Pick out the challenging songs that will earn you respect if you can nail them at karaoke!
Have you ever thought, “I’d look so cool if I could get through this song at karaoke,” only to crash and burn halfway through?Songs that are hard to sing hide plenty of tough spots—wide vocal ranges, complex rhythms, and blisteringly fast phrases that barely leave room to breathe.But that’s exactly why the sense of accomplishment when you nail them is second to none.In this article, we introduce a wide variety of challenging songs that are worth taking on at karaoke.If you want to test your limits or are looking for a spark to help you level up your singing, let this guide you to your next song choice!
- [Taking on a song with a wide vocal range] An S-class challenge track
- Must-see for men: Songs that look cool if you can sing them at karaoke—numbers that women can’t help but be captivated by.
- [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!
- Cool If You Can Sing! Popular Karaoke Songs Recommended 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!
- [For Men] Masterpiece Enka Songs with High Difficulty
- [Challenge] A compilation of Vocaloid songs that are difficult to sing
- [For Women] Masterpiece Enka Songs with a High Degree of Difficulty
- [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
- Feel-Good Songs: Belt Them Out at Karaoke! A Roundup of Popular Numbers
A selection of challenging songs that will earn you respect if you can nail them at karaoke! (231–240)
CarnivalMAZZEL
MAZZEL is one of Japan’s leading boy groups.
Their weapon is performances that rival the best of K-pop, and their catchy, stylish songs consistently rank high on the charts.
Among their work, the one I especially recommend is “Carnival.” This track is reminiscent of BTS and makes frequent use of high falsetto.
When singing it at karaoke, you’ll likely be performing it solo, so on top of the difficulty of the falsetto, you’ll probably also find breathing quite challenging.
mischiefReiko
REIKO is an artist with roots in the Philippines.
She’s one of the artists energizing the still-under-the-radar R&B scene, earning high praise from both aficionados and general listeners with her pure, high-caliber R&B.
Among her tracks, the one I especially recommend is “Itazura.” Beyond its wide vocal range, it’s quite challenging because it repeatedly switches between chest voice and falsetto.
There’s also some mid-voice in the middle section, so if you naturally have a high voice or can belt in the higher register, definitely give it a try.
Maplesupittsu
This is the 19th single by the Japanese rock band Spitz, released in July 1998 as a double A-side with its coupling track “Spica,” and it was used as the opening theme for TBS’s “COUNT DOWN TV.” It’s a very relaxed ballad, but you can enjoy Masamune Kusano’s singing, featuring a very resonant falsetto especially in the high notes of the chorus.
It seems likely he’s using a falsetto with a strong chest-voice component—something close to what’s commonly called a mixed voice—but in any case, it’s a great example of a male vocalist using falsetto effectively.
Be sure to listen closely to the original and practice along.
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 Hirai’s 49th digital-only single, released in April 2023.
It was selected as the theme song for the feature film TOKYO MER: Running Emergency Room.
True to its title, the track lets you fully savor Hirai’s vocals—rich with chameleonic tone and expressive singing—set against a grand, symphonic arrangement.
I imagine it would be quite difficult for most people to reproduce this in karaoke.
Beyond mastering basic vocal techniques like phonation and expressive delivery, you’d also need a sense of unity with the backing track, an understanding of the words used in the lyrics, and a grasp of the lyrics’ overall meaning.
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.