Why can't we hear a British accent when British singers sing?

1. 61

   Jangaplanetposted 12 years ago

   Why can't we hear a British accent when British singers sing?
   
   Do all songs when sung have no accents?

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2. 81

   lbsf1posted 12 years ago

   I'm british so I don't notice the accent, most british singers to me just sound like a normal british accent, in the same way that I think that some american singers don't sound like they have an american accent.
   
   The british accent is highly exadurated, 99% of us don't speak that poshly at all.

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3. 60

   duffsmomposted 12 years ago

   It seems that accents seem to really disappear or minimize when singing.  I guess we could consider the music or tune being sung the accent.

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4. 64

   Cara.Rposted 12 years ago

   Interesting question, my Fiance is British and a singer and you can't hear his accent when he sings. However, as an example,The Pogues, Featuring Kirsty MacColl, (Fairytale of New York) you can hear an accent. I think it was meant to sound that way though.

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5. 71

   Alecia Murphyposted 12 years ago

   I hear accents in some British artists music like the Spice Girls. But I can tell a singer's British in their intonations more than their voice, it's more like how they say the word than their voice as a whole. Interesting question.

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6. 90

   GoodLadyposted 12 years ago

   Great question Jangaplanet and I've decided to make a Hub about it!  Hope OK with you.  Will get to it in a few days.

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7. 67

   samanthamayerposted 12 years ago

   Yes we can, sometimes! I think of Adele. Some British artists may let their accent through in some songs more than others. I think it partly has to do with how we feel music and how we feel most natural singing.
   
   A lot of what has to do with producing 'good' sounds is forming vowels in a certain way. This will also have a huge impact on whether or not someone's true accent comes through. Vowels are ideally open and lengthened, so that the sound that comes through doesn't seem forced. You also have to concentrate on where you project sound - choral singers lift the soft palette in their mouths so that the sound resonates seemingly up through the top of the head, whereas pop singers using their chest voice want to push the sound forward. This is also an important factor in determining the sound of someone's voice - you don't want to sound nasal!
   
   Hope the technical stuff thrown in at the end wasn't too confusing. But singers really do need to hone and craft their voices. Voice is an instrument.

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8. 0

   Indigitalposted 12 years ago

   Oh, you can. I assure you once I listen to anything other than British music I notice it's American or German or any other country. When first listening to Rihanna I turned to my Mother and said "Ah, another American."

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