elements make certain songs difficult to sing? In this article, we’re featuring high-difficulty tracks that are especially rewarding to tackle at karaoke.
We also touch on which parts are challenging and what kind of vocal approach is required, so if you want to expand your expressive range as a singer, be sure to check it out!
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- [High-pitched warning!] Songs with high notes that are hard to sing
- [For Men] Tough Karaoke Songs: A collection of tracks that look cool if you can sing them!
- [If You Can Sing These, You're Amazing!] Cool Karaoke Songs for Women
- Recommended for great singers! A collection of impressive songs if you can sing them
- [For Women] Sing challenging songs at karaoke and steal the spotlight!
- [Challenge] A compilation of Vocaloid songs that are difficult to sing
- [For Men] Masterpiece Enka Songs with High Difficulty
- [For Women] Masterpiece Enka Songs with a High Degree of Difficulty
- [For Men] Cool, Popular Songs That Impress at Karaoke
- Karaoke songs popular with women that they want men to sing
- [Karaoke] Songs That Make It Easy to Score High | From Classics to the Newest Hits
- Even karaoke beginners can relax! Easy-to-sing songs for men
Take on tough songs at karaoke! Tracks that will earn you praise if you can pull them off (111–120)
One Last KissUtada Hikaru
Released as a single by Hikaru Utada in March 2021.
This song was written for the film Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time.
As you’d expect from Utada, who is renowned for exceptional vocal ability, this track is quite challenging for the average person to sing at karaoke.
From the very beginning, it showcases impressive singing with a mixed voice, and in the A section of the second repeat, the same melody is performed in chest voice.
The contrasting vocal techniques used in the subsequent chorus demand a very high level of expressive control.
To make this song sound good at karaoke, it’s not enough to simply trace the melody accurately—you’ll need vocal expressiveness on par with the original.
If you’re confident in your vocal expression, definitely give it a try!
Challenge tough songs at karaoke! Tracks that will earn you praise if you can pull them off (121–130)
Six Trillion Years and an Overnight Storykemu
Released in December 2012, this is a classic, notoriously difficult Vocaloid song! It has a Japanese-style flavor, with a very relaxed intro that suddenly speeds up, and it’s packed with lyrics.
You’ll need to be mindful of stamina, lung capacity, and quickness, but it’s highly recommended if you like fast songs! A tip for singing the rapid-fire sections: don’t try to pronounce every single consonant—focus on clearly articulating the vowel sounds that carry the accents.
That makes it easier to lock into the rhythm and sing more lightly.
For fast-tempo songs, above all, you need to memorize the lyrics; otherwise at karaoke you’ll end up just chasing the words and kind of muddling through.
I recommend first being able to hum the melody, then adding the lyrics afterward!
Charlesbarūn
The Vocaloid song “Charles” has become very popular thanks to covers by many singers and artists—are you familiar with it? I always sing it in the original key, but it’s quite difficult! The range is C#3 to C#5, and it’s very high overall, but I especially find the parts in the chorus where the melody jumps up and down to be challenging.
There are also spots near the beginning of the A section where the notes rise.
For those sections, it feels good to produce the sound if you visualize the pitch you want and “hit the target” with your voice like shooting an arrow.
Also, the rhythm in the B section tends to rush, so try to keep the tempo by singing each note carefully.
Most Vocaloid songs are high, but if you’re confident in your high notes, you might be able to sing “Charles” in the original key—so give it a try!
Exploding Brain GirlHatsune Miku/GUMI
Since these songs are intended to be sung by Vocaloids, many of them aren’t really suited for human singers, and this one might be the prime example.
The melody is so fast and packed with lyrics that my mouth can’t keep up.
Sachiko Kobayashi delivering a flawless performance of it was truly magnificent.
KICK BACKYonezu Kenshi
It’s Kenshi Yonezu’s 13th single, released in November 2022.
It was written specifically as the opening theme for the TV anime Chainsaw Man.
Over an up-tempo, hard-edged backing track, you can enjoy Yonezu’s powerful, resonant low register.
In that sense, it’s a song where men with lower voices can really showcase their vocal appeal.
That said, he intentionally strains his voice to some extent, singing with a slightly distorted tone, so be careful not to over-imitate and damage your throat.
In the middle section, where it shifts to a slightly classical style and is sung in a ringing, open manner, try aiming the sound toward your upper palate inside your mouth—you should be able to recreate that resonant quality.
Give it a try.
KarenaiBonbero
Hip-hop is increasingly becoming a central presence in the mainstream.
Among the new generation of rappers, there are artists with skills that would have been unimaginable in Japanese rap until now.
One of the most skillful rappers representing this new generation is Bonbero.
His track “Karenai” features a complex and rapid-fire flow that could be considered the cutting edge of contemporary Japanese rap.
It’s a highly challenging piece of hip-hop, so definitely give it a try.
WHO’S GONNA SAVE USHyde
While HYDE delivers catchy songs as part of L’Arc~en~Ciel, his solo work ventures into considerably hard rock.
A solo track by HYDE that I highly recommend is “WHO’S GONNA SAVE US.” It’s hard rock built on an electronic sound, and it’s consistently demanding from start to finish.
Among its challenges, the toughest element is undoubtedly the long tones.
Sustaining long notes for several seconds right at the edge of the chest voice requires substantial lung capacity and precise vocal cord control.