All Reviews (133)

I never expected music like this to be created with a vocal synthesis engine. While events like Miku Symphony exist, this album is all the more valuable because it is an orchestral album in and of itself. I consider vocal tuning to be crucial in this genre, so the somewhat unnatural syllable transitions made it difficult to adjust to at first. Despite being a bit awkward to listen to, the freshness of the genre kept me engaged until the very end. This is an album I really hope everyone gives a listen to at least once.

This song feels well-crafted to convey the atmosphere and emotions of liminal spaces and the Backrooms—which give a repetitive and directionless feel—through its lyrics and sound. While going viral with an addictive music video likely contributed to its popularity, it is still great even when listened to without the video!!

Even without any particularly emotionally moving tracks, this album runs relentlessly with banger after banger. It doesn't give you a moment to tell whether the music you are currently listening to has changed or moved on to the next track, offering a charm of high density both structurally and elementally.

This album fundamentally takes a stance as an extension of sasakure's 'Lalalala Apocalypse' series. Sasakure seems to have already produced an album for this series under the name 'Lalalala Apocalypse' before his major debut, and this album appears to be a refined, new version of that. Seeing the Apocalypse series tracks appear in order after the interlude, it is certainly right to view it as fleshed out by adding a few songs as a prologue and epilogue centered around these tracks. The sound is quite remarkable even considering this album came out in 2010. Centered around sasakure's trademark chiptune sound, various unique attempts also stand out, such as calm piano-centric tracks (Fareaway Spring), jazzy piano tracks (Fragile Phoenix), and emotional synth-pop (For Campanella). However, as expected, the tracks that showcase the most exceptional quality inevitably ended up being the key tracks in his specialty chiptune genre (the existing Apocalypse series tracks). Because of this, there was a drawback in that the album's impact was focused only in the middle section, failing to maintain focus on the album from beginning to end. However, looking at it from a narrative perspective, it was the highlight section, so it is fully understandable. In summary, the combination of sasakure's outstanding sound quality and the insertion of a narrative—rare for Vocaloid tracks—utilizing the existing 'Lalalala Apocalypse' series as is, resulted in the birth of one of the most complete Vocaloid albums of the 2010s. Best Track: カムパネルラ, ぼくらの16bit戦争, ワンダーラスト

As the first album in the Kikuo Miku series, this album lets you listen to Kikuo's sound from before his style was completely established. If you are familiar with Kikuo's usual style, there are parts that might feel a bit mild for Kikuo, yet you can still catch glimpses of his creative production as always. Another great advantage is that you can properly feel the fairytale-like and mysterious atmosphere of early Kikuo. Listening to the fairytale-like tracks, you bizarrely get the feeling that Miku's vocals sound like a young child singing, which is another great aspect provided by Kikuo's unique tuning style. Furthermore, even when dealing with the same genre, Kikuo's music carries his distinct flavor. It almost feels as if he creates a genre named 'Kikuo' itself. In this album as well, flashes of innovative genre shifts in sound stand out throughout, and the key point is that this occurs not only between songs but also within a single track. While there are tracks like 'Don't Look at Me Like That' with a calm waltz style that feels like listening to a nursery rhyme, tracks reminiscent of orthodox electronic Vocaloid music like 'Infinite Dreamer' coexist. However, due to the composer 'Kikuo's' own distinct personality, this genre disparity flows organically without feeling out of place. This is perhaps where the greatest power of Kikuo's musicality lies. Best Track: 僕をそんな目で見ないで, 天国へ行こう, 星くずの掃除婦

If one were to point out the most popular style of Vocaloid, it would be a structure that completes a single narrative within a single song. Since this structure has certain limitations when it comes to weaving an entire album into a single story, major Vocaloid artists often abandon album-level storytelling and focus solely on sonic cohesion. However, KurageP brilliantly pulls off album-level storytelling while maintaining this style. As much as I would love to explain the process step by step, it could be a spoiler, so I recommend listening to the album yourself to check out the details. (I think watching the MVs while listening to the album will help you understand the story.)

I think there is significance in attempting digicore with Vocaloid. The track sequencing is really great, and the early songs are highly addictive. However, listening to the album all the way through feels a bit tiring due to factors like the repetition of overly monotonous melodies. I think it's unavoidable that it feels a bit generic.

The subject matter of the Backrooms and an addictive, catchy sound. The eye-catching MV is as flashy as street neon signs. Regardless of its overall polish, the flaw is that the theme is too monotonous.

The immersion delivered in Track 1, the structure seamlessly connecting to Track 2, and the tension rising as the tracks progress gave great strength to the album's cohesion, allowing me to listen with real immersion. However, it also feels tough to stay focused through the entire 47 minutes of this digicore album. The final track was truly excellent in closing out the album, but it couldn't fully overcome the monotonous sound textures of the preceding tracks, nor the disappointing repetitive rhythms, instrumentation, and song structures that lacked punch. Recommended tracks: look for, destiny, freedom, myself, delete

There is little disagreement that wowaka's 'Unhappy Refrain' is one of the greatest Vocaloid albums in history, both musically and commercially. This is proven by his genius musicality infused into the album and the remarkable achievement of three of its tracks reaching Mythical status. Furthermore, his music deserves high praise for driving the trends of the scene itself, going beyond mere popularity. It is a personal favorite album of mine that never gets tiresome no matter how many times I listen to it and always inspires me. Although we can no longer hear new music from him, the giant footprint he left on the Vocaloid scene still remains like a gift to us. Best tracks: ローリンガール, 日常と地球の額縁, とおせんぼ

This is my favorite song by Shiinamota. I love the vocals calmly delivered over the compulsive rhythm.

Freely traversing a wide range of genres such as hyperflip, DnB, shoegazing, and Jersey club, the artist has crafted an album that flashes with brilliance at every moment. Their ability to melt such diverse genres through their own sensibility, while placing each in just the right spot to weave the entire album into a single cohesive flow, is truly top-tier. In many ways, this is an artist whose next album I genuinely look forward to.

Ariiol's "typing" is not merely a single standing at the peak of Ariiol's career; its true value lies in attempting a chaotic composition through a blend of various doujin music genres and clean sound design. The BPM shifts, and the arrangement constantly transforms. Amidst these irregular song patterns, the repetition of sounds similar to KAFU's vocals keeps it from feeling overly chaotic. A truly well-crafted track.

An album packed with songs that blend dreamy vibes with glitch elements. Listening through, you can feel that many experimental elements were incorporated; nevertheless, the musical completeness—such as mixing and storytelling—is high, delivering a distinct flavor compared to other hyperpop and digicore producers. It's an album that showcases a lot of Daydream's potential. However, it's a bit unfortunate that a few tracks have similar melodic structures.

In terms of musical methodology and emotional excess, this album is remarkably similar to the core sentiment of bedroom screamo. Although separated by an 11-year gap from Your Arms Are My Cocoon, the fact that these two musical worlds intersect is truly astonishing. It is safe to interpret it as a prototype of bedroom screamo. However, it is lamentable that such a movement never appeared again in Vocaloid afterwards.

The sound of a different caliber gives me goosebumps all over my body. While the constantly repeating melody can get tiring at times, I think that is precisely why it became popular in a world dominated by short-form content. It is so addictive that it stays stuck in my head. My brain melts at the excellent sound and strong addictiveness. Isn't SynthV a type of sound unheard of in the Vocaloid sphere, or perhaps even in the wider music scene? Wouldn't this song be close to a flagship track for SynthV?

An album where you can feel a surprisingly unexpected charm from Kikuo, who usually writes songs with gloomy and esoteric lyrics. It feels like ordering curry at a coffee shop and discovering that the curry is actually delicious.

Shiina Mota's instrumentation and vocal tuning are unrivaled. And somehow, even when bright, there is always a underlying sense of gloom. The profound lyrics spat out through the voice of a machine feel as if they are singing of the human heart, making them seem somehow endearing and poignant. I cannot give this 5 stars because 'Young Girl A', the work that represents him, seems to trap him excessively in the image of a tragic genius. Around the time the experimental atmosphere in Vocaloid began to subside after 2013, his musical style also underwent many changes. That fact is vividly felt in the minimal composition and somewhat floating tuning of his posthumous work, 'Please Give Me a Red Pen', which seems conscious of mainstream appeal. What would it have been like if music criticism had existed earlier in Vocaloid?

The expressiveness is truly excellent. The long instrumental characteristic of 'Rolling Girl' feels representative of the Vocaloid grammar of that era. However, it gets boring toward the second half and lacks a track to turn things around, which was disappointing for an album. The poor sound quality as well...

Perhaps because it used Kasane Teto's highly expressive voice, it felt very different from Miku. The vocals were clear even through the noise, making the sound feel fuller. It's a bit unfortunate that the immersion was broken when the voice changed mid-track.

An album that captures summer nostalgia in a warm shoegaze sound. It feels perfect to listen to in a season just like this.

Kanade placed 2nd in the Rookie category at Vocakore 2026 Winter. Many people say Vocaloid isn't that great these days, but in my opinion, it's a bumper crop.

The #1 song of the 2026 Winter Rookie. I think it would have taken first place even if it had gone to the TOP 100 main league. I can't believe a producer like this is a rookie.

The lyrics are so good. Porter Robinson is always a reliable listen.

Maybe because Kikuo has no formal music training, his music flows in completely unexpected directions, making it really fun. It feels like playing volleyball with a baseball player who has great athletic instincts. A section might be calm, and then just a few seconds later, an intense sound bursts through—you never get bored of it. Kikuo, who can create music like this, seems like a living being made purely of artistic instinct. If you're tired of Vocaloid songs that all sound the same, why not give Kikuo a try?

A sound that strays from trendy molds—we call this subculture. The way it creates auditory stimulation and a dreamlike atmosphere through guitar noise and vocal ambience is entirely removed from the current of modern music. Yet, this is the essence of subculture. Me, slumped in a sea of sadness, separated from the world through a wall of noise. Just as a deep-sea girl submerges into the ocean depths, the shoegaze sound draws the listener into the deep.

A reaction and resistance to culture. If the essence of 'subculture' were to be visualized, it would be this exact sound. Maximizing visceral pleasure through speaker-busting clipping is an aesthetic valid only in this extreme genre. Let us fall into this chaos that has found a delicate middle ground between noise and music.

Up until now, Miku has mostly been used in Vocaloid shoegaze. However, for shoegaze with its dreamy and cozy atmosphere, Teto's calm and comfortable tone seems to be a better fit than Miku's refreshing timbre. As if proving this point, Teto's vocals on this album blend perfectly into the dreamy soundscape created by magnolia cacophony.

A song that achieved huge success considering it belongs to a non-mainstream genre. The song "Mesmerizer" feels like it established the Miku-Teto combination and the keyword 'hypnosis' in the Vocaloid scene. From the perspective of that time, the musical genre, theme, and combination were all highly challenging. Isn't "Mesmerizer" perhaps a song with an impact as huge as "Melt"?

Starting with this song, meme songs using Miku-Teto surged significantly... but "Mesmerizer" has a clear context of using the concept of hypnosis to show contrast. While packed with kitschiness so it can function as a meme song, it also proved the completeness of its lore through hidden elements. The music itself paces its intensity well—going just a step further would feel like heavy digicore or hyperpop. Ultra-high pitched melody lines that only Vocaloid can achieve. It's simply full of charm. A song that became a hit for a reason.