Hiiragi Magnetite’s ‘Tetoris’ Guidelines 2025 Mid-Yr VOCALOID SONGS Chart

The “Niconico VOCALOID SONGS” mid-year rating for 2025 was not too long ago introduced. This chart, which was launched on Dec. 7, 2022, tracks the highest 20 songs on Niconico created utilizing voice synthesis software program. The rating relies on metrics developed by Billboard JAPAN, together with the variety of performs, the variety of movies that use the songs, the variety of feedback, the variety of likes, and extra. Within the not too long ago launched chart, the primary place went to Hiiragi Magnetite’s “Tetoris,” adopted intently by DECO*27’s “Monitoring.”

The video for “Tetoris,” which was launched in November 2024, exhibits Kasane Teto spinning over a yellow background. The lyrics drip with self-deprecation: “I’m so busy with despair and Mania / That I can’t even get some sleep / But once more.” The tune is anchored by the melody to “Korobeiniki,” the Russian folks tune well-known because the background music of the Tetris online game, and makes use of rhythmical phrases that place heavy emphasis on the texture of the lyrics, combining “Teto” and “Tetris.” The lyrics are ultra-fresh, with traces like “Jinsei Cancel Cancel Kaiwai” (“Across the ‘Cancel Cancel Life’ Neck of the Woods”) that play on the web slang from late 2024, “Furo Cancel Kaiwai” (“Across the ‘Cancel the Bathtub’ Neck of the Woods”).

It’s additionally value noting the dramatic success being loved by DECO*27, a veteran Vocaloid producer who shall be celebrating the seventeenth anniversary of their debut this October however who stays on the frontlines of the Vocaloid scene. DECO*27 has been distinguishing himself for the reason that 2010s, when songs like “Mosaic Roll” and “Streaming Coronary heart” have been lined by enormous numbers of utaite. Even now, 16 years later, his recognition stays sky excessive. His works are about change, which has had an amazing influence on his evolution as an artist. For instance, on his album TRANSFORM, launched on November 27, 2024, he used the brand new Miku voicebank. Since Could 2023, DECO*27 has been utilizing a Hatsune Miku 3D mannequin he created himself (Deco Miku) primarily to advertise his music on YouTube and TikTok. This method ties in intently to his motion on the chart.

The mid-year chart additionally has many songs associated to the movie Kowareta Sekai To Utaenai Miku (“Colourful Stage! The Film: A Miku Who Can’t Sing”), an offshoot of the smartphone rhythm and journey sport Challenge Sekai Colourful Stage! Feat. Hatsune Miku, that started airing in theaters nationwide in January 17. There’s DECO*27’s tune “Whats up, SEKAI feat. Hatsune Miku,” which is featured within the film, and 6 songs written by musical items and digital singers after which organized by six Vocaloid producers resembling kemu, Iyowa, and Nilfruits. VocaColle, the world’s largest person submission-focused occasion within the Vocaloid scene, had a better variety of submissions than ever earlier than. Like Proseka, it has change into the right place to find new expertise. In VocaColle 2025 Winter, which was held in February, Avaraya, a Vocaloid producer with earlier expertise competing within the occasion’s rookie bracket, took the primary place within the Prime 100 with “The Sound About Petals.”

 One fixed all through the mid-year rating of 2025 was the usage of music video thumbnails that includes digital singers, primarily Hatsune Miku and Kasane Teto. The tide of songs that includes Kasane Teto, which started in 2024, has carried on this yr, however we’re now additionally seeing an increase in songs with each Hatsune Miku and Kasane Teto, a development launched by 32ki’s “Mesmerizer.” For songs by Vocaloid producers who’re gaining assist abroad, the visuals of the digital singers typically function symbols of the songs themselves. Simply as every Vocaloid producer tweaks the vocals, giving their digital singers a singular sound, it seems now that every producer’s digital singer has established their very own distinct visible look.

 One of many highly effective boosters of the thrill within the scene is the latest inflow of abroad listeners. For instance, Vocaloid producer Nunununununununununununununununu debuted in 2022 and has already established a international fan base. The music video for his tune “Mimukauwa Good Attempt,” which ranked 4th on the chart, has each English and Japanese subtitles, and on the Chinese language video streaming web site Bilibili, the tune has Chinese language subtitles. One of many notable issues about “CandyCookieChocolate,” by Hallo Cel, who debuted in 2021, is that it has subtitles in 13 completely different languages, together with Japanese. Artists are trying on the potential for international growth and are planting the seeds for creating connections with abroad listeners sooner or later. World methods resembling the usage of multilingual subtitles and captions are more likely to speed up sooner or later. This shall be facilitated by Asia Creators Cross, a creator coordination program run by Dwango which offers alternatives for Japanese creators to thrive worldwide and for international creators to thrive in Japan. As a part of this program, in Could of this yr, the Strawberry Music Competition, one in all China’s largest music festivals, featured a efficiency by 4 DJs with many Chinese language followers: Minami no Minami, namigroove, Natsuyama Yotsugi, and TeddyLoid.

 Vocaloid songs are sometimes mirrors that mirror the actual societal issues being confronted by Gen Z. This may increasingly fly underneath the radar due to the latest development for upbeat-sounding music, however beneath that music are songs about a number of the darkish recesses of contemporary life, resembling LSD. “Monitoring,” with its delusions spinning out from hallucinations, and “Mesmerizer,” wherein Hatsune Miku undergoes a menacing transformation within the second half of the music video, are prime examples. In that sense, Ura Amala’s “Daidaidaidaidaikirai” shares one thing in frequent with them, because the second the tune breaks into the refrain, the sound manufacturing turns into intensely psychedelic. Hallo Cel later revealed that the look of “CandyCookieChocolate” was an homage to the type of the artist named “channel” (who now goes by the identify “CAST”), the creator of the music video for “Mesmerizer.” The animation within the video attracts one’s consciousness in like a vortex, and the three sweets that make up the identify are suggestive of some type of code phrase.

 One thing to notice, given this improve in trippily-themed songs, is the looping observe construction of most of the songs. This looping lodges the lyrics to the songs within the listener’s mind. “Mimukauwa Good Attempt” repeats the chorus “Zako♡, zako♡” (“Loser♡, loser♡”). The tune “Daidaidaidaidaikirai” has the repeated rhyming of “Daidaidaidaidaikirai, OMG nasakenai, mohaya bye bye bye bye bye shitai” (“I hate hate hate hate hate you, OMG, how pathetic, I simply wanna say bye bye bye bye bye already”). The intro to “CandyCookieChocolate” boldly attracts on the tune’s identify, with the lyrics “CANDY CANDY CANDY COOKIE CANDY CANDY CHOCOLATE”. In different phrases, one of many massive traits in in the present day’s Vocaloid scene is utilizing the music as an “digital drug” that doesn’t place an excessive amount of of a burden on the thoughts. It’s an SOS sign from these within the scene, particularly zoomers. The latest recognition of up-beat songs is probably going due to how nicely they match with quick video platforms like TikTok, however behind the quick melodies are darkish lyrics. That is the place the true worth of Vocaloid songs lives on, casting a eager eye on the truth round us. That’s why we will by no means get sufficient Vocaloid.

—This text by Mio Komachi first appeared on Billboard Japan