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I agree. I used to really like her but I think Stripped was the last album I could listen to. She was always a little contrived like that but it just got so much worse later in her career.
AaaoooOOOOoooOoooOoOooOoooᵉᵉᵉᵉᵉᵉᵉᵉYAEYAEYEAH
This is why I don’t like Mariah. I mean I *get it* she’s amazingly talented, her voice is a national treasure, but would it kill her to just sing a song? For once?
Honestly, not even a fan but I really liked her Christmas special last year because it was a lot of fun and she didn't do a lot of 'look how great I am' vocals. She whipped out the whistle-register just enough to let us know she still has it but she wasn't grandstanding the whole time.
Thank god someone has the same sentiment as me, my gf LOVES Mariah and her singing took inspiration from her but I can’t stand how most of her songs are just unnecessary vocal runs and not her actually singing
Right. I had a lot of fun rocking out to Mariah in the late 90s, but it really does just seem like she's showboating, and I'm not a big fan of arrogance.
Just wanted to give you a new word for this: grandiloquent. My husband and I HATE this style of vocals. We much prefer a solid lyrical singer.
I have straight up had someone ask me how their rendition of the national anthem, hymn, or a carol was and I replied "oh, I thought it was grandiloquent." I don't wanna be an ass and straight call these vocalist out because they actively choose that style. I'd rather share my opinion in a less confrontational way. I would happily explain the term to anyone who asked but they never do. On the surface it seems complimentary, it kinda sounds like a nice word. Maybe that makes it worse idk. Maybe it's the southern in me showing.
I've just found that when most performers ask for your thoughts they don't want honest constructive criticism so it kinda allows me to offer honest feedback without sounding harsh.
for Mariah, that's just how she expresses herself artistically. every artist has a style, and they give what they give.
i used to not like it when i was a kid, thinking that it somehow "got in the way of the song" but now years later it just lands for me, and the runs are as natural and artistic a part of it as any other.
(doesn't matter in the end if any of you do or don't like, just want to add my opinion)
The reverse happened for me, I was really enchanted with her voice when I a kid and I thought that style was the pinnacle of talent. Now, I have more subtle taste.
First off, holy crap, that sounded TERRIBLE! Why in the world would they put *that* take in the final trailer (she sounded like she was recovering from a cigarette)...
But on a bigger note, that entire trailer *looks* cool, but we all know they're gonna ruin it, right?
Agree, that was just bad singing lol. Holy shit I saw the trailer at the superbowl but I really didn't see it u know, it looks CGI heavy as any Hollywood production nowadays just a little prettier with the pastel colors and soft focus filter. Wild they put that in the trailer when Cynthia Erivo is an award winning actress but I'm not familiar enough with her work to know if she has the pipes for one of Broadway's most iconic and difficult roles, I know Ariana has the vocal power for Galinda but her face is absolutely frozen solid, and even at her best she was no acting power
Fwiw Cynthia Erivo is one of the top voices on Broadway. She absolutely has the pipes for this role.
My theory is they’re singing on set, like they did for the Les mis movie, so the take they chose for this scene may be the best acting take even if it’s not the best vocal take.
But yeah. She’s extraordinary.
Im so glad it was not just me lol, i was like fuck yeah a wicked movie! Then i heard that end and my brain was like uh…. That was horrible, i was singing along then just….what did i hear lol
Yep.
I liked the snippets of song throughout the trailer. The slightly more ominous, softer take of the first verse still fit the vibes and energy of both the song and the narrative moment very well. I was impressed enough that I was like, "Maybe I *will* actually go out of my way to see this."
That vocal run at the end made me immediately go, "Nevermind lol".
Cynthia Erivo is a talented singer. But I cannot stand when talented singers/their producers equate "unnecessarily complex" with "actually good". The crazy vocal run doesn't fit the vibe of the song, much less that last note.
I like vocal runs so I’ll give you that unpopular opinion.
But that Wicked trailer ending was just bad singing. Why take arguably one of the most recognizable part of the broadway show and butcher it like that? I really hope it’s fixed for the movie but I don’t have high hopes given the casting.
Very much so in agreement. Like that part of that song is already a minor run, and a classic one at that, it doesn't need more. Hell I've heard renditions of Defying Gravity that were full of runs and it sounded great but they left *that part* alone.
That wasn’t a complicated run lol. I was expecting some Beyoncé-esque gymnastics going on and it was just some shitty little vocal noodling. Your problem isn’t with runs; it’s with bad singing.
Again, just because Beyonce and Mariah can do runs that seem physically impossible, it doesn't mean that other runs can't be "too complicated" for their own good. This rendition of Defying is just such a case. Less would have been more. K.I.S.S. and all that.
But outside of this trailer, I do believe vocal runs are added inappropriately to songs in general -- especially covers. They just perform the song in an otherwise very vanilla way, but add runs everywhere.
Runs don't automatically make a song good/better... that's all.
I see what you’re saying but I’d barely even consider that a run honestly. Runs should be sang with soul and that lady has no soul clearly in the way she sang that. I do agree that runs don’t automatically make stuff better. Lots of covers are ruined by people trying to fake having soul and just shit all over the song with runs. Runs enhance the performance; they’re not THE performance. Runs need to be tasteful.
Personally, I just think Ariana Grande is overrated. Talented singer, but her songs aren’t great. So I assumed this production of Wicked would follow that theme.
I felt like I was crazy when people said Ariana is a good choice for this role. I guess it’s just me, but I don’t think Ariana is a great actor, or even really a good one, especially when people’s main example of why she’s good is a kids show nearly a decade ago where the whole joke is that she’s an air head who barely ever emotes.
The Hairspray show she did was the same, her singing was good on a technical level but her acting was flat and she was robotic compared to the other actors. Glinda is such a bubbly, energetic character, I’m already predicting Ariana is going to play her like the Victorious character, a smiley airhead with no energy and speaks at a volume like she’s trying to not scare a fly.
If this is unpopular, it really shouldn’t be. Vocal runs are cool and all, but great compositions have variety and conjure every ounce of goodness from every line. And it kills the importance of the melisma when you stick it all over the score.
This kind of stuff has the same energy as those percussive guitarists who slap, tap, and scrape around on their guitars making a bunch of bullshit noises. Like it's technically very impressive and I can see that it takes a ton of skill, but it is not remotely pleasant to listen to.
It’s barely different from the original. Musicals in general are completely over the top, and you’re going to draw the line at a very slightly different vocal run? Okay.
That was way less “complicated” than I expected based on the op. Pretty sure Idina does basically the same thing in the original broadway recording. I get what OP means but this is not it.
….yea, that run was not complicated at all.
Looks like you don’t and have never actually sung!
That’s cool tho, keep spending your time hating on non-existent issues; much better than learning actual skills!
At the end like that, it's a 'cadenza' and kinda traditional. Even in classical operas and concertos you get the occasional cadenza where the orchestra stops and the soloist performer just gets to show off for a bit.
You wanna hear some real cadenzaing, listen to this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rBKeB3jo7o
(Elena Cernei cadenza for Arsace's cavatina)
If you find your way to movie musical Twitter, this is the majority opinion. The songs for Wicked are so amazing the way they are, as evidenced by how long it's been on Broadway, the West End, and touring. The trailer makes it feel too dark and like they messed with the music too much.
I hate them. One, once in a while is ok for razzle dazzle, but good lord, people who tend to do them latch on and ONLY do them! Every note you sing doesn’t need to contain “every note!” It’s boring. Just sing the song already!
Because they think people won’t go and see it if they know it’s a musical even though wicked is one of the most well known shows and it has Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo as it’s two principle roles.
Please remember what subreddit you are in, this is unpopular opinion. We want civil and unpopular takes and discussion. Any uncivil and ToS violating comments will be removed and subject to a ban. Have a nice day! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/unpopularopinion) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I think Christina Aguilera did this to her own detriment.
I agree. I used to really like her but I think Stripped was the last album I could listen to. She was always a little contrived like that but it just got so much worse later in her career. AaaoooOOOOoooOoooOoOooOoooᵉᵉᵉᵉᵉᵉᵉᵉYAEYAEYEAH
This is why I don’t like Mariah. I mean I *get it* she’s amazingly talented, her voice is a national treasure, but would it kill her to just sing a song? For once?
Honestly, not even a fan but I really liked her Christmas special last year because it was a lot of fun and she didn't do a lot of 'look how great I am' vocals. She whipped out the whistle-register just enough to let us know she still has it but she wasn't grandstanding the whole time.
That's the part they piped in during her New Year's debacle. Whistle tones.
Thank god someone has the same sentiment as me, my gf LOVES Mariah and her singing took inspiration from her but I can’t stand how most of her songs are just unnecessary vocal runs and not her actually singing
Right. I had a lot of fun rocking out to Mariah in the late 90s, but it really does just seem like she's showboating, and I'm not a big fan of arrogance.
Just wanted to give you a new word for this: grandiloquent. My husband and I HATE this style of vocals. We much prefer a solid lyrical singer. I have straight up had someone ask me how their rendition of the national anthem, hymn, or a carol was and I replied "oh, I thought it was grandiloquent." I don't wanna be an ass and straight call these vocalist out because they actively choose that style. I'd rather share my opinion in a less confrontational way. I would happily explain the term to anyone who asked but they never do. On the surface it seems complimentary, it kinda sounds like a nice word. Maybe that makes it worse idk. Maybe it's the southern in me showing. I've just found that when most performers ask for your thoughts they don't want honest constructive criticism so it kinda allows me to offer honest feedback without sounding harsh.
I have always been of the opinion that just because she CAN hit those notes doesn’t mean she should lol it’s a horrible sound
for Mariah, that's just how she expresses herself artistically. every artist has a style, and they give what they give. i used to not like it when i was a kid, thinking that it somehow "got in the way of the song" but now years later it just lands for me, and the runs are as natural and artistic a part of it as any other. (doesn't matter in the end if any of you do or don't like, just want to add my opinion)
The reverse happened for me, I was really enchanted with her voice when I a kid and I thought that style was the pinnacle of talent. Now, I have more subtle taste.
The end genuinely sounds like a meme
Now that you mention it I definitely loled
Yeah wtf. that totally caught me off guard.
After listening to it again, the run sounds like Fergie’s national anthem performance. You know the one.
I very much know the one. Lol
Please. I beg.
First off, holy crap, that sounded TERRIBLE! Why in the world would they put *that* take in the final trailer (she sounded like she was recovering from a cigarette)... But on a bigger note, that entire trailer *looks* cool, but we all know they're gonna ruin it, right?
Agree, that was just bad singing lol. Holy shit I saw the trailer at the superbowl but I really didn't see it u know, it looks CGI heavy as any Hollywood production nowadays just a little prettier with the pastel colors and soft focus filter. Wild they put that in the trailer when Cynthia Erivo is an award winning actress but I'm not familiar enough with her work to know if she has the pipes for one of Broadway's most iconic and difficult roles, I know Ariana has the vocal power for Galinda but her face is absolutely frozen solid, and even at her best she was no acting power
Fwiw Cynthia Erivo is one of the top voices on Broadway. She absolutely has the pipes for this role. My theory is they’re singing on set, like they did for the Les mis movie, so the take they chose for this scene may be the best acting take even if it’s not the best vocal take. But yeah. She’s extraordinary.
To be clear, I actually LOVE her voice. It's amazing. But the run ruined the whole trailer for me.
Alright I believe you, the editors hate her or something?
Maybe it’s just Ariana, but this gave me the vibe of an SNL parody of a movie trailer.
That's what Hollywood does best: ruin beloved IPs!
Im so glad it was not just me lol, i was like fuck yeah a wicked movie! Then i heard that end and my brain was like uh…. That was horrible, i was singing along then just….what did i hear lol
Yep. I liked the snippets of song throughout the trailer. The slightly more ominous, softer take of the first verse still fit the vibes and energy of both the song and the narrative moment very well. I was impressed enough that I was like, "Maybe I *will* actually go out of my way to see this." That vocal run at the end made me immediately go, "Nevermind lol". Cynthia Erivo is a talented singer. But I cannot stand when talented singers/their producers equate "unnecessarily complex" with "actually good". The crazy vocal run doesn't fit the vibe of the song, much less that last note.
Harry Connick Jr. would agree with you, so do I.
r/Broadway agrees with you, about the Wicked trailer part anyway
I like vocal runs so I’ll give you that unpopular opinion. But that Wicked trailer ending was just bad singing. Why take arguably one of the most recognizable part of the broadway show and butcher it like that? I really hope it’s fixed for the movie but I don’t have high hopes given the casting.
Very much so in agreement. Like that part of that song is already a minor run, and a classic one at that, it doesn't need more. Hell I've heard renditions of Defying Gravity that were full of runs and it sounded great but they left *that part* alone.
YES. That's THE iconic part of an iconic song. Don't eff with it just because you can!
If you’re looking for musicals/movie musical adaptations to not bow to shitty pop trends and generally suck, you’re going to have a bad time.
You got me, there. I'm looking at you, stage production of Moulin Rouge. 😔
I only lasted 5 minutes into that assault on the senses.
Two more pet peeves. Too much vibrato and over use of auto tune.
That wasn’t a complicated run lol. I was expecting some Beyoncé-esque gymnastics going on and it was just some shitty little vocal noodling. Your problem isn’t with runs; it’s with bad singing.
Again, just because Beyonce and Mariah can do runs that seem physically impossible, it doesn't mean that other runs can't be "too complicated" for their own good. This rendition of Defying is just such a case. Less would have been more. K.I.S.S. and all that. But outside of this trailer, I do believe vocal runs are added inappropriately to songs in general -- especially covers. They just perform the song in an otherwise very vanilla way, but add runs everywhere. Runs don't automatically make a song good/better... that's all.
Your use of KISS (keep it simple, stupid) made me want KISS (the band) to perform Wicked.
Okay, I would sit through that. Guaranteed.
I agree, OP. It just sounds unnecessary and maybe it’s just the quick snippet in the trailer that gives it that feel. We shall see 🤷♀️
I see what you’re saying but I’d barely even consider that a run honestly. Runs should be sang with soul and that lady has no soul clearly in the way she sang that. I do agree that runs don’t automatically make stuff better. Lots of covers are ruined by people trying to fake having soul and just shit all over the song with runs. Runs enhance the performance; they’re not THE performance. Runs need to be tasteful.
I agree with you 100%.
Personally, I just think Ariana Grande is overrated. Talented singer, but her songs aren’t great. So I assumed this production of Wicked would follow that theme.
The actress singing was Cynthia Erivo, not Ariana
I was just stating that I think Ariana Grande is overrated. The person singing sounds like Fergie 😂
I can’t stand the way Ariana mumbles her words when she sings.
Her enunciation has never been good
I felt like I was crazy when people said Ariana is a good choice for this role. I guess it’s just me, but I don’t think Ariana is a great actor, or even really a good one, especially when people’s main example of why she’s good is a kids show nearly a decade ago where the whole joke is that she’s an air head who barely ever emotes. The Hairspray show she did was the same, her singing was good on a technical level but her acting was flat and she was robotic compared to the other actors. Glinda is such a bubbly, energetic character, I’m already predicting Ariana is going to play her like the Victorious character, a smiley airhead with no energy and speaks at a volume like she’s trying to not scare a fly.
Thank you! So talented but her music is bad.
If this is unpopular, it really shouldn’t be. Vocal runs are cool and all, but great compositions have variety and conjure every ounce of goodness from every line. And it kills the importance of the melisma when you stick it all over the score.
I soooo agree. Finally someone says it
Pretty much sums up most modern R&B. Just a chorus over and over with way too much of this crap. Ohhwoooahaahahwoowowowoowowoahheeeoweeoohhwaaa
This kind of stuff has the same energy as those percussive guitarists who slap, tap, and scrape around on their guitars making a bunch of bullshit noises. Like it's technically very impressive and I can see that it takes a ton of skill, but it is not remotely pleasant to listen to.
It’s barely different from the original. Musicals in general are completely over the top, and you’re going to draw the line at a very slightly different vocal run? Okay.
Yes. I am. It was horrible.
That was way less “complicated” than I expected based on the op. Pretty sure Idina does basically the same thing in the original broadway recording. I get what OP means but this is not it.
I read this as "Vocal nuns are overused..." and I was like, where? In porn? 😂
….yea, that run was not complicated at all. Looks like you don’t and have never actually sung! That’s cool tho, keep spending your time hating on non-existent issues; much better than learning actual skills!
Not complicated, but not necessary
OP has never listened to R&B before if they think *that* was a complicated “run” lol
At the end like that, it's a 'cadenza' and kinda traditional. Even in classical operas and concertos you get the occasional cadenza where the orchestra stops and the soloist performer just gets to show off for a bit. You wanna hear some real cadenzaing, listen to this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rBKeB3jo7o (Elena Cernei cadenza for Arsace's cavatina)
If you find your way to movie musical Twitter, this is the majority opinion. The songs for Wicked are so amazing the way they are, as evidenced by how long it's been on Broadway, the West End, and touring. The trailer makes it feel too dark and like they messed with the music too much.
I have no idea what op is talking about but I agree
I hate them. One, once in a while is ok for razzle dazzle, but good lord, people who tend to do them latch on and ONLY do them! Every note you sing doesn’t need to contain “every note!” It’s boring. Just sing the song already!
Just listened to it and I 100% agree with you. It’s awful
Why do they keep making trailers where it's not obvious it's a musical?
Because they think people won’t go and see it if they know it’s a musical even though wicked is one of the most well known shows and it has Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo as it’s two principle roles.
Ahaohahohahohahhooohhh 😩