I can't speak for every Christina stan, but I've always thought the label "Voice Of Her Generation" was regarding more than just pure vocal range - but overall vocal capability, vocal style, music, age, popularity, etc...
Well that's just it. I think that Christina's overall range (about four octaves!), the natural size and weight of her voice, the essential mezzo-ish warmth it has, and her power
are qualities which could make one think of her as The Voice of Her Generation. And I would agree that those things certainly could have contributed towards her getting that title. But what I don't agree with is the idea that her vocal capabilities or vocal style should contribute to that notion. Have you forgotten about performances
like this?
Or this? That's the sort of thing I think of when someone says "Christina's vocal style." I think of pointless, random runs that are just there to be there and don't lead anywhere. I think of random interjections and hoos and hahs. I don't think of stuff that makes the performance better for it. Yeah, Beyonce had
similarly tasteless renditions of classics, but she's
mostly grown out of it. And I don't get the idea that Beyonce isn't versatile. I mean, yeah, I get the complaints about her tone or enunciation (And
very clever of you to conveniently choose complaints about Beyonce that you know I also have issues with; I see you tailoring your argument to me), but I think she's proven at this point that she's capable of singing in a variety of styles and she's just as capable with her voice (and frankly uses it more intelligently) as Christina is.
She debuted at the hype of the teeny-bopper Pop explosion of the early noughties (and while Beyonce was still busy asking for men to pay her "Bills Bills Bills" with her backup singers) and single-handedly made vocals important in Pop music again. Nobody can lay claim to that feat but her. So, symbolically, she is The Voice of Her Generation.
I'll give her this, though. She did put the spotlight back on vocals, even if I don't think she was the best of her generation.
I mean, and it's not just Christina. It wasn't vocals alone that made, for example, Whitney Houston the voice of her (read: any) generation - because even in her day there were singers who were just as good or
maybe even better, and would continue to sing phenomenally for years after Whitney's vocals would irreparably decline. It was a combination of all the things I listed above that earned Whitney the throne.
I agree. But I think Whitney
had all of those qualities. I just don't think the same of Christina, and I generally find myself unimpressed by a lot of the stuff (Porgy & Bess, DWTS performance) that you point out as some of Christina's more impressive stuff.
Kab is a mod who knows that Rihanna stans are joke tier:
(5:34:15 PM) Kabouter: lol @ responses to you quoting me in the pop thread by the way
(5:34:23 PM) Kabouter: One guy not knowing who I am, and another saying I'm his least favourite mod
(5:35:17 PM) Mumei: Well
(5:35:28 PM) Mumei: You are his least favourite mod now because you were being shady towards Rihanna
(5:35:35 PM) Mumei: and he stans for Rihanna
(5:35:42 PM) Mumei: So your insults make him pressed
(5:37:33 PM) Kabouter: lol
(5:37:46 PM) Kabouter: Rihanna fans, psssh
Every time someone compares the Precaution Booklet On How Not To Struggle with Mariah Carey, I feel as if Monroe and Moroccan shed a tear. It's just inappropriate, if not offensive.
Mariah had the world before fading; acclaim, sales, records, influence. Xtincta has only known struggles. Perennially a runner up in every way someone can be a runner up.
Mariah only needed to be Mariah to make a return. Xtincta is much like Brandy; facing a severe lack in DEMAND.
Incidentally, one of the most amusing things to me is people who say "Well we all know what came after Glitter."
Did these people forget that
Charmbracelet came after Glitter? I fear for Christina if that's the next stage for her.