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] A compilation of Vocaloid songs that are difficult to sing
- [For Men] Masterpiece Enka Songs with High Difficulty
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- Karaoke songs popular with women that they want men to sing
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- Even karaoke beginners can relax! Easy-to-sing songs for men
Taking on challenging songs at karaoke! Tracks that will earn you praise if you can sing them well (241–250)
BOYKing Gnu
This is the third CD single by the Japanese mixture rock band King Gnu, released on December 1, 2021.
It was first made available as a digital-only single starting October 15 of the same year.
From the very beginning, a beautiful falsetto voice rings out, hinting that the song’s level of vocal difficulty is quite high on that basis alone.
As the track progresses, the vocal melody rises and falls dramatically, and there are rapid-fire, almost tongue-twisting sections, all of which showcase vocalist Daiki Tsuneta’s exceptional singing ability.
Being able to properly switch between mixed voice and falsetto is likely the crucial dividing line for anyone attempting to sing this song.
chameleonKing Gnu
Released on March 16, 2022, both on CD and digitally, this King Gnu single is the theme song for Fuji TV’s Monday 9 p.m.
drama “Mystery to Iu Nakare” starring Masaki Suda.
The song begins with a melody featuring extreme highs and lows right from the start, and it’s crafted as a ballad that lets you fully enjoy vocalist Mr.
Iguchi’s voice, rich with beautiful higher overtones, throughout.
I suspect he’s singing with something close to a mixed voice, and I imagine it’s quite challenging to maintain this sparkling vocal quality while carrying the melody the whole way through.
Resident of the EyeL’Arc〜en〜Ciel
The 23rd single by the Japanese visual kei band L’Arc~en~Ciel, released in March 2004.
In the original, the so-called “visual kei vocal style” is showcased to the fullest, but when singing it at karaoke, there’s no need to reproduce that exactly as is.
If it ends up sounding like a forced impression, it’s better to sing it in a straightforward manner.
That said, it’s still a song that definitely requires techniques for producing various high tones, so please pay close attention to your high-register expression.
Skillful use and switching between chest voice, falsetto, and head voice will be the key to making it sound convincing.
Crimson Lotus FlowerLiSA
Released in July 2019 as LiSA’s 15th single.
It serves as the opening theme for the TV anime Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.
In recent years, many anime songs have been extremely difficult to sing, and this track is no exception: rapid-fire, densely packed lyrics and a melody that leaps up and down requiring a wide vocal range.
It’s full of elements that make it highly challenging to perform.
LiSA masterfully switches among chest voice, falsetto, and mixed voice to express the demanding melody—even in the high notes—and delivers a flawless performance that can only be described as “as expected of her!” Speaking from my professional standpoint, I can imagine how tough it must have been to direct and record this.
It’s a very difficult song, but I encourage you to try it at karaoke!
The Perfect VisionMINMI
Released in 2002 as MINMI’s debut single.
It reached No.
4 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart.
With many English lyrics and unstable melodies, it’s a difficult song to sing at karaoke.
The key is also high, making it a very challenging song overall—one that simply requires practice.
Challenge difficult songs at karaoke! Tracks that will earn you praise if you can sing them well (251–260)
Stand Out Fit InONE OK ROCK
A track from ONE OK ROCK’s album Eye of the Storm, released in February 2019.
The fact that most of the lyrics are in English alone makes this a tough song for many Japanese men.
Even if you manage to get past that, reproducing the expansive high tones and the clean falsetto in karaoke will still be very challenging for many.
The key points are how you use mixed voice in the high notes and how you employ falsetto.
If you’re practicing on your own, please be careful not to strain your throat.
I think it’s important, for singing those soaring high notes, to relax your throat as much as possible and aim the sound as high as you can inside your mouth.
Wasted NightsONE OK ROCK
It’s the lead track from ONE OK ROCK’s full-length album “Eye of the Storm,” released in February 2019, and it was also used as the theme song for the movie “Kingdom.” The song is mostly in English, and Taka, the vocalist, not only has outstanding vocal ability but also a near-native English pronunciation.
Because of this, it can be quite challenging for Japanese speakers to sing at karaoke.
Try to choose a key that prevents your high notes from sounding thin while paying close attention to English pronunciation.
Of course, if you’re confident in your singing or your English, don’t hesitate to give it a try!