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!
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- [For Men] Masterpiece Enka Songs with High Difficulty
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- [For Women] Masterpiece Enka Songs with a High Degree of Difficulty
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- Even karaoke beginners can relax! Easy-to-sing songs for men
- Feel-Good Songs: Belt Them Out at Karaoke! A Roundup of Popular Numbers
Picked out tough songs that’ll earn you respect if you can nail them at karaoke! (341–350)
M87Yonezu Kenshi
This is Kenshi Yonezu’s 12th CD single, released in May 2022.
It was written as the theme song for the film Shin Ultraman, which premiered on May 13 of the same year.
It’s a sophisticated pop song that you wouldn’t immediately associate with an Ultraman theme, isn’t it? Yonezu has long been acclaimed for his vocal ability and expressive singing, and the allure of his voice is fully showcased in this track.
His performance—freely moving from a powerful chest voice to a gentle falsetto—is truly remarkable.
The vocal melody itself has some quirks, making it quite a challenge to sing at karaoke, but I encourage you to study the original carefully and give it a try.
Pale BlueYonezu Kenshi
This is Kenshi Yonezu’s 11th single, released on June 16, 2021.
It was selected as the theme song for the TBS Friday drama “Rikokatsu,” and was released digitally ahead of the CD on May 31.
Known for his outstanding vocal ability, Yonezu’s voice and expressive power shine in this track as well.
He freely shifts from gentle, whisper-like singing to powerful high tones, fully conveying the song’s challenging melody.
Since the song begins with advanced mixed voice to falsetto singing, it’s a tough piece that demands full focus from the very start if you try it at karaoke!
canaryYonezu Kenshi
A track from Kenshi Yonezu’s fifth studio album, STRAY SHEEP, released in August 2020.
It’s a very gentle ballad that fully showcases Yonezu’s outstanding vocal ability and expressive power, so singing this at karaoke is likely to be quite challenging.
Beyond accurately tracing the melody, try practicing how to switch skillfully between falsetto and mixed voice in the high sections.
electric shockYonezu Kenshi
A song by Kenshi Yonezu, written and composed by Yonezu himself.
It was produced as the theme song for TBS’s Friday drama MIU404.
It’s included on Yonezu’s fifth studio album, STRAY SHEEP, released on August 5, 2020, and was made available on various music streaming services ahead of the album’s release.
The melody spans a fairly wide vocal range throughout, with many sections where the pitch rises and falls quite sharply—this will likely be the first major hurdle when singing the song.
In addition, the slightly swung rhythmic feel is something many Japanese singers struggle with; be careful not to let the rhythm become flat, and make sure to create a strong contrast between sustained notes and cut-off notes.
How you handle rests—how you treat the rests within the melody—becomes crucial in this piece.
Yonezu’s own performance, in which he handles all of this brilliantly, is truly outstanding!
White MiracleSeikima II
This is Seikima-II’s eighth single overall, released in August 1989.
While the band is often treated somewhat as a novelty due to the overpowering, devilish world they project, their high-level musicianship and vocal ability have been unquestionable since their debut, and their prowess is fully showcased in this beautiful ballad.
To pull this song off in karaoke, the first requirement is to develop a solid, powerful, unwavering chest voice.
Mastering the chest voice, especially in the low to mid range, is key.
Also pay attention to the rhythmic arrangement of the backing track, and sing with a clear contrast between the passages that should flow smoothly and those that should be delivered crisply.
save your dreamKahara Tomomi
It was released in 1996 as Tomomi Kahala’s fifth single.
The song was used as the image song for LOTTE’s Sasa chocolate, in which Kahala herself appeared, and it became her first single to reach number one.
Among Tomomi Kahala’s songs, it is known for having an especially high key.
You…Nishino Kana
This song was released in 2010 as Kana Nishino’s 12th single.
The lyrics, which speak to a loved one with the message “I’ll always be by your side,” really tug at the heartstrings.
I think the key is how much wistfulness you can express through your singing voice.
Sing it with all your heart.