There are a lot of amazing singers on the radio today, and these five are not among that bunch. With limited ranges, amateur technique, and pitchy live performances; these five have carved out lucrative careers based off of the package they create more than their vocal talent. Still, with all the vocal talent on this planet, it can be near offensive when I hear some of these ladies attempting to sing well live. With training, could any of them rise up from mediocrity?
(1) Kesha: Brand new to the music scene, Kesha even mocks other pop artists for not singing live. Well, if she can refer to what she does as singing, then I suppose she’s right. From an absolutely heinous tone, to he mind numbing melodies of her songs, Kesha is a vocal wreck. Whenever she does have a live performance they are a disaster, and it is more than the human ear can handle. She has an annoying personality, annoying songs, and ridiculous stage performances. She’s gotta go! Let us hope her career doesn’t go further then 2010.
(2) Britney Spears: She isn’t new to the scene, but it is hard to get over how little she is even singing in the studio now. Her latest singles hear her drowned out by the backing singers and doing little more than cooing. At first, Britney at least made an effort to hit notes outside of a 5 note range. For someone who started off Broadway and on the Mickey Mouse Club, it is confusing at were exactly her vocal chops of yesteryear have gone. Let’s just say, if you have the unfortunate opportunity to hear her sing live on youtube, you will probably want those moments of your life back. I wish she’d take some voice lessons and try improve the little talent that has made her so rich.
(3) Taylor Swift: A cute song writer and a talented musician, sure. Her songs are catchy, pop confections that every little girl can relate to. However, even the studio tricks can’t make her harsh tone and lack of range sound all that impressive. Live she can range anywhere from decent to atrocious, usually leaning towards the latter. There’s no button you can press to keep her on pitch and clean up the sound of her tone. Therefore, we get a girl performing the heck out of her easy ranged songs, but the vocals just continually falling flat. At the very least, she is a composer and musician. That makes it easier to swallow.
(4) Rihanna: I like Rihanna’s tone, but let’s face it, most of the time she is singing the same three notes over and over again. She has rarely ever sung above a “B” and usually sings the same 4-5 notes over and over again. The melodies are so simple and repetitive it’s almost like we are being brainwashed into being her faithful disciples. Live, she is decent at best, and manages to have little energy despite fancy costumes and fire works behind her. This would be okay if she brought powerhouse vocals, but she just doesn’t. I would love to hear her range tested, more along the lines of her single “Unfaithful” from a few years back. I feel like she has her own sound and the potential to do more than she is doing.
(5) Miley Cyrus: She is getting better with age, but that doesn’t change the fact that she has never gotten through a live performance completely on pitch. She performs with gusto, and her range is definitely beyond her years. I feel that she has the most potential on this list to improve her voice if she diligently takes lessons. She has a husky, mature tone that has taken her far, and she is the only singer on this list consistently trying difficult techniques and and rangier songs. Hopefully, she can develop the kind of ear it takes to stay on pitchy while dancing and performing with live bands. So far, you can’t watch Miley without at least four to five cringe worthy moments. That still makes it annoying that she is making millions of dollars as a pop star.
