The Curse of Cursive Singing
For many years, I have rolled my eyes at a very specific form of modern singing. But I’ve only just discovered that it has a name - and that I am not alone in my contempt for this style of singing...
So, what am I talking about? It’s been coined ‘cursive’ singing, after the handwriting style (think of that scrawling, lazy, doctor’s handwriting...)
OK. So, what does cursive singing sound like?
Much like its handwriting counterpart, cursive singing could be described in the same way. However, after much (painful) listening, I have identified a few key features of cursive singing. But you gotta listen carefully because these features can be VERY subtle!
Single vowel sounds become double vowel sounds (aka diphthongs).
Lots of ‘rhotic’, which means adding extra ‘r’ sounds as if you’re speaking like a pirate/American/country bumpkin.
A constricted breathy tone, as if you were trying to steam up a mirror.
Glottal onsets, which are an abrupt and sudden sound at the beginning of a phrase, word or syllable.
Staccato, conversational phrasing that could be described as ‘jaunty’ or ‘shy’.
Pharyngeal constriction - basically sounding a little bit like Kermit the Frog or Mr Bean, or as if the singer is going to swallow their own tongue.
There’s sooooooooo many examples of singers who now sing in cursive, so to save us all time, here’s an overview of how the cursive style has evolved in recent years:
And just for a little bit of fun, here are some TikTokers who encapsulate cursive singing in the most hilarious and accurate way possible:
https://www.tiktok.com/@domentors/video/7253035013048896774
https://www.tiktok.com/@awkwardmarina/video/7271034262328053023
https://www.tiktok.com/@lucy_ireland/video/7449054963763825952
Who started this cursive singing trend?
This style of casual singing could be traced way back to the birth of jazz, and specifically the invention of the microphone. Before the microphone, singers would literally have to project to the back row, hence why blues singers were called ‘blues shouters’.
Once microphones were invented, singers could experiment with more intimate styles of singing, where volume wasn’t the highest priority.
However, as with all cultural trends, we see a pendulum swing back and forth. If you looked at the history of singers, you could map a timeline of gospel divas in the 60s, followed by more conversational singer-songwriters in the 70s, followed by intense rock singers in the 80s, followed by quirky pop singers in the 90s, followed by the belting popstars in the noughties, followed by the hush tones of bedroom pop that have made it big in the past decade.
Cursive singing, as we know it today, I think could be traced back via three timelines:
Indie pop singers such as Bjork, Regina Spektor, Fiona Apple and Dido - which has led to singers such as Ellie Goulding, Olivia Rodirguez and Halsey.
Neo soul / folk crossover singers such as Macy Gray and Corinne Bailey Rae – which has led to singers such as Celeste and Olivia Dean.
Blue-eyed soul singers such as Amy Winehouse, Adele and Joss Stone – which, in a strange twist of cultural fusion, has seemingly led to singers such as Raye and Jorja Smith.
One thing you’ll notice is that cursive singing is mostly a female phenomenon. The answer to why would be a deep psychological dive – for another time! However, some have pointed to the era of rock and grunge in the 90s, with bands such as Metallica, Kreed and Nirvana spreading a style now called ‘yarling’.
Here is a fantastic deep dive into cursive singing that I discovered while researching this blog that explains these rock roots much further:
OK, we get it. So why do people hate cursive singing so much?
Speaking entirely from my own viewpoint, the reason why I find it so unlistenable is because it is clearly ‘put on’. Not many people authentically speak in this way, therefore it is a purposely constructed sound.
I strongly believe that in contemporary/popular singing styles, your singing voice should be a natural extension of your speaking voice. So, if you speak husky, sing husky. If you have a strong accent, sing with a strong accent. If a certain effect isn’t present in your speaking voice but shows up in your singing voice, it says to me that you are ‘faking it’.
Disclaimer:
There are certain effects that naturally occur as part of having a ‘trained’ voice, such as vibrato or resonance. And there are some effects which occur when in a highly emotive state, such as distortion and sudden changes in tone or register – these are all good! They often happen without conscious thought or effort and are a natural product of being physically and mentally ‘dialled in’ to what you are singing.
What I’m talking about is using singing styles as fashion. Dressing up your voice in costumes, in a way that hides who you uniquely are. Every voice is unique already – why do we waste energy trying to sound like other people?
Imitation is a great teacher – it's how we all learn to walk and talk...
But there comes a time in every student’s life where they must strike out on their own and discover themselves.
However, the problem with habitual imitation is that you entirely lose sight of who you really are and what you really sound like – ie. Your voice will lose the ability to take off the costume. And this could have vocal health consequences down the line.
For example, if you’re singing with too many glottal onsets or with an overly breathy tone that just isn’t natural for you, you may end up with vocal strain or injury.
And if you sing with a higher or lower larynx than is natural for you, you will end up with muscular imbalance which could cause a chain reaction of techniques and side effects which overcompensate for each other.
How do you find your own authentic sound?
Well firstly, you’ve already got it. But if you’re looking to spice things up, I would advise that you listen to as many genres of music as possible.
Over the years, all of these influences will be added to your personal melting pot, and eventually they will be so numerous and so blended, that it will distill down into something that feels right and sounds right – for YOU.
We can admire and love many types of singers, but we must always remember our power lies in who we already are.
THIS BLOG WAS WRITTEN BY FREYA ASTRELLA, AN EXPERT VOCAL COACH IN EAST SUSSEX, UK.
Freya is a bonafide vocal technique expert and is one of the only teachers in the region to have gained Estill Voice certification. Freya holds a First Class BA(hons) in Professional Musicianship, a VocalTech Diploma, and a Master’s Degree in Vocal Performance. Freya has taught all ages and abilities at BIMM, Access To Music, The Academy of Music And Sound, TheatreTrain, Stagecoach, and The Rock Project. Furthermore, Freya was a lead writer for VoiceCouncil.com, which was the biggest online resource for singers. She is currently part of the outreach team for BIMM university.
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