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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Challenge yourself with tough songs at karaoke! Tracks that will earn you praise if you can pull them off (211–220)
Dried flowersYuuri
“Dry Flower” is a signature song by Yuuri that became a massive hit in 2020, reaching No.
1 on the Oricon and Billboard charts.
In the B-melody, the expression changes by singing the same melody in chest voice the first time, and in falsetto the second and third times, so pay attention to that.
Yuuri’s singing voice also contains higher-order overtones, where high frequencies resonate simultaneously, giving it a rich and sultry quality.
Since “Dry Flower” features a rhythm with a distinctive, lightly bouncy swing, you should train yourself to feel the groove in your body before you sing.
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.
SymphonyHirai Dai
This is Dai Fujii’s 49th digital-only single, released in April 2023.
It was chosen as the theme song for the feature film TOKYO MER: Running Emergency Room.
True to its title, the track is arranged with a grand, symphonic backing over which Fujii’s chameleonic vocal timbre and expressive singing can be fully appreciated.
I imagine it would be quite difficult for the general public to replicate this in karaoke.
Beyond mastering basic techniques like vocal production and expressive delivery, you’d also need a sense of unity with the backing track, an understanding of the vocabulary used in the lyrics, and a grasp of their overall meaning.
Challenge tough songs at karaoke! Tracks that will earn you praise if you can pull them off (221–230)
StyleShimizu Miisa
Misa Shimizu is a female singer of Filipino-Japanese descent, sometimes called the Ariana Grande of Mie.
While her style isn’t pure R&B, her vocals have a Western pop feel, and I think all of her songs are quite challenging for Japanese singers.
Among them, Style is especially demanding.
It features many high-register techniques, such as whistle tones at the very beginning and mixed voice toward the end of the chorus.
Be sure to check it out.
Gentle RedFukuhara Miho
This is Miho Fukuhara’s third single overall, released in November 2008.
It was used as the song for au’s “LISMO” commercial.
Miho Fukuhara possesses exceptionally strong vocal expressiveness, and I feel what further enhances her voice and that expressiveness is her use of falsetto—very soft yet never weak—as heard in the song’s chorus.
She switches between chest voice and falsetto extremely smoothly, and the way she gently lets the sound fall away at the end of phrases is something you’ll realize is quite difficult when you try it yourself.
Keep that in mind and give it a try in your practice.
StoryAI
AI’s 12th single, released in May 2005.
It’s a song that powerfully conveys a sense of “message,” and what supports that is AI’s singing and voice—not just technically proficient, but deeply convincing.
The vocal melody itself is relatively simple, but precisely because of that, to sing this song you not only need to have mastered the basic vocal techniques; it also demands expressively rich singing and a deep understanding of the piece that delves into the lyrical content.
thorn; brambleAdo
Ado’s 20th digital-only single, released in May 2023.
It was chosen as the theme song for Fuji TV’s “Mezamashi TV.” With a chorus melody that jumps dramatically in pitch, Ado’s somewhat hysteric-sounding vocals, and densely packed, slightly rapid-fire lyrics, it’s quite a formidable challenge for the average person to sing at karaoke! Be sure to listen closely to Ado’s original performance to study the details of the song before giving it a try.