The Fluid Vocalist

There are great singers that seem to define a musical genre. First of all, let me say that I have an issue with the word, “genre,”because I think this was something originally created as a marketing tool. Music is too dynamic, too fluid for such a confining term. For the purposes of this post, however, we’ll use it as a term that labels a specific type of music that the general public associates with certain performers and musicians. Singers like Whitney Houston, who is commonly associated with Pop and R&B music, or Ella Fitzgerald who is one of the heavies of Jazz, have become household names for these genres and have even contributed defining characteristics to each of these types of musics over the years.

What happens when vocalists branch outside of musics that are within their comfort zone? I thought of this one day while scrolling through a social media site as I came across a song called,”Thy Will,” by Hillary Scott & the Scott Family. Hillary Scott is one of three members (along with Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood) that make up the country group, Lady Antebellum. Although Hillary Scott is known for the group’s country music albums, the song, “Thy Will,” is considered a part of the Christian/Gospel music genre from a collaborative album project that she recorded with her family, titled Love Remains.

Here is a song from Lady Antebellum, called “Need You Now,” so that you can get an idea of what the band sounds like:

Whether for personal or financial reasons, vocalists sometimes branch out and experiment with different types of musics. It’s only natural because vocalists as artists love to try new things or experiment. I, myself, have always been impressed with singers who have amazing fluidity (the ability to adapt to a multitude of musical situations almost seamlessly). There are not very many who can accomplish this successfully. However, Hillary Scott’s song, “Thy Will,” is just one of several great examples of singers who can. Scott’s song references prayer and God throughout, but isn’t preachy or kitschy. The song is written and performed in such a way that is relatable, catchy, and upbeat, even though the theme of the song is very somber. Hillary Scott’s voice also adds hints of edgy Pop influence while still maintaining a certain amount of innocence.

Another example of a vocalist who has attempted to “cross-over” is Selena. Selena Quintanilla-Pérez (commonly referred to as Selena) was a Mexican-American singer and songwriter. She was called the Queen of Tejano music, starting her career singing songs in Spanish, including her hit, “Como La Flor.” Listen below:

Later in her career, she would record an album, titled, Dreaming of You; an album that mixed English and Spanish lyrics, elements of Pop, R&B, and Rock music. The album, which was released after her untimely death, would be at the top of the Billboard 200 charts that year. Would she have lived, she would have most likely been a very successful singer and performer. Below is the title track from the album, called “Dreaming of You”:

The other singer that I have to bring up in this discussion is Gregory Porter. Even though some would peg Gregory and his music as simply Jazz, I would argue that he redefines it, blurring the lines between this music and the of Soul, Gospel, R&B and Pop musics. Gregory Porter has taken his talents to other types of music as well, collaborating with Hip-Hop artist, Common, and performing an electronic version of his original song, “Holding On,” with the duo, Disclosure. Below is Gregory Porter’s version of “Skylark,” a Jazz standard with Porter’s own twist:

Below is Gregory Porter and Disclosure’s version of “Holding On.”:

Porter is a modern example of a successful singer and performer who is constantly pushing the boundaries of musical genres, stepping outside of the box by simply bringing his own unique approach to each different musical situation.

Are there any groups or singers that you think have successfully “crossed-over” to other genres or blurred the lines? Leave a comment below!