Tamar is littered all over 3121 but I don't know who the guilty culprit is on Planet Earth... but why is Prince intent on layering his vocals with annoying whispery female backing vocalists? It cheapens his music....

It was different when we had real singers like Bonnie Boyer or Rosie Gaines - who've both made some amazing contributions to Prince's songs.

I'm not denying that Tamar has a good voice, but did she need to be whispering in that annoying Mariah Carey style over every song on 3121?

Anyone else irritated by this? It makes his music sound girly and like the insipid R&B-lite you expect to hear in Topshop.
[Edited 8/6/08 7:47am]

I do not find it annoying.

It is classic Prince layering in his songwriting. Prince has used lots of female voices for harmonies over the years.

I thought on Planet Earth that Prince was going for his old pre-Revolution day sound. At first I thought it was Lisa and/or Wendy singing, very Controversy/1999 days style. But I think it was the other women listed on the credits.

And if he does not have a woman singing in the background the whispery "female" vocals may be Prince doing a falsetto.

No. I like it. While Rosie and Bonnie were great singers, I find the soft layered vocals very soothing. In some music magazine in 2004, Prince said that he aspires to project the feminine soulfullness in his music.

I Love Prince's music and have enjoyed all of his bands and vocalists. If it bothers you...go to an Audio store and buy a mixer and take out the parts that annoy you.

i find tamar's vocals on the 3121 album very complimentary