Analysis: Britney Spears' Real Singing Voice

Prompted by comments made by readers about Britney Spears' "real" voice being different from the thin, nasal and robotic one she is supposedly made to put on, I went out into the wilderness-Aka Youtube- for further evidence of her actual voice. Below is what I found!

Mýa Harrison Vocal Range/ Profile

Mýa Harrison

Vocal Type: Mezzo-Soprano
Vocal Range: 3 Octaves 4 notes B2-F6
Whistle Register: Yes
Vocal Pluses:Light voice, with a pervading sweetness throughout. Mýa is capable of complex melisma (vocal runs) that can traverse through her registers with ease and speed.

Review: Gossip return with "Perfect World"

Beth Ditto and her motley crew, collectively known as Gossip have returned, Hooray! The group's energetic last album, Music for Men, seems like it was released an eternity ago (2009 in actuality) and with Ms Ditto releasing an EP in 2011 I was worried that that was the end of the trio, and solo stardom beckoned. But new single Perfect World means my prayers have been heard, and they return with their fifth album, A Joyful Noise, in May of 2012.

Tour Review: Florence + The Machine, The Ceremonials Tour [Cardiff & London]

Setting out on the promotional tour for latest album Ceremonials, Florence +the Machine touched down in the United Kingdom after already having put shows on in Asia, America and Australia since it kicked off in October of 2011. With over 80 dates between then and its last in Sweden, on the 14th of August 2012, I was hoping I'd get to see her when she reached my home town of London this month, but it wasn't to be...initially.

So, thinking I'd missed out on tickets for Florence + The Machines’ London gig, I took my English butt and hopped on a train, over the border, to Wales and its capital city Cardiff to catch the Ceremonials Tour a little more west than I had planned.And what a time I had, but I'll stick to describing the show...

[Vocal Profile] Tina Turner

Tina Turner

Vocal Type: Mezzo Soprano
Vocal Range: 3 Octaves 4 notes and a semitone F2-C#6
Whistle Register: No
Vocal Pluses:Energetic and natural voice that has a character that is readily identifiable. Tina Turner's exceptional control means she is capable of varied timbres and tones that give her a great versatility that allows her adapt to many different genres of music [Rock/Pop/Adult Contemporary/Blues]. Her great technique has ultimately resulted in her still singing well, into her seventies.

Tina Turner sounds comfortable and at ease with second octave notes, which are reached seemingly effortlessly. The notes themselves are thick and full, with a husky, androgynous quality to them [In Your Wildest Dreams ]. Her midrange is also thick and rounded with a warm and full timbre that is connected seamlessly to both the lower range and the belting range.

The mastery of her lower range is mirrored in the belting range of the voice. She has the ability to sing high up into the fifth octave, but the voice finds the most resonance at around a C5. Whereas previously it had a rasp and an edge to it- Respect- it has since mellowed and smoothed as she has aged- Golden Eye. This change could also be due to the Diva adapting her technique and mixing more to reach the higher notes. If this is the case, then artistic choice is dictating the coarseness of the timbre more so than anything else.

Surprisingly for someone with such a strong lower range, Tina Turner also has access to a mid-weight, but bright and piercing head voice [Two People].

Vocal Negatives:Some of Tina Turner's earlier trademark growls, grunts and raspy vocals were achieved via questionable technique.

Mariah Carey's First Live Performance of 2012:"Shake It Off"

Mariah Carey hit the stage for her first live performance since the birth of "Dem Babies"- yes, I'm purposely ignoring the T-Mobile "holographic" performance from November of last year. Part of an eight song set for Jimmy Kimmel‘s "Plot Your Escape", the performance of Shake It Off was nabbed from Ustream by a Youtuber- Facebook and MSN noises included. The full set airs tomorrow [Saturday, March 3rd] on US television.

Reveiw: Jennifer Hudson & Ne-Yo ‘Think Like A Man’ [featuring Rick Ross]

Jennifer Hudson is back, looking amazing and rocking a little choreography, in new video Think Like A Man. It's a mid-tempo affair that she is joined on by singer Ne-Yo and rapper Rick Ross, and is lifted from the soundtrack of a movie that shares the same name.

This definitely brings back memories of 90's R'n'B. I love the way the song builds, starting with a looped chant rolling over some sprightly chords. The beat then kicks in and Jennifer Hudson's consistent delivery brings the empowering lyrics to life with gusto and belief. From there the song's featured co-stars and the middle eight keep it chugging along nicely.