[High-pitched warning!] Songs with high notes that are hard to sing
The Japanese music scene is known for having a relatively low emphasis on groove, but an unusually large number of high-pitched songs.
In particular, since Japan has finally started earnestly incorporating overseas music in recent years, the overall level of songs has risen dramatically.
With that in mind, this time we’ve picked out Japanese songs that are on the higher side.
From songs with a wide vocal range, to tracks that have pinpoint high parts, to songs that stay in the high register throughout, we selected from a broad set of perspectives—so be sure to find the tracks that suit you!
- Recommended karaoke songs for male vocalists with high voices
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- I want to sing songs that use a lot of falsetto—tracks that are also good for practicing falsetto at karaoke.
- Recommended for great singers! A collection of impressive songs if you can sing them
- [If You Can Sing These, You're Amazing!] Cool Karaoke Songs for Women
- For those confident in their singing ability: Challenging songs to try at karaoke!
- [Karaoke] A roundup of songs that are easy for women to sing!
- Recommended for teenage girls! Easy-to-sing karaoke songs
- [Challenge] A Compilation of Anime Songs with High-Pitched Melodies and High-Tone Vocals
- [For Women] A roundup of enka songs that can score high in karaoke
- Great for karaoke song selection! Recommended easy-to-sing songs for Gen Z women
- [Karaoke] Songs That Make It Easy to Score High | From Classics to the Newest Hits
- [For Teenage Girls] A Collection of Songs That Score High at Karaoke [2025]
[High Notes Warning!] Difficult High-Pitched Songs to Sing (251–260)
JUMPLila Ikuta
Rira Ikuta is a singer-songwriter who was once a member of the acoustic session unit Plusonica and now also performs as the vocalist of YOASOBI.
Her seventh digital-only single, “JUMP,” written as the theme song for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, is a refreshing track with a driving beat and a catchy guitar-riff intro.
Since the verse opens with high notes right from the start, be mindful to warm up your voice if you choose it as your first karaoke song.
Also, the melody in the chorus gradually rises in pitch, so take care not to mismanage your breathing or pacing.
Endless sorrowAyumi Hamasaki
It was released in 2001 as Ayumi Hamasaki’s 22nd single.
The song was used as the theme for the TBS drama “Mukashi no Otoko,” and it reached number one on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart.
The lyrics and composition were handled by Ayumi Hamasaki herself.
Its soaring high notes are particularly memorable.
giftRADWIMPS
Tamamono, known as the theme song for NHK’s morning drama series “Anpan,” is a new track by RADWIMPS.
True to RADWIMPS’ style of embracing a wide range of genres, it features a complex melodic development.
The overall vocal range is quite broad, and the chorus includes phrases that repeatedly switch between chest voice and falsetto.
Other sections also feature dramatic pitch leaps and key changes, making it highly challenging—so if you’re confident in your singing ability, be sure to check it out.
Promise of RomanceLila Ikuta
This is the fourth digital-only single by Lila Ikuta, a Japanese singer-songwriter who is also active as ikura, the vocalist of the music duo YOASOBI, released on August 14, 2021.
The song we’re introducing here, “Romance no Yakusoku,” is a gentle track with a bright melody, and when Ikuta’s luminous vocals are layered onto the song’s inherently light character, it creates a wonderfully pleasing atmosphere.
Unlike her singing with YOASOBI, which is often processed somewhat mechanically, her solo work lets you enjoy a very human, natural vocal quality—that’s another delightful aspect.
She delivers superb vocal expression, switching among various high-register techniques and vocal placements.
If you can reproduce this as-is at karaoke, you’ll surely become the center of attention.
ALL MY TRUE LOVESPEED
This is SPEED’s eighth single overall, released in October 1998.
It was chosen as the theme song for TBS’s broadcast of the 1998 Volleyball World Championship.
What’s crucial for singing this track, I believe, is delivering clear, soaring high notes.
That makes it very straightforward for anyone and a great song to showcase your vocal ability.
If you’re confident in your high range, definitely give it a try! When you sing, try to place the sound so it resonates toward the center of your upper palate inside your mouth.
Doing so should produce a voice rich in higher overtones, similar to the original recording, so please give it a go.
AttockEir Aoi
This is Eir Aoi’s 20th single, released on August 4, 2021.
It also serves as the opening theme for the second cour of the TV anime BLUE REFLECTION RAY/Mio.
Many so-called anison singers have exceptionally strong vocal abilities, and Eir Aoi is no exception.
In this track as well, she delivers an unrestrained display of her clear, soaring high notes, especially in the chorus.
To reproduce those expansive high tones, you need to hit the highs without constricting your throat, and just hearing this voice is enough to appreciate Eir’s remarkable vocal skill.
For women who are confident in their high range, try singing this song as powerfully as she does and grab your friends’ attention!
The dust on the shade extendsI wish it could stay midnight forever.
ZUTOMAYO is a band that enjoys overwhelming support from listeners in their teens and early twenties.
They specialize in songs that blend catchiness with emotional depth, and among those, the track I especially recommend is Shade no Hoko-ri wa Enchō (The Dust of the Shade Extends).
It features a large number of mixed-voice sections and very few rests, so it demands strong stamina and precise pitch control in the high range.
Definitely consider adding it to your repertoire.