FIRSTSOUND: Vocaloid Radio
Named after the legendary Hatsune Miku, whose name means "first sound of the future", FIRSTSOUND showcases music using VOCALOID and other vocal synthesizer software such as UTAU, Synthesizer V, CeVIO, and more! From the scene-defining classics to the obscure and forgotten producers to the hottest modern trends, FIRSTSOUND covers everything that Vocaloid has to offer.
▶ tune in here on mondays at 5pm!
This week's setlist: English Vocaloid
— what it says on the tin —
1. ECHO
produced by: Crusher
featuring: GUMI (vocaloid)
October 8, 2014
Few would argue with the assertion that ECHO is the most iconic English Vocaloid song of all time, and one of the most iconic Vocaloid songs of all time in any language. This song was an introduction to Vocaloid for many fans in the Western sphere.
2. BUTCHER VANITY
produced by: FLAVOR FOLEY
featuring: Yi Xi (synthv)
March 28, 2024
FLAVOR FOLEY, the three-person powerhouse comprised of producers Jamie Paige, Vane Lily, and ricedeity, exploded onto the Vocaloid scene last year with their debut song BUTCHER VANITY, a delectable track that'll make your mouth water. This song's success launched Yi Xi, who may well have been fated to obscurity otherwise, into mass popularity.
3. Better Off Worse
produced by: Circus-P
featuring: flower (vocaloid)
May 12, 2023
Better Off Worse is the only song on this week's playlist that uses a voicebank that was not made to sing in English. Circus-P is known as a master of Vocaloid tuning for this very reason; despite the fact that flower has never had an English-capable voicebank, he manages to make her sound nearly as clear as many English-speaking VOCALOIDs.
5. Collared
produced by: Vane Lily
featuring: SAROS (synthv)
November 19, 2023
Written as a demo song for SAROS, one of the voicebanks created by the company Eclipsed Sounds. This upbeat electro swing song explores ideas about embracing sin and desire in the face of a faith that seeks to punish you for it. These kinds of religious themes and queer undertones are commonplace in Vane Lily's work.
6. ARISEN
produced by: Starscape-P
featuring: SOLARIA (synthv)
June 11, 2022
Another song featuring an Eclipsed Sounds voicebank; in fact, SOLARIA was the first vocal synth that the company created. Being one of the first ever English Synthesizer V voicebanks, and an extremely high quality one at that, SOLARIA made it easy for many English-speaking producers to break into the Vocaloid scene.
7. on_air
produced by: tart
featuring: Ruby (diffsinger) & Yi Xi (synthv)
June 8, 2025
This catchy duet combines Ruby's delicate sound with Yi Xi's low, rough vocals. Ruby is originally a VOCALOID; on_air is one of the only songs ever to use her DiffSinger voicebank, a cancelled project which is currently being maintained privately by tart.
8. Affection Addiction
produced by: VocaloKAT & Aku-P
featuring: POPY (synthv)
April 5, 2025
An upbeat song about being addicted to a relationship that you know is bad for you. This song was created as a part of the very first installment of Vocagathering, a posting festival for original vocal synth songs, and placed first in the song rankings!
9. WILDCARD
produced by: ASTEROID
featuring: Kasane Teto (synthv)
October 23, 2023
Written for DAEMON/DOLL, a Kasane Teto compilation album featuring 10 different producers and created in celebration of her Synthesizer V voicebank, which allowed Teto to sing in English for the first time.
10. LOVELY♥CAVITY
produced by: SAWTOWNE
featuring: Hatsune Miku (vocaloid)
May 22, 2025
SAWTOWNE, the producer best known for hits like the Fujoshi Miku song and the Miku Miku Beam song, recently released this tooth-achingly cute love song. Along with being an accomplished Vocaloid producer, SAWTOWNE is also an illustrator who creates all of his own music videos.
11. Dance Delightful
produced by: Jamie Paige
featuring: Adachi Rei (utau)
February 14, 2025
Written for MACHINA MORI, an Adachi Rei compilation album that had another of its songs featured on the show last week. This song, an unabashedly joyful celebration of life and movement from the perspective of a robot, is full of references to many of Jamie Paige's other songs.
12. snail mail
produced by: 11vein
featuring: Ling Wan (synthv)
April 4, 2025
A hard pivot from 11vein's usual heavy sound and dark lyrics, snail mail is a gentle and sweet love song about feeling like you're falling behind compared to everyone around you. This song placed fifth in the Vocagathering rankings this past April.
13. summersong
produced by: Miyolophone
featuring: Mai (synthv)
September 4, 2025
A raw and emotional breakup song by Miyolophone that recently took the Youtaite sphere by storm (Youtaite referring to singers who make covers of Vocaloid songs and other Japanese music on YouTube).
14. You and I
produced by: Brandon Hesslau
featuring: Eleanor Forte (synthv)
February 18, 2021
Written for Buddy Simulator 1984, a horror role-playing game about befriending an AI that grows increasingly attached to you over time. This soft and melancholy tune, sung by the first ever English-speaking Synthesizer V voicebank, is the ending theme for the game's neutral ending.
15. Goodbye To A World
produced by: Porter Robinson
featuring: AVANNA (vocaloid)
August 12, 2014
One of Porter Robinson's most famous songs by far, and a song that many don't realize is a VOCALOID original. A fun fact: Porter Robinson is actually the voice provider for his own VOCALOID, Po-uta.
▶ next week's theme will be: spooky songs
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10/20 - Week 5 - English Vocaloid
— what it says on the tin —
1. ECHO
produced by: Crusher
featuring: GUMI (vocaloid)
October 8, 2014
Few would argue with the assertion that ECHO is the most iconic English Vocaloid song of all time, and one of the most iconic Vocaloid songs of all time in any language. This song was an introduction to Vocaloid for many fans in the Western sphere.
2. BUTCHER VANITY
produced by: FLAVOR FOLEY
featuring: Yi Xi (synthv)
March 28, 2024
FLAVOR FOLEY, the three-person powerhouse comprised of producers Jamie Paige, Vane Lily, and ricedeity, exploded onto the Vocaloid scene last year with their debut song BUTCHER VANITY, a delectable track that'll make your mouth water. This song's success launched Yi Xi, who may well have been fated to obscurity otherwise, into mass popularity.
3. Better Off Worse
produced by: Circus-P
featuring: flower (vocaloid)
May 12, 2023
Better Off Worse is the only song on this week's playlist that uses a voicebank that was not made to sing in English. Circus-P is known as a master of Vocaloid tuning for this very reason; despite the fact that flower has never had an English-capable voicebank, he manages to make her sound nearly as clear as many English-speaking VOCALOIDs.
5. Collared
produced by: Vane Lily
featuring: SAROS (synthv)
November 19, 2023
Written as a demo song for SAROS, one of the voicebanks created by the company Eclipsed Sounds. This upbeat electro swing song explores ideas about embracing sin and desire in the face of a faith that seeks to punish you for it. These kinds of religious themes and queer undertones are commonplace in Vane Lily's work.
6. ARISEN
produced by: Starscape-P
featuring: SOLARIA (synthv)
June 11, 2022
Another song featuring an Eclipsed Sounds voicebank; in fact, SOLARIA was the first vocal synth that the company created. Being one of the first ever English Synthesizer V voicebanks, and an extremely high quality one at that, SOLARIA made it easy for many English-speaking producers to break into the Vocaloid scene.
7. on_air
produced by: tart
featuring: Ruby (diffsinger) & Yi Xi (synthv)
June 8, 2025
This catchy duet combines Ruby's delicate sound with Yi Xi's low, rough vocals. Ruby is originally a VOCALOID; on_air is one of the only songs ever to use her DiffSinger voicebank, a cancelled project which is currently being maintained privately by tart.
8. Affection Addiction
produced by: VocaloKAT & Aku-P
featuring: POPY (synthv)
April 5, 2025
An upbeat song about being addicted to a relationship that you know is bad for you. This song was created as a part of the very first installment of Vocagathering, a posting festival for original vocal synth songs, and placed first in the song rankings!
9. WILDCARD
produced by: ASTEROID
featuring: Kasane Teto (synthv)
October 23, 2023
Written for DAEMON/DOLL, a Kasane Teto compilation album featuring 10 different producers and created in celebration of her Synthesizer V voicebank, which allowed Teto to sing in English for the first time.
10. LOVELY♥CAVITY
produced by: SAWTOWNE
featuring: Hatsune Miku (vocaloid)
May 22, 2025
SAWTOWNE, the producer best known for hits like the Fujoshi Miku song and the Miku Miku Beam song, recently released this tooth-achingly cute love song. Along with being an accomplished Vocaloid producer, SAWTOWNE is also an illustrator who creates all of his own music videos.
11. Dance Delightful
produced by: Jamie Paige
featuring: Adachi Rei (utau)
February 14, 2025
Written for MACHINA MORI, an Adachi Rei compilation album that had another of its songs featured on the show last week. This song, an unabashedly joyful celebration of life and movement from the perspective of a robot, is full of references to many of Jamie Paige's other songs.
12. snail mail
produced by: 11vein
featuring: Ling Wan (synthv)
April 4, 2025
A hard pivot from 11vein's usual heavy sound and dark lyrics, snail mail is a gentle and sweet love song about feeling like you're falling behind compared to everyone around you. This song placed fifth in the Vocagathering rankings this past April.
13. summersong
produced by: Miyolophone
featuring: Mai (synthv)
September 4, 2025
A raw and emotional breakup song by Miyolophone that recently took the Youtaite sphere by storm (Youtaite referring to singers who make covers of Vocaloid songs and other Japanese music on YouTube).
14. You and I
produced by: Brandon Hesslau
featuring: Eleanor Forte (synthv)
February 18, 2021
Written for Buddy Simulator 1984, a horror role-playing game about befriending an AI that grows increasingly attached to you over time. This soft and melancholy tune, sung by the first ever English-speaking Synthesizer V voicebank, is the ending theme for the game's neutral ending.
15. Goodbye To A World
produced by: Porter Robinson
featuring: AVANNA (vocaloid)
August 12, 2014
One of Porter Robinson's most famous songs by far, and a song that many don't realize is a VOCALOID original. A fun fact: Porter Robinson is actually the voice provider for his own VOCALOID, Po-uta.
10/13 - Week 4 - No Miku Challenge
— showing some love to lesser-known vocal synths: absolutely no hatsune miku allowed! —
1. くたばろうぜ / Let's Drop Dead!
produced by: Neru
featuring: Kagamine Len (vocaloid), Kagamine Rin (vocaloid)
December 29, 2017
This song features Kagamine Len and Kagamine Rin, two VOCALOIDs who share the same voice provider, Asami Shimoda. Although the Kagamines are commonly interpreted as twins, it's more accurate (as far as "Vocaloid canon" goes) to call them mirror images or counterparts. Their voicebanks are sold together as a pair.
2. モザイクロール / Mozaik Role
produced by: DECO*27
featuring: GUMI (vocaloid)
July 15, 2010
Although DECO*27 now uses Hatsune Miku almost exclusively, many of his older popular songs use GUMI; this is one of them. GUMI, despite not being used quite as often nowadays, was the most popular non-Crypton VOCALOID for a very long time. Her voice is provided by Megumi Nakajima, and her name comes from a childhood nickname of the voice provider.
3. ベノム / Venom
produced by: Kairiki Bear
featuring: flower (vocaloid)
August 2, 2018
flower, who is often used by producers Hiiragi Kirai and Chinozo (among many others), is known for her gritty, androgynous voice, well-suited to heavier and faster songs. While the character is known as flower, the product itself is known as v flower; fans tend to use these names interchangeably for both the character and the voicebank. Her voice provider is anonymous.
4. ふぁうんどふってーじ / found footage
produced by: ■37
featuring: IA (vocaloid)
May 15, 2022
IA, who is voiced by the singer-songwriter Lia, is a 16 year old girl from Planet ARIA, a world much like Earth. Her original design was made by Aka Akasaka, the mangaka behind Kaguya-sama: Love is War and Oshi no Ko. In the years following her release back in 2012, she was popular for her vocal versatility, having an extremely large vocal range and the highest tempo capabilities of any VOCALOID (even now).
5. 足りない / Not Enough
produced by: NIMONO
featuring: Kaai Yuki (vocaloid)
April 23, 2021
Kaai Yuki is particularly unique among VOCALOIDs and vocal synths, being one of only a few vocal synths whose voice provider was not an adult at the time of her creation. She was voiced by an elementary schooler whose identity has not been revealed publicly. However, it's fairly common for producers to use her voicebank to portray teenage or adult characters as well. Over the past sixteen years, Yuki has gained widespread popularity for her unique soft timbre.
6. マージナルソウル / Marginal Soul
produced by: youman
featuring: MEIKA Hime (vocaloid)
November 23, 2022
Like the Kagamines, MEIKA Hime is part of a set of two; their counterpart is MEIKA Mikoto. The MEIKAs, voiced by Kotori Koiwai, are genderless spirits, described vocally as "a feminine vocal with a girlish voice" and "a feminine vocal with a boyish voice" respectively.
7. World End Credits
produced by: Mage-P
featuring: Adachi Rei (utau)
February 14, 2025
Released earlier this year as part of MACHINA MORI, an Adachi Rei compilation album. This album, featuring songs by fifteen different producers, was a celebration of Adachi Rei, a unique UTAU whose voice is entirely synthesized through sine waves. She is one of the only vocal synths to have no human voice provider, and is known for the robotic, choppy sound of her voice.
8. Qualia
produced by: omi
featuring: KAFU (cevio), Utane Uta (utau)
April 19, 2022
This song features KAFU, whose voice was provided by the singer and VTuber 花譜 (KAF), and Utane Uta, also known as Defoko. Utane Uta is the default voicebank that comes with UTAU, a completely free vocal synthesizer software that anyone can make a voicebank for. Her alternate name is a shortening of "default ko" (defōruto ko), which can be translated as "default girl". Her voice comes from the Japanese text-to-speech software AquesTalk.
9. 羽喰の天使 / Feather-Pecking Angel
produced by: Akuta Renri
featuring: NurseRobot_TypeT (vocaloid)
July 17, 2025
NurseRobot_TypeT, sometimes affectionately known as Taotie or TT-chan, is (as the name suggests) a robot who works as a nurse at a private hospital. She was originally an UTAU released in 2018, but because of her rapid popularity, she received a VOCALOID voicebank this year. Her voice provider, who also created her design, is the Chinese illustrator Matsuokayu.
10. 季節が巡らなければ良いのに / the seasons change
produced by: Nakase Miru
featuring: RIME (cevio)
August 4, 2023
RIME's voice is provided by the virtual singer 理芽 (RIM). She and KAFU, along with three other CeVIO voicebanks, are part of the Musical Isotope project, a collaboration between CeVIO and the creative label KAMITSUBAKI STUDIO where five singers from KAMITSUBAKI had CeVIO voicebanks designed after them.
11. eleven
produced by: Noa
featuring: Chis-A (voisona)
March 11, 2025
Made by the same company that develops the CeVIO vocal synthesizer software, the VoiSona software was originally known as CeVIO Pro. Chis-A, who was the first CeVIO Pro voicebank, is the FIRSTSOUND host's favorite vocal synthesizer. Her voice provider is anonymous.
12. 炜WARD ROMANCE
produced by: FLAVOR FOLEY
featuring: Feng Yi (synthv) & others
October 19, 2024
With by far the most vocal synths out of any song we've played (or will ever play) on the show, this song boasts a whopping thirty-three different voicebanks, and none of them are Hatsune Miku! Feng Yi, the main vocalist on 炜WARD ROMANCE, is a Chinese voicebank, although she sings mostly in English here. The backing vocals in this song are sung by every single Synthesizer V voicebank that the three members of FLAVOR FOLEY collectively own.
10/6 - Week 3 - Project SEKAI
— a look into modern vocaloid with songs commissioned for the game project sekai —
1. アイムマイン / I'm Mine
produced by: halyosy
featuring: Hatsune Miku (vocaloid), Kagamine Rin (vocaloid), Kagamine Len (vocaloid), Megurine Luka (vocaloid),
KAITO (vocaloid), MEIKO (vocaloid)
October 5, 2023
The only "unit song" for the VIRTUAL SINGERs (as Project SEKAI dubs the six main VOCALOIDs produced by Crypton Future Media), and one of only two commissioned songs where all six VIRTUAL SINGERs are featured as main vocalists.
2. セカイ / SEKAI
produced by: DECO*27 & kemu
featuring: Hatsune Miku (vocaloid)
July 31, 2020
One of the first ever commissioned songs for Project SEKAI, and the game's official theme song. The "SEKAI" in this song and the game's title refer to the different worlds that the game's characters enter into; the main cast of 20 characters is split into five groups of four, with each unit having their own shared SEKAI.
3. はじまりの未来 / Future of Beginnings
produced by: 40mP, sasakure.uk
featuring: Hatsune Miku (vocaloid)
December 27, 2024
The theme song for the Project SEKAI movie, which came out last year. In the game, each unit's SEKAI has its own unique version of each VIRTUAL SINGER, a nod to how vocal synth characters are blank slates that can take different forms depending on the songs they're used in. This movie's main character is a brand new Miku who doesn't belong to any of the game's five main SEKAI.
4. トンデモワンダーズ / TONDEMO-WONDERZ
produced by: sasakure.uk
featuring: Hatsune Miku (vocaloid)
June 19, 2021
Written for the unit Wonderlands x Showtime, a theater troupe that aims to bring smiles and laughter to their audience. With its whimsical, over-the-top sound and saccharine sweet lyrics, TONDEMO-WONDERZ encapsulates the unit's personality perfectly.
5. 星空オーケストラ / Starry Sky Orchestra
produced by: Mizuno Atsu
featuring: Hatsune Miku (vocaloid)
January 19, 2023
This song, like many others in Wonderlands x Showtime's repertoire, features a more orchestral instrumentation (befitting of its name) in contrast to the digital, electronic image that some might have of Vocaloid music.
6. 天使のクローバー / Angel's Clover
produced by: DIVELA
featuring: Kagamine Rin (vocaloid)
March 30, 2021
Written for the unit MORE MORE JUMP!, an idol group comprised of three formerly retired idols and the girl who brought them all back to the stage. Their songs have an unrelenting positivity to them, urging their fans to push forward and not let any obstacles hold them back from their dreams!
7. はしる！とおく！とどく！/ Keep Running Far! Our Voices Will Carry!
produced by: usushioshisuu
featuring: Kasane Teto (synthv)
December 18, 2024
By their own admission, most of Usushioshisuu's songs are based in negative thoughts. This song, however, is in many ways a departure from the usual for them: a song about embracing your true self and running freely towards your goals.
8. 流星のパルス / Meteor Pulse
produced by: *Luna
featuring: Kagamine Len (vocaloid)
September 19, 2021
Written for the unit Leo/need, a group of estranged childhood friends who overcome their differences to form a band. When they were younger, the members of Leo/need would often stargaze together; the band itself is named after the Leonids meteor shower. Fittingly, Meteor Pulse was one of their first unit songs.
9. てらてら / SHOW OFF
produced by: Wada Takeaki
featuring: Otomachi Una (vocaloid)
July 29, 2022
An song about breaking free from what the world wants you to be. In the description of this song's YouTube upload, Wada Takeaki declares it to be "a song for all those who are unable to pretend that they're living the 'right' way, and for all those who support them."
10. ULTRA C
produced by: Giga & TeddyLoid
featuring: Kagamine Rin (vocaloid), Kagamine Len (vocaloid)
July 8, 2024
Written for the unit Vivid Bad Squad, a group of street musicians aiming to surpass the legends that came before them. This song was written for their biggest event, where they decisively reached their goal; naturally, the legendary Giga and Teddyloid were entrusted with the music for this legendary event.
11. ひつじがいっぴき / One Sheep
produced by: Peg
featuring: Kagamine Rin (vocaloid)
March 2, 2023
Although this song was written for Project SEKAI, it has much of the producer's own emotions and struggles contained within it, particularly in its MV. Released in 2023, this was the first Vocaloid song that Peg had released in two years since declaring that he would move away from the Vocaloid scene in mid-2021.
12. ザムザ / Samsa
produced by: Teniwoha
featuring: Hatsune Miku (vocaloid)
April 6, 2023
Written for the unit Nightcord at 25:00, a mysterious music circle that operates online in the late hours of the night. Their songs are often dark and painful; this one alludes to Franz Kafka's famous novella Metamorphosis, about a man who transforms into an unsightly vermin overnight.
13. 化けの花
produced by: Nakiso
featuring: Hatsune Miku (vocaloid)
October 20, 2024
Does anyone else hear that ominous bell tolling...?
14. NEO
produced by: Jin
featuring: Hatsune Miku (vocaloid)
October 1, 2023
Written for the third anniversary of Project SEKAI. The game's version of this song has Miku singing with the leaders of all five units.
9/22 - Week 2 - Vocaloid Classics
— a blast from the past! iconic songs from the 00s and 10s —
1. ワールドイズマイン / World is Mine
produced by: ryo
featuring: Hatsune Miku (vocaloid)
May 31, 2008
The Hatsune Miku song of all time. World is Mine portrays Miku as a spoiled diva who sees herself as a princess and demands that you treat her accordingly! This song's iconic MV (see left) is actually fan-made.
2. 驫麤～とりぷるばか～ / Triple Baka
produced by: LamazeP
featuring: Hatsune Miku (vocaloid), Kasane Teto (utau)
July 13, 2008
LamazeP is also known for his songs PoPiPo and Ochame Kinou (aka Fukkireta). Alongside Miku and Teto, this song's goofy MV (drawn by LamazeP himself) features Akita Neru, a Vocaloid fan-character with a pretty funny history.
3. ハッピーシンセサイザ / Happy Synthesizer
produced by: EasyPop
featuring: Megurine Luka (vocaloid), GUMI (vocaloid)
November 22, 2010
A simple feel-good techno pop song that promises to make you happy. Luka and GUMI aren't a combination you see often nowadays, but their voices blend perfectly here.
4. drop pop candy
produced by: Reol & Giga
featuring: Kagamine Rin (vocaloid), Megurine Luka (vocaloid)
July 18, 2014
A sweet, upbeat tune that gained popularity in the English-speaking sphere through an English cover by JubyPhonic and Kuraiinu.
5. メルト / Melt
produced by: ryo
featuring: Hatsune Miku (vocaloid)
December 7, 2007
A bashful love song by ryo, who also wrote World is Mine. Many of the first ever Vocaloid songs to achieve widespread popularity (like "Black★Rock Shooter" or "Love is War") were by ryo.
6. 弱虫モンブラン / Cowardly Mont Blanc
produced by: DECO*27
featuring: GUMI (vocaloid)
April 14, 2010
An early hit by DECO*27. FLAVOR FOLEY's Vane Lily cited this song as a direct inspiration for their own GUMI breakup song, Water the Roses, which you may have heard on last week's setlist.
7. からくりピエロ / Karakuri Pierrot / Clockwork Clown
produced by: 40mP
featuring: Hatsune Miku (vocaloid)
July 15, 2011
A painful song about being used like a puppet by the person you love. If you listen closely, you can also hear GUMI singing background vocals during the choruses of this song.
8. 炉心融解 / Meltdown
produced by: iroha(sasaki)
featuring: Kagamine Rin (vocaloid)
December 19, 2008
It may not be clear from the English title alone, but the "meltdown" that this song refers to is that of a nuclear reactor core, and its vivid and explosive lyrics reflect that spectacularly.
9. ロストワンの号哭 / Lost One's Weeping
produced by: Neru
featuring: Kagamine Rin (vocaloid)
March 4, 2013
Neru is known for his emotional rock songs using the Kagamines, two companion VOCALOIDs who share a voice provider. This song is a reflection on the despair and hopelessness of youth.
10. ローリンガール / Rolling Girl
produced by: wowaka
featuring: Hatsune Miku (vocaloid)
February 14, 2010
A song that needs no introduction, one of countless iconic songs by the late wowaka. Rolling Girl tells the story of a girl worn down by life, holding her breath each day as if waiting desperately for something to change for the better.
11. ストロボライト / Strobe Light
produced by: siinamota
featuring: Hatsune Miku (vocaloid)
September 3, 2011
Part of the "Strobe Series", a series of songs by the late siinamota (also known as Powapowa-P). A cheerfully gloomy song about continuing to live on day by day, step by step.
12. 初音ミクの消失 / The Disappearance of Hatsune Miku
produced by: cosMo@bousouP
featuring: Hatsune Miku (vocaloid)
April 9, 2008
In most Vocaloid songs, the vocal synth takes on different roles, serving as a vessel for the story that the producer wants to tell. However, this song is about Hatsune Miku herself, singing a mournful farewell song at speeds that only a VOCALOID could achieve before her programming fails and she disappears.
9/15 - Week 1 - Variety
— showing the diversity of vocaloid with a dynamic setlist —
1. ゴーストルール / GHOST RULE
produced by: DECO*27
featuring: Hatsune Miku (vocaloid)
January 8, 2016
An iconic song by an iconic producer. DECO*27 (pronounced dekoniina) could be described as the king of Vocaloid, having been at the forefront of the scene for over fifteen years now. GHOST RULE is one of his most well-known songs, and its influence on the Vocaloid sphere is not to be understated.
2. milk
produced by: Ako
featuring: Hatsune Miku (vocaloid)
June 30, 2018
Ako's third work, and one of their most popular: a song about a ghost haunting their lover, imploring them to move forward, even as they find themself trapped in place by their grief.
3. FOCUS
produced by: KIRA
featuring: GUMI (synthesizer v)
January 17, 2025
The theme song for The Herta, a character from the game Honkai Star Rail. Like all of KIRA's songs, FOCUS has an addictive, modern sound and stylish tuning. GUMI switches smoothly between English and Japanese lyrics, capitalizing on the bilingual capabilities of her Synthesizer V voicebank.
4. Water the Roses
produced by: FLAVOR FOLEY
featuring: GUMI (synthesizer v)
January 3, 2025
A moody breakup ballad by FLAVOR FOLEY, the legendary three-person music circle comprised of producers Jamie Paige, Vane Lily, and ricedeity. This song is, in many ways, a modern-day tribute to the Vocaloid love songs of the early 2010s.
5. アイペース / Ipace
produced by: Inabakumori
featuring: Kaai Yuki (vocaloid)
December 2, 2024
Inabakumori, who you might know from the songs "Lost Umbrella" and "Lagtrain", is known for his use of Kaai Yuki, a VOCALOID whose voice was provided by an elementary schooler. He wrote this song in celebration of her 15th anniversary.
6. 花の名残り / Remaining Flowers
produced by: Picon
featuring: SEKAI (cevio)
August 21, 2024
The most recent release from Picon, a producer best known for slow, mournful songs like this one. The word 名残り (nagori) in its title can translate both to "remnants, traces, etc." as well as "the sorrow of parting".
7. Corpse Astronomy
produced by: mekaloton
featuring: Kasane Teto (synthesizer v)
April 24, 2024
A heavy and foreboding song, unique in its use of a vocal synth for rap. Each verse is based on a different Tarot card, most of them representing some kind of hardship, loss, or folly.
8. 放課後ストラテジー / After-School Strategy
produced by: Kintsugi
featuring: Hatsune Miku (vocaloid)
August 5, 2023
A deceptively cute song where Miku plays the role of an obsessed stalker. The music video parodies dating simulator visual novels with a hidden dark tone like Doki Doki Literature Club.
9. 人マニア / Hito Mania / Humaniac
produced by: Sasuke Haraguchi
featuring: Kasane Teto (utau)
August 5, 2023
Sasuke Haraguchi's first work as a Vocaloid producer. With its exceptionally unique sound and inscrutable lyrics, Hito Mania exploded in popularity upon release to become one of the most popular Vocaloid songs of all time. It currently has over 54 million views on YouTube.
10. マシュマリー / Marshmary
produced by: MIMI
featuring: Hatsune Miku (vocaloid)
January 4, 2018
A dreamy song about feeling stuck in one place. The light piano instrumental and poetic lyrics tied up in metaphors make Marshmary a song that you have to feel to understand.
11. 化孵化 / Kafuka / Metamorphosing Incubation
produced by: sasakure.uk
featuring: KAFU (cevio)
May 26, 2021
Written as a demo song for the CeVIO voicebank KAFU, whose voice was provided by the singer and VTuber 花譜 (KAF). Although sasakure.uk is mostly known for his cute, upbeat songs, this song takes a uniquely ominous and dark tone.
12. 泥水の中で / in muddy water
produced by: shikiura sougo
featuring: Hanakuma Chifuyu (synthesizer v)
February 22, 2025
shikiura sougo is known for his short songs that pack a swift, but powerful punch; most of his songs are under 30 seconds long. His works, characterized by their dark and bluntly troubled lyrics, have a pointed edge to them.
13. Op
produced by: Nanashi Hachiya
featuring: flower (vocaloid)
November 3, 2019
Because of the gritty, androgynous quality of her voice, flower (sometimes also known as v flower) is often used for dark, intense, and broody songs like this one. Here, Nanashi Hachiya tunes her voice expertly, giving her a full and satisfying tone.
14. 異種 / Alien
produced by: GESO, rinri
featuring: Kaai Yuki (vocaloid), GUMI (vocaloid),
Meika Hime (vocaloid)
July 28, 2022
Much like its name suggests, this song has a certain otherworldly feeling to it. It tells the story of an encounter between an alien and a human, and of how two lifeforms with nothing in common could come to love each other.
15. Radiant Revival
produced by: Jamie Paige
featuring: Hatsune Miku (vocaloid)
June 11, 2025
Originally written by Jamie Paige, one of the current greats of the English Vocaloid sphere, as the theme song for the HATSUNE MIKU Digital Stars Japan Tour 2025. This song is a celebration of nostalgia, a call to remember the good times of the past and bring them back with you into the present.
Meet the Vocal Synths
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featuring: vocalsynth (synth)
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Archive
↳ 9/15 - Week 1 - Variety
↳ 9/22 - Week 2 - Classic Vocaloid
↳ 10/6 - Week 3 - Project SEKAI
↳ 10/13 - Week 4 - No Miku Challenge
About Vocaloid + Frequently Asked Questions
▶ What is VOCALOID?
A vocal synthesizer software developed by Yamaha Corporation. Much like synthesizers that allow you to simulate the sound of instruments like a piano or a violin, VOCALOID allows you to do the same thing for a human voice. Within the VOCALOID software, there are different voicebanks that you can use, each made using vocal samples from different people. These voicebanks typically have names and character designs attached to them. Hatsune Miku, the most famous vocal synthesizer, is a VOCALOID.
The VOCALOID software.
▶ What other vocal synthesizers are there?
Other than VOCALOID, the most commonly used vocal synth software (and the ones you'll hear most on the show) are UTAU, Synthesizer V, CeVIO, and VoiSona. Each software has its own quirks and unique sound.
▶ What is Vocaloid?
Atlhough VOCALOID itself is a specific vocal synthesizer software made by a specific company with specific voicebanks, the term "Vocaloid" has become synonymous with all vocal synths and the community based around making songs with them. In Japanese, this distinction is denoted by separating ボーカロイド (bōkaroido), the software, from ボカロ (bokaro), the community. In English, no such distinction has been coined, so for the purposes of the show, we'll arbitrarily use VOCALOID to refer to the software and Vocaloid to refer to the community.
▶ Is there English Vocaloid music?
Yes! Because VOCALOID and the Vocaloid community originated in Japan, most Vocaloid music is in Japanese, and most vocal synths used in the community are created with Japanese in mind. That being said, there are voicebanks with English capabilities. In some cases, Japanese vocal synth characters are given English voicebanks in software updates or later editions (like Hatsune Miku, GUMI, or MEIKO); in others, vocal synths are designed to be multilingual from the start (like Megurine Luka, Fukase, or Po-uta). There are also vocal synths who are made specifically to sing in English (like Eleanor Forte, SOLARIA, or DEX), or voicebanks for languages other than Japanese and English (like Yi Xi and Luo Tianyi, two Chinese-speaking vocal synths). In cases where someone wants to write an English Vocaloid song, but doesn't have a vocal synth with an English voicebank, Japanese voicebanks can also be made to sing in English through careful and meticulous tuning.
▶ Are VOCALOID and other vocal synths AI?
Some vocal synths use AI as part of the software to facilitate a smoother and more natural sound, but vocal synths and Vocaloid music are not AI-generated. The music and lyrics are written, arranged, and produced by humans, and in almost all cases, the vocal synth itself is also "tuned" by the producer in the same way that a human singer makes deliberate choices about how they want to deliver any given line in a song to create their ideal sound. Most importantly, vocal synthesizers are created using samples given with consent by individual voice providers, unlike AI-generated music, which is generated from large sets of data collected without clear consent from the musicians included.
▶ Does Hatsune Miku write the songs?
no