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!
- [Taking on a song with a wide vocal range] An S-class challenge track
- [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!
- [If You Can Sing These, You're Amazing!] Cool Karaoke Songs 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!
- [Challenge] A compilation of Vocaloid songs that are difficult to sing
- [For Men] Masterpiece Enka Songs with High Difficulty
- [For Women] Masterpiece Enka Songs with a High Degree of Difficulty
- [For Men] Cool, Popular Songs That Impress at Karaoke
- Karaoke songs popular with women that they want men to sing
- [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
Take on challenging songs at karaoke! Tracks that will earn you praise if you can pull them off (301–310)
Tree of WadatsumiHajime Chitose
It was released in 2002 as Chitose Hajime’s debut single.
“Wadatsumi” refers to the sea deity appearing in Japanese mythology, and the lyrics tell the story of a woman who, overwhelmed by love, turns into a flower.
Chitose Hajime’s voice is often hailed as a once-in-a-century talent, and the distinctive Amami Oshima island singing style makes this a very challenging song.
abnormalizeRin to shite Shigure
It’s the theme song of the anime PSYCHO-PASS.
The key stays quite high from start to finish, so even women might find it hard to sing in the original key.
“unravel,” which became the theme song for the anime Tokyo Ghoul, is also very high and difficult, so if you’re confident in your high notes, give it a try.
Challenge tough songs at karaoke! Tracks that will earn you praise if you can pull them off (311–320)
Wait & See ~Risk~Utada Hikaru
It was released in 2000 as Hikaru Utada’s fifth single.
Produced by Jam & Lewis, the song became a hot topic and achieved million-seller status.
Hikaru Utada’s songs are all set in very high keys, and this one is particularly difficult to sing due to her unique vocal phrasing.
I’m crazy about youUtada Hikaru
This is Hikaru Utada’s 14th digital single, released on November 26.
It opens with a brilliant high tone delivered in mixed voice, and the way she creates contrast with the slightly rap-like delivery that follows is truly exquisite.
Be sure to focus on how she shapes this vocal contrast, study the song carefully, and then try singing it.
Also, if you don’t really feel the beat of the backing track and reflect it in your singing, the performance can become very flat.
So please pay close attention to the song’s beat and rhythm as you sing.
GIRL TALKAmuro Namie
It was released in 2004 as Namie Amuro’s 28th single.
The song was used in Mandom’s “LUCIDO-L Prism Magic Hair Color” commercial, and its theme is female friendship, beginning with strings.
It’s a challenging track to perform due to Namie Amuro’s distinctive mix of English and Japanese in the lyrics and her phrasing.
Put ‘Em UpAmuro Namie
Released in 2003 as Namie Amuro’s 24th single.
It was produced by Dallas Austin, a world-renowned music producer and composer.
With a mix of Japanese and English lyrics and an extremely fast tempo, it’s a challenging song that showcases Namie Amuro’s professional skill as she sings while dancing.
Kokoro KaleidoscopeYamauchi Keisuke
This is the 24th single by Keisuke Yamauchi—often called the prince of the enka world—released in March 2023.
Yamauchi is an incredibly appealing singer with a resonant, clear, and powerful voice and dynamic delivery.
Although it’s enka, I personally liked the slightly rock-tinged arrangement as well (lol).
At first listen, the vocal melody itself might not seem that hard to sing, but trying to recreate this performance in karaoke—using enka-style expression such as vibrato on long tones while keeping it from sounding rustic—is likely quite challenging.
Try singing it with special attention to your sense of rhythm.