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It is really interesting how rich masculine tones are pretty much gone from mainstream music.

Another great video. Tone policing of voice types through marketing and acceptability is something that many great voices have experienced. Great big voices going nowhere because it’s “too raw” “too emotional” and honestly “too black”!

I'm a fan when singers yell like Michael Jackson. It's so intriguing and raw, and scratches an itch in my brain. Like makes a singer want to be aggressive and holler like that? It's real electrifying and commanding.

My goodness, I clapped when you called out the racial bias. People called me crazy af when I told people the connection. I thought it was obvious and these younger Black Ppl are starting to get on my nerves calling everything hollering, and then wonder why they’re so disconnected from Black Culture so much.

This is such a good video topic!! Justice for the likes of Patti Labelle who constantly was pissed on for her tone when she’s been killing it since the early 60s!!!!

As a whole, our Alto sisters don't get enough love IMO. I sing saprano in my choir. Generally, in our music arrangement, we sing the melody so our parts are usually easier to learn by comparison. So the altos are not only underappreciated, but have to learn the harder harmonies as well. Personally, i love the dark richness of a lower voice.

I love robust voices. It hits differently especially when expressing pain

Sad that Patti LaBelle wasn’t mentioned when they’ve said that all she does is Scream. But I am mesmerized by her gift.

Dreamgirls is the embodiment of this in a movie/play. Thank you for letting me know that I am not crazy. I've have said that we have all these beautiful, perfect, technical and controlled modern voices that evoke next to nothing. People with styles that have imperfections and visceral emotions are not well tolerated. Music is now overly commodified and no longer a spiritual experience that connects humans. Good or bad, only time will tell... People like to act as though history doesn't impact the present. Historical events shape culture. Racism, colonialisation and slavery were a big part of history that impacted everything - EVERYTHING! You all just have to accept what is and understand how it shaped the world as we know it. Excellent work Sir!

Stevie Wonder: I've met only three people who had a truly wonderful voice and spirit to match: my first wife Syreeta, Minnie Riperton and Mariah Carey!

I love Black Music Archive so much 🖤🖤🖤.

Yes! Dinah Jane mentioned in an interview that producers and record labels instructed her to tone down her voice when recording Fifth Harmony songs because her sound was "too soulful". That shit pissed me off cause she had the most powerful and soulful voice of the group and imo thats what the group lacked 😭 Also, justice for Jennifer Holliday!! She's been downplayed for too long and the fact that she's become so humble and graceful even though she went through so much is inspiring!! She deserves her flowers and praise every time there is a vocal conversation ❤️ Nobody was gonna holler and give drama the way she did on Dreamgirls AND everything else that she put her stamp on. That "His Eye Is On The Sparrow" should be a staple among all singers!!😭

I enjoy the vocal tonality of Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston and even Natalie Cole. These three are powerhouses along with Ledisi, Fantasia and Amber Riley. Also this is a fabulous video.

I would like to say thank you so much for this because I feel like this contributes to where we are today in music with the “the girls don’t sing anymore” rhetoric. Like they would shade a Jennifer Hudson, Patti LaBelle, Fantasia etc. but within the same breath ask where are the “SANGERS”. Baby they’re hiding because they don’t want to be ridiculed for something they can’t even control because tone is not something you can just fix 😒 but then praise my girl Whitney not understanding it wouldn’t be no her without the hard, tough, raspy singers!!! Now what’s even crazier is that I’ve been seeing, hear and there, ppl shading Whitney saying she was doing to much or not that great…. It’s getting weird out here I swear!!!!

I have always been stunned how one singer can be loved by some and hated by others. I had a good friend who thought young Whitney Houston could not sing. I was shocked!!!

This made me emotional because of my own bias towards my own voice and the agility I wish I had. Even though growing up I grew up listening to my mother (who is the best female tenor I know) and aunts sing and only a handful of them had soft silky high tones. Listening to the Clark sisters, and Kim Burrell, and then Brandy and usher, or Stevie wonder, or more recently Kenyon Dixon, or Alex Isley. I think culture swayed us to think lighter voices are “better” singers.

Give me gospel and true powerhouse voices with a rich tone anyyyyy day!! My theory is that most of today's music is "light" and very "airy" in tone because it's easy to sing along to. Most of today's music is "lite bite music" and produced to fit the tiktok mould. I don't believe today's music will be looked back on in 50 years with such admiration like we do today with Aretha, Whitney, Patti, and gospel heavyweights. This music and these voices are eternal. 🙏🏻

You know who would have been an excellent example of the racial tone bias part?😩 Beyoncé and Mariah Carey. They are such excellent examples!

Maybe they don't have the tonal clarity of Mariah or Celine, but they have raw emotion, their sound is harsh but 100% authentic. Whitney had clarity, emotion and power - she had it all.

Black women in general have been getting pushed out of the mainstream music scene for a while. In preference for mixed raced and non black women with light sweet voices and tones. A racially ambiguous voice is what people prefer. Nothing that sounds “too black”. They’ll often lack power with heavy emphasis on runs and vocal acrobatics. Sometimes I’m just thinking ok can these people actually sing or are they just good at runs. We overdo the celebration of runs. Some of them use that to just to mask their lackluster voices

I’ve always preferred masculine tones in females and feminine tones in males

I have always thought that Deep, Darker voices on women were so beautiful and sexy. Anita Baker (The best among them Imo…) Lisa Fischer (Although her upper register can be very bright), Teyana Taylor, Carmit Bachar, T-Boz, Kandi Burruss, Etta James, Gladys Knight, Tina Turner, etc. I just think there’s something so special about Deeper voices. They’re a rarity. (Sidenote: I also LOVE Mariah Carey’s lower register, and speaking voice. Although her voice can be SO bright and flourish in the mid-higher end of the 5th octave, I have always found how deep her voice can go to be fascinating.) Thank you for always posting these insightful videos, me and my best friend have had this conversation so often… where not only Darker skinned women, and taller Black women are hyper masculinized by idiots; but, how many women with deep voices we grew up around… I just think it’s such a dumb thing to nitpick? Not everybody is meant to sound the same.

This is why I love coko 4rm swv cause she has both light and airy but powerful at the same time !

Oooh I keep finding out more about Langston Hughes that makes me side eye him each time. He had a lot of respectability politics that steered his perspective. Gospel music calls for a ferocious sound because the genre itself came out of pain and testimony. And Gospel music is from Black Americans. There really is tonality bias and I hadn’t known this before until his Brandy upload. I love the deep, rich, heavier, grounded sounding voices! It’s actually becoming very rare overtime.

When I was back in high school choosing my solo song and leaning towards Patti LaBelle who I grew up listening to, I never forget how my (very white) vocal teacher chastised her tone. I was later singled out over my "steely" tone by another arts teacher who made me self-conscious and pressured me not to sing around her. As someone without a "pretty" tone, I appreciate you and this video and breakdown

This was such a great video! I didn't realize how racism shaped even the way voices are perceived. I have long lamented the absence of powerful singers in the past 15 years and I think this definitely has something to do with it. A related video idea that I think would be interesting is the concept of "oversinging." Many singers I enjoy (young Beyoncé, Avery Wilson, and most gospel singers), are accused of doing to much in terms of vocal riffs and runs, and i often wonder if there is a true threshold for vocal acrobatics or is it another matter of "preference."

This is why I'll always love Whitney Houston bc she had both of both worlds. She had the gospel tinge and power but her tone was gorgeous and not shouty and aggressive. I hate the screaming and screeching in gospel music

there are racial and gendered components to this convo as well. yt singers are praised for raw sounds that are reminiscent of the traditional black american practice. men are also praised for having raw/unpretty sounds.

Thank you for mentioning Mary J Blige. I've been trying to convince people for years that she can actually sing. LOL.

I love deep, gutteral, dark voices for a lot of blues, rock, folk and the like. There are so many layers to songs that are sad, ironic, bittersweet, angry, grief stricken, bargaining, frustrated, haunted, etc that a voice with so many layers adds to the storytelling. For happier or joyful songs (that arent sung ironically) i think holloring and a lot of gutteral vocal embellishments is impressive but i dont feel moved at all by it and sometimes it feels like it distracts from the lyrics. We probably associate types of voices with what we grew up with and i didn't grow up in a church or listening to people hollering Its interesting to see and hear something so different to me.

It is also worth noting, when singers began recording vocals/songs in the early 20th century, they were forced to sing loudly and sometimes almost yell because of the poor recording technology. I do agree that yelling in Gospel music is intentional. When you feel the spirit, you've got no choice but to go higher or louder.

I have a wide range of singing styles I happen to enjoy. I've heard many people express negative criticism of voices that range from Patti, Aretha, Whitney, Minnie and Mariah to Gladys, Phillis, Anita and Toni. When I hear this my reply is "there is a reason this is called soul music". When these artists do what they do it comes from a place deep within called the soul. Great video!

My third comment 😅 lol.. it’s so funny bc one of my all time favorite male singers is Dino from H-town. I remember ppl made a vine mocking him screaming on the intro of Knockin Da Boots 😂 I’ve never heard a voice like his since (Rest his soul 🙏🏽) but it’s singers like him who make music so special. I’m forever grateful for the “screamers” I’ve gotten to hear in my time here in this earth. 🥰❤️

Growing up on Whitney Houston, I just prefer the clearer and softer tone. I personally can’t get with the more guttural, shouty timbre. There were some exceptions like Tina Turner and Janis Joplin, but I wouldn’t take away from their talent or ability.

I guess I prefer tone more than screaming. But I also think some screaming are more pleasant than other. Like I love Aretha’s and Vanessa Bell’s but not JHud’s or Patti screaming.

I prefer the emotional, primal spiritual voicings similar to West African Griots, Mississippi Delta Blues singers and early Gospel Vocalists. Whitney is a perfect example of someone who straddled both sides, to perfection. Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Donnie Hathaway, Freddie Jackson, Charlie Wilson, Kci Hailey and more recently Brandy and Jazmine Sullivan and a few others. Brilliant lessons, very informative 👏🏿 Greetings from Uganda 🇺🇬👊🏿🖤

Mariah is top tier example of beautiful and pleasant tone

As someone who loves soul, blues and rock music, this is something i miss in a lot of modern mainstream singers.

I’m sorry but anyone saying Aretha Franklin can’t sing is stupid. Flat out no ifs, ands, or buts

Another brilliant think piece! The depth of your insight is unmatched on YT. Thank you BMA! 💙

I chuckled out loud at the metaphor, "cigarettes and White Diamonds" 🤭

It’s funny I was having this conversation with one of my friends about this. We were discussing Jennifer Hudson who we both adore and why she couldn’t make it into mainstream pop and RnB. RnB especially has a very unique sounds and dare I say requires a certain tone of voice. Although I think Jennifer Hudson has one of the best voices we’ve had in this generation, there’s something about the smoothness that comes with the RnB tone that makes me feel the love that is being conveyed through the lyrics and how it folds into the instruments and doesn’t over power them but somehow becomes one with them (How Whitney Houston performed for the love of you is a perfect example of this). I prefer a singer that employs the intricacy of the vocal flips and riffs and runs rather than a singer that is going to belt a song from the chest from verse to bridge. I want an artist to show off, show me you know your instrument. What Whitney (and so many others) give is the powerhouse belt but when she flipped to that falsetto! Sheeeeesh! I just find the “RnB tone” more dynamic is what I’m trying to say. Now let me go watch dreamgirls coz you just unfolded the movie here lol. Love your videos.

I heard somewhere that to help a content creator with their channel you should watch commercials in full. This is the only channel where I do not ‘skip’. You deserve ALL your coins!! Great video as always 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

I love the descriptions of the different singers' voices!!!❤

It’s like you’re reading my mind when you make these videos. 💕💕

Man, you always do your due diligence and research. You really break it all the way down. Thank you for this service to the culture.

to quote India Arie: "the difference between a good singer and a great singers is the little nuances". crescendo and decrescendo can't happen when you're on 10 for the entire song, neither can you really show off the timbre of your voice and include several different tones over the course of the arrangement. many of the thick vocal chord, sustained belting, growling, squalling singers of the bygone era interpreted songs in a way that that didn't much allow for that. as the art continued to evolve, they were phased out. that kind of singing doesn't really lend itself to storytelling, it's more apt at admonishing or praise. that's not to say that kind of singing isn't beautiful or can't be used to add dynamics to a performance, but it has to be applied in a measured way or else it becomes grating to the ear. Karen Clark-Sheard is a perfect example, with her gorgeous melismatic light tones and dark tonality heavy singing interlaced together within her interpretations to create a lot of movement and the result is masterful vocal performances. to assert that preferring a smoother, more gentle vocal timbre over more brassy ones is simply an implicit form of racism is an incredibly presumptuous and frankly ignorant, one-dimensional take.

I love how this video points out the anti-Blackness in the use of terms like "light", "aggressive", "pleasant", etc. and several commentators are still using those terms. The point of this video went right over their head. Like what you like, but you should always question and understand the root of those likes and preferences. Thank you for this amazing video.

Another incredible video 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 I love that I, as a vocalist, can relate to so much of this. Amazing work as always ♥️

Thoroughly enjoyed this video. Dorothy Love Coates one of my favorites. My mother played her songs every Saturday morning while cleaning .❤❤❤❤

Don't forget about Oleta Adams, or Brenda Russell, or Nina Simone!

I love deep dark voices. They are exceptional when it comes to expressing emotions. The duende! Think the likes of Phyllis Hyman, Anita Baker, Mahalia Jackson, etc!❤

I adore this channel! 🥹🔥🙌🏾❤️🙏🏾

Thank you for this video! I'm so glad to see some of my most favorite singers here, like Cissy Houston, Dorothy Love Coates and Dorothy Norwood.

I was recovering from a bad anxiety attack but watching this video right now i feel like my old self again tyyy

As a jazz vocalist who studied Harmony and worked with a lot of musicians, grew up in the church in gospel music and hymnals, IMO Dynamics is powerful in music. whether it's a vocalist singing or an instrumentalist playing. The silence between notes is where the creativity is. I enjoy hearing music at different Dynamics whether its pianissimo or forte But I really don't enjoy hearing music at fortissimo all the way through. My ears don't enjoy it. I can't take it in. I want to feel the music. Varying the Dynamics is where the sweet spot is and where the feelings come in it's what moves me.

Precious precious so precious video. Thank you. This is very important . And you knew how to show it !

I've learned to appreciate all of the different styles of singing and qualities in voices. As a person who can't sing, the first thing I try to focus on, is listening very carefully to the mood that the singer expresses. When I hear a "soothing" voice, it creates calm (or romance). An aggressive voice (squalls, growls) make me feel energy and excitement. BMA has taught me so much since the beginning. Thank you for teaching me.

Not even half way into the video and i am already floored by the legendariness of what i'm hearing and who I'm seeing for the first time!!! Thank you so much for this valuable document of these incredible black women🌟🌟

They've literally whitewashed the music industry. I miss the deep, strong toned voices. It needs to be bought back. The 90's embodied great RnB music, with beautiful voices.

This is amazing and SO necessary!

I'm so grateful for this study! Wow!

I love all those supposed “ugly “ voices so far they touch my SOUL way more than boringgggg pretty !!

Love this series and channel. I think the narrator hits the nail on the head when discussing today’s vocal preferences. Consumers want to hear a more polished, vocally agile voice in today’s music, leaving little room for some of those deep and raspy tones I grew up hearing on the radio and in church. I’d also argue that consumers are more into prioritizing the lyrical content of music over the actual vocal delivery of the song.

This is some soul satisfying content 🙌🏾

Another great video thank you🙏🏽 no one on KZfaq does a vocal analysis better than you

This reminds me of the previous video you did, Whitney Houston Viewer Talkback where there was a debate of who’s the best singer in the family: Whitney, Dionne, Cissy or Leontyne. And although you argued Dionne has the best vocal technique which makes her the best singer among the four, Whitney has the best tone quality which made her the most palatable and marketable to the masses.

Yes! What a great topic!!! ❤

This was as usual, a great breakdown of the why of Black American Gospel voices. There is some particular racial bias concerning using the chest voice and it’s various effects in music journals of the late 1800s and early 1900s. But, as another commenter said, there is a place for every type of voice. I just wish there was more places for this type of voice as there was.

I don't even have time to watch in full right now but I literally yelled out "YAASSSSSS, FINALLY" when I saw this pop up! It's something I had to get over. There's an antiblackness/misogynoir to it too. Notice how esteemed voices like Janis Joplin's and especially Adele's can be... even some white or whiteR women that actually scream rather than sing.

Another excellent piece! Thanks Malik!

TYSM for mentioning my sweet Izora and Loleatta! Their stars have lit my path at times unsure. Their voices searing the night with exclamations of intensity that seemed to parallel my journey carried me through. I don't know where I would be or who I would be if they didn't prove that living is indeed something to shout about!

Regardless, I love Ella Fitzgerald's voice/singing style.

I HATE the hate that Kandi receives. I love her voice.

I love your videos... As a singer, I learn so much. Thank you.

My family has known Ms. Dorothy Norwood and her family for many years‼️ Dorothy is very often imitated, but she has never been duplicated💝

This video was so interesting. Great work!

Absolutely WONDERFUL channel.!

This video is amazing. Thank you.

seeing people commenting on today’s singer’ voices and how they are “bad”, i feel like people in a few decades are going to be critisizing singers of their period and how the airy singers of todays time were better. i think hating generations is something that has always happened and is probably going to happen as people like to think their time was better. i personally like both growly and airy voices, they each have their charm and what i prefer depends on what i am in the mood for

Omg was talking to someone about this topic. It’s so niche! Thank you for this!

I blame the music industry execs for this era of vocal tone bias, and I believe it is to diminish the Black music superstar.

Mariah is so versatile she can do so much with her voice

Dope video! This video topic instantly reminds me of some singers from different singing groups who were all labelled as the urban members of their respective groups: Naturi Naughton (formerly of 3LW) Jessica Benson (formerly of 3LW) D.Woods (formerly of Danity Kane) Tiffanie Anderson (formerly of Girlicious) I've seen Naturi receiving criticism about her voice over the years. 3LW's former manager Tse Williams has said her voice is basic and she had too much vibrato. She's also said that Kiely (her sister) couldn't sing yet Kiely sung way more than Naturi did. People also criticized Naturi's replacement, Jessica Benson, saying her voice is basic. Imo, they both had dope, churchy voices that were tonally the complete opposite; Naturi's voice was very maturely powerful while Jessica's was more light & youthful. Naturi and Jessica deserved to sing more and I actually wish they were in the group at the same time cause I think their voices would blend well together as theirs did with Adrienne, respectively. *S/N: I wish Naturi and Jessica were in The Cheetah Girls franchise but that's another story.... D.Woods has been criticized for having a very nasally, throaty, and mature tone. I love D's voice; she could mimic the tone of the other members', on certain octaves, except for Aundrea who's voice was the polar opposite as D's. She's also probably the only group member who could sing any harmony part comfortably. Most of the background vocals on the DK's 1st 2 albums were sung by Dawn & D.Woods; the group has said those 2 stayed in the studio the most. D's absence from the group after their 2nd album is 1 reason why their music from their 3rd album and beyond doesn't sound the same. Tiffanie had the most soulful voice & heavies tone in Girlicious. I'm not as familiar with the group's discography outside their song "Like Me" so idk if Tiffanie got to sing a lot. I do know she was dropped from the group after their 1st album because she was too urban & their manager/label didn't want to go that route moving on smh. @19:06 was a dope transition lol.

what a great video! just smth that came to mind.. ariana's yes and remix with mariah, which i personally loved, and was so shocked to find out mariah was criticised for being 'too loud'. like... too loud? 😭 thats that soul baby! it was funny cuz ariana later said she was the one who turned mariah's vocals up. really irks me for people nowadays to be throwing around terms like 'screeching' 'yelling' 'screaming' like baby, know your roots!!

Amazing reporting.... Shocking that I have not noticed this previously!!

People sometimes use screaming to describe the Puerto Rican diva La India. She’s my fave❤

I have a 2nd cousin who’s the age of my mom and is also a cousin of Dorothy down here in GA … The world can feel so small as to the degrees of separation

Awesome!

Omg I’m glad we’re let talking about this. I can’t stand when an ear that says someone can’t sing just because in reality they just don’t fancy their tone. A darker tone WITH range has always been it.

Whitney’s voice is ultimate pretty privilege. But I don’t see any trade off to emotion in her voice

Wonderful deep dive!

There is a thin line between powerful singing and then screaming, over singing or shouting and it's not exclusive to black singers. The church hollering is about being a 'personal' experience and about that individual's emotions towards their religion. However other kinds of settings and music do not require this and that is why it is out of place. Singers like Jocelyn Brown, Loleatta Holloway and Martha Wash got the balance right. They knew when to do it and excelled in their delivery within soul, pop and dance music. That was back in the 80s and early 90s and now the style of singing has totally changed. Dance music was the home to these powerful voices but those times are over.

This is a great video as I’m a artist with a soulful voice and battling with it

This was a great video.

Mariah is a perfect example of transitioning from darker tone from her earlier years to lighter tone.

Can we get an explained episode on male group voices? Like the Temptation and silk?

So happy you mentioned Lorraine Ellison. One of the first 45's I had as kid in the early 70s was Stay With Me Baby, but I would always play the flip side, I Got My Baby Back.

I'll take spiritual and emotional expression in a singer any day and twice on Sundays. I wanna feel! Move me!!