Amy Whinehouse dies today at the age of 27. RIP

Amy Winehouse has been found dead at her London home. According to the Telegraph:

"Miss Winehouse, who came to fame with her debut album Frank in 2003, was found at her flat in north London this afternoon, the Metropolitan Police have confirmed.

They say that they received a call at 4.05pm calling for help for a woman in Camden. Paramedics were called to the scene, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.

The death is "unexplained" but not thought to be suspicious, according to police. Sources have told the Sunday Mirror that an overdose of drink and drugs is the suspected cause of death."

Lady Gaga delivers a stunning, accoustic version of "Edge of Glory" on Howard Stern

Lady Gaga visited American shock jock Howard Stern last week for an interview and, more importantly to me, give a live performance of new single Edge of Glory. With just her piano for company, Gaga gave a dramatic acoustic rendition of the song that left even Mr Stern enraptured with her voice.

Duelling Divas "At Last" Christina Aguilera Vs Beyonce: Who sang it best?

Etta james first covered At Last in 1960 and as far as I am concerned her rendition will always be the best. Not because it's the most well known version, or the one that brought the song to the worlds attention, but because of Etta James' masterful and impassioned delivery.

Etta James utilised her contralto range perfectly, never becoming self-indulgent, showy or overwrought. Instead her voice coexisted with the beautiful lyrics and captivating  instrumentation harmoniously, giving us the resulting classic we know and love today. But how does the renditions of fellow Divas, Beyonce and Christina Aguilera, fare in comparison.

[Vocal Profile] Ellie Goulding

Ellie Goulding

Vocal Type: Light Lyric Soprano
Vocal Range: 3 Octaves 4 Notes and a semi-tone (A2-F#6)
Whistle Register: No
Vocal Pluses:Ellie Goulding owns an extremely distinctive and unique voice. She possesses a wide range of colours and tones within the entirety of said range and quality of the voice has been described as wispy, airy and light in tone and timbre. Her ability to infuse notes with a trademark piercing vibrato, particularly in the upper registers, has also been commented upon, along with her vocal dexterity.

The lower extremities of the range (From A2 - C4) possess a worn, scratchy and almost tired feeling; however this area is used with an adept technique making the notes themselves sound healthy- if somewhat more dulled than the rest of the range. Her enunciation and general tone here displays a genuine, expressive and earthy feel. This area of the range sounds slightly disconnected and differing from the sound of the voice overall.

Goulding's mid-range retains some of the qualities of the lower range but sounds far more audible and cleaner in tone due to the low mid-range retaining a raspy quality. The lower and mid sound well connected despite the differing sounds of the lower and upper ranges. This area is easily accessible for Goulding who manages to traverse through the registers, right up to the top, ornamenting notes and using swift melisma in the process.

The head voice is where Goulding comes into her own. In this area, she displays a more fulsome, piercing, and agile tone. The upper head voice belts sound well supported and incisive in nature yet retain a sweet and warm colouring without ever becoming overbearing or strained (See Dead in the Water). Goulding is also extremely adept at using her trademark coloratura within the upper soprano range, displaying a great sense of physical ability as well as musicality, managing to use ornamentation without gratuitous over singing.

Overall, despite Goulding having only ever obtained lessons in breath control before becoming a professional singer she displays a strong sense of artistry with not only her vocal abilities but with the material for which she writes to fit her voice. This is all whilst seemingly sitting within a healthy technique for the majority of the time. Her voice is very light yet full and clean in tone placing her as a light lyric type due to her extensive versatility and flexibility.

Vocal Negatives: The nature of Goulding's voice can be off-putting to some, as the timbre and colouring of her voice can be somewhat childlike and thus somewhat of an acquired taste. Also the voice can display a strong nasal quality which can permeate the entirety of the range at times. Criticism has also been noted for her live performances, which can be of an erratic and inconsistent quality compared to her studio work, resulting in Goulding being labelled a 'studio' artist. Vocal stamina has also been an issue during the live shows as she often runs out of breath and pushes notes out to create sound by means of incorrect technique.

Many Thanks  Stuey and Spark For updating this!

Quick tip: How to belt/sing with intensity and POWER

Brilliant vocal coach/singer Eric Arceneaux gives a really great tip about how to increase the intensity and clarity of the belting voice by changing the tongues position to increase resonance.

Winter Warmer: Feist's "Brandy Alexander"

It might be summer, but its raining and cold- surprise surprise, British Summer how I love thee- as an autumn/winter day outside. A song that is a perfect accompaniment to a cold day snuggled up by the fire, or under the duvet, or just simply freezing your butt off, is by the criminally underrated Feist, and its called Brandy Alexander.

Lily Allen- Vocal Profile/ Range

Lily Allen

Vocal Type: Soubrette
Vocal Range: 1 octave notes and a semitone  G3-Eb5
Whistle Register: No
Vocal Pluses: A light, warm and sweet voice that has a pleasant, effortless tone to it in part due to her voice never being pushed or strained. Her head voice has a pleasing quality about it, and is accessed reasonably lower than most female singers, starting at the top of the fourth octave.
Vocal Negatives: Her real skill comes from her lyricism, attitude and not her voice. Her range is limited and doesn't have any strength in its chest register or its lower extremities. Overall, her technical proficiency as a vocalist doesn't seem to be too high, if her skills are to be judged on the musical output so far.