I want to sing songs that use a lot of falsetto—tracks that are also good for practicing falsetto at karaoke.

ButterflyKaela Kimura

Kaela Kimura “Butterfly” [short ver.]

A download-only single by Kaela Kimura, released in June 2009.

The falsetto isn’t used all that much in this song—there’s just a brief moment right before the chorus—but it’s extremely effective.

I think it plays a very useful role in emphasizing the cute image of Kimura’s voice, the song’s bright atmosphere, and the sense of expansion leading into the chorus.

Even when singing it at karaoke, how well you can express this part will likely be the key factor that determines how your performance is evaluated.

Dried Flowerimase

【imase】Dried Flower（MV）

When it comes to singer-songwriters who truly master falsetto, I think many people these days would picture imase.

Among imase’s tracks, the one I especially recommend is “Dried Flower.” This piece, arranged with a downbeat feel, is sung mostly in falsetto.

It’s practically a song that exists for the pleasure of listening to falsetto.

From a piercing, almost shrill falsetto to a soft, enveloping whispery falsetto, it lets you savor a wide range of head voice textures.

I believeAyaka

Ayaka – I believe

Ayaka’s debut single, released in January 2006.

It also set an impressive record by entering the Oricon charts at No.

3.

It’s astonishing that she delivered such a calm, steady vocal performance at just 18 years old.

Including her mix voice leaning toward head tone, the falsetto is used very effectively in those moments where the high notes are released lightly, and it’s remarkable that an 18-year-old girl had already mastered this technique almost perfectly.

In fact, through the recording lessons I’ve given my students over the years, I’ve been present many times when various students tried singing this song, but very few could perform it the way she does.

I think it’s quite a difficult song to sing at karaoke, but I hope everyone will give it a try and work hard to master it.

Just The Way You AreEXILE ATSUSHI

EXILE ATSUSHI / Just The Way You Are (Music Video)

As always, EXILE’s ATSUSHI has an exquisite command of mixed voice.

If you’re going to perform this song at karaoke, how well you can use your mixed voice will be the key point.

That said, even among aspiring singers, many find mastering mixed voice quite challenging.

In essence, it’s a blend of chest voice and head voice, but sometimes you can make surprising progress by trying to produce your chest voice with the breathy sensation you use for head voice.

If you’re confident in your voice, definitely give it a shot and show what you can do.

If you still find it too difficult, one option is to raise the karaoke key and sing within a range where you can use falsetto instead of mixed voice.

Just be sure to pay close attention to your passaggio—the point where your voice shifts registers!

sign; mark; symbol; omenMr.Children

Mr.Children “Shirushi” Music Video (Short ver.)

Shirushi is Mr.

Children’s 29th single.

In fact, there’s only a brief moment in the song where falsetto is used—it hardly appears at all.

And rather than supplementing the high notes, that falsetto is used to emphasize the bittersweetness conveyed by the lyrics.

The key to singing this song well is not to focus on being overly careful or polished, but to pour your emotions into it and really project your voice.

In fact, at the time of Mr.

Children’s debut, producer Takeshi Kobayashi reportedly advised vocalist Kazutoshi Sakurai, “Just belt it out!” In terms of vocal quality, a typical male voice is more than sufficient for this song, so prioritize emotion and give it a try!

ChessboardOfficial HIGE DANDism

Official HIGE DANDism – Chessboard [Official Video]

This is Official HIGE DANDism’s sixth CD single, released in September 2023.

It was issued as a double A-side single together with “Nichijou.” Vocalist Satoshi Fujihara is renowned for his high-tone voice, and in this track he showcases superb vocal expressiveness, seamlessly shifting between soft, falsetto high notes and powerful, chest-voice highs to suit each section of the song.

It’s an ideal reference for how to use high-tone vocals, so if you’re aiming to become a singer, I highly recommend listening closely and studying it in depth.

I love youback number

back number – I Love You

This is the sixth digital single by the Japanese rock band back number, released in October 2022.

In addition to being used as the theme song for the NHK morning drama series Maiagare!, it was also selected as the entrance march for the 95th National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament.

The falsetto singing by vocalist Iyori Shimizu heard in this track may seem very faithful to the fundamentals of how falsetto is typically used in ballads by rock bands of this kind, yet it also feels like it plays a major role in expressing the song’s world and atmosphere.

When you sing it at karaoke, be sure to switch smoothly from chest voice, and take care that the high falsetto parts don’t stick out awkwardly from the rest of the song.

When using falsetto, try to soften the tone as much as possible in your mouth and aim the sound lightly toward the nasal area—you should be able to produce a falsetto similar to the original singer’s.

Give it a try!