Despite the variety of artists you hear on the radio or on your streaming services regularly, it is safe to say that the music industry isn’t always fair in judging talents based on just that – talent.
Everything else that comes with the curry of being part of a commercial industry that strives to essentially reek profits, especially for those it constitutes a business, often ends up taking down talents – which otherwise, deserve way more exposure and work, than what they receive.
Often times, the radio isn’t fair either – and with the changing trends in music, where image and visual topples everything else, the good-old fashioned trait of just judging a singer by their vocal talent ceases to exist.
The result is a bunch of underrated singers, who don’t get as much acclaim and accolade as they deserve.
Today our focus is on 10 such fantastic female voices, who would have made a bigger mark back in the day – when big vocals meant something.
Here are the 10 most underrated vocalists/singers:
1) Jennifer Hudson
Although Hudson is an EGOT winner and has had no shortage of critical acclaim and respect from her peers and industry colleagues, what her career lacks is the global success that a voice and presence like her deserves. The singer is blessed with it all – from the looks to the stage presence and of coarse that undeniable, powerhouse voice. Hit albums and songs and a vast catalog is what JHud deserves now.
2) Joss Stone
Joss Stone was one of those singers who made the mark for themselves while traditional 90’s RnB was still resonating with listeners back in the 2000’s. With all her Grammy glory and two absolutely fantastic albums – ‘Introducing Joss Stone’ and ‘Mind, Body and Soul’, Stone should have continued her success internationally but sadly dimmed down from the global music scene.
3) Natasha Bedingfield
A powerful combination of songwriting and soulful vocals, Natasha Bedingfield had that killer combination that gave us unforgettable songs like ‘Unwritten’ and ‘These Words’. Bedingfield continues to serve music to a small audience now, than compared to the exposure she had during her first two albums during the 2000’s. But one of her ‘more’ recent songs – ‘Kick It’ shows just how she can still kick it out of the park….
4) Jazmine Sullivan
Sullivan finally found some global fame and success with the release of her massively critically acclaimed EP – Heaux Tales, which was followed by continued accolades at various awards, but we certainly need to hear more from her beautiful, soulful voice.
5) Nicole Scherzinger
This one has turned out to be a surprise package that no one expected – especially from her early Pussycat Doll days. The overly sexualized girl group did not do any justice to the grand, theatric vocals that Scherzinger was hiding in her. Her live performances of the year, especially those that feature her taking on classics from the music theater, showcase how her talent remains largely under-utilized.
6) Tori Kelly
Tori is blessed with badass complex vocals, which sweep you off your feet. Whether she’s singing her originals or covering the grand ole’ diva classics from the past, Tori’s voice is simply mesmerizing and needs to get some mainstream attention.
7) Jessie J
Jessie J has had some success with her hit singles like ‘Bang Bang’ and ‘Domino’, but with the kind of vocal pipes she is blessed with – she deserves so much more. Just how easily she is able to blow it out of the park, while covering some of the hardest female songs ever – just takes you by awe-inspiring surprise, every single time. Her live performance of Celine Dion’s ‘My Heart Will Go On’ is one such example.
8) Chante Moore
Although Chante came up in the 90’s, we can’t help but bring her up when it comes to the subject of – underrated female singers. Chante is a powerhouse singer, with abundance of grit, groove and soul in her voice. She is also one of the few singers in mainstream, who can given even Mariah Carey a run for her money, when it comes to the usage of Whistle notes.
9) Yolanda Adams
Although Yolanda has established herself as quite a legend in a small demographic, but she had the voice that was supposed to turn her into more than just a Gospel star in America. Adams boasts of some of the most astonishing vocals you may have heard, and the way she easily incorporates her gift – even as she takes-on well established classics, takes you by surprise every single time. Her cover of ‘I Believe I Can Fly’ is one such example. Yolanda is a gem, that ought to be cherished and celebrated more.
10) Duffy
Duffy was another one of those soulful British voices, which came into the scene in the wake of Amy Winehouse’s success but settled into oblivion before Adele took over and carried forward that torch. A personal tragedy kept her away from the limelight, but she had so much more to offer after the countless bops that were featured in her retro-inspired soulful album Rockferry.
Aside from the ones already listed, which other female singers do you think are particularly underrated and deserve more success in the mainstream?
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