Is Gaga's voice/singing harsh?

[Killa 17,081]

We'll its not weightless, thats for sure. Shes on Gear 4 most of the time , and then 5 and turbo. I find hold my hand is cheesy but I could listen if It was sang in more peaceful way.  On tour though It mostly works well. 

I think for example for enigma its a killer. Then theres songs with lots of consonants that almost hear She having spit in her mouth, and sometimes its Just overdrive 120 percent, like She accentuates all words and then sustained High long note with even a hard consonant at the end. Its soooo much, but yeah Gaga Is like that. 

[phantasmas 10,317]

yes but that's not a bad thing

[Controversiaga 10,268]

Everybody loves to rank TF at the bottom of all her albums but her vocals on that album are so soft and flawless and she performs with ease on that album. She doesn’t sound like she’s singing in overdrive like she has since ARTPOP . It was laid back and relaxed and I really miss those kind of vocals from her. She wasn’t pronouncing words weirdly either 

[Oriane 20,540]

I love rock so I love that she has this tone. She always said she was a rockstar trapped in the body of a popstar.

Also, if you think this is new, you were clearly not here during her Fame days.

 

Edited June 14, 2024 by Oriane

[dubstep111 619]

5 hours ago, MACATL said:

For some reason she started pushing post 2011, I dunno, like she had something to prove.  Prior to that I thought her tone was absolutely lush and effortless.  

I know!! Especially every the fame performance was so effortless and perfect! Wish she had always just kept that voice

[Defmix100 6,212]

2 hours ago, Killa said:

We'll its not weightless, thats for sure. Shes on Gear 4 most of the time , and then 5 and turbo. I find hold my hand is cheesy but I could listen if It was sang in more peaceful way.  On tour though It mostly works well. 

I think for example for enigma its a killer. Then theres songs with lots of consonants that almost hear She having spit in her mouth, and sometimes its Just overdrive 120 percent, like She accentuates all words and then sustained High long note with even a hard consonant at the end. Its soooo much, but yeah Gaga Is like that. 

I agree, it's kind of become her thing at this point but I like when she switches it up, that's why I think Love Me Right or Rain On Me chorus are a nice change and sounds a lot brighter which I usually like more (depending on the vibe of the song)

[Defmix100 6,212]

1 hour ago, Oriane said:

I love rock so I love that she has this tone. She always said she was a rockstar trapped in the body of a popstar.

Also, if you think this is new, you were clearly not here during her Fame days.

 

That's a good example she was doing it back then too, but I always liked this version best because it just sounds less forced and brighter. But I know it's usually a concsious choice of vocal placement/darker vs brighter vocals etc and everyone has their own preference of what their ears like, I think she just seems to prefer darker vocals in general

 

[Gorehound 4,515]

Ye in recent years she does seem to belt quite harshly at times, and tends to over-sing her songs, like HMH, PI, Shallow, Enigma etc. It still sounds great and impressive but sometimes less is more imo and subtlety works better overall. Sometimes I feel her voice has just become too powerful for its own good lol and can be a bit jarring.

I enjoy her voice most when she sings softly, like Electric Chapel, HML, SHICD, or sings deeper etc. That’s when it’s most hypnotic imo.

[Ziggy 11,362]

7 hours ago, Helxig said:

I noticed that too! But she's so masterful at what she does it absolutely has to be intentional. I also got the idea that during ASIB Bradley 'taught' her how to sing with passion and emotion and not worry about being pitch perfect of having perfect technique. And she always sounds amazing honestly never had a bad vocal day in her life, but every time I go back to old performances I find myself thinking huh, weird, it seemed SO effortless back then

I can assure you Bradley cooper of all people was not the one giving her singing pointers  honestly i think the biggest shift was her work with Tony. After that she said he taught her how to sing and not cry, to put it in the music while you sing. And I do think you can hear that difference around that time. Her singing itself becomes even more emotive and forceful 

[dracomalfoy 756]

In his Chromatica review Anthony Fantano mentions that Gaga has a tendency to over-sing stuff and I agree, it is kinda her thing now. There's nothing wrong with it (her vocals are flawless lmao) but I don't think you always need a powerhouse vocal with pop music.

I had the impression that this was a new-Gaga (2016-onward) thing, but if you compare Paparazzi studio version (vocals are way softer) with some performances (Glastonbury and VMAs) this isn't new.

Her voice is ''theater'', she's theatrical, just like she said in the Monster Ball. 

[Nathaniel Arven 1,765]

A friend of mine started disliking her when she started the born this way era because he said she was showing off and belting too much. 

Spoiler

(technically belting is a way to go higher in the melody, but instead of modulating from the low register to the high register, you keep the note in the chest voice (low register) but with more power (you belt it) to give the perception of a higher pitch - Belting seems hard (because it's loud and powerful) but it's actually an easier way be able to sing certain melodies for a low voice) .....

Imagine the ''Prooooomise I'll be kind" in Paparazzi. You can do it super high like in the studio version, but in live Gaga belts this note, because when for example you sit on the piano, you don't have the physical support to modulate (i'm just guessing because i studied singing but i'm not a teacher).

I personally just think that she is more of a low voice (for a woman voice, in a genre that loves high pitches), and i noticed she improved on her high notes throughout her career. She used the belting technique more to avoid head voice, and now she sings the high parts in Alice live.

Finally (finally !!) i think the harshness in the beginning of her career gave her a sexy raspy voice, and because she has perfect ear, she never was flat.

She's a great singer, she had things to work on maybe, she did it certainly. That's why I really trust her A LOT on everything she does. 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 14, 2024 by Nathaniel Arven
shortening things

[Mother of Puppies 36,231]

I read the title as „is Gaga’s voice/singing trash?“ 

[27monster27 12,505]

8 hours ago, Oriane said:

I love rock so I love that she has this tone. She always said she was a rockstar trapped in the body of a popstar.

Also, if you think this is new, you were clearly not here during her Fame days.

 

 

6 hours ago, Defmix100 said:

That's a good example she was doing it back then too, but I always liked this version best because it just sounds less forced and brighter. But I know it's usually a concsious choice of vocal placement/darker vs brighter vocals etc and everyone has their own preference of what their ears like, I think she just seems to prefer darker vocals in general

 

It should be noted that both of these sound different because of vocal damage (allegedly) from drug use. The Mooi Weer De Leeuw performance was only one month into healing, and the Sukkirri performance was five months into healing.

-

I like her ARTPOP vocals the best personally, but that's because they blend both her pop stuff with her stronger technique stuff that she started employing around that time too.

[Bronco 8,984]

I do miss the poppier sound she had on the Fame, Fame Monster era.

I do love her fuller voice now. Just wish she'd commit and do a rock album instead of just vocal screaming etc on tour on pop songs.

[Ziggy 11,362]

8 hours ago, dracomalfoy said:

In his Chromatica review Anthony Fantano mentions that Gaga has a tendency to over-sing stuff and I agree, it is kinda her thing now. There's nothing wrong with it (her vocals are flawless lmao) but I don't think you always need a powerhouse vocal with pop music.

I had the impression that this was a new-Gaga (2016-onward) thing, but if you compare Paparazzi studio version (vocals are way softer) with some performances (Glastonbury and VMAs) this isn't new.

Her voice is ''theater'', she's theatrical, just like she said in the Monster Ball. 

It’s definitely now new per se but I think the specific kind of over singing she’s been doing is newish starting with Dope. I don’t really mind it on the whole but I think that was the big stylistic shift to sounding a little like meatloaf sometimes lolol