[happycanadian]

****feel free to skip this post if you have no interest in one dude's ranting pop culture allocution****


yeah, she really is this generation's icon. i mean, since the 2000's - there's truly only Britney, Beyonce and Gaga that are on that level. and Britney?! she'll be forever remembered as the one who started it all; the catalyst for a decade+ of manufactured pop acts with limited measurable musical talent. also for making lip-syncing acceptable (*groan*).

Gaga is the whole other force altogether. and really achieved the rare feat of becoming an instant icon. she'll be remembered for her wild persona, her incredible fashions, but moreso for her ingenuity in the way that she's crafted her relationship with her fans. it's on another level.

and then there's Beyonce. who harkens back to an earlier era of Diva and performer, but who has the flair and performance style of the moderns acts. she really is -- as far as live performance -- much like Tina meets MJ. she's definitely already an icon and will be remembered as the meticulous and precise and exuberant total-package that she is. and what's even more impressive is how genuinely friendly and normal she seems. she comes across as an incredibly well-balanced, gracious woman. she's a spectacular role-model.

i also think that she's an excellent singer. she has tremendous breath control, range, clarity, and pitch. she's never hoarse, she keeps her voice pristine. i'm not sure she'll ever be considered one of the great vocalists, though. and i think that may have to do with just how 'perfect' she is. she's astounding to watch, but vocally - you do get the sense that there's not much that occurs that hasn't been heavily rehearsed. much like Michael Jackson, in that sense, actually. the sort of artistic fluidity and interpretation of a lyric that marks the greatest vocalists is something altogether different, imo. also - her voice doesn't have the guts to it. i happen to think that - as far as literal singing technique and skill is concerned - Beyonce is far superior to Adele. but when Adele sings, there's an immediate emotional connection that translates through the lyric in a different way than Beyonce, coupled with the actual resonance and tone of her voice that is just more 'soulful'. and so she will be thought of as a better vocalist.