Is Gaga still trying too hard to show her voice?

[AlexanderMagno 10,746]

Because she's clearly not singing with her natural voice. And not natural is not pleasant.

It looks like it's happening again with Perfect Illusion and it goes way back to Till It Happens to You and some Cheek to Cheek performances.

 

Screaming doesn't make you the greatest singer. Doing those over-the-top extensive notes that you can hold on for a whole minute doesn't mean you're the greatest singer. Using that nasal voice is the most forced thing I've ever heard from Gaga. She's doing it for a long time now and it still sounds very unnatural. I remember that Paparazzi performance where not only she bleeds her heart out, but also her emotions in her voice. I go back to her amazing Speechless and Imagine performances. And I'm wondering, of course her voice has grown, but is it growing in a good way? Where is her vocal coach so I can be convinced of these choices?

This Perfect Illusion acoustic version was the performance that I was waiting for so long and unfortunately I couldn't be proved me wrong. I'm hoping it was a single, one-time only cringing performance.

I just wish you, Gaga, could chill, sing your heart out with no worries, because you're clearly still trying to make a point. No need to do that anymore, it's about being happy and singing whatever you feel like. You don't need to showcase that much, you alone with no gimmicks or vocals techniques you think will impress (but don't) are amazing already.

I'm just going to wait for the album, I'm still very very excited for your collaborations, a perfect duet with Florence and true musical diversity. And you're still the best among your peers. But I'm starting to think something not quite right yet.

[StarstruckIllusion 52,306]

Refine your definition of "natural" sis, bc if it's not auto tune, then don't come for her. 

[Dramatica 13,682]

I really don't think she's "trying too hard". She just enjoys screaming in her songs 

[Stef 61,589]

Still waiting for the "$160 for the wireless apple earphones? I better be able to hear Gaga's vocal chords tearing during the AMP radio performance" memes 

 

 

[Quartz 12,492]

I think she's not trying to point out she can sing but she's trying to point out her versatility. Honestly, her voice, like her fashion, is like a chameleon. I don't think we lost her old voice, it's just a side of her art she wants to explore. I mean I love the husky unfiltered voice of PI but I have to agree that the performance wasn't my cup of tea.

[xoxo Craig 55,649]

When she sang 'The Star Spangled banner' she sounded so so so good! Something has changed between then and now...

[Glamourpuss 29,062]

I agree. She's trying too hard to show off her range. I love her and don't like slating her but we know she can sing already. Who is she trying to impress now? I think it's because she wants to be critically acclaimed again. Her fans would put up with auto tune but she knows that if she wants to be taken seriously it's all about the voice and I think that's why she is trying too hard. 

But she doesn't need to go over the top with it. Thats one of the things I used to love about her is that she didn't oversing like Christina Aguilera but for the last 4 years or whatever she has picked up alot of bad habits. 

 

However, the Oscars and Superbowl performances were amazing. But when she sang Bang Bang at Artrave for example she shouted it and belted it too hard and too loud and it was unnecessary in my opinion. It ruins what would be a beautiful performance. She needs to try out her softer vocals alot more. 

[GagaTheExplorer 3,053]

I hope this is a phase,, but someone needs to tell her to stop at some point, it may cause a damage to her voice in time

[REALITY 75,951]

I don't think that she's trying to showoff her voice. Her singing style has changed and that's just natural. 

But, she also just likes to experiment with her voice as well. I mean, this is the same woman who can sing jazz with Tony Bennett and then switch immediately to a rock n' roll-husky sort of voice. I think her voice and her style is all dependent on this song she's singing. If it's a pop song, you're not going to necessarily hear those jazzy vocals, or the rock vocals either.

With the Perfect Illusion acoustic performance, she knew that that ending was good. She wasn't purposefully trying to make it sound like that, that's why she wanted to reprise it. 

[AlexanderMagno 10,746]

3 minutes ago, Glamourpuss said:

I agree. She's trying too hard to show off her range. I love her and don't like slating her but we know she can sing already. Who is she trying to impress now? I think it's because she wants to be critically acclaimed again. Her fans would put up with auto tune but she knows that if she wants to be taken seriously it's all about the voice and I think that's why she is trying too hard. 

But she doesn't need to go over the top with it. Thats one of the things I used to love about her is that she didn't oversing like Christina Aguilera but for the last 4 years or whatever she has picked up alot of bad habits.

 

Agree completely. I didn't give the Aguilera example so no one would think I was trying to compare her, but that was also something I used to love about her. To be honest, Christina Aguilera knows how to oversing, Gaga doesn't.

 

And once again, it only seems like she's going against her own statements about "critics don't matter" and such. Not that it surprises me, we should know by now there has always been a marketing team behind Gaga and what she says to the public.

She cares too much about what people think of her voice, and I'm afraid that overpowers her performances.

[MaryJaneHolland 77,348]

I agree.

Gurl, if they still think you cant sing than they better go to a doctor and have their ears checked.

[djBuffoon 12,102]

I have to agree. She did it when she sang "Applause" and "Gypsy" at the piano on Sukkiri, she's done it with every performance "Dope" and "Til it Happens to You" (although it worked for those), and she did it with "Perfect Illusion" yesterday. The most egregious example was "Imagine" at Baku '15.

She believes that singing with a low larynx, rapid vibrato, and operatic round tones equates good technique, and that is not the case. As I said, it works for the two ballads because those songs call for darker, more brooding vocals. But it shouldn't sound unnatural, which I'm afraid it does.  

Her voice already has depth and maturity (see: "Sound of Music", "Star-Spangled Banner", nearly EVERY album track she's ever done), I wish her voice coach would tell her there's no reason to overcompensate.

[DeanWinchester 41,390]

Same. Every logical person should by now know she sings well. No need to overdo it and risk hurting your vocal chords

[Bebe 17,063]

26 minutes ago, Craig Barnes said:

When she sang 'The Star Spangled banner' she sounded so so so good! Something has changed between then and now...

And this as before 'The Star Spangled banner'

Like, she isn't 'oversinging' she is screaming on purpose. She isn't trying to prove she can sing and overdoing it, she is screeching like her favourite heavy metal bands   It's cool if you guys don't like it, but it's clearly intentional.

[Titan 632]