{"id":5668,"date":"2024-07-24T18:42:53","date_gmt":"2024-07-24T23:42:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/streamapse.com\/Magazine\/?p=5668"},"modified":"2024-09-12T18:28:01","modified_gmt":"2024-09-12T23:28:01","slug":"ariana-grandes-vocal-metamorphosis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/streamapse.com\/Magazine\/?p=5668","title":{"rendered":"Ariana Grande\u2019s Vocal Metamorphosis"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"theconversation-article-title\" style=\"padding-left: 40px; text-align: center;\"><strong>The science behind Ariana Grande\u2019s vocal metamorphosis.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"theconversation-article-body\" style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">While promoting her role in the upcoming film adaptation of the Broadway hit \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt1262426\/\">Wicked<\/a>,\u201d singer Ariana Grande made <a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/podcrushed\/id1622070205\">a podcast appearance<\/a> that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/music\/music-news\/ariana-grande-defends-voice-change-wicked-promo-1235056178\/\">left many of her fans befuddled and concerned<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">In the middle of the interview, the sound of her voice drastically changed, going from lower-pitched and slightly raspy to one that was much higher pitched, with a smooth, light texture to it.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Speculation ensued.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">\u201cTHAT WAS SO SUDDEN HELP,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2024\/06\/18\/entertainment\/ariana-grande-admits-her-voice-change-in-viral-video-was-intentional\/\">one netizen exclaimed<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s her alter ego Kitten programming,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/watch\/?v=1124740478782492\">quipped another fan<\/a>. Others wondered whether Grande was getting <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/raventbrunner\/status\/1767003316142125170?s=20\">stuck in the voice of Glinda<\/a>, the character she plays in \u201cWicked,\u201d who speaks with a softer intensity and higher pitch. (After Austin Butler played Elvis Presley in the 2022 musical \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt3704428\/\">Elvis<\/a>,\u201d the young actor continued speaking like the King of Rock and Roll <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gq.com\/story\/austin-butler-elvis-voice\">long after the film\u2019s premiere<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<figure style=\"padding-left: 120px;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/E9zQud-rl94?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0\" width=\"440\" height=\"260\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><figcaption style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><span class=\"caption\">Grande\u2019s fans were perplexed by the singer\u2019s vocal shift during a podcast interview.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2024\/06\/19\/entertainment\/ariana-grande-voice\/index.html\">Grande eventually responded<\/a> to the confusion, explaining that she routinely and intentionally changes her \u201cvocal placement\u201d to preserve her vocal health.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">For those unfamiliar with the science of voice production, Grande\u2019s explanation may have prompted more \u2013 rather than less \u2013 confusion. But <a href=\"https:\/\/hhs.purdue.edu\/directory\/lydia-kruse\/\">as a speech-language pathologist<\/a> who specializes in voice disorders, I know how effective these techniques can be.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Singers and actors who routinely strain their vocal cords can damage them through what\u2019s known as \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ijhns.com\/abstractArticleContentBrowse\/IJHNS\/27527\/JPJ\/fullText\">phonotrauma<\/a>,\u201d or excessive and improper use of the voice.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">The data shows that voice disorders can lead to <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.2478\/sjph-2018-0003\">loss of work<\/a> for anyone, not just singers. But professional singers \u2013 whose livelihoods, like those of professional baseball pitchers, depend on a fully functional part of their body \u2013 are more likely to experience <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/s0892-1997(99)80014-9\">financial and emotional distress<\/a> from a voice disorder.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/streamapse.com\/TicketStream\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5658\" src=\"http:\/\/streamapse.com\/Magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/TICKETSTREAM_BANNER.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"968\" height=\"252\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Cords on a collision course<\/h2>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">In order for you to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JF8rlKuSoFM\">speak or sing<\/a>, your vocal cords \u2013 a delicate pair of thin, muscular strips shaped like a \u201cv\u201d in the throat \u2013 must come together and vibrate against one another other as air from the lungs is pushed through.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">When the tension and length of the vocal folds increase, they vibrate faster. This leads to pitch increases. Likewise, when the tension and length of the vocal folds decrease, they vibrate slower, which lowers the pitch.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">The more a person uses their voice, the more times the vocal cords collide against each other. For instance, when Steven Tyler hits the high note at the end of \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=89dGC8de0CA\">Dream On<\/a>,\u201d his vocal cords vibrate over 800 times per second. In comparison, a hummingbird flaps its wings <a href=\"https:\/\/www.audubon.org\/news\/the-hummingbird-wing-beat-challenge\">roughly 70 times per second<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Many big-name performers go on extended tour with shows taking place night after night, often with little time for vocal rest and recovery. So it\u2019s no wonder that many of them end up injuring their vocal cords. <a href=\"https:\/\/purdue.primo.exlibrisgroup.com\/permalink\/01PURDUE_PUWL\/uc5e95\/alma99170389856301081\">There are other habits and behaviors<\/a> that can damage the delicate mechanism that creates a singer\u2019s unique sound: poor diet, lack of sleep, screaming, smoking and drinking alcohol.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Surgery comes with risks<\/h2>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Grande is no stranger to the pain of losing her voice.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">In 2013, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/music\/pop\/ariana-grande-suffers-vocal-cord-hemorrhage-ordered-to-stop-5694744\/\">she sustained a vocal fold hemorrhage<\/a>, which occurs when a blood vessel in the vocal cords ruptures because of phonotrauma. Doctors put her on strict voice rest so she could recover.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">However, injuries to vocal cords don\u2019t always heal on their own. Surgery can be necessary, but this option often carries serious risks for singers.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Surgical interventions can lead to a loss of vocal range <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002%2Flio2.1152\">due to scarring<\/a>. In 1997, Julie Andrews famously lost her crystal-clear singing voice, which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biography.com\/actors\/julie-andrews-vocal-cord-surgery-lost-voice\">once spanned four octaves<\/a>, following a minor vocal cord procedure.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Thankfully, not all vocal cord surgeries end in disaster: Grammy-winner Adele <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/adele-opens-up-about-vocal-cord-surgery\/\">went under the knife<\/a> in 2011 to remove a vocal cord polyp. More than a decade later, she continues to top the charts. In fact, there are many singers, actors, news anchors and talk show hosts <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/celebrity-news\/pictures\/stars-who-have-undergone-vocal-surgery\/\">who have suffered various vocal cord injuries and ailments<\/a> and have been able to successfully resume their careers.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">But performers who don\u2019t change their habits and behaviors following an injury or successful surgery may end up right back where they started.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/streamapse.com\/TicketStream\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5658\" src=\"http:\/\/streamapse.com\/Magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/TICKETSTREAM_BANNER.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"968\" height=\"252\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Prevention is the best medicine<\/h2>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">With all this in mind, Grande\u2019s attempt to mitigate the risk of a vocal cord injury that could derail her professional success is wise.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">But how, exactly, is she achieving this by changing the sound of her voice as she speaks?<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">In her response to the speculation on social media, she pointed to the importance of altering her \u201cvocal placement\u201d to preserve her vocal health.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">What she\u2019s really talking about is the interaction between the vocal cords and the vocal tract, which includes the throat, nose and mouth. The vocal tract acts like a filter for the sound created by the vocal cords, causing some sound waves to be dampened while others are amplified. This interaction creates a person\u2019s unique, recognizable voice.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">When Grande focuses on lifting her voice higher up in her vocal tract \u2013 toward her nose \u2013 certain vibrations created by her vocal cords are amplified by the frontal air-filled cavities. This creates a brighter, higher sound that actually lessens the stress on the vocal cords themselves.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">In the clip, Ariana\u2019s voice also sounds light and slightly breathy. She does this by decreasing the amount of force exerted on the vocal cords, so that they may not fully close while she speaks.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Creating a slight gap between the vocal cords keeps them from harshly colliding against one another, which, in turn, could prevent phonotrauma. This is not to be confused with whispering, which can also be <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.jvoice.2004.10.007\">harmful to the voice<\/a>, since it can strain the vocal cords and throat muscles.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">As with many health conditions, prevention is often the best medicine. Although behavioral change can be difficult, Grande seems to be embracing the challenge.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/233621\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\" alt=\"The Conversation\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" \/><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/lydia-kruse-1543842\">Lydia Kruse<\/a>, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/purdue-university-1827\">Purdue University<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/lydia-kruse-1543842\">Lydia Kruse<\/a>, Clinical Assistant Professor of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/purdue-university-1827\">Purdue University<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">This article is republished from <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\">The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/the-science-behind-ariana-grandes-vocal-metamorphosis-233621\">original article<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Every product\/service is selected by editors. Things you buy through these links may earn &#8220;Alliance Media Group and &#8220;Streamapse Magazine&#8221; a commission or revenue.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The science behind Ariana Grande\u2019s vocal metamorphosis. While promoting her role in the upcoming film adaptation of the Broadway hit \u201cWicked,\u201d singer Ariana Grande made a podcast appearance that left many of her fans befuddled and concerned. In the middle of the interview, the sound of her voice drastically changed, going from lower-pitched and slightly [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5360,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5668","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-streamapse-reports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/streamapse.com\/Magazine\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5668","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/streamapse.com\/Magazine\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/streamapse.com\/Magazine\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/streamapse.com\/Magazine\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/streamapse.com\/Magazine\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5668"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/streamapse.com\/Magazine\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5668\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5669,"href":"http:\/\/streamapse.com\/Magazine\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5668\/revisions\/5669"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/streamapse.com\/Magazine\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5360"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/streamapse.com\/Magazine\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5668"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/streamapse.com\/Magazine\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5668"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/streamapse.com\/Magazine\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5668"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}