Vocal Type: Light-Lyric Soprano
Vocal Range: 3 Octave ( D3-
D6)
Whistle Register: No
Vocal Pluses: As a whole, the voice is characterful and youthful with a soft and sweet upper-range and a punchy, attitude infused chest voice. Katy Perry has the ability to hold notes [
The One That Got Away (live)] and sing melisma [
Whip My Hair (Live)], but her material doesn't often call for such vocal skills to be employed. As such, she is moat likely to attempt these feats in a live setting.
The Diva's lower range is cloudy and of mid-weight, but solidifies, brightens and lightens significantly as she ascends the third octave. Recent years have seen gains in the confidence exhibited in these lower notes, with them becoming fuller in sound.
The Diva shows the most resonance when belting in the fourth octave, loosing weight, colour and taking on an incisive quality as she moves towards and up the fifth octave. Occasionally she employs a slight rasp to these top notes- particularly when singing live- but its not usually heard in her recorded work, where the notes remain clean, clear and bright. Perry is also able to sing melisma in this part of her range [
Walking on Air] but it's not something she demonstrates often.
Vocal Negatives: Criticisms have been leveled at her vocal ability when live and recorded vocals are contrasted.