The Case For Drake: Why You Don’t Need To Be A Great Singer To Be A Superstar | Music Think Tank

If you LOVE to sing, if you LOVE to perform, and you dream of “making it big,” but you know you’re not the best singer out there….who cares?!  Now more than ever, you don’t need to be an amazing singer to be a superstar.  Years of technical training - not needed.  Perfect pitch - not needed.  Powerhouse vocals, huge ranges and intricate runs - not needed.  Sure the “Singer’s Singers” are still out there - we still have our Bruno Marses, our Beyonces, our Adam Lamberts - but the wider majority of the singers we listen to and love, are really just “ok” singers.

  

I don’t mean to single Drake out - I am a genuine fan of his - and feel a little guilty using him as the example in this post.  But come on, even Drake knows he’s no Michael Jackson (though he may be able to dance like Michael Ja…ckson…well…that’s debatable too, lol.  But I love you, Drake!).  And given Drake’s success, I would guess he could care less that he doesn’t have those one-in-a-million sets of pipes like Michael had.  So don’t throw in the towel if you know you come up a bit short on the power vocals.  You may have all that it takes to make it. 

 

So if an amazing voice is not an absolute necessity, what does one need (other than luck, a factor out of our control)?

STYLE 

 This is the biggest “need” for singers today.  Sure, there’s outer expression - your look, your clothes, etc, but here I’m talking about VOCAL style.  Think of Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, and Adele.  Would we EVER confuse one of these singers for the other?  They all have a very unique vocal style and timbre of voice, one we recognize instantly.

PRESENCE

 This one takes a little thought, and can mean several things.  

• Presence can be an aura - whether you’re intriguing, mysterious, drop-dead sexy, an outlier (Tyler the Creator, anyone?), or have attitude for miles (hello, Cardi B).  
• It can be electrifying performances - stage presence.  
• Presence is also confidence - owning who you are, owning your unique voice, and presenting that uniqueness in every thing you do.  
• Presence can also mean literal presence - “being out there” on social media, gigging, releasing new music frequently, etc (in other words, hustling.)  Literal presence greatly increases your chances of making connections - which is one thing about the music business that will likely never change - it’s still all about who you know (or getting discovered).

UNDENIABLY CATCHY, WELL-PRODUCED SONGS

 Taylor Swift wrote the book on this.  Her vocals have improved significantly through the years, but what set her apart early on was her ability to write incredible songs.  Write and record your own songs.  If you don’t write your own songs, start connecting with people who do write.  Record the tunes you can’t get out of your head.  The more annoyingly stuck it is in your head, the better!  Catchy songs today are also about great production.  The song can be “ok” or even just plain bad writing, but if the beat and production are fantastic, you’re in business.

PASSION + PERSEVERANCE

 Last but not least, everyone who has made it is PASSIONATE about music, singing, or performing.  They give their hearts, their hours, their blood, sweat, and tears to music.  

Does this sound like you?  Then you may be well on your way!

Your Online Singing Coach is LA-based professional singers offering live vocal coaching/singing lessons, and video courses for singers of all levels.

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