[Taking on a song with a wide vocal range] An S-class challenge track
Have you ever had a song you wanted to sing at karaoke, only to give up because the vocal range was too wide? Songs that span three octaves or feature virtuosic techniques rated at difficulty S are certainly challenging to master.
But if you understand their appeal and learn some vocal tips, you’ll find more joy in taking on the challenge.
In this article, we focus on popular songs known for their wide ranges and highlight key points to keep in mind when singing them at karaoke.
Use it as a guide to make your karaoke life even more fulfilling!
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[Challenging Songs with a Wide Vocal Range] S-Rank Difficulty Challenge Songs (61–70)
GIFTMr.Children
A grand, cheering ballad that sings of values beyond winning and losing.
If you can nail it at karaoke, it’s a song that can deliver a gold medal–worthy performance that lingers in the heart! While it’s not extremely high in the upper register, Mr.Children’s hallmark is the intense rise and fall of the melodic line, which makes many people feel, once they try singing it, “I can’t hit the pitches at all! This is hard!” The overall vocal range of GIFT is A2 to B4, leaning wider on the low end.
You’ll need steady breath support throughout.
In the chorus, explosive power becomes crucial, so as the notes climb higher, sing with increasing drive and energy!
hundreds of millions of light-yearsOmoinotake
It was the theme song for TBS’s Tuesday drama “Eye Love You,” and it really felt like a huge hit in 2024! There aren’t many songs that stay this high for so long, and I had lots of students try “Ikuoku Kounen,” but even those who are good with high notes really struggled to sing the whole thing… Compared to other Omoinotake songs, the high range is definitely wider, with an overall range of D3–F#5.
There are many things to be mindful of—core support, breath use, agility, placement of resonance—and if you push in chest voice right away, you’ll absolutely wreck your throat.
It might be better to start by practicing so you can sing it in head voice.
In fact, head voice uses more air than chest voice, so once you do it correctly, it’s actually quite tiring.
I also recommend humming so that you feel constant resonance in your forehead (between the eyebrows) and head!
one difficultyPenthouse
Penthouse is a six-member band featuring twin vocals.
They’ve carved out a unique genre they call city soul, and their exceptional musicianship has earned them high acclaim within the industry.
Among their songs, the one I especially recommend as a particularly challenging piece is Ichinan.
It follows what’s commonly known as the Marusa progression and maintains a jazzy atmosphere throughout.
There’s plenty of falsetto, but surprisingly a lot of low notes as well, so if it feels too difficult, try singing it as a male-female duet.
OCTAVEOCTPATH
OCTPATH is an eight-member boy group under Yoshimoto Kogyo.
They’re a group whose performances hold up even compared to K-pop idols, and their popularity has been soaring since 2024.
Among their songs, the one I especially recommend is OCTAVE.
It’s hip-hop flavored dance music with frequent forays into the high register.
The toughest part of the song is the tail end of the C section.
There’s a long, sustained mixed-voice note there, and because it’s quite high, only a limited number of male singers will be able to pull it off.
WaterfallMAZZEL
MAZZEL is one of the most popular boy groups in Japan, drawing nationwide attention with performances that rival those of K-pop idols.
Among their songs, the highly challenging Waterfall is a standout recommendation.
Rather than being extremely wide in vocal range, it’s a track that repeatedly ventures into the high register, demanding strong pitch accuracy.
If someone can deliver the falsetto in the chorus while weaving in low-register rap, you could say they possess considerable vocal prowess.
Before it disappearsCö shu Nie
Cö shu Nie is a band drawing attention for their sophisticated musicality—the name is pronounced “Ko-shu-nie.” Among their recently buzzed-about songs, the one I especially recommend for its wide vocal range is Kiechau Mae ni (“Before It Disappears”).
This track is centered in the mid to high register and leans toward a soft vocal style.
However, because it features quite a few high falsetto passages, maintaining the original softness while singing those falsettos is extremely challenging for non-professionals.
Feverish Demonzutto mayonaka de ii no ni.
Zutto Mayonaka de Iinoni, a band with a catchy style that enjoys immense popularity among teenage girls, has released a new song titled “Binetsu-ma.” While the vocal range required is fairly broad, the real challenge lies elsewhere.
Most of the high notes in this track are sung using a whisper voice, a breathy vocal technique.
Producing it momentarily isn’t an issue, but singing in whisper voice throughout demands substantial diaphragm control, making this a song with a high overall level of difficulty.