Katy Perry Calls Ariana Grande ‘the Best Living Vocalist on Earth’ — Is She Right?
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Katy Perry started off her Friday morning bright and early to tweet “happiest birthday to the best living vocalist on earth @ArianaGrande fight me if you think different.” The Voice coach Ariana Grande turns 28 on June 26 and Perry got ahead of the game with her birthday shoutout. She left everyone giving their take in the comments section about whether or not Grande really is the best living vocalist on Earth.
Is Ariana Grande ‘the Best Living Vocalist’?
After Perry tweeted what she knew would generate buzz, fans gathered in the comments section to debate her claim. They raised many questions about artists like Adele, Christina Aguilera, Mariah Carey, Beyonce, and Celine Dion who are all very strong vocalists. There were also a bunch of die-hard Arianators in the mix who completely agree with Perry.
Grande has already established herself as one of the best, if not the best live performer of this generation. She has literally slayed any award show appearance, talk show appearance, or concert that she has done from the start of her career. It also didn’t take long for people to realize that she was the standout vocalist on the show Victorious which first aired in 2010. She even out-sang the show’s star, Victoria Justice.
There is clearly a reason why Grande is one of the most-streamed artists of all time. The “7 Rings” singer has dominated the Billboard charts and garnered over 19 billion views on YouTube. She just had a truly unforgettable performance with The Weeknd at The 2021 iHeart Radio Music Awards that left people in the audience in tears just because of her presence. Her whistle tones are perfect, but we can’t deny that Carey is the one who popularized this technique in her music.
Mariah Carey Fans Disagree with Perry
“When Mariah Carey exists…. you’ve just embarrassed yourself,” one fan wrote under Perry’s tweet.
Carey had a very disastrous performance during New Year’s Eve in 2016. She was invited back to redeem herself and proved to literally everyone that she still has that incredibly unique tone. Her songs “We Belong Together” and “Always Be My Baby” are timeless. It goes without saying that a person’s vocal range can change over the years but Carey has been able to adapt well to these changes.
She has really been working on fine-tuning her lower register. Though Carey is the original R&B diva, Grande has definitely been a more consistent vocalist in the past decade. The pop genre is currently being dominated by Grande and her very successful 2020 album Positions. You can’t walk into a retail store without hearing her songs blaring over the speakers. It’s impossible not to pay attention to her beautiful voice.
How Do Other Artists Measure Up to Grande Vocally?
Aguilera, a mezzo-soprano, has also been one of the original queens of vocal runs. Some may even call it vocal gymnastics. Songs like “Hurt” and “Fighter” show off Aguilera’s versatility as an artist. Beyonce also has a huge song catalogue with some shining vocal moments in “Best Thing I Never Had” and “Halo.” Adele established herself as a vocal master from the start with “Rolling in the Deep.” And, there really isn’t any other song out there even comparable to Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On.”
So many other artists definitely have demonstrated their vocal chops in their respective careers. Each of them is very different and offers something unique to the world of music. However, when it comes to which artist is the most timely and has consistently put out music that conquers the airwaves, Grande definitely reigns supreme. The point Perry was probably trying to make is that Grande essentially never stops working to achieve greatness as an artist in this generation. Simply put, Grande has a great voice and wants you to know it.
