Saturday 14 March 2009

Rihanna - Vocal Profile/ Range [Lyric-Contralto 3 octaves]

Vocal type: Lyric-Contralto
Vocal Range: 3 octaves 2 notes(B2- D6)
Whistle Register: No
Longest note: 8 seconds - 'Hate That I Love You'
Vocal Pluses:Distinct tone that makes Rihanna's voice easily identifiable. Voice sounds best in it's low to mid range- as heard in the verses of Russian Roulette- where it finds a solid tone that has a slightly smoky quality to it.

Rihanna's belting range has improved in recent years; where previously her voice was nasal and thin, it now has a degree of strength and weight to it, sounding correctly placed- Listen to Only girl (in the world).

Rhianna's head voice is soft and airy with a sweet and warm tone and is capable of switching quickly and effortlessly into that part of her range. She has the ability to hold notes for lengths of time, while maintaining its dynamics and tone, as well being capable of singing vocal runs with apparent ease.

Vocal Negatives: Rihanna's voice can still sound nasal at times, particularly in live performances.









126 comments:

  1. Check out loud. Voice has considerably improved. Especially california king bed and man down with belt + high notes.

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  2. Check out G4L on Rated R, and Man Down on Loud. She can go extremely low and pretty high too.

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  3. sure shes not a baritone/contralto?

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  4. @anon 3, yes she is a contralto. That will be changed! Thanks :D

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  5. also changed to include some lower notes!

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  6. I think the descriptions need to be changed cuz her voice has improved A LOT and she's doing melismas and hitting high notes on a daily basis now with the Loud Tour. =/

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  7. @ anon directly above. I'm going to see Rihanna in concert in October and will update it then depending on what i hear! Thanks to you and all the other people who left comments for taking the time to do so.

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  8. I agree that her voice has greatly improved, mostly through training, but she's more of a great performer than a great singer, although her voice has this uniqueness to it that makes it very agreeable to listen to.

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  9. http://youtu.be/CSNQuSLvH_8:)

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  10. you should try hear a vid of either a girl like me or music of then sun... she hits a g5! shocking i know but its total legit, if u find it u shud post it!

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  11. Perfect description. Judging from how her voice improved over the years, she's only going to get better.

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  12. She isnt a contralto! she is a  Mezzo-soprano !
    and her vocal range is : G#2 - Bb5
    I know cause I study singing.

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  13. rihanna proves that just because you have a wide range doesnt necessarily mean you are a good singer... IMO she has a decent head voice but overall her registers are weak 

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  14. Her voice is still weak, nasal, brittle, and unpredictable. Live she still sounds sub par, especially in songs like Only Girl and Disturbia. But she knows her voice very well, and knows how to make the best of it.

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  15. G#3-Bb6 *
    but yes i agree with you she's a mezzo soprano.

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  16. Her range (studio) is Bb2 - C6. Live: C3 - B5. Her voice is good, in my opinion, she just needs to work on consistency, showing off her voice as in trying to go outside the norm of the song she's singing. She often sings Mezzo, but on songs like "Take Care" she gives coloratura contralto. Her voice is really unique, she's only 23 so I'm sure over time her voice will mature & grow.

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  17. Rihanna is one of an artist who always trying to do her best in singing. For recent years, her voice really improved a lot but still shaky when she performs live. I guess she needs to learn a lot from her mentor, Queen B.

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  18. lol ..no comment 

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  19. Too me her lower range f5 is her best and I like her high range to but her mid range is messy to me and she def not a mezzo spRano she sing from alto to sprano

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  20. Rihanna is more of a mezzo-soprano. Sorry to disagree :\

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  21. No problem!! These profiles are here for people to discuss and disagree with if they don't agree. :D

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  22. She needs to take singing seriously and stop SMOKING cigarettes and marijuana and drinking a lot before and during her shows. She won't improve if she won't exert more effort. I actually love her voice and her notes are well-supported but I really hope she works on her voice more.

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  23. She has a rare voice in that its hard to place - probably why she is as popular as she is, vocal ambiguity is a rare and coveted thing which people seem drawn to (look at Madonna, her voice has changed and morphed over her career, being described as belonging in different fachs).

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  24. in response to stuey 
    madonna didnt have an interesting voice whereas rihanna does so thats no comparison 
    the only problem with rihanna is that shes very inconsistent with her live performances 
    shes a greats studio artist thought and a reason why so many people like her is because of her distinct tone

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  25. shes improved miles ahead of what she used to be capable of but after almost seven years it surprises me that shes still not that good of a performer 
    i mean she has a great studio presence and as mentioned before she has a very identifiable voice but her weakness is performing live sometimes shes great sometimes shes bad

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  26. Yes Drugs and drinking can really ruin the voice......

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  27. Oh don't you worry about that. Every time she does a crap-performance she claims she had been drinking before. But her movements are never impaired, she's just making excuses. She's just trying to make herself look like a thug/rockstar/whatever quasi-bad girl look she going for these days. Every time she smokes weed, she ensures that she's somewhere photographers are sure to catch her. I don't think she's addicted or hedonistic at all. She knows exactly what she's doing. I think she's totally lying about loving drink and drugs, she's like a 13 year-old girl trying to impress older and cooler friends.

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  28. Iamsodelicious6 March 2012 at 00:25

    I only watched a few of her live performances I honestly do not think She can sing that very well She does have a good range but she need to control it And She is better on low notes 

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  29. Iamsodelicious6 March 2012 at 00:26

    Are you sure she is A Mezzo soprano?! 

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  30. Iamsodelicious6 March 2012 at 00:26

    She cannot sing 

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  31. She's not. Here says that she's a lyric contralto. I think DD didn't find a better way to say that she can't sing any high notes with ease (and out of the studio) and her voice is thin, nasal and breathy. I don't think that she's a contralto at all, her lower notes are so damn weak that is impossible for her to be a true contralto. Maybe a soubrette?

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  32. her range is that of a mezzo, not a contralto. at least in classical music terms. 

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  33. It's funny that Only Girl is recommended listening, because she CAN NOT sing that live. Her live voice is horrific. It's an interesting recording voice though.

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  34. I agree anonymous. Nothing against you Diva, but, I think you might have been a bit generous with this review :P

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  35. Guys she's a contralto cuz she sounds best in low notes...also they are easier for her to sing..at least that's what I think

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  36.  3 octaves? Rihanna? Non sure she can do it :/

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  37. Such a wide range, really? She sings really bad to me...

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  38. I keep on listening but I can't get it... :/

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  39. Rihanna I listed on Wikipedia as a mezzo soprano, how? Who writes this stuff?

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  40. Exactly. She can't help the fact she isn't naturally blessed with an amazing voice, and it's an impressive talent to make the best of your voice when it's quite mediocre.

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  41. oh and i think she has a really nice head voice :P

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  42. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8OhtisReIc before saying that she can't sing watch this live...

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  43. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ea2MhW4mA5w <-- to those people that talk shit! She can sing S&M, Only Girl & Whats My Name live!
    You can look her Hackney Weekend performance <-- it was amazing! Her voice was great! You can look all of her 2012 and they are all amazing when it comes to her vocals and to watch a good performance! Rihanna isn't the best singer ever, she will never be because she doesn't control her voice like other artist in the past but to be real none of the girls today do!


    Adele is the only one that control her voice but I don't see her playing with notes like Mariah Carey did in the past!

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  44. http://www.divadevotee.com/2012/06/watch-rihanna-bbc-radio-1s-hackney.html

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  45. She is so NOT a contralto, are you kidding? She can't even hit the low notes! o.o

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  46. Rihanna is a mezzo soprano. Her voice is great nowadays and has become very strong starting in 2008. Watch all the videos of her at Hackney Weekend. She's a great performer with a very distinct voice! She's best with ballads like Love the Way You Lie Part 2, California King Bed and Russian Roulette

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  47. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=7I9Ghf_h2dM

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  48. rihanna is the most talented singer we have out now and all her albums done amazingly well so dont critize riri

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  49. You're joking right?

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  50. Shes a Lyric Mezzo-Soprano, i dont know why people always say that shes a contralto, when shes not. Its true that lyric mezzo are often confused with lyric contralto (vice-versa) but shes a mezzo, because her voice is too light to be a contralto. she got a mezzo tessitura.. i agree with you, her low notes are weak and have no brightness. Just because she can hit a B2 does not make her a contralto because mezzo can hit it to.
    im not a hater, im a big fan but we have to be honest.

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  51. She is just plain awful. They show their real talent when they sing live. I gather from the many responses on the web to her live signing that she is not as good as the studio mixing makes her.

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  52. THIS is the problem People like this who promote awful singers based on how cool their clothes are.

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  53. She can't. You are just a fan. No objectivity on your part.

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  54. She does sound better than she usually does, for that I will give her credit but she is still extremely nasal sounding. I guess its an acquired taste, not a fan by any means but I won't bash her as for the most part she at least does sing live, even if the end product is not always great. She could lip like Britters....

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  55. She's def. a mezzo-soprano.

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  56. YYour on point again, she is a Mezzo, but I don’t thinks she
    will be long; Rihanna reached her peak in 08-09' vocally. I say this because
    she in another artist who is intentionally altering their voice. I read that
    she intently smokes 3 s cigarettes before each performance to give herself a
    "raspier" sound. And with her excessive party habits she is abusing
    her instrument. Her recent performances have been shaky and she sounds somewhat
    restricted (especially over C#5). See her full concert at Hackney Radio 1,
    where she back in June where she performed 17 songs. I do give her props for
    her work ethic she was introduced in summer of 05' and is about to release her
    7th album. That’s 1 every year.

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  57. I don't know why people are doing this to themselves. The business, touring, recording, and press junkets are stressful enough and already take their toll on an artist's vitality and health. But smoking? At least you can choose to develop your lower register by doing exercises and practicing. You don't need to become a smokestack to become the raspy contralto you are not. It's just a devil's bargain. By the time your career is over you could have emphysema, lung cancer, and barely carry a tune due to the damage to your entire respiratory tract. I just don't see the payoff. I am never ever going to have Barry White's voice. So I am not going to smoke three packs a day to try to attain that. If she wants a raspier sound, she should work with a vocal coach to develop healthier grunts, growls, and "vocal smoke" coloring she can add to her registers for effect.

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  58. It is not how good or how bad she sings. I used to think that she is one of the worst singer. But, when I heard her voice again , she is absolutely one of her kind. Her voice is very unique, the way she use nasal, or breathing, fading pitch, just make her in-duplicable..

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  59. "it's not how good or bad she sings"
    Hahahahahahahahaha
    Sure dude, it's not how good or bad a professional singer sings. It's all about how much garbage comes out of her mouth.

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  60. Meh. To me Rihanna, like her biggest inspiration Madonna, is an 'entertainer'. Not so much a professional singer. I never go to Rihanna to listen to a nice studio vocal or an impressive vocal performance. I (very very very rarely) go to her when I'm in the mood for dance music/easy listening music while highly intoxicated. And I think that's genuinely her target audience. I mean, it's working wonders for her - she's now sold more records than Beyonce has. But nobody expects much more from her than big dance numbers and performances and some edgy fashion choices.

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  61. I think Rihanna sounds AWESOME when she sings in her lower register. Her upper register is so nasal and strained. Her "Russian Roulette" live performances were always on point! She also sounds awesome in her new song "Stay" her live performance on "SNL" was GREAT! Her problem is her inconsistency.

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  62. And why exactly wouldn't we go for those to someone who delivers these things AND can sing well rather than someone who cannot? Well, aside from the "edgy fashion" because THAT has got to be the worst reason I have ever heard for listening to any entertainer.

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  63. Because a performance does not have to be about the quality of the vocals. In terms of performance magnitude, a plethora of factors can contribute. Rihanna always has an incredible and impeccable set, costuming, sound (other than vocals), choreography and stage presence (because of her absurd budget, these are possible). Those make it big performances.
    And because not everybody wants to hear big vocals or impressive vocals, especially on a dance track. Rihanna has an incredibly distinctive tone - no matter where you here her, you know it's her - and that's what people enjoy for a dance record that is targeted at the club scene. Something familiar but also new.

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  64. That's not true at all..? I'd probably go as far as to say I'm more of a musician than you are, considering I'm an actively aspiring singer/songwriter and have been playing classical piano my entire life. If you look up, I have never actually said I liked Rihanna OR enjoyed her music. Because neither is true. I'm just accepting that some people do enjoy her music and her as an artist because of the aforementioned features. Her songs are always produced well, because she has an excellent production team. Her vocals are poor, but she isn't a "crap" singer. There are definitely videos out there with her singing completely acapella with friends (sans the stage fright she suffers) and her tone is nice and she's on pitch. She's nothing special, but she's not 'crap'.


    Also, there is a HUGE market for "mindless" entertainment - that is, entertainment where someone can just enjoy a concert/performance for the sake of visual features and not have to worry about their overall artistry.


    I think YOUR arguments make you look petty, bitchy, immature and the FACT is you seem to care more about slamming down artists who don't appeal to your VERY narrow musical sense rather than expanding that view and being able to appreciate that people can enjoy different aspects of an artist.

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  65. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vz3PRQFuygw

    Tone is thin, but she's famous for that, and it sounds pretty enough. Her control is lovely, breath support the whole way through, nice connection between registers, a very pretty falsetto midway through, the mid-range belts are brightened and placed properly. Nothing special, but far from "crap".


    I LOATHE Rihanna, but I can appreciate why some people love her. Maybe you should try that, sometime.

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  66. ROFL Yes your "entire life" Should that impress me. My bet is you are not even of legal drinking age in most of the US. Also I doubt you had piano lessons at 1 year old. So that claim...bit full of it.

    You claiming to be an "aspiring singer/songwriter" Again...a bit full off it. Have you ever heard some of those claiming exactly that about themselves over on youtube?

    Considering I have spoken well of people ranging in genre from hiphop, rap, dance, trip hop, pop, country, bluegrass, jazz, rock to classical, your statement I have a "VERY narrow musical sense" again full of something but not the truth.
    I DID however notice that every time you and I debated and I added some links to make my argument...you up and disappeared.


    I am most certainly not going to expand into the area of lacking taste , thank you very much. But good on you for making it clear that is your choice. I don't believe for a second you are just explaining other people's views to me but tbh honest I don't really need you for that . I know the views and excuses...I just think they are crap...just like I maintain what Rhianna produces is crap. It has as much lasting value as bubblegum. In music and arts, my definition of crap is anything which lacks lasting value.
    Yes dude, I AM an elitist and proud of it. :)
    You can stick your kind of democracy where the sun don't shine.

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  67. Sure dude, I will try to appreciate why some people love Rhianna and in the mean time you can go appreciate why some people still love Hitler. I won't bother adding a video for you as I know you in all your open-mindedness will ignore the link anyway. :)

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  68. What Mperry93 says is true. His evidence: Rihanna is one of the best selling singers of the decade. She's an entertainer. You say many people can do that AND sing better. Where are those people at the Billboard charts? Where are those million visits in youtube? Rihanna's success is explained by the factors Mperry93 is saying and any serious music critic or aspiring singer takes that seriously, and doesn't get lost in insulting others personally talking about a vocal quality that is NOT (that's a fact) demanded on the industry. If that were the case, opera singers would be the stars. They are not. Beyonce is not star because she's an amazing singer. Other 100 factors have intervened in her career. Actually, a lot of people hate Beyonce and Xtina and they prefer simpler vocals, just as any random rock fan (real rock fan) would tell you they also hate all the vocal acrobatics those great singers do. Singing is not just about having great technique. It's also about keeping it simple. And Rihanna is successful at that. You can learn how to accept those FACTS proven by marketing and record sale figures, or you can go on arguing trying to prove a point that no record label executive cares about.

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  69. No, Mperry 93 goes from "loathe her" to "pretty voice" because he's being truly objective and that is good for his musical career. He is capable of understanding why a poor singer like Rihanna can be commercial and why many fans actually say she has a good voice. You, on the other hand, are not capable of accepting a singer you don't like. If you were an aspiring singer, that would be a straight path to never making it: not being able to understand it takes more than talent and 1000 different factors create a professional singer (that is, someone who really makes a living out og his/her voice and can do it for many years, as opposed to a very technical good singer who very few people hear and ends up waiting at tables).

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  70. How bout not calling yourself a singer when there are arguably millions of girls out here that are not only more skilled but a lot cuter.

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  71. Clothes they don't even pick out.

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  72. It's got nothing to do with smoking Aretha smoked for a long time. It's lack of talent. She's just some slutty girl that got the chance to leave her BS life sentence of being poor. Good for her now be gone.

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  73. Especially when your voice sucks to begin with

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  74. LOL Congrats! You get mPerry's view but mine...not at all. Kinda funny considering your suggestion that because I disagree with his view this means I don't understand it.

    BTW I, a mere basically anonymous you tuber have so far managed to garner over two million views for vids of singers who don't sell nonsense image and ''edgy fashion'' but just excellent singing and music. They may not be the biggest sellers but I can assure you...they aren't waiting on any tables but the ones in their own,pretty nice, homes.

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  75. I love Rihanna's voice! Definitely the most improved singer over the past 10 years. The girl can really belt. Her live performances of Stay and Diamonds are perfect!!! I'd rather watch her live than listen to her on her CD. She's gotten that good. Since GGGB came out, she's really proved herself!

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  76. watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TPCUXN4-xI and this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RET9NvPxSw

    she is improved

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  77. But range =/= good singing!!! It's just range!!!

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  78. You say that, but I'll tell you that a singer with very small range sounds monotonous. Case in point: Lily Allen.

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  79. You're a producer? Pardon my randomness, but do you have a soundcloud? It's just very rare that I run into producers on this website.
    (Plus I thought your rebuke was spot on ;) )

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  80. Rihanna is by no stretch of the imagination a vocalist.

    A vocalist by definition is someone who has mastered their voice to the degree a musician would master an instrument.

    Tell me how someone who can barely manage staying in tune live could ever be considered a vocalist? She barely classifies as a singer. All she has is a unique timbre, which only goes so far when she sings like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nG0otYdO8_Y.

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  81. I'm going to take a 50/50 position in this debate. It's not my place to dictate to others what's entertaining. Some people do find Rihanna's shows entertaining and that's their prerogative. However, I disagree on the Rihanna being talented part and I know that sounds harsh but that's my opinion. A tone of voice is something you're born with, not something you cultivate therefore, you can't claim that as talent IMO. If she put the work in and developed her voice then okay...but until then. I think it's been established Rihanna doesn't even work on the vocal arrangements of her songs. Just look at her Sia produced song Diamonds. She sang it exactly as Sia did. I think Rihanna is primarily a product created and sculpted by others. She does what she's told, when she's told. The majority of what she does is tacky and tasteless...downright filthy sometimes. A horrible influence on the world. So I'm not particularly a fan but whatever floats your boat.

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  82. He's not praising her voice, more the versatility of her voice, and how it works well in the studio. Producers love her, musicians think she's crap.

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  83. That's why producers love her.

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  84. Because she is crap.
    She can't even meet the basic requirements of a singer when put in a live setting.


    I didn't say he was praising her, I criticized his usage of the words "Rihanna" and "vocalist" in the same sentence, without the words "is far from a" or something of that nature in between. Because as I stated, she is far from that. She has no mastery of her voice and thus shouldn't be called a vocalist.

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  85. Everyone relax. If someone doesn't agree with your opinion, keep it civil and constructive. I like Rihanna's voice, but I am well aware some think it's a travesty that she's even on the site. I do enjoy reading what others think (good and bad) but i am secure enough in my taste to not get upset if someone doesn't agree with me.


    Remember: CONSTRUCTIVE responses not PERSONAL attacks, please! Thanks!

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  86. I wouldn't say she's crap. I kinda like her voice. Especially her belts, in songs like "Where Have You Been". She's definitely not a bad singer, otherwise she wouldn't be so popular. I think you just expect too much of pop artists :b lol

    I think vocalist is a very broad term. There's no way to quantify the "mastery" of an instrument. If he thinks she's vocalist, then he's entitled to his opinion.

    IDK, I'll leave it up to him to clarify what he meant.

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  87. Yes I expect quite a lot out of artists, not just pop artists. I'd rather be constantly disappointed than to accept the mediocrity. I don't even expect that much out of a singer, just sing and tune and don't strain the voice. Two things, two simple things.

    While music is something special, it is a job none the less.
    If someone is being paid to do something they should do it and do it right.

    She isn't a bad STUDIO singer, but when it comes to LIVE vocals she misses the mark terribly. She goes off key semi-constantly, she strains, etc.


    Popularity =/= talent. Carly Rae Jepsen can't sing in tune to save her life but she had the song of the year. Taylor swift struggles to stay on key yet she has broken several records. Rihanna is mostly popular because she is a pretty face who can crank out catchy pop tunes. She has never been praised for her vocals as it isn't her strong suit, she's everything but a great singer. She is like the modern day Nico, except Nico could sing and write :P

    Vocalist is not a broad term, "singer" is a broad term.
    There are clear ways to indicate a mastery of the voice.
    If there wasn't, then Maria Callas and Cheryl Cole would be on the same level vocally since there is no way to determine "mastery" of the voice.
    And anyone with ears could see that that is not true.

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  88. Well, no doubt due to my poor punctuation, some confusion seems to have seeped in. I will attempt to keep my sentences short and correctly puntuated therefor.
    Personal attacks are not objective arguments. Anonymous claims of supposed achievements during internet discussions are neither argument nor credible.
    I am not employed by DD. I signed no contract obliging me to be objective.
    I never made any claim, true or false, of superior credibility of my opinion over others. I do believe in my own opinion. If I didn't, I would not hold said opinion. I would be holding another.

    As for Rhianna...like Jay, I think she is a product sculpted by others. As such she doesn't represent music or art imo. She represents succesful businessmen. I have neither interest in nor respect for business as in my experience it represents what to me are the baser instincts of man.
    I fully understand many disagree and believe fame and fortune to be lofty goals in life. I wholeheartedly believe that is their right. I simply hold another opinion.

    Rhianna not being a vocal talent is therefor not ''beside the point'' on a music blog. It was in fact the crux of my point.
    ''Dismissing her from a musical standpoint'' was exactly what I was doing.
    Mperry brought up the production business as a counter argument to my musical dismissal. I rejected this as a counter argument. AND tried to express my general disinterest in ''production'' if it doesn't have actual musical talent at the base. Stronger than disinterest even. More like loathing.
    I admit I did so in an less than decent manner but that was a result of feeling personally attacked by him in earlier conversations. I let fly and shouldn't have.

    Having a distinctive voice is not a talent in itself.Neither is having a distinctive style of guitar playing. My style on the guitar is also very distinctive. The distinctive factor setting me aside from both Clapton and Petrucci being...I can't play the damn thing.
    I do love good guitar playing though and enjoy guitarists ranging from Hendrix to Page to Paco de Lucia. But my favorites are Tony Rice and Darrell Scott. I personally would never get in any 'Best in the world'' conversation. Frankly,it seems an impossible to anwer question.


    Seeing as I am a big fan of such singers as Alison Krauss, Patty Griffin and Sarah Jarosz I don't think I can be accused of not appreciating the power of a simple delivery. In fact, it has been a bit of a mission of mine to draw attention to such beauty.

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  89. rihanna's strength doesnt lie in her ability to the do crazy vocal acrobatics but her unmirrored tone. you cant really identify her with any1 else which leads her to be the epitome of uniqueness that has single handedly changed the music scene from being crazy vocal performers to natural talent in tone

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  90. I just watched Rihanna and Mickey Ekko perform "Stay" live at the Grammy's, and that was the most stable and raw I've heard Rihanna sing. She had good support throughout her song, and when she crouched over for that last chorus, I think that was more for emotional theatrics than her struggling. I kept gripping my chair, wondering if she was going to mess up, but she didn't. Bravo.

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  91. Nasal? I prefer to call it goat-like.

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  92. definitely a unique voice. you don't hear many singers these days who sound like bleating sheep.

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  93. Surprisingly enough I now have a lot more respect for her as an artist, a couple years ago I thought she had a horrible live voice but she has improved so much!

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  94. I don't believe this but I think she's whistling here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUT8g0zdt6w

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  95. To me she got a nice vibrato but often lacks when it comes to resonance

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  96. Honestly to me she has a unique distinct tone, this article is pretty old and they need to update it, to me she is between a mezzo soprano and a contralto, but her voice is rich ,it could be strong if she applies herself to it, she uses her falsetto very well and easily, while she can hold and belt a note if she wants too, listen to her recent hits, Stay, Diamonds, she belts out some decent notes, even listen to What Now, she obtains power in these singles ,so to me she is a decent singer and an amazing performer

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  97. Listen to her now though, and you cant judge her because when you sing live you will get nervous

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  98. I'm going to try that on my next boss criticizing my job performance...''sorry boss, I get nervous when I have to actually do my job."

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  99. Her voice is perfect..she is a amazing.She is my life..i adore u Rihanna..i love her. <3333

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  100. Her voice perfect??? Live she sounds bad! And in her mv she is obviously autotuned.

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  101. Mathias-Tobias29 May 2013 at 20:59

    Rihanna is a mezzo-soprano hands down, her voice isn't deep enough nor does it have the resonance to be considered a contralto.

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  102. Well this site classes a LOT of other singers as contraltos when they are in fact mezzos... It's really quite shocking.

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  103. Tone is subjective and I have heard a lot of people (and I agree) that her tone isn't great, and it isn't helped by her inconsistent technique (although admittedly it's improved in the past couple of years). She hasn't changed the music scene at all, so I don't know why you've said that - she's dominated a lot of it though but that has nothing to do with her voice: it's because of her never-ending spotlight-hogging (a.k.a. promotion/touring and releasing a new album every 1-2 years), catchy tunes (90% of which she doesn't write or produce herself), her shameless flaunting of her body, and her "bad girl" image and attitude she likes to throw in people's faces and on Twitter and Instagram.

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  104. You're asking who those people are that are great entertainers and can sing better? Well you already answered your question by mentioning Beyonce and Xtina (although her shows aren't as "spectacular" in comparison).

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  105. Said pretty much everything I think too! People keep talking about her tone, as if it's something special and amazing. Yes, it's distinctive but doesn't mean it's nice. I know tone is based on opinion but still, to me her tone sucks.

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  106. Continuing with my last post, for all the people who think she cant sing look up some live performances before LOUD (Even though y'all should really look at a vid where its Rihanna against some country chick who thinks she could out sing her: Hint she did better) I really must give it up to Rihanna for never auto tuning or lip-syncing.


    I hope after this tour she will get back to herself, train and mix her voice, and come back strong. (Hopefully sweet, not freaking provocative, and back to her normal self)


    *Please, no insults debating who her normal self is, cause she is a nice person. And at least she is not acting like deranged Justin Bieber or Coo-coo Mariah Carey.


    Note Like both Mc and JB's music.

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  107. For the negatives its she can sound nasal and off-key and thats through her entire career. Less nasal today, except for We Found Love, Only Girl, and Where Have YOu Been (sometimes). As for her dancing, I cannot comment because this is a website about singing not dancing. However I have to say that on a tiny stage( 777 tour) she cant really do much or she could fall off stage, but on a large stage (Award shows, etc.) she does better.


    I'm telling you, this none stop touring is doing a number on her voice, her performing and, celeb life. (ALong with other stuff.)


    I am a Rihanna fan and I approve these comments. <3

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  108. What? You are a Rihanna fan???????? get outta here! Who'd have thought?

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  109. What do you mean higher than most contraltos? Well for one she isn't a contralto. lol Lyric is a broad term. Simple as that.

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  110. Rihanna is not a nice person. She called someone who used to respect her and was a fan "ugly" because she voiced her opinion against her reconciling with Chris Brown. Real class, especially towards someone who helped her get where she is today, because let's face it, Rihanna isn't the most talented pop star out there - there are multi-talented, far better singers, dancers and even prettierwomen who are less popular and underrated compared to her.

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  111. RihannaIsUglyBitch22 July 2013 at 13:22

    why is she a contralto, when she sounds ordinary mezzo-soprano?

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  112. Despite her nice lower range, I always thought Rihanna was a mezzo.

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  113. oh poor thing, she was called ugly, bad bad rihanna. SO mean!!!! id probalyt kill myself if anybody EVER called me ugly.
    Rihanna is just a normal human being, im pretty sure that if some random person you actaully dont know but is stalking you all the time and knows everything about your life comes and tells you that you shouldnt be with the person you want to be you would call him far worst than ugly. Get real

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  114. No, you need to get real. First off, the person wasn't "stalking" her - the news of her being with Chris was plastered all over the media. Secondly, you obviously have very low self-esteem if you'd honestly kill yourself if somebody called you ugly. And yes, people do say much worse things to others but when you're a superstar and a FAN - someone who used to like and RESPECT you - simply has a different opinion to you (btw the girl didn't explicitly say "you can't/shouldn't be with him), to publicly attack and humiliate them (her millions of followers on Twitter saw it), is extremely low and classless.

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  115. Lmao, love your username :P

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  116. I'm pretty sure We Found Love and Where Have You Been are auto-tuned though so her vocals on it aren't pure?

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  117. Rihanna is a Contralto just like Katy Perry, Shakira, Fergie and Miley Cyrus. what people don't understand is that these women are youthful and the female voice of any type will always have a youthful quality to it. You won't hear the true dramatic effect of their timbre until they have aged. so many will think they are mezzos because of the youthful female sound. Rihanna's high notes aren't Sharpe enough like a true mezzo, they fade and widen the higher she goes till she is dependent on her falsetto. Her voice is too obvious to point out.. people really should know this by now and stop confusing themselves. Women have a higher maturity rate than men. so you will easily find a Contralto than a Bass from the male category. it is the Bass voice that is MOST rare

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  118. No,no,no,no, no... Rihanna is barely a mezzo let alone a contralto. Kety Perry. I'm even tired of people claiming she's a mezzo as well. The girl is a light lyric soprano. Under the dark color lies a lower register that fades below A3 and an upper extension hidden by bad technique. Her belts have a very soprano-like color so IDEK how anyone could mistake Katy for a contralto. Shakira just has a dark voice but for the most part is a very full and occasionally steely mezzo. Fergie and Miley Cyrus are nowhere near contralto.... Both women have nice girly upper chests and strong feminine lower register but are still just thicker lyric mezzos.

    And if a contralto doesn't sound like a man, hell its not a contralto. Most low mezzos sound "Manly" to the untrained ear let alone a fricken contralto. And back to Miley Cyrus, she is a mid to upper mezzo with a very girly timbre in high chest. Same with Fergie.

    To put Rihanna into perspective, when she first debuted, she seemed to be a soprano. The more we watched her, the more low her voice seemed to be, but we learned that it was from singing with bad technique, smoking and drinking which she obviously hasn't let off on. She has a mezzo coloring for that reason alone but if the girl stops her mess, she'd be a light lyric soprano with a great lower extension, much like a soprano dugazon but I still will hold out on that one until she utterly wows me. But, no she's not a contralto simply because she belts in the mask and that makes her voice sound less bright....

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  119. Wrong voice classification


    Cher is a lyric contraalto, Rhianna is a lyric mezzo, her voice has certain characteristics as Beyonce (mezzo), but Beyonce is coloratura...

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  120. Katy, Shakira, Fergie, Miley are not contraaltos... They are mezzos...


    Mezzos can vary in voice color, tessitura, and weight...


    Contraaltos voice vibrates trough their low to mid range in their chest, and it sounds robust or base like...


    not all mezzos mean they can hit mezzo notes, these singers are not opera trained...

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  121. I just don't think rihanna's voice is bad. I think it's unique and her notes are well placed. She has range, strength, and a grit to her voice some what similar to what Billie Holiday. She never over-sing, yet she has a dynamic voice and does use vocal acrobatics. She has much color and personality to her voice which most singers today lack. Her songs and albums are also dynamic, versatile, and are interesting. Well...most of them are. She is always evolving, improving, and tackles deep subject matter on many of her tracks. She's a really good artist, I think...

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