[Watch] 2012 Vh1 Divas Donna Summer Tribute

Disco legend Donna Summers was remembered at the 2012 VH1 Divas Live concert with a medley of her greatest hits. Having the honour of performing said classics fell to Divas Kelly Rowland, Keri Hilson and -honorary diva- Adam Lambert.

The tribute was opened by Destiny's Child alumni Kelly Rowland, and though she may have been present and accounted for during "Bad Girls", her voice certainly was not. I've never heard her sound this bad. Her runs were off, she was out of time in places, and her voice was missing the power and the flexibility that she demonstrated during her Mariah Carey tribute back in February [here]. I have no idea what was going on here, but when Keri Hilson sounds better than you, you've got a problem.

[Watch] Lady Gaga And The Rolling Stones Duet On "Gimme Shelter"

Lady Gaga joined The Rolling Stones on stage during their performance of "Gimme Shelter" in Newark, New Jersey on Sunday night.

For whatever shady reason, I enjoyed Gaga's trippy dancing. But let's be honest, she was never going to be able to compare vocally with Mick Jagger's usual duetting partner on the song: one Lisa Fischer. In fact, she didn't even compete with Florence Welch, who took to the stage to sing the same song with The Stones during their London gig last month. (See both renditions below.)

[Watch] "The Voice" Tribute Sandy Hook Victims

Following the tragic events at Sandy Hook Elementary School last week, The Voice opened the show yesterday with a tribute to the fallen victims of the heinous crime.

Backed by the contestants, judges Blake Shelton, Adam Levine, Cee Lo Green, and Christina Aguilera gave an emotional and muted performance of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah". In remembrance of those who were senselessly lost in the tragedy, each person on stage held a card with a victims' name and age written across it. It was a simple but powerful reminder of those, mostly unbearably young, lives that were lost in Newton, Connecticut.

[Watch] Pink Covers Alicia Keys' "Girl On Fire"

Ever wondered how Pink's edgy pipes would handle Alicia Keys' bombastic "Girl On Fire"? Well stop it before you hurt yourself, because, through the magic of BBC's Live Lounge, it is now a reality that can be heard via Youtube!

Taking the empowering, feminist mid-tempo track, Pink gives it the "Just Like A Pill" treatment: smooshing the two songs together to form one gorgeous mixed-genre baby! I just wish her vocals had been a little bit more peppy because though good, they were just missing that fire- which Pink usually has in spades- needed to sell the lyrics fully.

[Watch] Tamar Braxton Sings "Love And War" Live On Wendy Williams

The music world, and music buyers, responded unexpectedly positively to the release of Tamar Braxton's RnB ballad Love And War, earlier this week. Clearly hoping to capitalise on the buzz of said song, the Braxton Family Values star took it to The Wendy Williams Show for a bit of live promo.

But how did the baby of the Braxton clan manage such a tricky song in a live setting? Watch below and find out!

[Vocal Profile] Anita Baker

Anita Baker

Vocal Type:Contralto
Vocal Range:3 Octaves C#3-C#6
Whistle Register:No
Vocal Pluses:  A unique voice that has an identifiable character that runs through the range and the registers. The voice, as a whole, is smooth, warm, and mature and Anita Baker wields it with exceptional skill: being incredibly natural with her delivery, while also effortlessly technical. Though capable of great vocal dexterity  [ Hear the ending of Body And Soul ], it's not something that she is prone to showing off, instead relying on her emotive voice, her mastery over dynamics, and the melody of her material to impress.

Despite hitting, on record, a low that isn't exceptionally so- when compared to other Divas- Anita Baker's voice has all the qualities of a contralto. The voice is weighty, dark, and at ease in the lower extremes- something others who can hit lower can't always claim. It also has a slight rasp to it that rounds out the tone, creating it's trademark smoothness.

As well as it being easy for Anita Baker to pitch low notes, she is also just as capable in the top of her range: being able to belt an incredible fifth octave Bb[Hear:No More Tears]. Of course, within the fifth octave the voice begins to lose some of its weight- increasingly so from about an E5- but even then, though the tone becomes thinner, as it is mixed, it retains many of its identifiable qualities.

As mentioned, Anita Baker's voice has a consistent sound throughout, but what is most surprising about this, is that it extends right up into the head voice. So whereas many Divas produce a head voice tone that sounds uncharacteristic of their lower range, Anita Baker produces rich, buttery notes that are just as identifiable, and relatable to her modal range. Effectively, this gives the illusion of no break or disconnect in the voice, adding to the overall effortless quality of it [Hear: Sweet Love 3.18 onwards].

Vocal Negatives: The voice does have a flattened, nasal quality about it that some may find not to their taste.

[Single Review] Rebecca Ferguson "Shoulder To Shoulder"

It's fifth time lucky for me, as ex-X-Factor contestant Rebecca Ferguson finally gets around to releasing Shoulder To Shoulder from her debut, Heaven; and right before she puts the album out to pasture to get to work on her sophomore effort.

From the first spin of the critically acclaimed Heaven, Shoulder To Shoulder is the song that stood out as the strongest cut.With its bittersweet and troubled tale of love, its emotional vocal and its beautiful but understated production, the ballad not only shines a spotlight on Rebecca Ferguson's skill as an astute vocalist, but also her duel strength as a canny songwriter.