Top Five Female Singers Of 2010

There are many great and not to great female performers in pop music today. But there aren't many true singers, if you will. I mean, as much as I love Janet Jackson and respect Madonna, they're not really singers, someone whose voice you could just listen to and say "wow".

To me, singers have not only clear, but strong voices. They can sing fast or slow songs and be convincing. They can hit some high notes, yet slide back into ballads and be soft and inviting. In essence, they can elicit emotions on all fronts, in all styles, multi-faceted as one can possibly be.

Based on this thought, this is my thought on who the top five female singers are in pop music today, in reverse order:

5.

Shakira

There's no denying that those shaking hips are enticing, but it's the voice that really draws people in. Shakira has one of those international voices that just draws people in for some reason. She can belt out a tune that can be heard miles away, and then back off and make someone listen deeply. And she can do it in five different languages; can't beat that.

4.

Beyonce

No one can deny that Beyonce isn't everywhere and everything these days. She has this unique singing style that is usually easily identifiable immediately. I say it this way because, until recently, I saw Beyonce as someone with a lot of talent but not much range. Her latest album, however, has made me change this thinking. Not only is she showing that she can go soft, but she's showing that she can change her style to fit the song, rather than making each song fit her voice, and that's impressive. Finally, Beyonce is realizing that she doesn't have to do that same inflection she's done in almost every single Destiny's Child song that, while unique, can get in the way of a really nice song at times.

3.

Taylor Swift

Very few people can claim to have had as great a year as Taylor Swift, did. This young lady has a realism to her voice that comes across so naturally, and she can at once be soft and innocent and change to powerful and in total control of her world. And since she writes her own songs and plays her own instrument, she's one of the few who will have total control over her destiny as the years go by. And she's not even 20 yet; wow!

2.

Christina Aguilera

Christina Aguilera is my wife's favorite singer, as she says all the time "How does that big voice come out of someone so little?" Indeed, it's always been about the voice, no matter the incarnation of the day that she decides she wants to be. Is today the good Christina or the naughty Christina? Who cares, as long as she sings. Imagine, on the same album she had a song called Dirty where she let the world know how powerful her voice was, and then followed up with Beautiful, a heart wrenching song that, even toned down vocally, was still as powerful as anything anyone else has ever sung.

1.

Mariah Carey

If anyone wants to debate me on the merits of why Mariah Carey is number one don't even bother. She is the queen of divas in today's world, and it's shocking to think that she's been out there now almost 15 years. More number one hits than any other female artist in history, she has a five octave range that allows her to go immediately from hitting the highest note to the lowest note in the same verse; unheard of, and it all seems so effortlessly achieved. Fast, slow, loud, soft, she's done it all over her career, and the idiots who canceled her recording contract have to be kicking themselves over and over for doubting her ability to be relevant again. Know what? She was relevant then, even during the Glitter fiasco, as her singing brought the only bit of class to both the movie and the soundtrack that movie had a chance of obtaining; I know because I bought the CD. Mariah Carey is the only woman I'd ever cheat on my wife with, but only if she sang to me first; number one!

© Reviews of Everything