The Case for Drake: Why You Don’t Need to Be a Great Singer to Be a Superstar
If you LOVE to sing, if you LOVE to perform, and you dream of “making it big,” but you know you’re not the best singer out there….who cares?! Now more than ever, the days of needing to be an amazing singer to be a pop star are over, at least for the time being. Years of technical training - not needed. Perfect pitch - not needed. Powerhouse vocals, huge ranges and intricate runs - not needed. Sure the “Singer’s Singers” are still out there - we still have our Bruno Marses and Beyonces - but the wider majority of the singers we listen to and love, are really just “ok” singers.
I love Drake, and feel a little guilty using him as the example in this post. But come on, even Drake knows he’s no Michael Jackson (though he may be able to dance like Michael Ja…ckson). And given Drake’s success, I would guess he could care less that he doesn’t have those one in a million sets of pipes. So don’t throw in the towel if you know you come up a bit short on the power vocals. You may have all that it takes to make it.
What do the biggest singers have today?
STYLE
This is the biggest “need” for singers today. Sure, there’s outer expression - your look, your clothes, etc, which do matter. But we’re particularly talking about VOCAL style. Think of Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, or Adele. Would we EVER confuse one of these singers for the other? They all have a very unique vocal style and timbre of voice.
PRESENCE
This one takes a little thought. Presence can be an aura - being someone we love to look at, whether you’re good-looking or sexy, intriguing, or mysterious. It can be being a weirdo (Tyler the Creator, anyone?), having attitude for miles (Cardi B), or it can be giving electrifying performances - stage presence. Presence is also confidence - owning who you are, owning your unique voice, and presenting that uniqueness in every thing you do. Presence can also be literal presence - “being out there” on social media, gigging, releasing new music frequently, etc (in other words, hustling.) Literal presence greatly increases your chances of making connections - which is one thing about the music business that hasn’t changed - it’s still all about who you know (or getting discovered).
UNDENIABLY CATCHY SONGS
Taylor Swift wrote the book on this. Her vocals have improved significantly through the years, but the original source of her taking off was her ability to write incredible songs. Write, write, write, and to quote songwriter Jason Blume, “K.I.S.S. - Keep It Simple and Singable.” Record your own songs. If you don’t write your own songs, start connecting with people who do write, and start recording the tunes you can’t get out of your head. The more annoyingly stuck it is in your head, the better! Catchy songs today are also about great production. The song can be “ok” or just plain bad writing, but if the beat and production are great, you’re in business!
PASSION + PERSEVERANCE
Last but not least, everyone who has made it is PASSIONATE about music, singing, or performing. They give their heart, their hours, their blood, sweat, and tears, to music. Does this sound like you? Then you may be well on your way!