And why is this a negative? Wouldn't it mean that said singer is technically better?

Isn't it subjective? EG: I've never thought that Alicia Keys oversings, but they are those who do?

Aren't there some types of voices that are more capable of runs and melisma than others?

To me, it means shoutin and bawling and mistaking that for soul and feel..

Jessie J Is criminal to this!

well the people who are repeat offenders of oversinging do have great voices and imho people who can really sing can do all that melisma stuff, but for me it sounds better when singers do it occassionally. like Adele and Jessie J both do runs/melisma but Adele doesnt oversing.

I have great appreciation for tehnical singers anyone who trains or perfects their talent is to be commended. But that said sometimes less ismore and often singers like celine and Mariah tend to have more heart than voice and dhout through a song as opposed to singing it All By Myself a great example but i do love both

This is probably my favourite example of just how effective it can be in the right hands.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xt_sKT-nlE0 a breathtaking performance that just gets better as the clip progresses.

But to me, "over-singing" is far more than overuse of that "melisma stuff" anyway...

It could be as simple as trying to sing too loudly and straining, better singers can sing loudly without straining and looking like they need to visit the loo.

Even trying to overemphasis on emotional phrasing could be classed as over-singing. Or that awful modern trend toward overly "affected vocals" - Diane Vickers being a prime example.

Great singers achieve all these effects without it being obvious, to all intents and purposes it should appear effortless...

Jessie J is a prime example of this, she screeches at the top of her lungs over generic and cheap production.

I've always thought it's when they sing several notes instead of one, and when one will do really. I suspect it's harder to sing a nice sustained single note for a few seconds and thus some opt to warble up and down a few notes over those seconds instead. It's flipping annoying though!

to me it is when you do your vocal gymnastics for the sake of it, rather than to compliment the song

It's when someone does this;

"Wooahh-oh-oh-woahhhhohoh-oh-woahhhhhhh"

'what's new pussycat?'

Beyoncé is the best example from back in the day.

Not really..

Christina Aguilera and Mariah were/are far worse.

You are all kind of missing the point. You know a singer is 'oversinging' when you are listening to the singer and not the song. Singing is both an expressive and a performance art. Melisma may have some meaning if it contributes to the interpretation of the song. If it is sung for showing off technique then for me it is just an exercise.

You have mentioned a few female singers who oversing. For some reason it's always certain female singers who get accused of oversinging, are there any male singers who oversing as well?

It comes in two forms.

Excessive shouting and melisma, where singers add "whoas" and "oh yeahs" onto every verse.

Yes, this. In a live performance it's ok because essentially you're err...performing and nobody just wants to hear a backing track. But on a record, sometimes the best vocal performances are the most simple and subtle. Soft notes as well as loud notes, straight notes as well as vibrato. Those little details add to the overall richness of the sound. Jessica Simpson's "I Wanna Love You Forever" is a prime example of a great song completely destroyed by over singing, climaxes far too quickly and by the end there's no room for her to go. You come away from listening to the song completely exhausted.

Well that's Jessie J in Thunder then, she "Yeah" like 5 times near the end of the song.

Over use of melisma, high register, growling and improper use of the larynx to force out notes to the point where it drowns out all subtlety and atmosphere. Jessica Simpson is absolutely the worst example of this. Other examples...

Beyonce does oversing a lot and uses the high screechy aspects of her voice too much, but Xtina is the worst offender. Compare how restrained and sultry her voice sounds on Genie compared to how she uses it now 24/7 and you'll see what I mean.


I don't agree that it's necessarily about the singer 'being' the song though. Some songs are great just relying on vocals even from some of the 'oversinging' offenders - Bliss by Mariah for instance...

True. Though she has yet to steal Xtina's crown.

Xtina is by far the worst at this. Just awful.

bodyform, bodyform for yoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Mariah Carey:s

Everyone should listen to this from 01:50 onwards

http://youtu.be/2jPmGrrP_E8

I quite like that!! Very cool whether it's oversinging or not, she's doing it deliberately for an effect i guess. I'd love to see her live!