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tridim

(45,358 posts) Mon Feb 13, 2012, 08:12 PM Feb 2012

RIP Whitney, RIP the "Oversinging" trend? [View all]

Don't get me wrong, I think Whitney had a great voice and made some good music back in the day, but IMO she did start the trend of oversinging, specifically with the hit song, "I will always love you".

Christina Agulara, Mariah Carey and others ran with it and ended up making horrible music that sounded worse than fingernails on a chalkboard, at least to my ears. I can't watch American Idol because of it. I am sure some of the oversingers are actually good singers, but they ruin it with their warbles, octave runs, pitch bends and overblown vibrato. It's exactly why I hated heavy metal guitarists in the 80's. It's pretty much the same thing.

Again, I don't want to start a fight about Whitney's talent. It is pretty much indisputable, but enough with the oversinging please.

Try dynamics and nuance instead, your listeners will thank you.

just in case.

86 replies

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RIP Whitney, RIP the "Oversinging" trend? [View all] tridim Feb 2012 OP

Not in the mood for bait lillypaddle Feb 2012 #1

I'll take oversinging over Auto-Tune any day, though. -nt CakeGrrl Feb 2012 #2

This message was self-deleted by its author Occupy_2012 Feb 2012 #3

Looks like the song Adele sang at the Grammys was a rip off from Cee Lo Green's 'Crazy' song Tx4obama Feb 2012 #23

IMO not close at all laundry_queen Feb 2012 #36

IMHO, Adele's song does not sound like "Crazy." blue neen Feb 2012 #50

Lawsuit? Get real, all forms of art imitate and copy from other sources. FSogol Feb 2012 #56

Not really prohibited in writing either. Withywindle Feb 2012 #83

True. n/t FSogol Feb 2012 #84

not even close nt rollin74 Feb 2012 #61

Have you ever listened to Texasgal Feb 2012 #4

None of them oversang. Think Agulara. tridim Feb 2012 #5

You haven't listened to them Texasgal Feb 2012 #6

huh. I guess pipi_k Feb 2012 #28

I agree too. A lot of good singers believe that expresses emotion and showcases their roguevalley Feb 2012 #54

etta james was used as an example SwampG8r Feb 2012 #75

And neither did Whitney. What a riduculous thing it is Solomon Feb 2012 #80

It's not the vibrato . . . gratuitous Feb 2012 #8

there are techniques, and there are reasons for using them. unblock Feb 2012 #10

You said it better than I did. tridim Feb 2012 #11

I would call that over-ornamentation, or some such. "Oversinging" is pushing, i.e., gkhouston Feb 2012 #47

+1 TexasProgresive Feb 2012 #40

jazz only works when the rules are observed unblock Feb 2012 #43

Vibrato is actually very easy to produce Hippo_Tron Feb 2012 #67

Thank you. I hear this kind of singing in almost every black church every Sunday. Ecumenist Feb 2012 #18

Whitney didn't start the trend . . . markpkessinger Feb 2012 #7

Or any physical gymnastics period justiceischeap Feb 2012 #13

I agree, but I think that theatrics are an important part of a good live show Hippo_Tron Feb 2012 #26

OMG! thanks for the memory. Arkansas Granny Feb 2012 #32

One of my fave's in Bruce Springsteen justiceischeap Feb 2012 #53

lip-synching a live performance is one thing. lip-synching a studio album is something else. unblock Feb 2012 #58

Yea the lip synching pisses me off too Hippo_Tron Feb 2012 #62

What REALLY pisses me off about lip synching justiceischeap Feb 2012 #64

Did you ever see the video where Beyonce fell down the stairs adigal Feb 2012 #85

Ha! she cracked me up laundry_queen Feb 2012 #37

I'm not criticizing Whitney, she had a remarkable and unusually broad range in her voice. northoftheborder Feb 2012 #9

My dad, who has no ear for music laundry_queen Feb 2012 #38

compare SwampG8r Feb 2012 #76

Music has always had gimmicks izquierdista Feb 2012 #12

I think you mean "bel canto" REP Feb 2012 #31

Whitney and bel canto -- one of these things is not like the other. n/t gkhouston Feb 2012 #48

Not only that, it's good singing. izquierdista Feb 2012 #57

Even Opera does somewhat go in and out of style Hippo_Tron Feb 2012 #35

Andrea Bocelli does not have the chops for opera. Manifestor_of_Light Feb 2012 #73

I certainly hope so. AngryOldDem Feb 2012 #14

I agree 100% goddess40 Feb 2012 #15

Agree on the over singing, but autotune is much more obnoxious chrisa Feb 2012 #16

+1. I assume that anyone who auto-tunes probably can't hold pitch. n/t gkhouston Feb 2012 #49

+1 Johonny Feb 2012 #69

... Capitalocracy Feb 2012 #17

Beautiful, it's not oversinging if it adds to the feeling of the song. tridim Feb 2012 #30

Yeah, I was just being contrarian... Capitalocracy Feb 2012 #42

What in the name of fuck was that??!! Didn't that poor man suffer enough while he was alive? Guy Whitey Corngood Feb 2012 #45

Thanks For Posting This Great Song WiffenPoof Feb 2012 #63

So I guess you don't like opera either. MadHound Feb 2012 #19

Not really, but I do like R&B and Jazz when it's done without the oversinging. tridim Feb 2012 #29

Ms Houston had the range for bel canto, but she did not perform in that style REP Feb 2012 #34

I'm with you malaise Feb 2012 #20

"oversinging"? wildbilln864 Feb 2012 #21

Jennifer Hudson will keep the trend going Liberal_in_LA Feb 2012 #22

I disagree with you ALMOST entirely Hippo_Tron Feb 2012 #24

Sorry, that's a long standing Gospel style, Whitney did it up, she far from originated it. Bluenorthwest Feb 2012 #25

R Kelly Quantess Feb 2012 #27

Dolly V. Whitney. RUMMYisFROSTED Feb 2012 #33

I totally agree. Great Caesars Ghost Feb 2012 #39

This message was self-deleted by its author marmar Feb 2012 #41

Billie Holiday died from booze and drug use. Sound familiar? kwassa Feb 2012 #55

Holiday didn't overdose is what I meant. Great Caesars Ghost Feb 2012 #70

I kind of have to agree with you. GoCubsGo Feb 2012 #44

The problem DonCoquixote Feb 2012 #46

Whitney oversang ONE song! ONE! TheDebbieDee Feb 2012 #51

+1 young but wise Feb 2012 #59

Mariah Carey has a four to five ocatve vocal range, why shouldn't she use it? Hippo_Tron Feb 2012 #65

Mariah can sing anyway she wants..........but don't blame Whitney for starting TheDebbieDee Feb 2012 #72

Melisma. "Miasma" is nasty air. Melisma is all that overly-ornamented, wail-y singing. Codeine Feb 2012 #68

Miasma, melisma, I still think it's yodelling.............. :-) TheDebbieDee Feb 2012 #71

I am so with you on this. MrSlayer Feb 2012 #52

Yeah, I get that. All the wavering before they finally get to the note. But not Whitney, I think. Honeycombe8 Feb 2012 #60

I think the more accurate term is "oversouling." Codeine Feb 2012 #66

you Vanje Feb 2012 #74

-10000000 donheld Feb 2012 #77

i think the author of this article must have read this thread: unblock Feb 2012 #78

two points Blue_Tires Feb 2012 #79

no disrespect to ms whitney, but songs are not for 'demonstration' of ability flexnor Feb 2012 #81

Great singing VS Over-singing - perfect example is I Will Always Love You - Whitney vs Jennifer Huds cbdo2007 Feb 2012 #82

OVERSINGING AND MELISMA ARE NOT THE SAME THING blues2bach Feb 2012 #86