Exploring Gender and Identity through Vocal Modification

We talk, we sing - it is because we have the desire or necessity to express ourselves. Voice is a large part of what we are. However, it doesn't always manifest intentionally through our throats. For example, transgender people are likely to struggle with voice dysphoria because their assigned sex doesn’t match their gender or identity. This example demonstrates the inseparable connection between sex and gender/identity; in other words, voice is a medium for negotiating and expressing one’s sex and gender/identity. Not only one’s gender/identity but also one’s emotions are, of course, involved with voice. As Leongómez et al. (2021) pointed out, “In many animals, including humans, the nonverbal properties of vocal cues can indicate both relatively static biological qualities of the vocalizer, such as sex, age, and body size. Importantly, vocal cues can also dynamically signal motivations and emotions, such as aggression, fear, distress or pleasure” (pg.1). This paper specifically focuses on the singing voice and the means by which it can be modified or altered, exploring how these means are employed in relation to a singer's gender/identity. Additionally, this paper categorizes these means into two distinct groups: physical techniques and technological approaches.

To begin with, this section delves into physical techniques. As mentioned earlier, voice is primarily defined by biological elements that we can't control. Notably, one of the most prominent cues shaping voice is sex. In general, males have lower voices while females have higher voices. These traits are often linked to masculinity and femininity, respectively, within a heteronormative society. Consequently, voices that deviate from these norms are perceived as defiant in some sense. Falsetto by males is one prominent example of defiant voices. Falsetto is a vocal technique that allows individuals to produce higher-pitched voices. While females also employ falsetto, the significance it holds varies depending on one's sex. Male falsetto is often regarded as more distinctive and rebellious because high vocals are typically considered female traits.

In this section, I categorize the significance of males' falsetto into three groups, each based on its specific or, sometimes, intersectional usage:

1. Ecstasy, affirmation of one’s gender/identity and desire
2. Deviation from fixed gender/sexuality norms
3. Rejection of hegemonic masculinity or representation of alternative masculinity

Firstly, it is necessary to explore the most iconic and influential user of falsetto in popular music. His name is Prince. I conveniently use he/him pronouns for Prince in this context, following the practice adopted by numerous media outlets. Prince is none other than Prince as you can tell from his outfits, performances, and lyrics. Above all, Prince used “a "Love Symbol" which was a mash-up of the gender symbols for man and woman” (Lussenhop, 2016) as a name. The falsetto heard in his many songs embodies each of all three categories mentioned above.

As for category 1, “Do Me, Baby” (Prince, 1981) reflects the idea of ecstasy. Throughout the song, Prince sings in falsetto, expressing his desire for love in a sexual way. In this sense, falsetto affirms his explicit sexual desire which is typically considered outside the norm. In this song, he also moans, sometimes in a higher voice like a falsetto. It sounds like his masculine sides and feminine sides are manifested at the same time, or blended together, fueled by ecstasy. Falsetto which influences ecstasy reciprocally enables androgynous expressions. His perspective on gender or identity defies the norms prevalent in a heteronormative society. This aspect will be further elaborated upon in the next section.

His falsetto is also aligned with category 2: Deviation from fixed gender/sexuality norms. As mentioned earlier, It is oblivious that his performances are heavily rooted in the flamboyant, effeminate, and androgynous concept. Clothing clearly holds these concepts, however, falsetto plays a significant role as well. For example, “Controversy” (Prince, 1981) shows literally controversial ideas in a heteronormative and conservative society. The lyrics begin with “I just can't believe all the things people say / Controversy / Am I black or white? / Am I straight or gay? / Controversy” (Prince, 1981). He rejects fixed and binary ideas with a beautiful falsetto. Race and sexuality are just social ideas to him; that is why he is regarded as controversial. Also, falsetto makes these ideas more ambiguous due to its transgressive sound. “I Would Die 4 U” (Prince, 1984) portrays the ambiguity he embodies. The lyrics open with the lines, "I'm not a woman / I'm not a man / I am something that you'll never understand" (Prince, 1984). Prince challenges the binary norm of woman and man, defying traditional categorizations. In these lines, his falsetto is not as distinct as the songs mentioned above. It sounds like a mixture between falsetto and his natural voice. Its ambiguity also enforces the idea, he’s not a man or a woman.

“I Wanna Be Your Lover” (Prince, 1979) is regarded as category 3. The lyrics start with “I ain't got no money / I ain't like those other guys you hang around” (Prince, 1979). Through these words, Prince expresses that he is different from other men. He embodies an alternative form of masculinity by openly acknowledging his lack of wealth. In traditional masculinity, showing vulnerability or weakness, such as not having money, is typically discouraged. Money often serves as a symbol of power and status among men. Throughout this song, Prince sings in falsetto, which intertwines with the lyrics, enhancing his effeminate image. He ain’t like other guys in terms of the way he sings and the way he perceives his own masculinity.

These examples from Prince show what these categories are like. In this section, I explore other artists who have been influenced by Prince and a few artists who adopt the falsetto like Prince did. D’Angelo masters an attractive falsetto. His popular hit “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” (D’Angelo, 2000) could be categorized within category 1; however, it is a little different from Prince’s “Do Me, Baby”. In the first place, he exudes a strong sense of masculinity, as evidenced by the depiction of his muscular nudity in the music video. This song is explicitly about sex as indicated by the lyrics “How does it feel” or “I'd love to make you wet / In between your thighs 'cause I love when it comes inside you” (D’Angelo, 2000). As the song progresses, both the instruments and his falsetto progressively become more intense, resembling a journey toward a state of ecstasy. Also, it deviates from heteronormativity; the music video of the song, featuring him singing in a seductive manner, baring it all, was blamed for its sexiness mainly by men because it flipped the (hetero, conventional) male gaze. According to Watson (2023), “​​The video is subversive, a display of black masculinity that's affectionate but confident, and delicate but strong.” (Watson, 2023). Falsetto is surely a part of his sexiness and contributes to making him vulnerable. He represents alternative (black) masculinity through the video and an ecstatic falsetto.

Maxwell’s “This Woman’s Work” (Maxwell, 2001), originally by Kate Bush (1989), could be categorized within category 3. He didn’t transpose its key, and perhaps because of that, he sings in falsetto throughout the song. As a result, he successfully reinterprets the song from a male perspective. For example, the lyrics “I should be crying but I just can't let it show” resonate differently when he sings them. As the idiom "boys don't cry" suggests, crying has traditionally been seen as not masculine. He reveals its toxicity and his emotion and vulnerability. In this sense, he challenges existing toxic masculinity.

Frank Ocean’s heartbreaking number “Thinkin Bout You” (Frank Ocean, 2012) could belong to category 2 and 3. Before the release of the album “Channel Orange”, which contains “Thinkin Bout You”, he revealed his first love was a man. In “Thinkin Bout You”, each chorus is sung in falsetto. It underscores his love is harder than other straight men because the higher voices are conventionally not for men. Additionally, its lyrics have contrived masculine lines such as “No, I don't like you, I just thought you were cool enough to kick it / Got a beach house I could sell you in Idaho / Since you think I don't love you, I just thought you were cute / That's why I kissed you” (Frank Ocean, 2012). Dhaenens and De Ridder (2015) point out this line “He masks his desires and instead articulates traditional masculine behavior.” (Dhaenens and De Ridder, pg. 290). This line is not sung in falsetto; he covers his feeling with his natural voice, pretending to be masculine. It is not directly related to category 2, however, the contrast of his voices and the lyrics uncovers his vulnerability or queerness.

Furthermore, there are other artists, influenced by Prince, who adopt the falsetto. Blood Orange often uses the falsetto, not only in the chorus but also throughout a song like Prince did. He doesn’t identify as gay, however, as seen in his album “Coastal Grooves” (Blood Orange, 2011), which uses “one of Lantelme’s images of Exotica, a drag queen theatrically draping herself on a wall outside Sally’s in 1996” (Chen, 2019) as its cover, he has been influenced by queer culture and being a part of it. He talked in an interview “I want to celebrate people who I feel represent freedom, for example Octavia St. Laurent” (Interview Magazine, 2010). These backgrounds and glamorous falsettos, and, of course, the lyrics, make the album embody queerness.

Additionally, many queer artists such as Steve Lacy, Perfume Genius, and Shamir also adopt Prince-like falsettos in their songs. Also, Thom Yorke, Bon Iver, and James Blake often sing in falsetto. These artists, mostly in their lyrics, are more related to challenging traditional masculinity than queerness. In conclusion, falsetto embodies an alluring charm, mostly to queer artists, that deviates from conventional norms within a heteronormative society.

Next, let’s explore technological approaches to modulate/change one’s voice such as auto-tune and pitch-shift. Cher’s “Believe” (Cher, 1998) is a pioneering and iconic song in terms of auto-tune. It is widely recognized as the first pop song which adopts auto-tune. Also, not to mention, of course, “Believe” is an immensely popular gay anthem, and Cher is a prominent gay icon. Consequently, from the very beginning of voice-modulation technologies, they have embodied queerness. Moreover, intriguingly, Cher usually sings in a lower voice, which is generally considered masculine. In this sense, she deviates from the norm like Prince singing in a falsetto. It might be one reason why she is regarded as a certified gay icon.

Considering pitch-shift, Sophie is an iconic and influential figure. Her songs frequently employ pitch-shifted vocals, but in this case, firstly, I specifically focus on the track “Bipp” (Sophie, 2013). In the song, her voice is highly pitch-upped, therefore, at least it doesn’t sound male. Due to this, she was accused of gender appropriation “where critics who’d incorrectly assumed her gender identity as male had slammed her for adopting a female alias and stereotypically girlish aesthetics” (Lhooq, 2017). In an interview, she reacts to it “I’ve found it difficult to accept the things people have said,” (Lhooq, 2017). At the time of its release, she didn’t come out as a trans woman. However, she tried to find “her” voice in her songs. Therefore, in this song, pitch-shift is closely intertwined with her gender/identity. She might have trans-coded her voice in the song, just like its cover appears to resemble the trans flag.

In contrast, in “It’s Okay to Cry” (Sophie, 2017), she uses her natural (non-pitch-upped) voice. Through the journey of experiencing pitch-upped voices, she might have arrived at a point where she embraces her natural voice as a trans person. She sings in the song “I can see the truth through all the lies / And even after all this time / Just know you've got nothing to hide” (Sophie, 2017).

Heavily inspired by Sophie and PC Music, an internet music label founded by A. G. Cook, hyperpop was born as a hyper-ambiguous genre. The genre is often described as exaggerated, absurd, artificial, or eclectic: strongly modulated vocals, distorted guitar, metal-sound bass, and ferocious synth sounds. In this section, I focus on only its vocals to support the main idea. 100 gecs, formed by Dylan and Laura, is regarded as one of the popular hyperpop artists. In many of their songs, their voices are modulated, and especially, Laura’s voices are highly pitch-upped and auto-tuned. She is also a trans woman, and talked about her vocal “It's the only way that I can record, I can’t listen to my regular voice, usually” (Kim, 2020). She uses these approaches to mitigate voice dysphoria. Other trans or gender non-confirming hyperpop artists such as Drian Electra or underscores also adopt these approaches.

Moreover, these approaches can be seen as campy; which is why many queer artists employ them and why their music resonates with queer audiences. Sontag (1964) states that “All Camp objects, and persons, contain a large element of artifice. Nothing in nature can be campy” (Sontag, pg. 3). Highly pitch-shifted or auto-tuned voices are quite artificial. Vocals of many hyperpop songs can be considered campy, similarly, Cher’s “Believe” is also campy. LaBruce notes that “My perhaps idealized conception is that it is, or was, by its very nature political, subversive, even revolutionary, at least in its most pure and sophisticated manifestations” (LaBruce, pg.11). His point is that camp is political. These vocals are, of course, political, subversive, and revolutionary as they modulate their vocals to express themselves in a heteronormative society that tries to trap them into a small stifling box.

In conclusion, physical techniques like falsetto and technological approaches such as pitch-shift and auto-tune are closely related to the singers’ gender/identity. They modify their voices to reclaim their authentic selves.


References

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