Been here a few years, have done karaoke a fair few times, and I’ve realised that I have incredibly mixed feelings about it. When I actually know (and somewhat care about) the song, it’s absolutely great, don’t get me wrong. However, when I don’t give enough of a damn to try and remember the tune much less actually learn the song, I’m just sitting there while everyone else has their turn hoping that nobody will mind when I hand the machine back after a bit of searching and say, actually, no, I can’t find many things I can do on this list (subtext: there is an overlap I can exploit, Joysound’s library is kinda impressive, but I haven’t drunk enough to reveal exactly what that overlap is), you can just pick another one if you want?
Et cetera. Gets pretty awkward/dull after a while. (If Japanese people feel this a lot as well, please say.)
I know my taste in music is weird (more in an annoying way than a hipster brag way, if I’m honest), but it’s not *that* specific, so I’m open to looking at new things in order to get a few reliable tracks under my belt to go for when the time comes. However, I can’t take pop, in a broad sense, and it doesn’t depend on the language; as my Japanese has improved, it’s just become clear to me that the things about western pop that turn me off are also there in J-pop just sung in a different language. Specifically, I can’t take the damn love songs 99% of the time. Boku boku boku. Kimi kimi kimi. Let me be a vaguely misanthropic queer, goddammit. There *are* love songs that speak to me, but they are few and far between.
So yeah. If I were to ask you for recommendations of songs that a) are on every karaoke machine in the land, b) aren’t a sure-fire way to get laughed at in an unfriendly manner (I’m not prejudiced against anime/game/etc songs just for being anime, though), and c) have a ‘point’ to them w.r.t. the lyrics that is suitably removed from boku-and-kimi, what names would come to mind?
17 comments
90% of the time, I sing only B’z songs in karaoke. Their songs are on every karaoke machine in Japan and every Japanese knows at least Ultra Souls
Japanese pop is absolute garbage. Just look at what’s in the top 10 chart at any given time in Japan. It’s like the whole country is perpetually stuck in a mix of the 80s and 90s.
Also I don’t get why official higedan are so popular. It’s the same old jazz-ish piano with guitar and drums and a singer going up and down the scales a few times as usual. Even worse is Yoasobi and all the “artists” that have since copied Yoasobi.
If I had to pick a song to sing, it’d be something really cheesy/lame like “bounce with me bounce with me”. *Admitting* the song is lame is the first step to recovery.
4 non blondes.
Unabashedly, Yonezu Kenshi.
I love his music style and the fact that he directs a majority of his own music videos.
I’ve been a fan of his work since he was on niconicodouga.
EDIT
Also I absolutely adore Queen Bee (女王蜂).
If you really want to sing a song that people will probably like (i mean you just said you’re queer why do you even care lol) so like, you know the remote control list that they have on karaoke places here? There should be a 人気 button or something that shows what people have been singing the most on their network. Try to get to know those songs maybe and pick a couple you like for your repertoire?
Just try not to sing long songs, like if you’re gonna sing plastic love which is a 5 minute song make sure people you’re with know it enough to enjoy it with you otherwise you may kill the mood imo.
The last time I went to karaoke here (which was also my first time) we sang Rammstein songs. We were a bunch of foreigners though, from various countries, and that was our first time meeting up irl. There were also many pop songs, some I could sing along, some I couldn’t even though I knew they’re popular.
So yeah. Probably not a good tip. But try Rammstein.
Green Day
Do you like enka?
[r/Blackmetal](r/Blackmetal)
Dschinghis Khan.
Has to be done at least once every time.
Preferably when sufficiently drunk.
Futari zake
Well. I prefer to sing metal but if i do i usually have to do it solo, if someone asks to duo with me i do rock or a 2000s emo song, im at a loss when i go with japanese ppl tho because i know 0 anime or jpop/rock songs
If I’m forced to karaoke, I will shamelessly start belting out hit anime singles like the Dragonball OP, Eva OP, 08th MS Team OP. And maybe a sprinkling of Queen for good taste.
A lot of bad songs can be made better by turning down the tempo to the very slowest setting.
Weezer – say it ain’t so. Easy for any Japanese people to scream along with the chorus.
Killers – me brightside
Basically any queen song after that stupid bohemian rhapsody movie
Blue hearts – Linda Linda (リンダリンダ I guess) if they don’t know this one you should change Friends… it does have some 僕 in it But Atleast its punk…. To a certain extent
Beatles Always works i guess.
I Used to do slipknot to prove a point., aka ”ruin the mode”… so You could go for that If You just get sick of the pop shit.
Or if you want everyone to sing along… YMCA. Can’t go more pop I guess but it sure gets the Japanese salarymen goinhtg
My main problem with karaoke is that you ALWAYS! hear people sing the same lame ass songs… no one really surprises you with “oh shit, that’s a new one”
It’s ok to be a braggy hipster when it comes to music. Music is sacred, and there is no reason to compromise.
Green day, metallica, motly crue, blue hearts, and various swing bands if they have them.