Looking back on 2021 feels like a blur at this point. Between border closures and the anxiety fuelling news cycle, it was hard to find a truly stand out moment of the year. Despite that, it didn’t stop artists from across the globe making incredible music that helped get us through the year.
Though we’re well into January 2022 by the time this list goes out, we still wanted to take a moment to reflect on and showcase some of the best tracks that stood out to us over the last year. So let’s get into our picks for the 20 best singles that came out of Japan in 2021.
MIYAVI – New Gravity
In August MIYAVI released New Gravity, the first single from his 13th studio album Imaginary.
A vibrant video game inspired combination of trance, electronic, and contemporary rock, this track showcased MIYAVI’s skills as a musical chemist that seamlessly blends genres to constantly evolve his sound with every release.
New Gravity sounds like it was taken straight out of a Tekken soundtrack, cementing itself as one of the true bangers of 2021.
MIYAVI
Imaginary
Release date: 15/09/2021
Label: Universal Records
Get at: CD Japan | Spotify
BBHF – Between The Black Wings
Formed by the 2 founding members of the disbanded hit indie rock unit Galileo Galilei, the Ozaki brothers have been creating more of their trademark emotional guitar rock sound under BBHF.
Kuroi Tsubasa no Aidawo (Between The Black Wings), an inspiring track about navigating your way through the frustrations of life, provided the uplifting pop rock tune we needed in 2021. Its cinematic soft verses and powerful chorus made it a staple of our year’s soundtrack.
BBHF
Between The Black Wings
Release date: 12/05/2021
Label: Beacon LABEL
Get at: Spotify
HEY-SMITH – Be The One
Ska-punk might be just a shadow of its former self here in the UK, but it’s very much still alive in Japan, with HEY-SMITH being at the forefront of keeping the genre’s lifeblood flowing.
In 2021 they released Back To Basics, a 3-track single that is filled to the brim with high velocity ska-punk energy. If you want some tunes that’ll light a fire under you, HEY-SMITH have you covered.
HEY-SMITH
Back To Basics
Release date: 02/08/2021
Label: CAFFEINE BOMB ORGANICS
Get at: Spotify
GING NANG BOYZ – Boy Meets Girl
Boy Meets Girl (Shounen Shoujo) is an up-tempo melancholic rock song about young love. Original concept right? Despite the maybe slightly cliché topic, this single by GING NANG BOYZ also packs some of the catchiest melodies and addictive choruses of the year. Even after what feels like hundreds of listens we still get chills every time we hear it.
It was also featured as the opening song for the trippy coming-of-age science fiction anime Sonny Boy, the first GING NANG BOYZ track to be used in an anime.
GING NANG BOYZ
Shounen Shoujo
Release date: 21/07/2021
Label: UK.PROJECT
Get at: CD Japan | Spotify
ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION – Empathy
In 2021 ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION celebrated their 25th anniversary and throughout all those years they have managed to remain faithful to the original rock formula; distorted guitars, emotional lyrics, and not a synthesiser in sight.
Empathy, their only release of the year, follows that exact formula, and after 25 years you would think it would’ve gotten boring by now, but frontman Gotch’s heartfelt vocals and captivating melodic guitar riffs makes this song an instant AKFG classic.
ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION
Empathy
Release date: 04/08/2021
Label: Ki/oon Music
Get at: CD Japan | Spotify
DIR EN GREY – Oboro
DIR EN GREY have been a staple in Japan’s metal scene for decades. Since the release of their 10th studio album The Insulated World back in 2019 they’ve been drip feeding their fans new material with singles Ochita Koto no Aru Sora (The Sky That Has Fallen) in 2020, and Oboro in 2021.
Oboro is a dark metal ballad, merging sombre melodies, beefy guitars, stunning violins, and gut wrenching lyrics to make a truly haunting single.
As well as one of the best metal tracks of the years, Oboro also delivered one of the creepiest videos with frontman Kyo being birthed by a monstrous mother creature played by the same woman we saw eating babies in their notorious 2003 music video for OBSCURE.
DIR EN GREY
Oboro
Release date: 28/04/2021
Label: Firewall Div.
Get at: CD Japan | Spotify
DYGL – Sink
The first single from their 2021 LP A Daze in a Haze, Sink is a gentle indie rock number that talks about the very relatable lonely experience of living through a pandemic and the change in lifestyle that came with country wide lockdowns.
Despite the downcast subject matter, Sink’s dream-like guitars and soft vocals (that you’d be forgiven for thinking belonged to a homegrown Brit rock unit) makes it one of the year’s most easy listening tracks to chill to while you wash your reusable masks.
DYGL
Sink
Release date: 03/03/2021
Label: Hard Enough
Get at: Spotify
amazarashi – Kyoukaisen
amazarashi returned with his ninth single Kyoukaisen (Boundary Line) that sticks to his now trademark amalgamation of hooky rock choruses and depression fuelled lyrics. This time he questions the reality of war where people watch on in the safety of their homes while people die in conflicts just across the border.
Used as the opening of 86, the song borrows heavily from the show’s themes of war, prejudices, and loss.
Amazarashi
Kyoukaisen
Release date: 17/11/2021
Label: Sony Music Japan
Get at: CD Japan | Spotify
Asunojokei – Chimera
Over the years Asunojokei have made a name for themselves in the underground black gaze community with their harsh throat shredding vocals, heavy drums, angular melodies, and ambient interludes.
But in 2021 the band took their sound in a more post-hardcore direction, and in turn created some of the hardest hitting tracks of the year.
ASUNOJOKEI MADE THE BEST POST-HARDCORE TRACKS OF 2021 YOU HAVEN’T HEARD
Asunojokei
Chimera
Release date: 29/11/2021
Label: Independent
Get at: Spotify
Maharajan – Sailor☆Mun-Taro
As far as purely fun pop tracks go, Sailor☆Mun-Taro by Tokyo born singer-songwriter Maharajan is up there as one of the best.
From the “Layla” inspired guitar riff, to the plucky bass, this funky earworm of a track is packed with character. Along with the absurd video of a muscular female bodybuilder that transforms at the sight of the full moon, it just makes everything about this single an undoubtedly feel good time.
Maharajan
Sailor Muntarou
Release date: 04/03/2021
Label: Sony Music Labels
Get at: Spotify
WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA – Buckingham
After WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA’s original frontwoman KOM_I officially stepped down a few months ago people were left wondering what it meant for the future of the group. Luckily any worries were squashed with the release of two singles, Alice / Buckingham, featuring new vocalist Utaha.
Plucked right from the streets of Harajuku, and known for her creative sense of style, Utaha was working as a freelance model before being chosen to be the face of WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA.
Their J-pop EDM hybrid sound and seemingly nonsensical lyrics have remained intact, and though both singles deliver the superb dance tunes that we expect from Kenmochi Hidefumi, Buckingham edged ahead as the stand-out WEDNESDAY track of the year.
WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA
Alice / Buckingham
Release date: 27/10/2021
Label: Warner Music Japan
Get at: Spotify
sukekiyo – Candis
DIR EN GREY frontman Kyo came out of left field right at the end of 2021 with this 80s inspired rock track from his side project sukekiyo.
A combination of old school visual kei and shoegaze, with nostalgic dreamy synthesisers, and shimmering guitars, everything about Candis (even the video) serves as a massive throwback to the big 8 0s.
Sukekiyo
SALUS
Release date: 22/12/2021
Label: sun-krad Co.
Get at: CD Japan | Spotify
Sakanaction – plateau
Japanese rock legends Sakanaction returned with their soul lifting single plateau, the band’s first release since they dropped their 7th studio album 834.194 in 2019.
In March 2022 the band plans to release their concept album Adapt which will express how musicians have adapted to the rapid change the world has seen these last couple of years.
Sakanaction
plateau
Release date: 03/12/2021
Label: Victor Entertainment
Get at: Spotify
tricot – Inai
From tricot’s 3rd major album Jodeki comes one of the post-rock unit’s most experimental tracks to date.
Full of skewed juicy lead guitars, tempo changes, and an almost psychedelic interlude, Inai is pure madness and one of the highlights of the band’s entire discography.
TRICOT PREPARE FOR UPCOMING 2022 UK TOUR
tricot
Jodeki
Release date: 15/12/2021
Label: Cutting Edge
Get at: CD Japan | Spotify
Utada Hikaru – One Last Kiss
One of, if not the, biggest pop single of the year, One Last Kiss is a beautiful ballad that sees Utada Hikaru pull elements from all their previous work to create a passionate love song with a truly stunning electronic instrumental.
It also served as a fitting ending theme for the final instalment in the Evangelion film series, 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time.
Sure you might find this single a tad on the slow side, but the pay off is well worth it.
Utada Hikaru
One Last Kiss
Release date: 10/03/2021
Label: Sony Music Labels
Get at: CD Japan | Spotify
Regal Lily – Reach in the wind
Regal Lily have made a name for their brand of shoegaze-pop combined with powerful guitar and chaotic drumming inspired by romanticism, and Reach in the wind is a perfect example of that.
A full speed emotional rock tune, Reach in the wind showcases the young band’s ability to tick all the boxes for what makes a good rock track and at the same time create a sound that is uniquely theirs.
On January 19th Regal Lily released their 2nd album C and Living Things, so do yourself a favour and give it a listen.
Regal Lily
Reach in the wind
Release date: 04/08/2021
Label: Sony Music Labels
Get at: Spotify
Shinsei Kamattechan – My War
An operatic epic full of driving percussion and heavenly vocals, not exactly the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Shinsei Kamattechan, but they pulled it off with their 10th single My War and in-turn made the most memorable and most unique song of 2021.
Upon-release, My War ranked in the top ten on Apple Music’s J-Pop chart in 62 countries and #1 in 21 countries, so it’s good to know we’re not alone in thinking this track is a certified banger.
Shinsei Kamattechan
Boku no Sensou
Release date: 22/02/2021
Label: PONY CANYON
Get at: CD Japan | Spotify
King Gnu – One Way
Formed in 2013, King Gnu have become one of the biggest names in Japan, with their 2020 studio album Ceremony reaching #1 on both the Oricon charts and Billboard Japan’s Hot 100. That said, embarrassingly we’ve been sleeping on these guys for a long time.
But their 2021 single One Way is a track that’s impossible to ignore. A jazzy rock thrasher that hits the ground running and never takes its foot off the gas. Blisteringly fast drums, clean pop and gravelly rock vocals, and catchy as all hell, One Way is a must listen tune and the perfect introduction to the band that has been taking Japan by storm.
King Gnu
One Way
Release date: 29/12/2021
Label: Sony Music Labels
Get at: CD Japan | Spotify
Age Factory – AXL feat.JUBEE
Age Factory are a band that exudes the golden era of 90s alt-rock. Their baggy fit attire, old school Prodigy style cover art, their sound that shifts between The Mad Capsule Markets like nu-metal and AGFK rock, everything about this Nara born trio is a nostalgia trip.
AXL featuring JUBEE from from their 4th album Pure Blue, is a noisy nu-metal track with hard drums, plucky bass lines, and distorted chugging guitar. It’s the hardest track on the LP and a welcome mix up from the other more chilled and more polished singles.
Age Factory
Pure Blue
Release date: 24/11/2021
Label: UK.PROJECT
Get at: CD Japan | Spotify
No Buses – Home
In June No Buses released a triumphant self-titled laid-back indie rock album, fast forward to December and they dropped Home, a chaotic and noisy math-rock single that came out of nowhere.
Its hypnotic bass line, unfolding technical guitar, off-kilter drums and Thom Yorke-esque vocals, made for a track that we’ve had on repeat since release and left us longing for what new sounds No Buses will come out with in 2022.
No Buses
Home
Release date: 22/12/2021
Label: S.S.G.G.
Get at: Spotify
