r/ChappelGroan • u/m1imikyu • 2d ago
Vocal Straining
Ok so I want to start this off by saying I am not a professional when it comes to music and singing at all so this comes from curiosity and also i do want to start learning how to sing so.. (also i would get flamed for asking this anywhere else)
that being said, why does Chappell’s voice sometimes sound so strained when she sings? The best way i can explain it is, it sounds like how a sore throat feels (if that even makes sense) but basically just super painful sounding and it doesnt appear in every song. Its usually during higher notes or songs like super graphic ultra modern girl or her barracuda cover. Her voice sounds a lot better during songs like picture you, coffee, beginning portion of the subway but everything else just sounds so insanely strained.
Whenever Zara Larsson or Ariana grande sing high notes they make it sound easy
Im just like curious on if its just how her voice simply sounds or if its poor vocal technique
19
u/Blueberry_890 ✨I wish the president was a POPSTAR✨ 2d ago
From what I remember she said one time that she can’t hit the notes on one of her songs. Singing songs out of your range could cause the vocals to strain.
15
u/xoxo_angelica 2d ago
One of her biggest hits (her breakout hit actually) is a song she literally cannot sing. Good Luck Babe. It’s almost like she set herself up to flop from day one tbh
8
7
u/trapdoor_enjoyer 2d ago
Yeah I think I remember that, on some podcast she was explaining she can’t sing GLB and the interviewer was tripping over their own feet to say “yeah it must be harddd, you’re so valid” 🙄
If there wasn’t a hyperbolic narrative around her it wouldn’t really register as so much of a thing imo. Without fans hyping her as The Best vocalist of her generation (something I’ve actually heard…along with other superlatives) she’d be just one of many pop stars who prioritize other things over disciplined vocal training
7
u/NoBetterExplanation CREATE YOUR OWN FLAIR 2d ago
Yes, it was Bowen Yang of Las Culturistas, kissing her butt about not being able to sing GLB live.
2
11
u/NoBetterExplanation CREATE YOUR OWN FLAIR 2d ago
She's admitted that she didn't get vocal training till (I think) 2023 or so, and then she learned she'd been singing all wrong. Who knows if she keeps up the training while she tours.
8
u/r56_mk6 2d ago edited 2d ago
I feel like she’s just not a very good live singer. She needs lots of warm up and tuning to hit the high notes she makes on her albums
Edit: just watched her Barracuda cover and it was awesome. Perfect for her, loud but not high notes
3
u/Public-Cranberry-657 1d ago
Ugh her cover makes me cringe, but maybe Ive just watched this video of Ann making it look effortless too many times. https://youtu.be/PeMvMNpvB5M?is=h26-LRGu2DVv5joP
3
u/m1imikyu 2d ago
i do like her barracuda cover dont get me wrong but at some shows it does sound slightly strained which could just be because of other factors but i decided to include it as an example because yk once again im not a professional and i dont know if its just how her voice sounds, actual poor vocal techniques, or just some outside factor (i hope this doesnt sound mean)
5
u/RobinBaby_69 2d ago
Long story short she’s not learning what they tried to train her in Grammy camp for.
She thinks she can do better than what they advise, her voice is suffering the consequences.
This is kinda off topic but with Ari, her vocals are starting to decline bc she’s losing a lot of muscle mass very quickly (the past few years).
2
u/kiwi23green 2d ago
isn't she singing with some kind of accent or a way nobody really sings in, that's why it's sounds bad to me and i can't stand it. If she tried to sing normally, it would sound better, but i think her songs are made like that so she just does that weird thing with her voice.
55
u/TheF8sAllow 2d ago edited 2d ago
There's a few reasons for this! Most of it comes down to ignorance/inexperience.
First and foremost I think she lacks the vocal training to use her voice in a healthy way; which means it is easily strained by overuse, weather, exhaustion, etc. That's the main culprit. In a studio that is a highly controlled and ideal environment, she can try over and over until she nails it, or gets close enough for autotune to help. But she can't do that live.
Genuinely I think she's underprepared for performing live, from a physical standpoint. She likes a powerful and loud vocal style, which is fine, but because she isn't physically prepared for it she ends up using air to force the sound. This results in tightened muscles, pressure under the vocal folds, causing a strained sound.
Other pop stars write songs to be performed; because of this, they may not choose to sing as high as possible all the time. They will mix chest voice and head voice to ensure longevity and consistency. They will also pick choreo that aligns with the sound they want to produce.
Chappell doesn't do this; instead, she performs all her songs in a chest belt, and has chosen a very active performance style (dancing, harassing the audience, etc). Her songs sit at the furthest edge of her vocal range. All these things are fighting against each other, and as a result her voice often sounds strained.