Idol Watch's Top 100 Japanese Idol Songs of 2022
Looking back at the best idol songs of the year featuring OCHA NORMA, Kinopo, PAPIPUPEPO WA MUZUKASHII and many more
Hi! Welcome to the Best of 2022 edition of Idol Watch, a companion newsletter to This Side of Japan that’s all about idols! You can check out previous issues of Idol Watch from this year here: January & February / March & April / May & June / July & August / September & October
Idol as scene continues to resist easy definition in 2022. Its groups take on a range of different visual concepts, explore a wide array of musical styles and showcase an abundance of unique personalities. Anything seems fair game, even hiring a monkey as a new member. And it’s this feeling of infinite possibilities that stuck with me the most as I listened to idol songs this year, whether it’d be experimenting with post-rock or hyperpop, recording a song about wanting to own property, or spreading optimism of a better day lying ahead of us. Here are 100 of my favorite idol songs of 2022.
You can check out a list-only version of this list here. You can listen to the selections as a playlist on Spotify and YouTube.
1) “Aisubekibeki Human Life” by Angerme
If Hello! Project looked back to its own history this year — through stylistic callbacks, literal flashbacks or a TV series dedicated to their deep catalog — in an attempt to restore a classic feeling in their music, Angerme’s “Aisubeki Beki Human Life” proved the most instrumental to its efforts. The single draws comparisons to Morning Musume’s 2002 hit “Koko Ni Iruze!” from its ska production but also the idols’ lust for life. That said, the anthem is a celebration of not so much a certain era of Hello! Project than the evergreen traditions that have consistently defined the company’s music. Angerme embody those passed-on attitudes as they sing about navigating the not-so-easy parts of life: the idols shrug off struggle as an obvious, if not mundane truth to their course of living, but also welcome them as key moments of opportunity for self-improvement. It’s admirable enough to hear them expel doubt of a better, brighter tomorrow; it’s even more inspiring to witness Angerme acknowledge life’s impossible questions as the very thing that makes life worth living for.
2) “Wanna Dance” by ExWHYZ
“Wanna Dance” inherits the yearning for life that drives BIG WORLD by MONDO GROSSO, the producer who hands the newly rechristened ExWHYZ a sleek piano-house beat that fits neatly alongside the other tracks of his latest album. The idols’ straightforward request to get bodies moving echoes as a vital call-to-arms to inject life with more, well, life, connection and the thrills that once seemed to slip away out of reach as the world began to close in. ExWHYZ may be the only WACK group that can properly deliver Shinichi Osawa’s dance-floor whims in this exact sentiment and scale: since the days of EMPiRE, the group has been the lone act in the agency taming stadium EDM beats while displaying a willingness to pave the way for a brighter, better future amid their climb from the hellish bottom. The idols sound so natural in these rhythms and attitudes, but more than that, ExWHYZ make it look easy to adopt this lifestyle.
3) “SOMEBODY” by PRIKIL
PRIKIL bet it all on the conceit of idol as a site for self-actualization in their debut single, shouting their ambitions to the heavens in the titular chorus: “I’m gonna be somebody, yeah!” The idols go about their goals playfully as they do sincere, with their more bratty hooks only adding more fuel to the self-confidence beaming in the chorus. The production seems to wink at their audition-program origins, especially that chorus exploding with a Disney-core power-pop rush. And that inspired-by-fiction feel also calls for PRIKIL to bring a certain sentimentality: only a dream this wide-eyed and wholesome can properly fill the extravagant space.
4) “IDOL FIRE” by HO6LA
“IDOL FIRE” pries open the exterior of the cute, manicured idols of HO6LA to expose their real and raw feelings, and they do so abruptly as it does bluntly. The twinkling intro quickly reveals to be a fake-out as it leads into one bombastic, dentist-drill EDM drop and a chorus proudly filled with expletives. Amidst noisy sirens and electronic clutter, the single takes a tour through the more honest thoughts on idol as a platform for self-actualization, with the group’s anxieties succinctly summed up in the hook: “we are the idol, no time to die.” HO6LA can’t afford to waste a single minute with only shot to make as much noise and leave a memorable impression.
5) “Samidareyo” by Sakurazaka46
Sakurazaka46’s streak of anthemic singles take a more conservative turn with the ballad of “Samidareyo,” but the change in pace only calls more attention to the poignant lyrical details laying in contrast to their past affairs. The heart-on-sleeve lyrics hit more affecting in comparison to their previous singles about rising up against societal pressures but also the warring emotions spilled on the page of their old songs as Keyakizaka46. The idols still sing about struggling to be honest with their emotions, but where they once flat-out rejected the possibility of being worthy of love, they ultimately embrace the warm feelings blossoming in them; they acknowledge it’s now a matter of acting on them without fearing regret. Sakurazaka remain stuck in their own heads, but they no longer seem so tortured living with themselves.
6) “The Light” by lyrical school
“Find Me!” was the radical step forward with lyrical school eschewing much of their hip-hop roots to indulge instead in punk and shoegaze. But “The Light” stands as a record that best represents the five’s inimitable dynamic as a group—a quality that grows more sentimental to see on display now that the only remaining member as of this writing is minan, who’s on chorus duty here. Like their best works, the idols come at different angles, from steely raps to sincere R&B vocals, to say the same message, here a warm reminder that “you give me the light / I’ll be with you whenever, forever.” Beyond being sharp performers of their claimed genre, lyrical school simply made heartfelt pop songs as inviting and communal as they were as a group. “The Light” is a record that presents them in an image I would like to remember them by.
7) “Dai Jinsei Never Been Better!” by Morning Musume ‘22
Morning Musume preach about a better future not only as a guarantee but like a divine right in “Dai Jinsei Never Been Better”—leave it to them to sing of this kind of outlandish selfishness while removing all the assumed ego. “Because isn’t it all mine for the taking,” they harmonize in the chorus about all the life on offer. And for nearly five minutes, they convince through the power of funk and idol-group solidarity that it’s pointless obsessing over whatever it is that holds you back from eating, dressing and living the way you like, with the conviction that every detail spoken is just the obvious truth. From its blindingly sunny sound to its lust for life, “Dai Jinsei Never Been Better” is classic Morning Musume on display.
8) “Happy End To Sorekara” by Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku
I praised Ebi Chu’s previous entry into a year’s top 10 as a graceful transition into adulthood, and they continue to display a richly matured perspective in “Happy End To Sorekara.” The key difference in the group’s growth since their last top 10 material can be picked up via these lyrics, courtesy of Saucy Dog’s Shinya Ishihara: “I think of it now as not sad or disappointing but nostalgic,” the idols sigh as they reminisce about a now-gone parking lot where the song’s protagonist used to hang out with their first love. Once tied down by life’s stasis, Ebi Chu sing now about finding peace in the past, no longer afraid to look back at possible embarrassments, but also the present and how the times change at an alarming speed. I can only hope to reach this amount of emotional comfort, just content to chat about how good we had it back then.
9) “Life Is Simple” by You’ll Melt More!
Out of the few dozen of words that flash behind You’ll Melt More! in the music video for the group’s list-as-song, one text stands out the strongest in presence: SIMPLE! It arrives as the idols complete listing off one burden of life after another—“war, success, economics, politics, sports, history”—in a progressively bored tone; it hits after they urge “no! no! no!” like they’ve been dying to just get to the titular chorus. Frankly, I can’t even tell if the idols are fully on board with their own mantra here as they proclaim “just think of it simply!” simultaneously with slack and enthusiasm, but that half-assed-ness becomes surprisingly endearing as it is, if you think about it, the exact level of commitment needed to live out such a perspective.
10) “Koi No Crouching Start” by OCHA NORMA
OCHA NORMA hardly play coy with the love-as-performance conceit driving “Koi No Crouching Start,” but the music video peels off a hidden layer to the metaphor during the song’s bridge. “I’ve been practicing / my cutest features for this day,” the idols confess in their debut single as footage of them during their trainee days flash by. Suddenly, all their talk about nailing their endlessly rehearsed moves, seizing the opportunity and finally basking in the spotlight touch on details of a whole different narrative than merely navigating a new relationship. “Koi No Crouching Start” bottles a precious magic, of former trainees leveling up into proper idols, that can only be captured once in an idol group’s lifetime, and OCHA NORMA don’t take the moment for granted.
11) “Iceblink” by Kanano Senritsu
It’s not so much that Kenmochi Hidefumi can build a larger-than-life anthem out of pots-and-pans clutter and screeching electronic noises in “Iceblink” than how hard-hitting and straightforward he gets to its lizard-brained thrills. Once the song reaches its dentist-drill drop, it’s over, and Kanano Senritsu’s taunting icebliiiink is just the icing on the cake.
12) “BLUE WIND” by The Grateful a MogAAAz
The Grateful a MogAAAz polish the swampy rockabilly riffs familiar to their older siblings of Melon Batake A Go Go into a vibrant, glam-inflected sound in “BLUE WIND.” The result is a sharp, glorious power pop that sings like a theme song, very much made for this teenage band of vigilantes.
13) “Kyo You Mu” by BPM15Q
The sizzling, neon-lit electro-pop of BPM15Q’s comeback single sticks firmly to the group’s roots while the formerly bashful idols adopt a hedonistic attitude. “All eyes on me / in your dreams,” the duo taunt in the chorus over a brash, slithering electro bass line. BPM15Q step out from the realms of the imagination, ready to live outside of their hermetic lifestyle.
14) “EVENT HORIZON” by situasion
“More, more, deeper, go down,” situasion command over an edgy techno beat in “EVENT HORIZON,” and the group adopts the dark club as their new haunt as if it has always been their domain, carrying no trace of their affair with maudlin shoegaze just a release prior. A seemingly drastic pivot in style is actually just situasion doing what they have so far done best: jumping from one style to another in seamless transition.
15) “Sora To Sakana” by Wasuta
The carbonated pop of “Sora To Sakana” reminds of spring at its peak. The lush instrumental flourishes brush across prickly pianos, like wind grazing against the greenery. WASUTA, meanwhile, wistfully look ahead to the fade-out of the season, rendering the shifting scene with evocative lyricism.
16) “BY MY SIDE” by B.O.L.T.
Contrary to its colorful tween-pop music video, “BY MY SIDE” refers to what B.O.L.T. doesn’t need anymore, with the idols declaring independence to the tune of their signature pop-punk riffs. “I saw you in a dream hundreds of times / but I’m not that stupid to go back to you,” goes a killer line in the chorus as the four make sure the statement is made loud and clear.
17) “Kaimaku Zibun Sengen” by Kinopo
Kinopo kicked open their first full-length, Brilliant My Home, and, really, their very productive 2022, with this pop-punk declaration. A brand-new me announcement, they more or less title this anthem, and the lyrics hit sincere with empathy as much as they show off their newfound confidence.
18) “Watashi No Ichiban Kawaii Tokoro” by FRUITS ZIPPER
FRUITS ZIPPER’s big TikTok hit drew in a crowd through its attention-fishing chorus—“you always notice the most cutest parts of me / and that makes you so, so, so amazing!”—but throughout the verses, you can hear a sweet-toothed meta-idol song about idols cleverly playing up their own innocence for the likes.
19) “Amaterasu” by RILISREVERSE
The scrambled piano riff of “Amaterasu” foregrounds a stern mood, laying out an impression of a restless, intensely serious mind on the page. If the music sets an impression of RILISREVERSE as a downtrodden personality, it only makes the optimism in the chorus more unexpected: “Holding on to hope will light your way,” the idols close the song after embracing their own self-encouragement in hopes to will it into existence.
20) “Hey boy hey girl” by BiS
BiS has been rocking out in a gleeful pop-punk get-up for a minute, though the sentiments in “Hey boy hey girl” hit surprisingly wholesome. “Time is now! Be selfish,” the four proudly shout in the chorus, radiating with an enthusiasm for the future that’s so rarely heard from a typical WACK song.
21) “CO2” by Planet After the Rain
Planet After the Rain let their searing, razor-sharp guitars cool into languid post-rock in “CO2.” “I soar through this transparent city of nothing,” they sigh in the chorus over skyward guitars, their voices wistful and a little broken. It pains that much more to hear the idols reminisce of a more beautiful, fulfilling summer when the scene is colored by blue, cresting riffs straight out the playbooks of Explosions in the Sky. While “CO2” transports the group into an alternate environment than their usual white-knuckled attacks, the heaviness of it all becomes its own strength for Planet After the Rain.
22) “Queens Bluff” by i☆Ris
i☆Ris go through not so much a makeover than a full-on reboot in this tie-up for Kakegurui with gambling inspiring for them a regal, slightly risque R&B sound.
23) “Watashi No Prism” by Isshunshikanai
Living up to their name, Isshunshikanai urge to admire and take in the big blue sea in “Watashi No Prism” for a beautiful season like this may only come once.
24) “Ikkenya Sumitaina” by PAPIPUPEPO WA MUZUKASHII
The idol song as a format tends to excuse the most out-there ideas as a feasible conceit for a pop song, and this single from PAPIPUPEPO WA MUZUKASHII with its nagging titular hook sung along an equally obnoxious EDM beat is a case in point.
25) “Redo” by MIGMA SHELTER
MIGMA SHELTER brings back a more aggressive edge to their psych-trance sound, and their vocals snap with sass. “Don’t you know you make me sick,” the group eventually sings as their emotions spill over.
26) “Yume No Naka Ni Tsurettete” by Tokyo Girls’ Style
The lush city-pop-esque instrumental loosen up Tokyo Girls’ Style of their stoic R&B cool. “In this dream of a dream, let’s continue our dance,” they sing in the chorus as they fight to not wake up from this fantasy.
27) “Kirameki, ima, mierudesyo?” by rirunede
The “look at me” sentiments of “Kirameki, ima, mierudesyo” resonate on a different level with the disbandment of rirunede on the horizon, and yet not a hint of glumness exists in the glittery synth-funk production to ensure the idols will be remembered as their best selves.
28) “HORIZON” by TEAM SHACHI
TEAM SHACHI’s trusted ensemble sets the stage for a glitching EDM that bursts with full power come the chorus: “There’s no such thing as paradise / but there’s still purpose for us here,” the idols triumphantly shout as the synths explode behind them like the finale of a firework show.
29) “Asa No Wakusei” by RYUTist
RYUTist join forces with Ohzora Kimishima to provide another piece of cosmic, impressionistic electro-pop, this time with more guitar crunch and drone.
30) “Wicked” by Suisei Hoshimachi ft. Mori Calliope
The collaboration between some of the most notable Vtuber idols working today brings a bombastic hip-hop track reminiscent of the chest-puffing, post-”Bang Bang” K-pop cut en vogue about half a decade ago. Suisei Hoshimachi sounds reinvigorated in a contemporary-pop realm while her voice cuts through the blast of noise no problem; Mori Calliope flexes her rapid-fire flow, zigzagging across the pots-and-pans breakdown. A meeting of names this big should warrant pop music this loud.
31) “Actually…” by Nogizaka46
Nogizaka’s steely performance, and the equally stoic electro-pop production, mask how they corner themselves with self-critique.
32) “Dareka Ni Aerunara” by Caeca
“Dareka Ni Aerunara” blankets the ears with a warm sincerity expressed through the breezy piano-pop instrumental but also the wholesome personalities of Caeca. That said, the song isn’t so much about life being all sunny than what we can hold on to when things go south. “Over the mountains, over the valleys, if we can meet / we can laugh together there,” the idols remind in the titular chorus, helping the world turn a little smoother.
33) “Take It Easy” by The Candace
The Candace get caught by the tides ushered in by the weighty Britrock riffs—what’s become the group’s calling card—and yet they manage to spin sweet, slacker-drawled hooks as they drift along the waves.
34) “Blue” by AMEFURASSHI
Melancholy coolly blankets “Blue,” and the R&B track reveals a hidden down-and-out side to AMEFURASSHI, whose effort to put on their best face hurts more than helps them as they struggle to express their true emotions.
35) “Nettaigyo” by kaiju by me
What seems from kaiju by me as a commonplace issue of a lack of self-esteem as idols eventually turns morbid come the bridge: “I’d rather keep on sleeping / might as well just die peacefully,” Stand By Natsuki of the group sings, her voice cracking as the pop punk music reaches its final breakdown.
36) “Koi No Mahoutsukai Ni Wa Narenai” by Sandal Telephone
The glitz and glamor offered by the bubbly disco beat give way to a playful display of personality by Sandal Telephone, who try their best to be the one in control of this cat-and-mouse chase.
37) “Kounominato” by Batten Shojotai
Batten Shojotai try their best to keep cool along the elegant synth-pop while they restlessly scheme to get together again with the one, but they can’t help but stress about the ticking clock.
38) “Gday the Superstar” by GoodDay
GoodDay return to pop punk after playing around with genre like a sandbox last year. Though, the idols don’t settle into familiar territory in “Gday the Superstar” as much as they get re-inspired by their first love, bringing a kind of exuberance as if this is their very first encounter. With the duo shouting about “throwing out everything other than what we love,” the chorus doubles as a manifesto as well as an endearing moment of self-actualization: hearing this much excitement behind them, who are we to question when they declare themselves as superstars?
39) “BURNING PRIDE” by PIGGS
After failure, it’s all about how you pick yourself back up, PIGGS remind, in the punk tune of “BURNING PRIDE”—and they sound triumphant as they continue to tackle the unknown.
40) “pulse” by Ringwanderung
Ringwanderung have dipped their toes in a fair share of sliced-and-diced production familiar to the world of VocaloPs, but “pulse” is an intense whiplash even by their standards.
41) “Pity Pantomime” by KAQRIYOTERROR
KARIYOTERROR return to form with brutal metal and laser synths after poking at the edges of their sound this past year, and “Pity Pantomime” brings a welcome scene of chaos.
42) “Amida☆Fortune” by Qumali Depart
Like the titular election method, the topsy-turvy electro-pop production of “Amida Fortune” scatter into all sorts of directions: an 8-bit firework here, a chorale intermission there, all leading to an explosive denpa-like synth burst in the chorus. The idols, too, scramble with the quickness as they devise their own plot in a race to win the most hearts out of the group, though with music this bubbly, no way can they really go at each other’s throats. Because the final plot twist? All six were winners in this election all along.
43) “Anemoa” by meme tokyo
Meme tokyo add more punk to their hyperpop, turning up the speed and harshness of the warped, caffeinated beats as if to wake themselves up from their listlessness.
44) “THE MOMENT” by gootcrew
An exuberant pop-punk riffage gives gootcrew the push they need to take the present in stride and continue sprinting ahead.
45) “Summersault” by Solaris in the Rain
The wistful twinkles of the math-rock-sourced guitars of “Summersault” signal more the end of the titular season, and Solaris in the Rain mourn the loss of a moment than they embrace the fading present, sometimes before it even happens.
46) “Kogetsu” by fishbowl
Fishbowl fight the melancholy brought from solitude, holding on to the thought of that someone looking at the same moon as theirs; the earnest, piano-driven funk-pop tries its best to console them.
47) “Twinkle Tears” by EISEI TO KARATEA
EISEI TO KARATEA likens teardrops into a phenomenon as precious and cosmic as their starry electro-pop production.
48) “Lillight” by QUEENS
QUEENS Overhauling the grunge and metal sound worn proudly in last year’s REBUILD, QUEENS gleefully plays around in a production style that’s a hybrid of SoundCloup rap and drum ‘n’ bass.
49) “Forever Gold” by Sexy Zone
While the lavish, neon disco production gestures to Sexy Zone’s savvy with the current zeitgeist of a post-city-pop-boom, their musical nod to the Showa era taps into a nostalgia with deeper roots than simple Bubble-era idol-pop. Lest we forget, Johnny’s promoted idol groups back in those flashy decades, too, backed more or less by this exact kind of sound, and “Forever Gold” reminds how classic funk and disco has always been J&A’s bread and butter. Sexy Zone were set up for success from the start.
50) “MASCARA” by XG
XG step to the stage with their sassy girl-crush pop like an anti-hero, out for vengeance of the man that did you wrong while assuring the broken hearts that, through one of the year’s best hooks, “this is my party / I can cry if I want to.”
51) FAKY - “Futako Ito”
52) OWV - “Time Jackerz”
53) Yua Uchiyama/RAY - “Y”
54) Nushi Koharu/PLANCKSTARS - “Little devil GIRLFRIEND”
55) Up Up Girls (2) - “Tell Me”
56) Kaede/Negicco - “Hikari No Sasumamani”
57) NightOwl - “melt blue”
58) airattic - “Film Reel of Our Youth”
59) pageONE - “Stunning Girl”
60) Dempagumi.inc - “MIKATA Sezu Ni Wa Irarenai!”
61) Momoiro Clover Z - “BUTTOBI!”
62) SUPER★DRAGON - “Purple Moon”
63) KIMITOWA - “God’s Artifact”
64) Rebel Rebel - “Paper Moon”
65) HATE and TEARS - “RETROSPECTIVE”
66) Hina & Taki/FAKY - “Black Ghost”
67) honoka - “celebrate”
68) cinder-ella - “Pride”
69) Snow Man - “Brother Beat”
70) CUBELIC - “Battle Royale Sengen!”
71) Ele Funk Garden - “Dark Side Moon”
72) BE:FIRST - “Brave Generation”
73) Kira Shiomi/Kamiyado - “Yo Na Yo Na Yo”
74) Appare! - “Skyline Fanfare!”
75) ONE LOVE ONE HEART - “Honjitsuwa Seitennari”
76) Near Equal Joy - “Chokodoku Lion”
77) Tsubaki Factory - “Adrenaline, Dame”
78) kimi to boku no kakumei - “The future of the stars”
79) tipToe. - “When the Primroses Bloom”
80) Dai Dai Dai - “Object”
81) Tokyo Tefutefu - “ash.”
82) ARCANA PROJECT - “Kaisei No Esta Lista”
83) BiSH - “Gomenne”
84) At Seventeen - “HYPER SONIC!”
85) Gensou Badend - “Gensou To, Sonosakie”
86) POPPiNG EMO - “kassai”
87) Megu/Negicco - “Shiroi Stardust”
88) ASP - “Hyper Cracker”
89) ODDLORE - “where I belong”
90) NMB48 Team N - “Chouhatsu No Aozora”
91) Karen Na Ivory - “Oshihennante Yurusanai!”
92) COMIQ ON ! - “Choukoutenkai POROPORO Comiq”
93) et-and- - “Yoiyoi”
94) Philosophy No Dance - “Clap your hands”
95) Niji No Conquistador - “Boku Wa Kimo Dake No Obakechan♡”
96) CHICKEN BLOW THE IDOL - “Ichibandori”
97) =LOVE - “Be Selfish”
98) Iketeru Hearts - “Endless Evolution”
99) .BPM - “Dancin’ Chicken”
100) King & Prince - “Ichiban”
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