Style & Image: Music and Voice

Knowles has always been identified as the centerpiece of Destiny’s Child. Jon Pareles of The New York Times commented that she has the voice that defines the group, writing that her voice is “velvety yet tart, with an insistent flutter and reserves of soul belting”. James Anthony of The Guardian called her voice distinctive and fast, with almost hiccuping vocal technique. Other critics praise her range and power. In reviewing her second album B’Day, Jody Rosen of Entertainment Weekly writes “Beyoncé Knowles is a storm system disguised as a singer. On her second solo album, B’Day, the songs arrive in huge gusts of rhythm and emotion, with Beyoncé’s voice rippling over clattery beats; you’d have to search far and wide — perhaps in the halls of the Metropolitan Opera — to find a vocalist who sings with more sheer force…No one — not R. Kelly, not Usher, to say nothing of her rival pop divas — can match Beyoncé’s genius for dragging her vocal lines against a hip-hop beat.” Chris Richards of the Washington Post writes, “Even when she’s coasting, she soars above her imitators. It’s all in her voice—a superhuman instrument capable of punctuating any beat with goose-bump-inducing whispers or full-bore diva-roars. Smitten, scorned, amorous, antagonistic—Beyoncé sings from all of these vantage points with undeniable virtuosity.” The Cove magazine ranked Knowles seventh on their list of “The 100 Outstanding Pop Vocalists”, giving her 48 out of 50 points based on several criteria ranging from her vocal ability to range to harmony. Knowles has often been criticized for oversinging. A prominent employer of melisma, she earns frequent comparison to such artists as Mariah Carey, whose vocal embellishments have been known to detract from the melody of their songs. Eye Weekly writes, “There’s no question that Beyonce is one of the best singers in pop, maybe one of the best alive…[However] as judicious as her singing can be, the effect in sum is still like being hit in the head with a fist in a velvet glove.”

Knowles’ music is generally contemporary R&B, but also includes genres of dance-pop, funk, pop and soul. While she almost exclusively releases English songs, Knowles did record several Spanish records for the re-release of B’Day. Destiny’s Child had already recorded a Spanish song and received favorable responses from their Latin fans. Knowles took Spanish in school when she was young, but can now only speak a few words of the language. Prior to recording the Spanish titles on the re-released version of B’Day, she was coached phonetically by American record producer Rudy Perez.

[Text from Wikipedia]