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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- Karaoke songs popular with women that they want men to sing
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Challenge tough songs at karaoke! Tracks that earn you praise if you can pull them off (21–30)
unfinishedNEW!ieiri reo
It’s the theme song for Fuji TV’s Monday 9 p.m.
drama “Absolute Zero: Pre-Crime Infiltration Investigation,” and it’s a song that demands intense emotional expression.
The overall vocal range is A3–D#5, and Leo Ieiri’s strong high notes and falsetto really shine in the chorus.
The A and B verses sit in a calmer range, so it’s best not to push and use them as a chance to rest your throat.
From the chorus, the chesty, full-voice feel ramps up, so make sure to engage your chest voice properly.
If you place a hand on your chest while singing, you’ll feel the resonance there, and your voice will carry without having to strain! Aim to “project your voice into the distance,” rather than simply “sing loudly,” for an easier, more resonant delivery.
DISCOTHEQUENEW!Mizuki Nana
This is the song used as the opening theme for the TV anime Rosario + Vampire CAPU2.
It features a Showa-era kayōkyoku-style arrangement with a dashing, playful disco sound, sung in Nana Mizuki’s adorable voice that only a voice actress can deliver.
The A and B sections sit in a relatively calm range, but the key challenge is how well you can sustain the high notes from the chorus onward.
It may be especially difficult if you try to imitate Nana Mizuki’s voice.
In that case, adopting a “going-out” voice becomes very important—if you consciously raise your energy and lift your pitch slightly, it might make singing easier! The higher the range, the more it helps to project your voice farther forward—that’s the trick!
chantAdo
It’s the official theme song of Universal Studios Japan’s Halloween event—the one that became famous for the zombie dance! It’s an extremely challenging song packed with high-pitched shouts, low, spoken parts, and rap-like sections.
I learned it together with my students during lessons, too! Of course, once you can sing it well, it’s incredibly fun and satisfying! Some of the lyrics use difficult words, so I recommend listening to the original and memorizing them carefully one by one.
The tempo is very fast and you have to keep singing one line after another, but if you push too hard, you can wreck your throat, and if you hold back too much, it loses impact.
If you use your breath well and project your falsetto strongly, you can sing with a cool, powerful tone! Also, since it’s a dance track, once you feel more comfortable, try moving your body or swaying as you sing—you’ll lock into the rhythm, your voice will come out more easily, and it’ll be easier to add accents!
FAKE STYLEFAKE TYPE.
A signature song that could be called the origin of FAKE TYPE., where electroswing collides with ultra-fast rap! If you can nail it at karaoke, you’ll definitely earn the title of Tongue-Twister Monster! There’s no official tie-in, but it went viral on YouTube and Nico Nico Douga, boosting its popularity.
It fuses retro and modern elements, creating a unique world where a swing-jazz-style track is layered with ultra-speed rap and humor.
When singing, you’ll be tested on breath control for the nonstop fast rap, enunciation, sense of rhythm, and lyric memorization.
It’s packed with an enormous number of words, so focus on accents to keep your mouth moving smoothly!
Take back love!kurisutaru kingu
The theme song of the anime Fist of the North Star.
Even if you’re not from that generation, and even if you’ve never watched the anime, many people have probably heard this song.
Since the pitch suddenly jumps partway through, it often becomes hard for the voice to keep up.
BetelgeuseYuuri
Yuri’s “Betelgeuse” is a song that many of my students—regardless of gender—have practiced.
The more I taught it, the more I thought, “This song is tough,” so it’s perfect for those confident in their vocal skills! The overall range is D3–D5, so it’s on the higher side.
As expected, the challenging parts are the chorus and the C section.
Once you start singing, there’s no break, it’s hard to find places to breathe, and many people struggle with switching to falsetto like Yuri does.
Most of Yuri’s songs offer almost no rest once you begin, so managing the balance—like what percentage of your full volume you sing with—is crucial.
For breath placement, if you sustain every note to its full length you’ll definitely lose track of where to breathe, so try cutting off the phrase endings to create brief spaces.
Don’t forget to take your breath in those spots! If you want to switch into falsetto, relax and let the sound float upward lightly—doing so will naturally transition you into falsetto, so give it a try!
Ghost of the SeaYonezu Kenshi
It’s a digital-download-only single by Kenshi Yonezu, released in June 2019.
Now, when it comes to singing this song like the original, you need to be able to switch perfectly and smoothly between mixed voice, chest voice, and falsetto.
That’s a pretty high bar for many people who haven’t had formal vocal training.
If you’re just tracing the melody, some might manage by adjusting the key and avoiding those register shifts.
However, in this song, the very use of different vocal registrations is central to the expressive performance, so it can be considered quite a difficult piece.
