Can this "theory" finally be put to rest? I saw Madonna's Rebel Heart Tour in Chicago and I was so fascinated -- but what fascinated me the most is how well she has learned to sing. She brought the crowd to their feet when singing "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" and "La Vie En Rose." I was always a fan, but never realized she could sing that well. Thoughts?

Agreed

She sings very well and probably more importantly brings some real emotion to the song. She also knows how to deliver a hook.

Singers like Christina Aguilera and Mariah Carey and all their wanna be's completely kill the melodies by over singing..

Madonna is fabulous.

Madonna has a good voice,and I think it really shines on her ballads.

I don't know I've heard her give some terrible performances.

CynicKill said:

I don't know I've heard her give some terrible performances.

Yeah, she has. But she has the capability to shine vocally and I think that shines when she is in front of her fans, not a live TV audience.

itsjustaroundthecorner said:

Agreed

She sings very well and probably more importantly brings some real emotion to the song. She also knows how to deliver a hook.

Singers like Christina Aguilera and Mariah Carey and all their wanna be's completely kill the melodies by over singing..

Madonna is fabulous.

Absolutely!

I´d rather listen to a mediocre singer singing interesting lyrics from the heart than someone like Carey, Dion or Aguilera screaming nonstop. I know those divas probably are technically the better singers, but melisma does nothing for me.

CynicKill said:

I don't know I've heard her give some terrible performances.

Earls Court , London. Drowned World Tour , i was so pisssed off.

CynicKill said:

I don't know I've heard her give some terrible performances.

But you could say that of almost any artist. Everyone has bad days, when they are sick, tired, especially artists that tour a lot.

I've always thought she can sing very well. Logic would tell you that someone who has been successful for over 30 years in the music business clearly can sing and has vocal talent. So it's no surprise to me she sounds good in her concerts.

phillymonster said:

CynicKill said:

I don't know I've heard her give some terrible performances.

Yeah, she has. But she has the capability to shine vocally and I think that shines when she is in front of her fans, not a live TV audience.

.

its easy to shine in front of people who already love you. its more impressive to kick ass in front of an audience that doesnt care.

that training for Evita ruined her as a pop vocalist. she used to be a great torchy-type singer. really sang from the gut and could put over the emotion in whatever she was singing.

she just sings now. zzzzzz.

Madonna's finest vocals are on "Falling Free" from the MDNA album.

She's alright. You don't need a great voice to sing pop music. I think she's better than, say, Nancy Sinatra or Debbie Harry, on par with Janet, and well below Annie Lennox or even Sheryl Crow.

.

Vocally I like her best 83 - 94, before she took her Evita lessons, and started warbling. I also think she sings weird now, almost nursery rhyme little girl style, and has since "4 Minutes". No idea where the passion went, but it's gone.

.

I look forward to the day she drops the bells and whistles, and trusts her voice more.

Didn't she stop doing a lot of the heavy lifting vocal wise after the Who's That Girl tour?

That tour seemed to take a lot out of her because she was trying to sing while doing all the theatrics.

Maybe it's a case of use it or lose it. The less she used it the worse she became?

Clips of The Virgin Tour showcase a more confident vocalist.

CynicKill said:

Didn't she stop doing a lot of the heavy lifting vocal wise after the Who's That Girl tour?

That tour seemed to take a lot out of her because she was trying to sing while doing all the theatrics.

Maybe it's a case of use it or lose it. The less she used it the worse she became?

Clips of The Virgin Tour showcase a more confident vocalist.

That is totally not true. The majority of her vocals on all her tour have been live. I think her voice now is much better as far as being in tune than on Who's that Girl or the Virgin tour. It's funny now that some people praise her voice on those earlier tours because at the time everyone said she had no vocal talent and would be out of the business in 6 months, but now apparently it's the golden age of her singing?

I don't quite understand when people say Evita changed her voice and that before she belted. Madonna has never been a belter. I don't find the fundamental tone of her voice that different now than when she was younger.

Mintchip said:

She's alright. You don't need a great voice to sing pop music. I think she's better than, say, Nancy Sinatra or Debbie Harry, on par with Janet, and well below Annie Lennox or even Sheryl Crow.

.

Vocally I like her best 83 - 94, before she took her Evita lessons, and started warbling. I also think she sings weird now, almost nursery rhyme little girl style, and has since "4 Minutes". No idea where the passion went, but it's gone.

.

I look forward to the day she drops the bells and whistles, and trusts her voice more.

There' still plenty of passion in her voice. Listen to ballads from Rebel Heart like Ghosttown, Joan of Arc, Messiah, Heartbreak City, the title track.

She uses what you call "bells and whistles" not because she doesn't trust her voice, but because she does electronic and dance music. That kind of processing is part of that kind of music. I understand some people think she shouldn't do that because she's older but that's the kind of music she enjoys.

Annie Lennox is an amazing vocalist, but I've never understood the praise for Sheryl Crow's singing. Sheryl is a great songwriter, with great melodies and lyrics but her voice is kind of raspy and limited. She's kind of a female Bob Dylan really.

or "Falling Free" from the MDNA album I really wanted that song to be a single.Her vocals are incredible on that song!

Glindathegood said:

There' still plenty of passion in her voice. Listen to ballads from Rebel Heart like Ghosttown, Joan of Arc, Messiah, Heartbreak City, the title track.

Madonna can sing, but most would not refer to her as one of music's great singers. One of music's great performers? Yes. Her voice is a simple one, which is always nice if there's too much vocal runs and such being done by other female singers.

[Edited 10/11/15 13:57pm]

I agree that prior to her Evita training her vocals were much better, more free, raw, passionate. I think her vocals were strong for Ray of Light and Confessions on the Dance Floor

This is one of my favorites to hear. I rediscovered this one a few months ago

^^"Live To Tell" is the song that turned me into a Madonna fan.That song has a haunting beauty to it.

This is strong?

Of course, you use the Ray of Light performance as a sample of her singing. Yes, that was awful. Her earpiece went out during the performance.

phillymonster said:

Of course, you use the Ray of Light performance as a sample of her singing. Yes, that was awful. Her earpiece went out during the performance.

>

I was referring to OF4S's post about her vocals during Ray of Light being strong.

"Falling Free"

i love her voice even if she is not a great singer

^^strip away the EDM beats and Madonna shines as a vocalist.Last year,there was talk about her making an album of ballads.I think it's a good idea.

CynicKill said:

phillymonster said:

Of course, you use the Ray of Light performance as a sample of her singing. Yes, that was awful. Her earpiece went out during the performance.

>

I was referring to OF4S's post about her vocals during Ray of Light being strong.

Oh, okay. Her "vocal" performances at that time were cringeworthy....I'll admit that. See "Nothing Really Matters" at the Grammys.

the ballads is where mandonna shines the most

214 said:

i love her voice even if she is not a great singer

Me too. Something about it resonates with me. She has a very honest and sincere voice.

rlittler81 said:

214 said:

i love her voice even if she is not a great singer

Me too. Something about it resonates with me. She has a very honest and sincere voice.

Yes, but her lyrics especially in the ballads are so honest, a very raw emotion, different from the Prince and Jackson ballads that sometimes sounded a littler more cliché.