Adele - Hello

So I’m taking my 2 girls to school today and Adele’s no.1 hit song ‘Hello’ has been played again on the radio for 10th time since I heard it on Friday, and to be honest…… I don’t mind one bit. 

Adele makes me feel something  that other singers just can not do. In fact I get a similar feeling when I hear Sia sing the chorus from Chandelier.

What’s interesting is that both of them do a very similar thing when vocalising which is the Belt. I would be lying if I said I didn’t like what I hear. However do not be hoodwinked by the emotion…let me explain.

 I hear many people say about Adele, ‘what an amazing singer.’ Well, as a voice coach that is debatable, and what I mean by that is that she (and Sia for that matter) don’t actually use their voices particularly well. In fact Adele had to have surgery and cancel her world tour due to the fact that she doesn’t vocalise well -  

you can read about it hear if you were unaware - http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellness/adele-cancels-us-tour-vocal-cord-hemorrhage/story?id=14671798. 

I have had countless young students, and older ones, come in to the studio with songs like ‘Rolling in the Deep’ and ‘ Someone Like You.’ To see a 13 year old girl try and force a sound out of her voice that tries to emulate the likes of Adele makes me panic for 2 reasons 

1. Adele is a grown women and not a 13 year old, and 

2 .Adele, (for all of you who are older than 16) has a certain thickness to her vocal cords that allow her to do what she does naturally. (and even then she gets vocal damage.)

I once had a student with immense talent and work ethic, however, she sang all of her songs with a weight that her voice was not designed for. She lacked emotion and couldn't make me feel the same way when Adele sings. I believe if she had accepted the lighter function of her voice then she could have done some exceptional things with her voice in the higher registers - Kate Bush, Hayley Westenra, Tori Amos come to mind.

As some of us approach our singing careers , or even our lifelong hobby I plead with you to consider this      -        know your voice type and develop it properly. I believe you will have a better chance of finding your ‘x-factor,’ if you do

And in wrapping up I leave you with ‘Hello.’