An Interesting Read... Is The Era of the Pop Diva Over?

Have the days of Mariah, Whitney, and Celine passed?

I was going to post this yesterday, but then the news of Teena Marie's passing hit and I lost focus.

However, her untimely death brings forth fresh context to the question that this New York Times article brings forth: is the era of melisma in pop music over?

Melisma, as this article will tell you, is the vocal technique of extending a syllable over a couple of notes of music. Basically, when Whitney Houston hits that big "and I...." note at the climax of her megahit "I Will Always Love You", that is melisma.

The article claims that, with the success of pop stars like Ke$ha, Katy Perry, and Lady Gaga, who forgo pop vocal power notes, there is no longer a need for the big-voiced divas of the 80's and 90's. It is one of the factors that led to Christina Aguilera's downfall, the article also suggests.

Here is a particularly interesting part of the article:

Pop’s new divas may not be able to ascend to vocal heights the way Ms. Aguilera still can in “Burlesque.” But in many ways they’re better suited for the post-crash economy. Every so often even pop music has to downsize.

It certainly isn't a farfetched concept. Ballads are rarely hits these days, Beyoncé notwithstanding. Radio is firmly committed to the dance-pop genre unlike ever before, making it hard for ballads not to seem lame or cheesy.

Teena Marie, an R&B star of the 80's, was also a big user of melisma, and her passing brings even greater weight to the argument. Has pop music moved on from the power ballad pop of the past twenty years? Will ballads ever flood the airwaves like it did in the era of Whitney, Celine, and Mariah?

Share your thoughts with me below!

To read the full article, click here!

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