Listener ratings of singer expressivity in musical performance

Vocal fry has gained a lot of attention in recent years from speech language pathologists, linguists, singers, researchers, and the general public alike. Vocal fry register uses low airflow through shortened vocal folds, causing an aperiodic pattern in vocal fold oscillation. This vocal mannerism is becoming increasingly common in American speech, fueling discussion about the implications and perception of its use. As it has become more prevalent, fry has naturally found its place in many commercial American song styles as well. Many singers are implementing fry as a stylistic device at the onset or offset of a sung tone. The objective of this study is to analyze whether listeners’ ratings of a singer’s expressivity in musical samples in two contemporary commercial styles (pop and country) are affected by the presence of vocal fry. We hope that this study will shed some insight into the prevalence of this particular vocalism in popular music, and to see if there is a difference in listener ratings according to the singer’s gender.