Vocal Type: Mezzo-Soprano Vocal Range: 3 Octaves 5 notes D3-B6 Whistle Register: No Vocal Pluses: The voice has a distinctive character that is audible throughout the range. Incredibly elastic, clear chest voice that can reach high up into the fifth octave via deft mixing with the head voice. The narrow vibrato she can apply gives the voice a jazzy, soulful colour. Vocal Negatives: The voice can be biting at times, in it's extreme, due to its clarity.
Seems like Rihanna is still riding the Euphoric Club sound that she opened last album Loud-which was only released LAST YEAR!- with on Only Girl (in the world). This time she's enlisted British producer Calvin Harris to come up with the lead single, called We Found Love, from the as yet untitled album due in November.
First listen to Rihanna's new single has me feeling like its missing a little magic, perhaps a punchier middle eight or a stronger melody. It's compounded by the song veering towards sounding lazy, lyrically, with way too much repetition occurring. Its a styling that will find We Found Love no doubt sounding amazing in the club, with the right atmosphere, bass heavy speakers, and a few drinks- doesn't everything?- but it doesn't translate well to a more intimate listen.
Ultimately the song is a yawn fest, that could have been helmed by any singer. Stripped is any of Rihanna feistiness or character, and the song comes off being more about Calvin Harris' production than Rihanna's voice. We Found Love should really have been reserved for Calvin Harris' new album, and as such been credited the other way round as himself featuring Rihanna, because she most certainly is not coming off as the main attraction to his show.
Just stumbled upon Patti LaBelle's 2004 performance of Sam Cooke's A Change is gonna come, and had to post it. The quality of the video isn't great, and Patti sounds horse, but that doesn't stop our Diva. She works this performance so hard and passionately- watch as she actually kicks her shoes off at 4.24- that she gets not only the crowd roused but has the musicians she's sharing the stage with in awe. No mean feat!
Ms LaBelle humbly offering her backing singer her own microphone at 3.60- who I'm pretty sure isn't one of her regular crew judging by the reaction the male singer has to her flinging her shoes off- was a touching moment that added to poignancy of the lyrics. This performance made my day.
Vocal Type: Mezzo- Soprano Vocal Range: 2 Octaves 3 note and a semitone D3-G#5 Whistle Register: No Vocal Pluses: Steely tone that is bright and robust, with a coarse edge to it that gives it a distinctive character. Solid wide vibrato and Soft head voice, that has a warm and airy quality. Vocal Negatives: Sometimes the chest notes sound pushed and forced, indicating they are not being achieved by mixing correctly, if at all.
Juvenile perhaps, but definitely with tongue-in-cheek, I ask the question: Beyonce orSolange Knowles, which is better? In reality, you can like them both, but for the sake of this post imagine there's a metaphorical gun to your head and force yourself to choose!
Vocal Type: Soprano Vocal Range: 3 Octaves 1 note D3-E6 Whistle Register: No Vocal Pluses: Her lower range has a smoky timbre that is pleasant to the ear. Her chest voice is clear, bright and light. While her head voice is strong and wide, extending past the soprano high C. Vocal Negatives: The chest voice lacks power, and the tone starts to sound constricted and pushed above a C5.
I am really glad to hear some new music from Florence + the Machine. Her last release, Lungs, was pretty close to musical perfection, so I was really eager to hear what the next musical instalment form the singer would bring. Two new tunes from the new album, Ceremonials, have hit the web in the form of "buzz track" What The Water Gave Me and the albums actual first single Shake it out.
What the Water Gave Me: What the Water gave me shows the growth that has taken place since the last album. Though the music is still grandiose and avant garde, the youthful exuberance of Lungs seems to have mellowed, giving rise to a more focused, darker sound that has a more mature feel than her previous work.
