[Karaoke] A roundup of easy-to-sing songs by Dai Hirai
Hirai Dai is a singer-songwriter who has gained popularity with a sound rooted in surf music.
His songs carry strong messages, and many of them bring important people to mind as you listen.
His representative tracks include “Stand by me, Stand by you.”, “Mata Au Hi Made” (Until We Meet Again), and “Inoribana.”
This article introduces easy-to-sing songs recommended for those who want to sing Hirai Dai’s music at karaoke.
While Hirai Dai’s songs are generally quite challenging to sing, we’ve gathered relatively easier ones among them, so feel free to use this as a reference.
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[Karaoke] Easy-to-sing Hiroai Dai songs (1–10)
Surf’s UpHirai Dai
The masterpiece “Surf’s Up,” notable for its pop-rock style, leaves a strong impression.
It’s an early work by Dai Hirai, characterized by a musicality reminiscent of Avril Lavigne.
There are two points that make this song easy to sing.
First, it has a narrow vocal range, which is a huge plus for those who struggle with high notes.
Second, the rhythm is easy to follow.
It’s structured around a classic 8-beat pattern, which is extremely common in Japanese pop, so you shouldn’t have any trouble with the pickup or the start of the vocals.
For The FutureHirai Dai
Hirai Dai’s early work “For The Future.” At this stage, rather than the polished, Western-style melodies he’s known for now, it features distinctly Japanese-sounding melodies.
His pronunciation also doesn’t emphasize his characteristic “r” or “ae,” so even those who aren’t confident singers should find it easy to sing.
There are no falsetto parts or long sustained notes, so people who aren’t confident in their vocal tone can feel at ease.
If you want to sing it in a cooler style, it’s a good idea to check out live footage and reference Hirai Dai’s current singing approach.
Lonely Beachy StoryHirai Dai
Hirai Dai’s classic “Lonely Beachy Story” is rich with reggae elements.
The drums place accents on the third beat of each measure, and there are also accents on beats two and four in 4/4 time—features that are quintessentially reggae.
The rhythm can be a bit challenging for Japanese singers, but you should be able to sing it as long as you really feel the groove.
However, since the song uses a lot of falsetto, adjusting the key is necessary.
Because much of the falsetto sits in the lower range, raising the key to make the falsetto easier to produce is actually recommended.
[Karaoke] A Collection of Easy-to-Sing Songs by Dai Hirai (11–20)
Surf TimeHirai Dai
Hirai Dai’s early track “Surf Time.” Although he mainly works in R&B and explores various genres, this piece still falls under pop music while featuring elements reminiscent of house throughout.
The biggest reason is the rhythm.
It’s not a four-on-the-floor beat, but the drum accents make it sound like one.
Because of that, the entry rhythms for the vocals are very easy to catch.
The vocal range is also narrow, so it’s recommended for people who can’t sing very high.
Beyond the RainbowHirai Dai
Hirai Dai’s masterpiece “Niji no Mukou,” known for its bright, uplifting melody, stands out for how easy it is to sing—above all because of its rhythm.
It’s structured in a very straightforward 4/4 beat—“zutch, zutch, zutch, zutch”—so even singers who tend to come in late at karaoke can feel at ease.
As for the high notes, there aren’t any particularly difficult spots, making it very singable.
If you want to make it sound stylish, try blending in English-like pronunciations such as the “r” and “ae” sounds into your Japanese diction.
BeautifulHirai Dai
Hirai Dai’s music is strongly influenced by R&B and Hawaiian music.
Among these, R&B in particular tends to be a very challenging genre for Japanese listeners, as its rhythms can be difficult to grasp.
“Beautiful,” however, leans more toward pop music, so there’s no need to worry about that, and the vocal line is arranged to be easy to sing throughout.
That said, there are occasional falsetto parts, so you’ll need to set an appropriate key.
If you choose a key that feels “slightly high,” it will make the falsetto sections easier to produce—please use this as a reference.
King & QueenHirai Dai
Hirai Dai’s masterpiece “King & Queen” is notable for its crisp programmed beats.
Among his works, this one in particular has strong dance music elements.
I believe the key to this piece lies in the flow.
Because the phrasing is closer to Western music, many people may find that part challenging.
However, once you learn it, it’s not an issue, so try memorizing the flow for each lyric line and work through it.
Techniques like falsetto, long notes, and ad-libs don’t appear very frequently either, so give it a try.