The Top Ten Non-Negotiable Worst Voices In R&B History

http://www.citlr.com/the-top-ten-non-negotiable-worst-voices-in-rb-history/

hahaha!

"Singing for her must’ve been like living in an actual coffin. Completely confined with no foreseeable leg or arm room. Fortunately for her she had top-notch producers that formed great songs around her limited toolbox. And it was limited. We’re talking one screwdriver, a tape measure, an old mic clip and a solo red cup limited."

lol what a terrible list. how can Aaliyah be on there and not Ashanti or J-Lo. and MJB at #1, lolz.

that Janet Jackson description is pretty ace though.

Where's John Legend?

really? JL? dude's voice was rough around the edges and hoarse in his early days but he really improved his instrument over the next few albums.

Bobby Brown circa 2016, now there's a dude that can't sing anymore.

Eamon annoyed the shit out of me too even if technically speaking he wasn't awful. just hated his intonation and his nasal braying

Legend's voice on that "I love your perfect imperfections" ballad that was a hit a few years ago was singing-in-the-shower quality, at best.

Bobby Brown never could sing.

but he was better than THIS:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jed45ETC6ls

this one's downright hilarious w/ teh technical difficulties

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIqmJylQwFM

I can't argue with a single person on this list aside from noting that Janet easily has the best ear out of everyone on it and Keyshia Cole should have been #1.

Janet and Keith use the limited voice in a great way and yes, had luck with producers/writers. The rest of the list quite otm honestly.

Keith kinda had the everyman thing going for him where most people felt like they could sing his songs as long as they affixed a clothespin to their nose

haha my first thought before even opening the thread: "Is Keith Sweat gonna be on the list...?"

Mary J. Blige has sung badly and awesomely. The list OTM about Alicia Keys of course

an ilxor on facebook pointed out that there was a similar list last year.

http://verysmartbrothas.com/10-non-singing-ass-singers-that-people-swear-can-sing/

it's funny how in indie a bad voice makes you more ~authentic~ because you can use it to convey emotion and vulnerability but when r&b singers aren't melisimatic divas they suddenly become write-offs.

this line from the one up top kinda killed me: "She’s always scratching the ceiling with that struggle voice."

Janet's music works the way it does in large part because she doesn't have big traditional soul/R&B pipes

"but when r&b singers aren't melisimatic divas they suddenly become write-offs."

i don't think this is really true. there are plenty of people with average/limited voices who people love. depends on how they use what they have.

well yeah, #cassiefanclub will always have its cult appeal. And I guess the flip side is that acts like eg K Michelle and Jazmine Sullivan don't get their deserved success either, whereas maybe twenty years ago they would have.

i mean one of the reasons people loved mary j. blige so much is because she was her audience and her audience saw themselves up onstage. they could have been her! they didn't love her because she was whitney.

The problem with articles like this is the insistence on making prowess an inextricable part of live work. The only way one is great, according to these things, is if your live work matches your studio work.

Aaliyah is a bad singer? Really? The one singing "Rock the Boat"?

Those Bobby Brown videos. Wow.

r&b isn't really a commercial force the way it was a decade ago for many reasons, but it's strange to think that the most adventurous stuff - both in terms of production and vocal technique - was also the most popular, whereas now that stuff might be critically lauded but commercially unviable.

xpost what kills me is he struggles to hit notes that aren't particularly high on Prerogative

drugs man

yeah, bobby has had a rough couple of decades. he gets the showing up award.

Those dance moves, though. Somebody should just tell him not to.

the drunk uncle at the barbecue. someone tell him to stop.