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
- [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
- Recommended karaoke songs for male vocalists with high voices
A selection of challenging songs that will earn you respect if you can nail them at karaoke! (231–240)
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.
Pick up notoriously difficult songs that will earn you respect if you can pull them off at karaoke! (241–250)
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 CM song for au’s “LISMO.” Miho Fukuhara possesses exceptionally strong vocal expressiveness, and I feel what further enhances her voice and expressive power is her use of falsetto—very soft yet never weak—as heard in the chorus of this track.
She switches from chest voice to falsetto with remarkable smoothness, and the way she gently lets the sound taper off at the end of phrases is something you’ll find quite challenging if you try it yourself.
Keep an ear out for those aspects, and be sure to practice with them in mind.
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.
Deep downAimer
Aimer is an artist known for her powerful vocal ability and distinctive voice.
The title track “Deep down” from her 2022 mini-album drew attention when it was selected as an ending theme for the anime Chainsaw Man.
In the A section, she mixes breath into her singing to produce a resonant, deep low register.
In contrast, the chorus features an appealing melody with large intervallic leaps that showcases her naturally wide vocal range, and the rapid, driving syncopation when she sings the title at the end of the chorus leaves a strong impression.