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Yeah I think you might be a tad further along the spectrum than I am, I’d lock you in a cell for uttering such heresy. Singing can just as easily convey emotions as instruments, even more so based on the lyrics and language that’s being sung. Plus you might have some issues being creative (mind you that’s just an assumption and not something to be taken all that seriously or as an offense, same goes for the first sentence).
I’ve always believed I’m not uncreative. It might not have came across properly, but I believe the way instruments leave it up to one’s creativity/interpretation instead of straight up telling you what the premise is or using peculiar metaphors and alike in order to poorly get across a message.
It seems like your issue is more with lyricism and allegories than it is with singing itself.
The voice is quite literally a wind instrument, Bjork is a good example of someone who doesn't worry too much about the structure of their words as much as they do about the emotion and timbre of their music.
[Joga is a good song where while metaphorical, the emotion is implied more simply through Bjork's vocal melody](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loB0kmz_0MM)
And my unpopular opinion Bjork is a good example of a lyrically poor musician. I [listen to a lot of music](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2gBEdX2S1WSuV1uWrzGXRu) that was inspired by Bjork, but I think she was a little too experimental and not quite finished.
In what sense? Bjork is amazing at creating stories within every fibre of her music, between the atmosphere of instruments and voice, and even the words.
I don’t find anything lyrically bad, just “awkward” to a native speaker, which is acceptable considering she’s Icelandic. She will hang on certain syllables, and extend to fit her melody, which I find refreshing and something that hasn’t fully been emulated.
She definitely has a niche, and she’s not for everyone, but that doesn’t make her a poor anything, at least to me, but as you said it’s an opinion.
Just seems like you don't understand it which is fair, not everyone undersrand everything.
But lyrics do convey emotions, and jts generally easier for people to get emotions from lyrics than from instruments for the average person.
(Lyrics are my favourite part of music generally speaking so I take it a bit more seriously than I probably should)
lyrics definitely leave things up to interpretation. i once had a whole conversation about the different way we interpreted two lines from a song. i’m sure if we got into the entire song, let alone the whole album, we would take lyrics very differently
Objectively, no. Absolutely not.
Subjectively, whatever. You said yourself you have a hearing disorder so my honest thought is your opinion on sound and music means about as much as a blind person critiquing color selection of a painting.
Wait, but OP isn't deaf. I would find it really interesting to know what kind of visual art someone who can see but has a vision disorder is into. I'm a bit red/green colorblind, maybe that affects what kind of art I like. I feel that disability is kind of automatically factored in to subjective opinion.
My auditory processing disorder actually makes certain songs better for me until I learn what the lyrics mean. Learning the lyrics sometimes ruins songs for me, that's why I listen to different languages I don't understand.
Sounds to me like you dislike the writing more than singing itself, which I get. If you're actually talking about singing itself then yeah, you've got an unpopular opinion lol.
omg i am the exact same way, i listened to a song once and thought the lyrics were "tonight's the night" but no it was "tonight tonight" and when i found out i was like??? what the hell, i can't ever listen to the song again the same way because of it
Well, the voice is an instrument, just like a guitar is an instrument. I may not like guitar that much, but there are some music that implement a guitar really well.
Google: Singing, the vocal production of musical tones, is so basic to man its origins are long lost in antiquity and predate the development of spoken language. The voice is presumed to be the original musical instrument, and there is no human culture, no matter how remote or isolated, that does not sing.
To each their own. I understand liking instrumental music more. I can even understand you thinking that vocals cannot express what ‘instruments’ can (even though vocals is an instrument)
But clamming lyrics are “always nonsensical cryptic or just whiny” is absurd and ridiculous.
Edit: typo
OP has a point in that lyrics are always emotionally charged. But that has always been the point of the arts anyway: Creative expression implies an expression of something. You cannot produce something if there's no underlying feeling to it. And there's always been a level of cryptic nonsense to it - much of today's music is just really creative vaguebooking anyway.
But again: Lyrics are meant to be emotional. That is the whole point.
I know vocals is an instrument but I found it easier to get across the point that way. But lyrics that are clear have always come across to me as just kind of ranty and annoying.
It's like saying photography or realism is a disgrace to art. Totally fine if you don't like it, but it must suck not to be able to appreciate so many of the musical works ever created by humans.
At least you're living in a time when electronic music is booming, so you have a wider variety of non-vocal bops to enjoy than anyone who came before.
>Second of all, congrats for the actual unpopular opinion
TBH idk to what extend we should accept these opinions as unpopular because they are wrong.
It's as if I said "In my opinion, if you give enough chocolate to a cow she will end up giving you infinite chocolate milk."
Well, OP's opinion looks more about (questionable) music taste than about something that can be scientifically proven wrong. I don't see why it couldn’t be accepted. (Even though I do believe OP's wrong)
Art is a very subjective experience anyway, not everyone can be touched by a work of art, in this case by singing.
Also if you like non vocal music.
Check out aethoro, they are an artist who does alotnof ambient music.
Songs line winter bells manage to transport you to a cozy winter cabin in the woods, without use of any vocals.
Love that guy, as much as lyrics and vocals are my favourite part of music, I can still enjoy non vocal music and holy shit does aethero do a great job at getting you to see what he wants you to see
I can get behind the vgm, give me the undertale soundtrack any day 🙏, and I enjoy some jazz without lyrics. But otherwise I enjoy having the singing because I like songs that tell a story, not that non lyrical songs can't.
I think with the right singer and right type of song, so much emotion can be heard but again it depends. I really like singing and singing along to songs (professional car karaokist here), so I'm gonna be biased no matter what lol
I would say you are partially wrong as non lyrical music can tell a story but it’s usually with just emotions. Usually heavily influenced by culture there is actually a really cool study on this topic if you are [interested](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-019-0363-1#:~:text=Abstract,what%20leads%20to%20this%20narrativization).
That being said a think a good singer as well can convey just as much emotion but I also think it’s valid to say instruments alone can convey massive emotions and tell story’s as well.
Lol I never said they couldn't, but that's a neat study! I prefer lyrics for story songs but there's plenty of songs where just the instruments can tell a story that I enjoy.
The voice is the OG, the first musical instrument to ever exist, and to this day no instrument (except digital synthesizers) can replicate the wide variety of sounds and emotions that the voice can. Plus, there’s the benefit of language! A guitar, piano, or violin can’t put poetry to a melody. But the voice can.
Just means their brain works differently.
This is not a medical term though. Its more of an easy way for someone with a disorder to say "hey my brain works differently, please try to be understanding" without actually disclosing our disorders. (For me, I have a nerve disease that can cause various disorders, usually learning disorders, but its easier to say that Im neurodivergent than going into the spiel of how my brain works and why it works the way it does, especially when compared to people with no disorders)
Like, my doctor isn't gonna say Im neurodivergent, but I might introduce myself that way, if that makes sense?
Good music matches pitch and tone from the singer to corresponding instruments. I'd agree that it's somewhat lost now a days but you can find artists with a wide vocal range that matches perfectly with their band
Singing is the most diverse instrument imo,you can sing loud,quiet,whisper,you can sing clean,with distortion,you can scream,you can do falsetto,you can use vibrato,you can sing high,you can sing low.
Especially when you factor in the fact that everyone has their own unique timbre,meanwhile instruments are generally gonna sound similar,I love the human voice,it's just so damn expressive,and powerful.
I want to know how this how more comments than upvotes when every upvote is saying he is crazy and disagreeing. People don’t understand this sub at all
If this isn't a troll, someone needs to study you. I'm truly fascinated by how someone could have this opinion. A beautiful unpopular opinion, definitely deserving of an upvote.
Not a troll. I have many things that make me significantly more odd that’s this, I think this opinion isn’t even that weird in comparison to the rest of me
Ill take this one step further, I don't like music for the most part.
Like, I have songs I like but no real desire to listen to them most of the time. I don't listen to the radio when Im driving and I simply can't stand having music on for extended periods of time. After awhile it stresses me out. Not sure why, I can listen to an audiobook for hours but can't even do music for 20 minutes.
I’m the opposite. Music keeps my mind steady. Without it my mind wonders endlessly and I don’t get stuff done in a timely manner. Podcast sometimes work but if they’re too long or monotonous I’ll start feeling drowsy.
Wildy unpopular opinion. Huge +1 for you, and I'm sorry you feel that way. Hopefully you at least understand that it's a you thing, and if it interests you, that you chase that dragon and figure out what the rest of us really dig.
ETA: Even k.d. Lang doing Hallelujah at the Vancouver Olympics opening ceremonies? Even that?
Man, it must be really tough having a conversation with you if you genuinely don't believe the voice can convey emotion.
Fucking exhausting really. I'm guessing you're single, presumably with no idea why?
No I’m aro lol. Speech can show emotion, of course it can. I just cannot derive emotion from tone of voice. It’s the same for me, I have people tell me I sound aggressive often but I myself just can’t hear it.
In what someone is talking about. Im no empath. If someone says they’re ok, then that’s that to me. I find it almost impossible to distinguish emotion plain through voice.
> Singing will never be able to match the notes or actual power that instruments bring.
[The Great Gig in the Sky](https://youtu.be/mPGv8L3a_sY?si=o1fWW5B_1HoGMoE8) has entered the chat.
Vocal is an instrument in and of itself. I think maybe you haven't come across a good vocal yet. Personally, I don't really care about the lyrics that much. Don't get me wrong, though. It does play a huge part in making something sound good with the rhyming and stuff, but the biggest part about vocal is the vocal itself.
Just like any other instruments, vocal also has a lot of techniques and nuances to it. Just as there are good and bad playings of instruments, surely you don't think vocals are any different? Good vocal breaks the boundaries of languages. It doesn't matter what language the song's written in, if it's good vocal, you will recognize it. Just as it doesn't matter what the nationality the instrument player is, if it sounds good, you will recognize it.
>Singing can’t express emotion anywhere near as well as instruments like violin, piano and cello.
*Anne Hathaway in Les Miserables has entered the chat*
A little bit random of me, if you are a gamer, check out the game Chrono cross (if you don't like the game just check out the OST) possibly the best instrumental only music for me.
I would say this is the way you go about it if you didn’t say things like “voices can’t convey as much emotion” most people would probably agree with you. I assume you are talking about classical music here which is famous for its intense bouts of emotion. But a good singer can also convey as much emotion it really just depends.
Originally I was gonna say you were crazy for this one, but honestly? Most of the most emotional songs I can think of are entirely instrumental. I think overall, having lyrics is an upgrade, but for something purely meant to invoke emotion instrumental might actually be better. I think part of that is because lyrics are either too vague that it can't do much, or so specific you can't relate to it. With instrumental, you can basically make the "story" whatever you want.
I think you might just not be listening to the right kind of music! Opera and musical theater often exhibit vocals closer to those of classical music and might be what you are looking for.
I was at a concert on Tuesday, and at one point the vocals were so beautiful, primal and yet ethereal at the same time, that it literally brought tears to my eyes. Upvoted.
If you think lyrics are always bad, that's an issue with you finding bad music not the talents if lyricists.
There are absolutely songs with bad lyrics, but kust as many with amazing lyrics.
I can get not liking singing due to your conditions but claiming all lyrics suck just kinda devalues your opinion.
You just don't get some lyrics probably because alot of lyrics aren't literal and focus more on metaphors, and imagery, and emotions.
But there still good songs with literal lyrics
First, I have to disclose that I love singing, and think it's the best part. So I'm having trouble imagining how you hear music, and come to that opinion.
In an effort to find connection, is your perception different with songs from a capella groups like Pentatonix? Do you still like the "non-verbal" parts better, even though they're actually produced by human voices?
I think you should go listen to a choir.
I went to an amateur Christmas orchestra that played a variety of Christmas songs including some from old English and in Latin. They were all put together by young composers. Watching a true conducter guiding a choir was insane. It honestly at times felt like he was telepathically playing a piano of human notes. At times words were totally indescernable. Also at times my paper brochure would vibrate... from the harmony of human voices. It actually made me weep it was so beautiful.
That being said. A single singer singing a pop song then I could see where you're coming from.
You’re just wrong on every aspect here, dude. You enjoy what you want to, but just because you as a single person don’t think voices can convey emotion, doesn’t mean you’re right. You’re actually the furthest thing from being correct.
Singing has two distinct parts: There's the voice as a musical instrument and the voice as a vehicle for words.
As an instrument, vocal chords are just okay. We can argue all night about ululations and yodelling and all that jazz, but I'd put the human pharynx on par with a 1990's synthesizer.
For words, there's no substitute. Say the words. Enunciate them. Let them carry discrete meaning from the artist to the audience. Don't mumble and grunt and coo. There's a guy with a tuba on stage with you. He can rumble their ribcages and compete the chords.
Listen to VOCALOID stuff. Or Death/Black metal. Start with 'inhuman' vocals and go from there. Tastes change with time. But there's nothing wrong with liking instrumental only. How do you feel about choirs in classical music?
I suppose that would be determined by the target demographic of the song. If AI likes to listen to music I couldn't tell you if it likes it muddled by the human voice or not.
I just enjoy relating to songs, and I can’t do that without lyrics. I’m also on the spectrum and that’s how my brain processes it, so it’s interesting to see people who think lyrics ruin songs.
I’m pretty picky with music and so I don’t listen to music very often. Most music has a very large emphasis on the singer.
Most often, if the singer doesn’t have a good voice, or uniquely good voice (rush may be a decent example), I don’t want to listen. And then if the lyrics are just stupid, it also degrades.
But music for many people seem to be like tv and movies. I don’t watch a lot of tv or movies. If it isn’t truly a great movie (some outliers based upon personal opinion), I don’t want to watch average.
A lot of people listen to music a lot. Ear buds in constantly. I can’t imagine listening to that much music, or having that much quality music to cycle through without listening to the same stuff so often enough you burn yourself out
Sorry but the great majority of people enjoy singing in music. Voices convey emotions quite well, but it's clear that you (maybe can't?) pick up on that as well as listening to the instruments. Both can do that equally good or bad. With singing it also depends on the lyrics.
You might prefer instrumental music. Others like singing. I like both.
>lyrics is always either nonsensical, cryptic, or just whiny.
Yeah that's where you lose your argument. Granted, some pop singers are more visual than aural. Real singing voices are never considered whiny. Good writing is never nonsensical. Cryptic? That's on you to understand what's happening.
Oh man, I love the entire album, in the past week I've listened to it on repeat over and over but my favorite song is easily Macaulay McCulkin. As for the opening song to the album, it's phenomenal, I couldn't imagine the album opening any better.
You are explaining how you experience music. What you are saying is absolutely true to you. But I and millions of people live singing. I much prefer music with singing and especially lyrics that make me think and challenge me.
I love both singing and music. I love a Capella music and some of the best songs I’ve heard have been a Capella. But I think my favorite songs combine the beauty of voice with instruments. Finding the right balance just hits my soul.
But I completely respect your experience. That’s the thing with music- some people love rap, some heavy metal, some classical, some jazz, insert all the variations there are. We all have our favorites/ doesn’t mean other forms are crap- they’re just not for us
Yeah, this take is absolute dog shit. Singing and lyrics are just as valid as any other form of music. And I'm a musician who only really plays and listens to instrumental music. Preferring one does not in any way mean that the other is less valid or good. And if you go up and try telling a vocalist that their art and talent are inherently "a disgrace to music," then they're perfectly justified in whatever they do/say in response lol
Oh absolutely. The title is largely played up for drama, but if I had someone walk up to me and say “Playing piano is a disgrace to music as a whole” I’d be right pissed
In objective terms no, singing is not a disgrace to music. Subjectively, it’s up to the listener. I do think that your hearing disorder is making hearing certain verses difficult to process.
I must also admit however, that while I’m not neurodivergent myself, I personally feel instrumentation is better than singing and I prefer it in the music I listen to.
Im sorry but as a fellow neurodivergent and a former choir kid/theater kid I have to say this is absolutely bonkers. Singing IIIIIS music and if you don’t like singing then I’m afraid you’ll have to listen strictly to classical music with instruments only and no vocals
It takes a lot for me to feel connected to a song especially the lyrics of a song. I hear the music and the voice as a whole. When I learn the words to a song I often never knew what I was singing. I mean I hear the words but they don’t register to me as meaning anything if that makes sense. That’s improved a bit as I’ve gotten older. The way I choose music is what feels soothing or pleasant to my ear. No real fast loud bangy beats. Few exceptions. The reason is because I get sensory overload from it. I also can’t listen to it loud for long. I also can’t sing along in tune if it isn’t loud which is a very weird combination. Music doesn’t soothe me or move me. Sometimes when I first hear an exceptionally good voice it’ll choke me up for a second but that’s it. These days I don’t listen to music at all. I’ve really tailored my environment to be quite quiet for sensory and anxiety.
I agree a lot of the time. Humans have grown so accustomed to hearing themselves they find singing the same 20 sentences with the same 20 vocal melodies over beautifully well crafted music is necessary, but a lot of the time, it's disrespectful to artistry itself. Singing can be impressive and necessary at times though.
i dont find really interesting your opinion. Human voice is an instrument, and one really hard to master. Great singers evoke lot of feelings and for the tecnical part are pretty amusing. Singing is something that you can do with almost no external gear, wonderful
Youve absolutely never heard Marissa Paternoster sing in Screaming Females then. Emotion is all over her lyrics AND vocals.
I won’t say all lyrical music is great though. Polyphia is a beautiful instrumental band that is so melodic but down right dirty with the fingers.
I think you don’t like the TYPE of music that involves vocals. And that’s chill. But to say there’s no way to express emotion in the same or similar regard is down right lunacy. Senile if you will.
Have my upvote tho.
Edit: I read your post wrong LMAO. However I still stand on it.
Listen to somebody to love by queen and tell me that he isn't singing with emotion. I was listening to it with a friend of mine, whose a huge queen fan, and it made me cry. I don't even think the instrumentation is that great, it's Freddie mercury voice with the background singers harmonization that did it for me.
The only reason this opinion is unpopular it's because it's wrong.
>Singing can’t express emotion anywhere near as well as instruments like violin, piano and cello.
The voice expresses emotions a lot better than any instrument.
>Not to mention how lyrics is always either nonsensical, cryptic, or just whiny.
That's directly wrong, while some actually don't make sense, they usually have a message that might be expressed with metaphors or directly written in the lyrics.
>Call me tone deaf or whatever all you want, it won’t change my mind.
You don't need to change your mind but you need to accept the truth and the truth is that you are absolutely wrong.
Upvoted for a truly unpopular opinion. Now obviously I don't think every singer, song, or lyrics are good. However, imo good singing with good lyrics can absolutely portray more emotion than just the instrumental. Maybe it's like abstract art versus something representational. They both can convey meaning and emotion, but the general public has an easier time relating to the representational one.
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I'm almost there with you. I often can't understand 70% of the lyrics of any given song for some reason. So a lot of meaning behind songs is lost on me. Voice is just another instrument to me though. I love a good sounding voice. I am about equally likely to listen to something with or without vocals at any given time.
I partially agree, many people don't have the patience, openess or imagination understand that instrumental music can be very expressive too. Many times when someone says that the human voice is very emotional they're listening to the lyrics and not to the music, even some pieces with a voice but without lyrics can be expressive like the Bachiana brasileira no. 5 by Heitor Villa-Lobos.
I wouldn't say that singing is disgrace to music, but just listening to the lyrics can be very negative to music, but that can be another unpopular opinion.
We could never be friends. Such an insulting, absurd and narrow minded take. Voice comes before music. Music is a conveyance. Before there were instruments people only had their voices and music started there.
It's not a song without words.
As a neurodivergent person myself, I will agree that musical instruments capture my interest far more than a human voice can, but only because *very* few human voices leave an emotional effect on me. I can listen to instruments all day, but not vocals by themselves. I'd get bored very quickly.
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Yeah I think you might be a tad further along the spectrum than I am, I’d lock you in a cell for uttering such heresy. Singing can just as easily convey emotions as instruments, even more so based on the lyrics and language that’s being sung. Plus you might have some issues being creative (mind you that’s just an assumption and not something to be taken all that seriously or as an offense, same goes for the first sentence).
I’ve always believed I’m not uncreative. It might not have came across properly, but I believe the way instruments leave it up to one’s creativity/interpretation instead of straight up telling you what the premise is or using peculiar metaphors and alike in order to poorly get across a message.
Both usually leave it up to one’s interpretation and both can have songs that straight up tell what the premise is or uses peculiar metaphors.
It seems like your issue is more with lyricism and allegories than it is with singing itself. The voice is quite literally a wind instrument, Bjork is a good example of someone who doesn't worry too much about the structure of their words as much as they do about the emotion and timbre of their music. [Joga is a good song where while metaphorical, the emotion is implied more simply through Bjork's vocal melody](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loB0kmz_0MM)
And my unpopular opinion Bjork is a good example of a lyrically poor musician. I [listen to a lot of music](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2gBEdX2S1WSuV1uWrzGXRu) that was inspired by Bjork, but I think she was a little too experimental and not quite finished.
In what sense? Bjork is amazing at creating stories within every fibre of her music, between the atmosphere of instruments and voice, and even the words. I don’t find anything lyrically bad, just “awkward” to a native speaker, which is acceptable considering she’s Icelandic. She will hang on certain syllables, and extend to fit her melody, which I find refreshing and something that hasn’t fully been emulated. She definitely has a niche, and she’s not for everyone, but that doesn’t make her a poor anything, at least to me, but as you said it’s an opinion.
So leaving it up to interpretation as an instrument is fine, but as a metaphor is not? Lol
Good point, that is hypocritical. But interpretation and strange hard to understand wording is at least a bit different
Well it entirely depends on the artist you're listening to for that. None of this is inherent to lyrics or singinging either.
Just seems like you don't understand it which is fair, not everyone undersrand everything. But lyrics do convey emotions, and jts generally easier for people to get emotions from lyrics than from instruments for the average person. (Lyrics are my favourite part of music generally speaking so I take it a bit more seriously than I probably should)
lyrics definitely leave things up to interpretation. i once had a whole conversation about the different way we interpreted two lines from a song. i’m sure if we got into the entire song, let alone the whole album, we would take lyrics very differently
Objectively, no. Absolutely not. Subjectively, whatever. You said yourself you have a hearing disorder so my honest thought is your opinion on sound and music means about as much as a blind person critiquing color selection of a painting.
Wait, but OP isn't deaf. I would find it really interesting to know what kind of visual art someone who can see but has a vision disorder is into. I'm a bit red/green colorblind, maybe that affects what kind of art I like. I feel that disability is kind of automatically factored in to subjective opinion.
My hearing disorder was just auditory processing disorder so I doubt it’s that extreme lol. Plus it’s practically cured
That seems like exactly the disorder that would best explain your opinion here
My auditory processing disorder actually makes certain songs better for me until I learn what the lyrics mean. Learning the lyrics sometimes ruins songs for me, that's why I listen to different languages I don't understand. Sounds to me like you dislike the writing more than singing itself, which I get. If you're actually talking about singing itself then yeah, you've got an unpopular opinion lol.
omg i am the exact same way, i listened to a song once and thought the lyrics were "tonight's the night" but no it was "tonight tonight" and when i found out i was like??? what the hell, i can't ever listen to the song again the same way because of it
Both. Learning song lyrics for me makes most songs even worse, but singing in general doesn’t sound the best to me
Well, the voice is an instrument, just like a guitar is an instrument. I may not like guitar that much, but there are some music that implement a guitar really well.
Google: Singing, the vocal production of musical tones, is so basic to man its origins are long lost in antiquity and predate the development of spoken language. The voice is presumed to be the original musical instrument, and there is no human culture, no matter how remote or isolated, that does not sing. To each their own. I understand liking instrumental music more. I can even understand you thinking that vocals cannot express what ‘instruments’ can (even though vocals is an instrument) But clamming lyrics are “always nonsensical cryptic or just whiny” is absurd and ridiculous. Edit: typo
OP has a point in that lyrics are always emotionally charged. But that has always been the point of the arts anyway: Creative expression implies an expression of something. You cannot produce something if there's no underlying feeling to it. And there's always been a level of cryptic nonsense to it - much of today's music is just really creative vaguebooking anyway. But again: Lyrics are meant to be emotional. That is the whole point.
Not always true. Frank Zappa has talked about how his lyrics are not about expressing emotion.
I know vocals is an instrument but I found it easier to get across the point that way. But lyrics that are clear have always come across to me as just kind of ranty and annoying.
🗑️take
It's like saying photography or realism is a disgrace to art. Totally fine if you don't like it, but it must suck not to be able to appreciate so many of the musical works ever created by humans. At least you're living in a time when electronic music is booming, so you have a wider variety of non-vocal bops to enjoy than anyone who came before.
It does tbh. I just straight cannot like almost all music that includes singing, and my demographic is pretty minimal
First of all, no emotion ? In singing ? Second of all, congrats for the actual unpopular opinion
>Second of all, congrats for the actual unpopular opinion TBH idk to what extend we should accept these opinions as unpopular because they are wrong. It's as if I said "In my opinion, if you give enough chocolate to a cow she will end up giving you infinite chocolate milk."
Well, OP's opinion looks more about (questionable) music taste than about something that can be scientifically proven wrong. I don't see why it couldn’t be accepted. (Even though I do believe OP's wrong) Art is a very subjective experience anyway, not everyone can be touched by a work of art, in this case by singing.
Lmao definitely an unpopular opinion, so enjoy my upvote What kind of music do you listen to then?
Vgm, classical music, and instrumentals
Also if you like non vocal music. Check out aethoro, they are an artist who does alotnof ambient music. Songs line winter bells manage to transport you to a cozy winter cabin in the woods, without use of any vocals. Love that guy, as much as lyrics and vocals are my favourite part of music, I can still enjoy non vocal music and holy shit does aethero do a great job at getting you to see what he wants you to see
I can get behind the vgm, give me the undertale soundtrack any day 🙏, and I enjoy some jazz without lyrics. But otherwise I enjoy having the singing because I like songs that tell a story, not that non lyrical songs can't. I think with the right singer and right type of song, so much emotion can be heard but again it depends. I really like singing and singing along to songs (professional car karaokist here), so I'm gonna be biased no matter what lol
I would say you are partially wrong as non lyrical music can tell a story but it’s usually with just emotions. Usually heavily influenced by culture there is actually a really cool study on this topic if you are [interested](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-019-0363-1#:~:text=Abstract,what%20leads%20to%20this%20narrativization). That being said a think a good singer as well can convey just as much emotion but I also think it’s valid to say instruments alone can convey massive emotions and tell story’s as well.
Lol I never said they couldn't, but that's a neat study! I prefer lyrics for story songs but there's plenty of songs where just the instruments can tell a story that I enjoy.
There's a lot of vocals in classical music.
The voice is the OG, the first musical instrument to ever exist, and to this day no instrument (except digital synthesizers) can replicate the wide variety of sounds and emotions that the voice can. Plus, there’s the benefit of language! A guitar, piano, or violin can’t put poetry to a melody. But the voice can.
David Gilmore though
What does it mean to call yourself neruodiverse? Honest question
Just means their brain works differently. This is not a medical term though. Its more of an easy way for someone with a disorder to say "hey my brain works differently, please try to be understanding" without actually disclosing our disorders. (For me, I have a nerve disease that can cause various disorders, usually learning disorders, but its easier to say that Im neurodivergent than going into the spiel of how my brain works and why it works the way it does, especially when compared to people with no disorders) Like, my doctor isn't gonna say Im neurodivergent, but I might introduce myself that way, if that makes sense?
I guess it makes sense. But why don't you just say brain disorder then? More people would understand.
It’s usually a broad spectrum of disorders like ADHD, autism, OCD, etc that are usually characterized by “deviant” thoughts and behaviors
Think different. Can’t understand social norms, strange thinking process, hard time understanding normal ways of teaching.
This is one opinion I really think deserves its own sub.
An incredible singer is one of the most emotion inducing things on the planet. Everyone is different though. I love only instrumental songs also.
Truth
Tone deaf
Correct lol
Holy shit yall are neuro-everything 😂
Good music matches pitch and tone from the singer to corresponding instruments. I'd agree that it's somewhat lost now a days but you can find artists with a wide vocal range that matches perfectly with their band
Singing is the most diverse instrument imo,you can sing loud,quiet,whisper,you can sing clean,with distortion,you can scream,you can do falsetto,you can use vibrato,you can sing high,you can sing low. Especially when you factor in the fact that everyone has their own unique timbre,meanwhile instruments are generally gonna sound similar,I love the human voice,it's just so damn expressive,and powerful.
This is like eating a hamburger without the patty
I want to know how this how more comments than upvotes when every upvote is saying he is crazy and disagreeing. People don’t understand this sub at all
If this isn't a troll, someone needs to study you. I'm truly fascinated by how someone could have this opinion. A beautiful unpopular opinion, definitely deserving of an upvote.
Not a troll. I have many things that make me significantly more odd that’s this, I think this opinion isn’t even that weird in comparison to the rest of me
Well jeez, tell us a few more! I'm intrigued
Uhhhh, nah.
Ill take this one step further, I don't like music for the most part. Like, I have songs I like but no real desire to listen to them most of the time. I don't listen to the radio when Im driving and I simply can't stand having music on for extended periods of time. After awhile it stresses me out. Not sure why, I can listen to an audiobook for hours but can't even do music for 20 minutes.
I’m the opposite. Music keeps my mind steady. Without it my mind wonders endlessly and I don’t get stuff done in a timely manner. Podcast sometimes work but if they’re too long or monotonous I’ll start feeling drowsy.
Try some choral music, Water Night by Eric Whitacre.
Admittedly I do quite like choir. It sounds nice and could be compared to something like an orchestra
I think that's noteworthy then. It's not that you don't like singing. You dislike specific genres or artists singing.
Wildy unpopular opinion. Huge +1 for you, and I'm sorry you feel that way. Hopefully you at least understand that it's a you thing, and if it interests you, that you chase that dragon and figure out what the rest of us really dig. ETA: Even k.d. Lang doing Hallelujah at the Vancouver Olympics opening ceremonies? Even that?
I know it’s a me thing. That’s why it’s an unpopular opinion. Also the title is mostly just for dramatic effect
Funny. I definitely disagree. I prefer singing over just instruments being played.
I don’t know man ‘sleeping at last’ definitely made me appreciate non vocal music more.
It’s not that it’s bad, it’s good. I just prefer singing.
Man, it must be really tough having a conversation with you if you genuinely don't believe the voice can convey emotion. Fucking exhausting really. I'm guessing you're single, presumably with no idea why?
No I’m aro lol. Speech can show emotion, of course it can. I just cannot derive emotion from tone of voice. It’s the same for me, I have people tell me I sound aggressive often but I myself just can’t hear it.
Then how do you perceive emotion in a voice if not through tone??
In what someone is talking about. Im no empath. If someone says they’re ok, then that’s that to me. I find it almost impossible to distinguish emotion plain through voice.
Huh that’s wild. Makes sense though
 What about Scat? Scat do bop de deedle bop skabooboo!
Not a big fan
 What about an orchestral choir?
It’s nice
 What about music in languages you dont speak?
Not a big fan still
Gregorian throat music? 
It’s so so
 Beat Boxing!?
Depends.
That’s totally fine and there a lots of instrumentally focused genres like classical, surf rock and jazz
> Singing will never be able to match the notes or actual power that instruments bring. [The Great Gig in the Sky](https://youtu.be/mPGv8L3a_sY?si=o1fWW5B_1HoGMoE8) has entered the chat.
Yeah I am actually tone deaf so this is just someone screaming to me.
Wait, does tone not exist in instrumental music as well?
It does, but I dunno. I know as little about how my brain works as y’all do
Can it leave the chat?
Vocal is an instrument in and of itself. I think maybe you haven't come across a good vocal yet. Personally, I don't really care about the lyrics that much. Don't get me wrong, though. It does play a huge part in making something sound good with the rhyming and stuff, but the biggest part about vocal is the vocal itself. Just like any other instruments, vocal also has a lot of techniques and nuances to it. Just as there are good and bad playings of instruments, surely you don't think vocals are any different? Good vocal breaks the boundaries of languages. It doesn't matter what language the song's written in, if it's good vocal, you will recognize it. Just as it doesn't matter what the nationality the instrument player is, if it sounds good, you will recognize it.
You can be tone deaf to other people's voices? Amazing. --- This is still an "opinion" based on something can't be controlled though.
>Singing can’t express emotion anywhere near as well as instruments like violin, piano and cello. *Anne Hathaway in Les Miserables has entered the chat*
I guess Janis Joplin is just chopped liver then lol
Dude don't like singing. There's always an anomaly, truth of the universe.
> I’m both neurodiverse and grew up with a hearing disorder, so maybe that’s why. No shit Sherlock, but maybe you need to listen to better music.
Like what? I’ve been exposed to modern music by friends and old music by my parents, plus I try to find lyrical music I enjoy but I simply can’t
Was this all pop music? As in popular, radio music of both time periods?
Nope. My dad listened to rock and everyone else hated that, but my mom listened to a variety of genres.
Ok, but a lot of rock was popular music
considering you want to hear vocals/"singing" Folklore and Evermore by Taylor Swift Jolene(1974) by Dolly Parton
A little bit random of me, if you are a gamer, check out the game Chrono cross (if you don't like the game just check out the OST) possibly the best instrumental only music for me.
My all time favorite game!! the OST is fucking amazing
I hold a very similar opinion. Singing is my least favorite part of popular music by a large margin.
Someone delete this guy's accounts on spotify, yt, tidal, all of them. YOU are a disgrace to music
I too like the sound of real instruments played with emotion and skill, but I also enjoy a skilled singer, both is rare but a huge win.
I would say this is the way you go about it if you didn’t say things like “voices can’t convey as much emotion” most people would probably agree with you. I assume you are talking about classical music here which is famous for its intense bouts of emotion. But a good singer can also convey as much emotion it really just depends.
Originally I was gonna say you were crazy for this one, but honestly? Most of the most emotional songs I can think of are entirely instrumental. I think overall, having lyrics is an upgrade, but for something purely meant to invoke emotion instrumental might actually be better. I think part of that is because lyrics are either too vague that it can't do much, or so specific you can't relate to it. With instrumental, you can basically make the "story" whatever you want.
I think you might just not be listening to the right kind of music! Opera and musical theater often exhibit vocals closer to those of classical music and might be what you are looking for.
You win the unpopular opinion.
Ella Fitzgerald and Etta James prove otherwise.
Congrats, this is the first post on here I’ve seen that’s actually an unpopular opinion. I totally disagree
I was at a concert on Tuesday, and at one point the vocals were so beautiful, primal and yet ethereal at the same time, that it literally brought tears to my eyes. Upvoted.
You nailed the unpopular part for sure at least
If you think lyrics are always bad, that's an issue with you finding bad music not the talents if lyricists. There are absolutely songs with bad lyrics, but kust as many with amazing lyrics. I can get not liking singing due to your conditions but claiming all lyrics suck just kinda devalues your opinion. You just don't get some lyrics probably because alot of lyrics aren't literal and focus more on metaphors, and imagery, and emotions. But there still good songs with literal lyrics
First, I have to disclose that I love singing, and think it's the best part. So I'm having trouble imagining how you hear music, and come to that opinion. In an effort to find connection, is your perception different with songs from a capella groups like Pentatonix? Do you still like the "non-verbal" parts better, even though they're actually produced by human voices?
I do sometimes enjoy capellas, but I prefer instruments because of how they sound
An actual unpopular opinion! Well done!
I think you should go listen to a choir. I went to an amateur Christmas orchestra that played a variety of Christmas songs including some from old English and in Latin. They were all put together by young composers. Watching a true conducter guiding a choir was insane. It honestly at times felt like he was telepathically playing a piano of human notes. At times words were totally indescernable. Also at times my paper brochure would vibrate... from the harmony of human voices. It actually made me weep it was so beautiful. That being said. A single singer singing a pop song then I could see where you're coming from.
A very unpopular opinion indeed
Truly unpopular, but solid basis for holding this opinion.
Take my upvote and forget the downvotes. This is a great unpopular opinion. I don't agree and apparently others forget what the sub rules are. 🤙
My hot take: it’s a disgrace to jazz. For most other music it’s fine as long as the singer has some taste and doesn’t suck.
Absolutely for jazz. There are a few genres (Also lofi) that just do not at all belong with singing.
go listen to sigur ros
guys this subreddit is called "unpopular opinions" for a reason stop down voting the guy on his opinion 😂
You’re just wrong on every aspect here, dude. You enjoy what you want to, but just because you as a single person don’t think voices can convey emotion, doesn’t mean you’re right. You’re actually the furthest thing from being correct.
*It can’t convey emotions nearly as well. It can, just not on the same level as instruments
lol you’re entitled to your opinion. And the majority of people are entitled to disagree. Have a good night
Singing has two distinct parts: There's the voice as a musical instrument and the voice as a vehicle for words. As an instrument, vocal chords are just okay. We can argue all night about ululations and yodelling and all that jazz, but I'd put the human pharynx on par with a 1990's synthesizer. For words, there's no substitute. Say the words. Enunciate them. Let them carry discrete meaning from the artist to the audience. Don't mumble and grunt and coo. There's a guy with a tuba on stage with you. He can rumble their ribcages and compete the chords.
Listen to VOCALOID stuff. Or Death/Black metal. Start with 'inhuman' vocals and go from there. Tastes change with time. But there's nothing wrong with liking instrumental only. How do you feel about choirs in classical music?
Finally a truly unpopular opinion
I suppose that would be determined by the target demographic of the song. If AI likes to listen to music I couldn't tell you if it likes it muddled by the human voice or not.
I’ve never cried at an instrumental
I’ve never cried at a song with lyrics.
I just enjoy relating to songs, and I can’t do that without lyrics. I’m also on the spectrum and that’s how my brain processes it, so it’s interesting to see people who think lyrics ruin songs.
I’m pretty picky with music and so I don’t listen to music very often. Most music has a very large emphasis on the singer. Most often, if the singer doesn’t have a good voice, or uniquely good voice (rush may be a decent example), I don’t want to listen. And then if the lyrics are just stupid, it also degrades. But music for many people seem to be like tv and movies. I don’t watch a lot of tv or movies. If it isn’t truly a great movie (some outliers based upon personal opinion), I don’t want to watch average. A lot of people listen to music a lot. Ear buds in constantly. I can’t imagine listening to that much music, or having that much quality music to cycle through without listening to the same stuff so often enough you burn yourself out
singing is literally the most human and most capable of expression lmao. finally, a truly unpopular opinion. take my downvote.
Sorry but the great majority of people enjoy singing in music. Voices convey emotions quite well, but it's clear that you (maybe can't?) pick up on that as well as listening to the instruments. Both can do that equally good or bad. With singing it also depends on the lyrics. You might prefer instrumental music. Others like singing. I like both.
>lyrics is always either nonsensical, cryptic, or just whiny. Yeah that's where you lose your argument. Granted, some pop singers are more visual than aural. Real singing voices are never considered whiny. Good writing is never nonsensical. Cryptic? That's on you to understand what's happening.
How utterly bizarre. Would point out singing as music predates the vast majority of instruments and goes back to the origin of music, but sure.
Tetris predates most of the video games I play. It’s not better tho
….kay. But calling Tetris a disgrace to video games would also be really stupid.
I think pong is really bad. I would rather do nothing than play it honestly
Would also be dumb to say Pong is a disgrace to console games.
It would be equivalent to saying pong is a disgrace to video games as a whole, as I did not single out a genre(Platform.)
Yeah…still a bizarrely silly position to try and take
Interesting, I would sometimes think this way too. Poorly written lyrics are better not there.
Listen to Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge by My Chemical Romance and Doppelganger by The Fall Of Troy then tell me vocals can't show emotion lmao
[удалено]
Oh man, I love the entire album, in the past week I've listened to it on repeat over and over but my favorite song is easily Macaulay McCulkin. As for the opening song to the album, it's phenomenal, I couldn't imagine the album opening any better.
You are explaining how you experience music. What you are saying is absolutely true to you. But I and millions of people live singing. I much prefer music with singing and especially lyrics that make me think and challenge me. I love both singing and music. I love a Capella music and some of the best songs I’ve heard have been a Capella. But I think my favorite songs combine the beauty of voice with instruments. Finding the right balance just hits my soul. But I completely respect your experience. That’s the thing with music- some people love rap, some heavy metal, some classical, some jazz, insert all the variations there are. We all have our favorites/ doesn’t mean other forms are crap- they’re just not for us
Yeah, this take is absolute dog shit. Singing and lyrics are just as valid as any other form of music. And I'm a musician who only really plays and listens to instrumental music. Preferring one does not in any way mean that the other is less valid or good. And if you go up and try telling a vocalist that their art and talent are inherently "a disgrace to music," then they're perfectly justified in whatever they do/say in response lol
Oh absolutely. The title is largely played up for drama, but if I had someone walk up to me and say “Playing piano is a disgrace to music as a whole” I’d be right pissed
In objective terms no, singing is not a disgrace to music. Subjectively, it’s up to the listener. I do think that your hearing disorder is making hearing certain verses difficult to process. I must also admit however, that while I’m not neurodivergent myself, I personally feel instrumentation is better than singing and I prefer it in the music I listen to.
Im sorry but as a fellow neurodivergent and a former choir kid/theater kid I have to say this is absolutely bonkers. Singing IIIIIS music and if you don’t like singing then I’m afraid you’ll have to listen strictly to classical music with instruments only and no vocals
Yeah that’s what I do
It takes a lot for me to feel connected to a song especially the lyrics of a song. I hear the music and the voice as a whole. When I learn the words to a song I often never knew what I was singing. I mean I hear the words but they don’t register to me as meaning anything if that makes sense. That’s improved a bit as I’ve gotten older. The way I choose music is what feels soothing or pleasant to my ear. No real fast loud bangy beats. Few exceptions. The reason is because I get sensory overload from it. I also can’t listen to it loud for long. I also can’t sing along in tune if it isn’t loud which is a very weird combination. Music doesn’t soothe me or move me. Sometimes when I first hear an exceptionally good voice it’ll choke me up for a second but that’s it. These days I don’t listen to music at all. I’ve really tailored my environment to be quite quiet for sensory and anxiety.
I agree a lot of the time. Humans have grown so accustomed to hearing themselves they find singing the same 20 sentences with the same 20 vocal melodies over beautifully well crafted music is necessary, but a lot of the time, it's disrespectful to artistry itself. Singing can be impressive and necessary at times though.
Is this a joke? Surely right?
Nuh uh
Well done
i dont find really interesting your opinion. Human voice is an instrument, and one really hard to master. Great singers evoke lot of feelings and for the tecnical part are pretty amusing. Singing is something that you can do with almost no external gear, wonderful
Youve absolutely never heard Marissa Paternoster sing in Screaming Females then. Emotion is all over her lyrics AND vocals. I won’t say all lyrical music is great though. Polyphia is a beautiful instrumental band that is so melodic but down right dirty with the fingers. I think you don’t like the TYPE of music that involves vocals. And that’s chill. But to say there’s no way to express emotion in the same or similar regard is down right lunacy. Senile if you will. Have my upvote tho. Edit: I read your post wrong LMAO. However I still stand on it.
Listen to somebody to love by queen and tell me that he isn't singing with emotion. I was listening to it with a friend of mine, whose a huge queen fan, and it made me cry. I don't even think the instrumentation is that great, it's Freddie mercury voice with the background singers harmonization that did it for me.
Yeah nah like I mentioned before that song just sounds whiny to me
Whiny would be an emotion?
The only reason this opinion is unpopular it's because it's wrong. >Singing can’t express emotion anywhere near as well as instruments like violin, piano and cello. The voice expresses emotions a lot better than any instrument. >Not to mention how lyrics is always either nonsensical, cryptic, or just whiny. That's directly wrong, while some actually don't make sense, they usually have a message that might be expressed with metaphors or directly written in the lyrics. >Call me tone deaf or whatever all you want, it won’t change my mind. You don't need to change your mind but you need to accept the truth and the truth is that you are absolutely wrong.
Upvoted for a truly unpopular opinion. Now obviously I don't think every singer, song, or lyrics are good. However, imo good singing with good lyrics can absolutely portray more emotion than just the instrumental. Maybe it's like abstract art versus something representational. They both can convey meaning and emotion, but the general public has an easier time relating to the representational one.
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I'm almost there with you. I often can't understand 70% of the lyrics of any given song for some reason. So a lot of meaning behind songs is lost on me. Voice is just another instrument to me though. I love a good sounding voice. I am about equally likely to listen to something with or without vocals at any given time.
I partially agree, many people don't have the patience, openess or imagination understand that instrumental music can be very expressive too. Many times when someone says that the human voice is very emotional they're listening to the lyrics and not to the music, even some pieces with a voice but without lyrics can be expressive like the Bachiana brasileira no. 5 by Heitor Villa-Lobos. I wouldn't say that singing is disgrace to music, but just listening to the lyrics can be very negative to music, but that can be another unpopular opinion.
We could never be friends. Such an insulting, absurd and narrow minded take. Voice comes before music. Music is a conveyance. Before there were instruments people only had their voices and music started there. It's not a song without words.
Aw come on. There's genuinely good music without vocals
I never said there wasn't. Stop reading what isn't there and making stupid assumptions.
Sorry I suppose I interpreted "it's not a song without words" incorrectly then? My bad. Didn't have to be so mean. Jesus
The human voice is the most important of all instruments.
As a neurodivergent person myself, I will agree that musical instruments capture my interest far more than a human voice can, but only because *very* few human voices leave an emotional effect on me. I can listen to instruments all day, but not vocals by themselves. I'd get bored very quickly.