Recommended ballads for men at karaoke: deliver moving performances with timeless songs that touch the heart.
When it comes to karaoke classics, ballads are a must.
Especially ballads that express a man’s emotions—they’re filled with lyrics anyone can relate to.
From the pain of heartbreak and feelings for someone special, to the resolve you find at life’s crossroads.
We’re here to introduce you to timeless songs that will move your heart.
From tracks you want that special someone to hear, to the one song you want to show off at karaoke, we’ll be sharing male vocal ballads that will resonate with you.
Recommended ballads for men (1–10)
Rainy BlueTokunaga Hideaki
This is Hideaki Tokunaga’s debut single, released in 1986.
With his distinctive husky tone and sweet, slightly higher register, he sings of lingering feelings for a woman he parted with.
As the title suggests, the “rain” deepens the sense of loneliness, poignancy, and sadness.
It’s a classic that has been covered by many artists and is considered one of Tokunaga’s signature songs.
The last kindnessNEW!JAY’ED
A love ballad that showcases JAY’ED’s soft, emotional vocals and stands as one of his defining early works.
With its theme of quietly reflecting on lingering feelings and the love that remains for a former partner, and its clear, beautiful melody, many listeners may find themselves drawn into its heartrending world and moved to tears.
Released as a single in February 2009, it was also included on the album MUSICATION later that year.
If you let its smooth falsetto resonate while you gently accompany the heart of a woman bearing the pain of heartbreak, your feelings might just reach the one you love.
LOVE LETTERNEW!Makihara Noriyuki
It’s a deep-cut album track that was never released as a single, yet it enjoys immense popularity among fans.
It’s a bittersweet unrequited-love song about someone who’s leaving for far away, marked by four-on-the-floor piano and an arrangement that feels both light and wistful, evoking the scenery seen from a departing train.
The overall vocal range spans F#3 to A4, with the bridge (C section) reaching the highest and most climactic notes.
The melody line is simple, so even those unfamiliar with the song can pick it up quickly.
Its coming-of-age vibe makes it easy to sing at karaoke without feeling heavy.
Highly recommended.
waxing; filling up; becoming full; growing (e.g., the moon growing fuller)Fuji Kaze
This is a song Fujii Kaze wrote specifically for the film “If She Blooms in April.” Released in March 2024, it gently sings about the essence of love and the changes in life.
Its soft piano melody and Fujii Kaze’s warm vocals highlight the song’s profound message.
The lyrics, which portray the lightness and fulfillment that come from letting go of attachment, are particularly striking.
It’s a perfect match for the film’s sweeping love story.
Highly recommended for those standing at a crossroads in life or wishing to reevaluate their relationships with loved ones.
It’s a ballad that will surely resonate when sung at karaoke.
RingNEW!Hirai Ken
It’s the theme song for the NTV Wednesday drama “Psycho Doctor,” and Ken Hirai commented that he created it with the thought, “Maybe everyone is hurting in some way.
Rather than running away from those emotional wounds, it’s important to take your time and love them.” It’s a touching ballad that many people say has saved them.
The tempo is relaxed, making it easy to sing calmly, which is a nice point.
It may not be a very famous song, but the melody line is simple, so I think it’s easy to remember.
There’s a key change before the last chorus that raises the vocal range, so be careful with that part.
Dear daysNEW!Hirai Ken
Produced by Kiyoshi Matsuo for the first time in ten years to cap off the 15th anniversary, this exquisite ballad, tinged with sadness yet evoking hope for the future, was released on May 4, 2011 as the theme song for TBS’s Sunday drama JIN: The Final Chapter.
The song spans a very wide vocal range from G#2 to C5, with a clear structure where the range gradually rises from the A verse to the B verse and then the chorus.
The low notes in the A verse are pitches you don’t often use, so be careful not to let your voice get muffled.
Take a deep breath and project your voice forward, letting the air flow.
The start of the chorus uses phonemes that make falsetto easy to produce, so if you really let your head voice resonate, you should be able to hit the notes without any problem.
I love you.NEW!Hirai Ken
A fragile, gentle ballad produced by Seiji Kameda that sings of the sorrow and love of losing someone dear, it served as the theme song for the film “Ghost: Mou Ichido Dakishimetai,” released on November 10, 2010.
A dramatic signature song commemorating the 15th anniversary of his debut, its music video features Ken Hirai himself giving a powerful performance as a deceased man, resulting in a deeply moving work.
The song’s overall vocal range is E3–D5, roughly two octaves, and as long as you can produce low notes and falsetto without strain, it shouldn’t pose much difficulty.
Try projecting your voice as if pulling it toward the back of your head—you may find it a bit easier to sing.