Addictive Anime Songs That Use Irregular Time Signatures

SynchrogazerNana Mizuki

Nana Mizuki “Synchrogazer” Music Clip

This is the 26th single by Nana Mizuki, a singer who reigns at the top of the voice-actor singer scene and continues to captivate fans with her cute yet overwhelmingly powerful vocals.

The track was used as the opening theme for the TV anime Symphogear, and its luxurious synth sound and driving four-on-the-floor beat really amp up the energy.

From the A section to the B section, it features a distinctive way of dividing the measures.

With its relentless melodic lines that raise the excitement, it’s a staple number at live shows as well.

Extinction Endangerment Girl!Haruka Chisuga

On sale 2/26: “Extinction-Foolish Girl!” / Haruka Chisuga PV short ver.

This is the third single by singer Haruka Chisuga, who has performed numerous theme songs for TV anime and video games with her powerful vocal ability.

The track was selected as the opening theme for the original video anime “Zetsumetsu Kigu Shoujo Amazing Twins,” and its gritty expressiveness, which links with the work, is a key highlight.

The piano-featured, translucent sound paired with the sense of unease from meter changes every phrase creates an addictive quality.

What’s more, the irregular time signature makes the sprinting feel of the chorus stand out, resulting in a pop tune where the contrast between the cute vocals and the arrangement is superb.

BuddyMaaya Sakamoto

Maaya Sakamoto / Buddy [PV]

This is the 19th single by singer Maaya Sakamoto, who began her career as a child actress at the age of eight and now works across multiple fields as a voice actor, actress, radio personality, and essayist.

The song was used as the opening theme for the TV anime Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing, and its rapidly repeating key changes create a pleasantly disorienting effect.

Accents of irregular meter add an effective sense of tension, introducing a distinctive hook within the song’s sense of speed.

It’s a dramatic number whose subtle snags within its straightforward drive make it irresistibly catchy.

That voice becomes a map.Saori Hayami

That voice becomes a map.

Saori Hayami is one of the most skilled and popular voice actors among those born in the ’90s, appearing in many well-known works.

It’s still fresh in our minds that in May 2022 she made waves by dubbing Audrey Hepburn in the classic film Roman Holiday, the very movie that inspired her to pursue voice acting.

Hayami is also active as a voice-acting artist, and her singing ability is highly regarded within the industry.

The song introduced here, “Sono Koe ga Chizu ni Naru,” is her second single, released in 2016 as a double A-side, and it was used as the opening theme for the TV anime Snow White with the Red Hair, in which she starred.

Hayami herself participated in writing the lyrics and composing the music for this track.

Compared to her uptempo debut single “Yasashii Kibou,” which is based on an 8-beat feel, don’t you notice the different rhythms at play here? While the chorus is in standard 4/4 time, the intro is in 5/4, and the A and B sections are in 3/4, creating a progressive development that also incorporates symphonic and classical elements—far from a straightforward pop song.

You don’t often hear pop music in 5/4, and if you try keeping time as you listen, you’ll recognize how daring the arrangement is.

Changing time signatures naturally makes the melodic lines harder to follow, yet Hayami’s clear, expansive vocals handle it with ease, once again showcasing her prowess as a vocalist.

IndecipherableGin

Anime 'Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion' Opening / Jin 'Kaidokufunou' (Indecipherable)

The four-piece rock band Jinn took its name from their members’ motto: “Form a formation, become human without forgetting benevolence, become a blade and then a god.” This is their third single.

Used as the opening theme for the TV anime Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, the track hooks you right away with an intro guitar part whose rhythm is hard to grasp on first listen.

It shifts from a 6/4 verse to a driving 4/4 chorus, yet the heavy use of syncopation helps smooth out any discomfort from the meter change.

With a whirlwind-like song structure that keeps unfolding, it’s a catchy rock number that’s easy to get hooked on.

BijumeniaAoi Yūki

Aoi Yuki “Bijumenea” Music Video short ver.

This is the debut single by singer Aoi Yūki, who is active in many fields as a voice actress, actress, and TV personality.

The song was used as the ending theme for the TV anime “World Conquest Zvezda Plot,” and its cute vocals and clear, translucent arrangement give it a pop feel.

Although the piece is mainly in triple meter throughout, there’s a peculiar sensation in the ensemble: even though the rhythm seems firmly marked, by the time the chorus arrives the pulse subtly slips, creating a distinctive sense of drift.

It’s the kind of track that ends while you’re still analyzing it, making you want to go back and listen from the beginning again.

pure whiteSumire Morohoshi

pure white

A song by singer Sumire Morohoshi, who joined the Himawari Theatre Group at age three and is active not only in music but also as a voice actress and actress.

Included on her first mini-album, “smile,” it was selected as the opening theme for the TV anime “Ascendance of a Bookworm: I’ll do anything to become a librarian.” The arrangement moves from an intro that suggests a standard 4/4 ballad into a verse that weaves in complex irregular meters—an unexpectedly delightful twist for fans of odd time signatures.

With a brilliant ensemble and a persistently tense beat that becomes addictive, it’s a classical-style anime song.