2003 Summer Classic: Beyonce, Missy Elliot, Mc Lyte and Free "Fighting Temptation"

Hot, uncomfortable and sticky nights are here, meaning only one thing- no the heating isn't on the fritz- the arrival of summer! So what better time to roll out some sympathetic music to enjoy the season by.   

Fighting Temptation is a song that totally epitomises the season for me- a feat no doubt helped tremendously by it featuring not one, not two but four sizzling Divas, in the form of Beyonce, Mc Lyte, Free and Missy Elliot, on the one track!

Beyonce's warming timbre is given the task of handling the melodious vocals of the chorus, while the verses are left to the remaining rappers to run amoc over, with their usual brand of creative and stylistically individual flow.

With the songs laid back beat, old school horns, and hazy loved up feel, Fighting Temptation's summery atmosphere is incredibly potent. So much so, I guarantee* it can make it feel like summer no matter the time of year, or the weather outside. Try it next time it's minus 50 degrees outside and your marrow is beginning to freeze in your very bones! Take a listen after the jump.

Duelling Divas: "Star Spangled Banner" Sing off!!

Today is the fourth of July, a federal holiday in America that commemorates the singing and adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and thus the creation of the United States of America.(Don't say you never learn anything!)

Our American friends should be out celebrating and enjoying themselves, but we'll mark the day here at DivaDevotee with a tribute to the American National anthem, the Star Spangled Banner- an anthem that is renowned for its difficulty due to the octave and half range it calls for but that's something that shouldn't be no problem for our Divas! Below is a compilation of various Divas putting their own twist on every patriot's favourite song. If you manage to get through them all please vote below as to which was your favourite rendition! Happy Fourth of July!

psst, if you know of any other holiday/s a country celebrates coming up, and can think of a good way for me to honour it via a Diva related post, please email me at divadevotee@gmail.com!

Duelling Divas: Who sang "You've got the Love" better, Florence Welch or Joss Stone?

You've got the love is a song with so many twist and turns in its development, not to mention all its subsequent remixes, that I'm not even going to attempt to cover its inception and evolution in this post, because quite frankly I can't even make sense of it.

Britney Spears gets grimy on "I wanna go" David A. Remix

Where as the original version of I wanna go wasn't my ideal choice for single number 3 from Britney Spears' electrostatic Femme Fatale album, the song has just gone up in my estimation thanks to the excellently grimy, Justicesque David A remix . The remix has officially been endorsed by Team Britney, having been reblogged on the stars Tumblr page, and its no wonder considering how hard this remix goes!

Bjork - Vocal Profile/ Range

Bjork

Vocal Type: Robusto Soprano
Vocal Range: 2 Octaves 7 notes and a semitone E3-D6
Whistle Register: No
Vocal Pluses: Voice is strongest in the midrange and in the lower chest register (up to a D5). Unusually the chest voice retains its power, volume and strength despite its timbre thinning somewhat as it pushes higher. As a whole, the voice is a dynamic one that can be oppressive and domineering one moment, and soft and sweet the next. It has the dexterity to sing complex melodies and vocal runs, but also the stamina to hold notes, while maintaining its quality, at length.
Vocal Negatives: The lack of vibrato sometimes makes the higher chest notes sound too sharp and piercing, thus becoming overbearing at times.

Lady Gaga: "Hair" Live performances:

The more I listen to Lady Gaga's new album Born this way the more I like it. Sure, lyrically it's a little lacking but production wise, thematically, vocally, and melodically its solid piece of work that makes better sense, and stands stronger, as a collection of songs than as individual singles.

Joss Stone- Vocal range/profile

Joss Stone

Vocal Type: Mezzo-Soprano
Vocal Range: 2 Octaves  4 notes C3-G5
Whistle Register:  No
Vocal Pluses: Expressive, soulful voice that manages to maintain these qualities throughout the registers.The lower range has a beautiful cool, smoky tone to it whereas the belted voice is warmer with a gutsy, passion to it. Her head voice is also full, and bright.
Vocal Negatives:  The technique she employs to generate grunts and growls, though sounding good and in keeping with her vocal style, can cause problems to the voice if used extensively.