I don't mind melisma in religious contexts, especially middle eastern adhan or cantillation. But when singers go into masturbatory paroxysms exorting me to dance or get into their pants I rapidly lose interest. Probably WH's greatest crime.
― Pauper Management Improved (Sanpaku), Wednesday, 15 February 2012 18:26 (twelve years ago) link
yeah I think that's most people's complaint really - that melisma in pop sort of seems naturally (whether through tradition or some inherent quality of the technique in the context) to express excitement, some need to reach beyond the cue sheet to something more joyful. Or that, anyway, is I think the way people receive it, and certainly the way a lot of performers express it: "Here is the part in the song where I bust out the melisma as the music crescendos," etc. Which works better or worse depending on 1) the source material 2) whether the singer is a convincing performer 3) how much the listener already likes the performer
imo
― unlistenable in philly (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Wednesday, 15 February 2012 18:31 (twelve years ago) link
too many people think "melisma" means "oversinging."too many singers overuse melisma
just listened to what may be the worst song in the world, some boyband version of The First Noel (a dreadful song in its own right) completely trashed by oversinging, the kind of melisma that makes you angry at life
― niels, Wednesday, 13 December 2017 17:50 (six years ago) link
Leona Lewis' version of Run is excruciatingly ribald with this. Melismatic to the point of absurdity.
― The shard-borne beetle with his drowsy hums (Chinaski), Wednesday, 13 December 2017 18:00 (six years ago) link
Why do I adore melisma in Indian, African, Middle Eastern and Eastern European music but loathe it in 95% of contemporary r&b? Can someone with theory chops help me understand this? It’s been bugging me for a while now. I don’t have the vocabulary for it but my general hunch is that contemporary r&b veers more readily towards the major key – is there any truth to this? I generally enjoy the stuff when it’s more melancholy and/or reserved.
(Inspired by that new SZA single, whose form and production are compelling to me, but I can’t cope with the melodic lines and it makes me feel like a total weirdo).
― pomenitul, Saturday, 5 September 2020 03:16 (three years ago) link
I’m not crazy about baroque operatic melismas either fwiw.
― pomenitul, Saturday, 5 September 2020 03:18 (three years ago) link