[2026] Must-listen! This Year's Best Japanese Hit Songs

The calling voiceNEW!Vaundy

Call (NHK General “Vaundy 18 Festival” Theme Song) / Vaundy: Music Video

Singer-songwriter Vaundy, who works across everything from music to artwork.

Released digitally in December 2025, this piece was written as the theme song for NHK General’s “Vaundy 18 Festival.” It also made big waves for featuring a collaboration with 1,000 eighteen-year-olds as part of the program’s project.

Based on earnest messages sent in by these young people, the song’s anthemic exhilaration is captivating, where the scale of a chorus intersects with individual solitude.

It’s a propulsive pop tune that makes you want to take on the challenge of its deliberately demanding melody.

Even if you don’t usually listen to much music, this is a highly recommended track where we’d love for you to feel its intensity firsthand!

DECOTORA15NEW!LiSA

LiSA『DECOTORA15』MUSiC CLiP

LiSA is a singer who captivates many listeners with her powerful vocals.

DECOTORA15, which was released in advance in April 2026, is a track included on her seventh album, LACE UP, released the same month.

Created to celebrate the 15th anniversary of her solo debut, the song was both written and composed by LiSA herself.

The lyrics, which liken her journey so far and her hopes for the future to a decorated long-haul truck racing down the road, are deeply moving.

Its high-velocity pop-punk sound, adorned with bright brass, is sure to lift listeners’ spirits.

It’s an energetic track you’ll want to play when you’re ready to dash toward a new challenge.

BANG!!NEW!Snow Man

Snow Man ‘BANG!!’ Music Video

A single released in April 2026 by the male idol group Snow Man, chosen as the theme song for the film “SAKAMOTO DAYS,” starring Ren Meguro.

Riding on a thrilling beat, it blends an aggressive band sound with digital elements.

The lyrics, which liken love and impulse to bullets and portray a resolve to push forward even in the darkness, leave a strong impression.

It’s an up-tempo track packed with the charm of their vocals—cool yet passionate.

Give it a listen and pay attention to the world it creates, imbued with a fiery determination powerful enough to blow away anxiety and doubt.

It’s AlrightNEW!Fuji Kaze

It’s Alright

This track showcases Fujii Kaze’s unique world, skillfully blending the tones of traditional Japanese instruments with soul, R&B, and hip-hop.

It was included in advance on the limited first edition of the album “Prema,” released in September 2025, and became available for streaming in April 2026.

It has generated buzz on social media and received an enthusiastic response.

Accompanied by natural imagery like the earth and the sun, its warm, all-embracing message resonates deeply.

Brimming with uplifting energy that gently embraces feelings of anxiety, this work is ideal for moments when you want to pause in your daily life to find reassurance or calm your mind—so why not listen to it at a relaxed pace?

At first, my heart skipped a beat!NEW!Nakajima Kento

Kento Nakajima “At First, Kyun!” Music Video

Kento Nakajima, who shines with multifaceted charm as a solo artist.

Featured as a bonus track on his album “IDOL1ST,” released in February 2026, this song is a catchy pop tune that vividly expresses his own image of an idol.

The wordplay that likens games like rock-paper-scissors and “Acchi Muite Hoi” to the push-and-pull of romance is brilliant.

With easy-to-copy choreography and hooky phrases, it’s perfect for getting hyped with friends in short videos and the like.

Written and composed by Nakajima himself, it’s a sparkling new idol song for the Reiwa era that’s sure to make your heart skip a beat.

USOTSUKINEW!STARGLOW

STARGLOW / USOTSUKI -Dance Performance-

Formed through an audition project, STARGLOW is a group drawing attention for its diverse personalities and high expressive power.

The title track of their second single, pre-released in March 2026, has been chosen as the tie-in song for Vaseline’s new web commercial “The Leading Role Is This ‘Shiratama Luminous Skin’” promoting the GlutaHya Body Lotion.

Written and produced by SKY-HI, the song pairs a buoyant, bouncy beat with a bittersweet love story that poignantly portrays regret and lingering feelings over a lost relationship.

Touching on missed connections through screens and other everyday communication struggles, it gently resonates with listeners’ hearts.

It’s a perfect pop tune for revisiting bittersweet memories while feeling the fresh air of spring.

Until it breaks and disappears10-FEET

10-FEET – Until It Breaks and Disappears (Theme song for the film “Golden Kamuy: Assault on Abashiri Prison”)

A track infused with a sense of urgency that presses on while carrying everything to the limit, and a will to move forward amid loss.

It’s a work by the rock band 10-FEET, written as the theme song for the film “Golden Kamuy: Assault on Abashiri Prison” and slated for release in March 2026.

It carries a powerful message that pushes people forward—those who struggle to uphold their convictions and overcome hardships even in brutal circumstances.

An emotional rock tune you’ll want to dive into when you stumble over something.