Why don't UK singers sing with a UK accent?
Discussion
Ever notice how Kylie and Delta don't sound Aussie when they sing? And how singers from Tennessee and Mississippi sound no different than singers from Iowa and Michigan? How Charlotte Church sounds no different from any of the Spice Girls?
This is because generally speaking, singing is accentless. A vocal accent is merely nothing more than a unique musical melody applied to speech - when some words hit certain notes at certain points, you get your accent.
When you have to hold a note for a song, you apply no variations to that sound and you lose the accent.
Remember that speech is a form of song - every syllable you say actually has a musical note that mathces it.
This is because generally speaking, singing is accentless. A vocal accent is merely nothing more than a unique musical melody applied to speech - when some words hit certain notes at certain points, you get your accent.
When you have to hold a note for a song, you apply no variations to that sound and you lose the accent.
Remember that speech is a form of song - every syllable you say actually has a musical note that mathces it.
You're more likely to notice national / regional accents in rap than in singing, as already stated.
Unfortunately there is the embarrassing trend for some british rappers to put on fake american accents to somehow gain credibility. As far as I'm concerned, if they're rapping about their experiences in Britain then some fake new york black gangster accent is particularly inappropriate, no?
(then again, try singing any of the Wurzels songs without adopting a corny south west burr. Dare you... 'where be that blackbirrrd to?')
Unfortunately there is the embarrassing trend for some british rappers to put on fake american accents to somehow gain credibility. As far as I'm concerned, if they're rapping about their experiences in Britain then some fake new york black gangster accent is particularly inappropriate, no?
(then again, try singing any of the Wurzels songs without adopting a corny south west burr. Dare you... 'where be that blackbirrrd to?')
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