[Vocal Rank] Christina Aguilera

[Vocal Profile] Christina Aguilera

Vocal Type: Mezzo- Soprano Vocal Range: 4 octaves. C3- C7 Whistle Register:Yes Longest Note: 20 seconds - 'At last' (live) Vocal Good: Christina Aguilera is in possession of a nimble and dexterous voice that is most known for its intricate melisma, slides and edgy belts. The Diva is able to jump between the different parts of her range with ease and swiftness, while possessing the stamina and breath control to sustain notes for extended periods of time. Holding these notes, she often forgoes any vibrato. But when she does choose to add it, she favours a non-traditional, stop/start technique and a seesawing jaw to create the effect. It's a choice that results in a wider vibrato than some of her contemporaries. The midrange is where the Diva’s singing most mirrors her actual speaking voice, with little to no affectations added. It Leads up from the breathy low register with an easy, light, feminine sound, and a sweet lyrical quality. However, it is entirely possible for it to take on the thick and weighty tone associated with the Diva’s lower belting range by moving the larynx out of the neutral position. The texture of the belted notes is variable. The Midrange belts are often full and heavy, with a nasal placement and an almost congested sound. As the voice climbs, a coarse, throaty edge is more than often heard, as the larynx is pulled up to create the desired sound. This roughness can be eliminated, and a more stable and cleaner tone produced, by managing the balance of the chest and head voice. Whichever way the Diva belts in the upper fifth octave the sound produced is lighter and sheds resonance the higher she goes (though more so with the "mixed" style). Aguilera is in possession of an extensive head voice that stretches up into what is conventionally considered whistle register territory. These notes are usually breathy, sweet and light, with an airy, falsetto-like quality . This timbre doesn’t lend itself to crescendos- since the volume remains moderately soft- but she is able to solidify the tone to create a sharper, more incisive one. Whatever style she uses, she is able to conduct intricate, fast melisma here and jump into it easily from other parts of the range Vocal Bad: Criticisms have been leveled at Christina's technique, thus giving her name "The Noise." Notes as "low" as A4, and consistently around C5, become very forced, throaty, and coarse; which indicates bad placement of the larynx (though some fans find this edge to be a positive feature). The higher, coarser chest notes- above a C5- tends to be forced, pulled and unhealthy.They also lack stability because of this technique, leading to the voice "cracking". Her unsteady movement of the larynx also causes her to have a deeper tone that what she would naturally have if she held a neutral larynx. Her whistle notes are actually rarely whistles, and are most often a bright falsetto. This could be an artistic decision, though it might also be one of poor technique.Her longer notes are usually warbled; the notes are re-articulated dozens of times, which shows that she is not comfortable holding the note. Higher notes are not hit head on when they're not mixed, rather they are glissed until the note is reached. Her vocal runs occasionally sound labored, and have been criticized for lacking musicality. The lowest notes occasionally lose clarity.