How is Beyonce' influential? She has copied off the best of the best including Tina Turner. I know the word "influential" is subjective and all. I just don't get it.

R A D I O H E A D

quote:

Originally posted by the_absinthe_bunny:
Christina is also another one who's style is gonna be an influence for other artists in the future

What I don't see is how Christina Aguilera will be influential. She's added nothing new to what the 3 women that influenced her had done: Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, and Mariah Carey.

She does have a more versatile catalog than them, but one thing many people have complained about regarding Christina is that her music isn't that great. Yes, she's a great singer, but we've seen many of those. To me, she's just another great singer. It's also hard to categorize her given that all 3 of her albums sound completely different, but that can be a good or bad thing depending on how you look at it.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: MrTalented,

quote:

Originally posted by MrTalented:
What I don't see is how Christina Aguilera will be influential. She's added nothing new to what the 3 women that influenced her had done: Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, and Mariah Carey.

But you could also make that argument with anyone else mentioned in the thread. Amy Winehouse certainly isn't the first to do what she did. Beyonce is doing what Tina Turner did on stage and what many others do musically today, Rihanna is a much less talented Beyonce clone, Usher didn't really do anything that Bobby Brown didn't, Justin Timberlake isn't that much different than Michael Jackson.

I don't agree that she's a great singer but many consider her the voice of this generation. Young singer's try to mimic that over singing, over running, melismatic note butchering that she does. Mariah Carey did that style too but it wasn't as excessive, and a lot of her runs at least made some kind of musical sense.

I agree.

My point about Christina is that being a great singer isn't a trademark that I find to be influential. If you're a great singer, then you're a great singer, regardless of who came before you.

It's so clear that Beyonce is basically doing what Tina did back in the day. But as you indicated, Rihanna is simply a much less talented version of Beyonce. There's that something about Beyonce's public persona that can be mimicked and copied. Rihanna is prime proof of Beyonce's influence, IMO; even though Tina influenced Beyonce, Rihanna doesn't seem influenced by Tina. She seems more influenced by Beyonce.

I think that Leona Lewis is an amazing vocalist, but I don't think that Christina has influenced her singing since she's proven that she's better (same strength, same power, same range, less over singing). I agree with you about Usher and Justin too. Neither of them are doing anything different from what Bobby & Michael did, but I do think that Usher's influence can be seen in artists like Ne-Yo, Mario, and Chris Brown, though Brown might seem more influenced by Michael Jackson rather than Usher. I really don't see Justin's influence in anyone that's come after him.

LOL at "note butchering." If that's how Christina is influential, then I guess there's no debating that. She's a great vocalist, but as far is this decade is concerned, she's definitely the queen of over singing & over running.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: MrTalented,

Personally I'd like to see future artists be inspired by people like Robin Thicke, Lauryn Hill, and Lenny Kravitz. These 3, and many others took their inspirations along with their OWN voice and took music in a new interesting direction.

^^I completely agree.

I'm a fan of all 3 artists, especially Lauryn Hill.

If having younger individuals audition with songs(using the newer takes on older songs) then I don't know what influential is...this in reference to Christina.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: CruzingAround,

Besides dressing sexy, shaking her booty and being a good singer, how does that make Beyonce' influential. She may be one the most popular female artists this decade. However, she hasn't done anything that hasn't been done before, IMO. Being popular doesn't make you inspirational.

She's influential because her influence can actually be seen through other female artists, like Amerie, Rihanna, and Christina Milian.

But how has Christina been influential? She sings. That's it. How does that make her influential? I don't see her influence showing through ANYBODY. Beyonce's influence on other artists is quite clear. Christina's? Not so much.

I just think that some things just aren't adding up. People say that Christina is influential, but to whom? People have auditioned her songs on "American Idol," but that doesn't make her influential. I've heard people audition songs by Alicia Keys, Nelly Furtado, Beyonce, Jill Scott and a lot of others on that show, so if that's a defense then there are a lot of one-hit wonders that can be called influential too, since some of their stuff has been auditioned on the show.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: MrTalented,

quote:

Originally posted by MrTalented:
She's influential because her influence can actually be seen through other female artists, like Amerie, Rihanna, and Christina Milian.

But how has Christina been influential? She sings. That's it. How does that make her influential? I don't see her influence showing through ANYBODY. Beyonce's influence on other artists is quite clear. Christina's? Not so much.

I just think that some things just aren't adding up. People say that Christina is influential, but to whom? People have auditioned her songs on "American Idol," but that doesn't make her influential. I've heard people audition songs by Alicia Keys, Nelly Furtado, Beyonce, Jill Scott and a lot of others on that show, so if that's a defense then there are a lot of one-hit wonders that can be called influential too, since some of their stuff has been auditioned on the show.

You obviously missed my point in refernece to auditioning songs on 'American Idol'

My point was that when singers audition with songs like "At Last" and "Lady Marmalade" they more often emulate Christina's takes on the songs and not the originals, there must be SOME influence there if the auditioners opt to take on the versions done by Christina and not the original singers.....

quote:

Originally posted by CruzingAround:

quote:

Originally posted by MrTalented:
She's influential because her influence can actually be seen through other female artists, like Amerie, Rihanna, and Christina Milian.

But how has Christina been influential? She sings. That's it. How does that make her influential? I don't see her influence showing through ANYBODY. Beyonce's influence on other artists is quite clear. Christina's? Not so much.

I just think that some things just aren't adding up. People say that Christina is influential, but to whom? People have auditioned her songs on "American Idol," but that doesn't make her influential. I've heard people audition songs by Alicia Keys, Nelly Furtado, Beyonce, Jill Scott and a lot of others on that show, so if that's a defense then there are a lot of one-hit wonders that can be called influential too, since some of their stuff has been auditioned on the show.

You obviously missed my point in refernece to auditioning songs on 'American Idol'

My point was that when singers audition with songs like "At Last" and "Lady Marmalade" they more often emulate Christina's takes on the songs and not the originals, there must be SOME influence there if the auditioners opt to take on the versions done by Christina and not the original singers.....

Or because the auditioners are too stupid to know that Christina (and co) didn't do them originally.

quote:

Originally posted by CruzingAround:
My point was that when singers audition with songs like "At Last" and "Lady Marmalade" they more often emulate Christina's takes on the songs and not the originals, there must be SOME influence there if the auditioners opt to take on the versions done by Christina and not the original singers.....

This is true. This debate is getting rather pointless. I mean, the word "influential" is subjective. Some may find Christina Aguilera influental, some may not. Who cares?

Donna Summer has been an influence and will continue to be such in the future whether Crayons is her last cd or not.

quote:

Originally posted by MrTalented:
She's influential because her influence can actually be seen through other female artists, like Amerie, Rihanna, and Christina Milian.

Her influence is less about her and more about what sales. Beyonce is influential to development heads; not other artists. Record companies want a big selling star. This does not mean she has added something new to a genre of music which future artists wanna copy; but they do wanna copy her sales figuers.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: FishBiscuit,

quote:

Originally posted by bildo10:

quote:

Originally posted by CruzingAround:

quote:

Originally posted by MrTalented:
She's influential because her influence can actually be seen through other female artists, like Amerie, Rihanna, and Christina Milian.

But how has Christina been influential? She sings. That's it. How does that make her influential? I don't see her influence showing through ANYBODY. Beyonce's influence on other artists is quite clear. Christina's? Not so much.

I just think that some things just aren't adding up. People say that Christina is influential, but to whom? People have auditioned her songs on "American Idol," but that doesn't make her influential. I've heard people audition songs by Alicia Keys, Nelly Furtado, Beyonce, Jill Scott and a lot of others on that show, so if that's a defense then there are a lot of one-hit wonders that can be called influential too, since some of their stuff has been auditioned on the show.

You obviously missed my point in refernece to auditioning songs on 'American Idol'

My point was that when singers audition with songs like "At Last" and "Lady Marmalade" they more often emulate Christina's takes on the songs and not the originals, there must be SOME influence there if the auditioners opt to take on the versions done by Christina and not the original singers.....

Or because the auditioners are too stupid to know that Christina (and co) didn't do them originally.

My thoughts exactly.

quote:

Originally posted by FishBiscuit:
Her influence is less about her and more about what sales. Beyonce is influential to development heads; not other artists. Record companies want a big selling star. This does not mean she has added something new to a genre of music which future artists wanna copy; but they do wanna copy her sales figuers.

You make a valid point.

quote:

Originally posted by Gucci:

quote:

Originally posted by FishBiscuit:
Her influence is less about her and more about what sales. Beyonce is influential to development heads; not other artists. Record companies want a big selling star. This does not mean she has added something new to a genre of music which future artists wanna copy; but they do wanna copy her sales figuers.

You make a valid point.

That still makes her influential in some way.

The artists do have the right to say "no, I don't want to be marketed this way," but they go with it.

Therefore, her influence still shows through those artists, whether or not the artists choose to emulate her style or not.

quote:

Originally posted by Gucci:

quote:

Originally posted by CruzingAround:
My point was that when singers audition with songs like "At Last" and "Lady Marmalade" they more often emulate Christina's takes on the songs and not the originals, there must be SOME influence there if the auditioners opt to take on the versions done by Christina and not the original singers.....

This is true. This debate is getting rather pointless. I mean, the word "influential" is subjective. Some may find Christina Aguilera influental, some may not. Who cares?

Yah I obviously give up, there's no point in trying to make a valid point when folks don't seem to consider it anyway.

quote:

Originally posted by MrTalented:
That still makes her influential in some way.

The artists do have the right to say "no, I don't want to be marketed this way," but they go with it.

Therefore, her influence still shows through those artists, whether or not the artists choose to emulate her style or not.

Yeah, they have the options but aren't you aware of what happeend to Kelly Clakrson when she said she doesn't want to be marketed that way? I thought you're one of those who always point your fingers to Kelly about not following Clive.