Battle of the Vocals: Pink Vs. Kelly Clarkson

[stunnedout]

I've noticed that these 2 ladies are 2 of the most vocally praised females here. Who do you think is the #1 vocalist between the 2?

[carrieidol1]

I LOVE both, but I think Kelly's voice is a little more versatile. They have very similar singing styles, but Kelly has more range and can overall do more with her voice. So I vote Kelly.

[MilesW1998]

P!nk, only 'cause Kelly's voice has recently been cracking recently, especially in Love So Soft.

[bb]

Pink is excellent but Kelly is arguably one of the best pop vocalists of all time. To me it's not really a contest in terms of technique, versatility and power.

[boysilver400]

P!nk slightly.

[dbhmr]

Sept 17, 2017 13:43:51 GMT -5 bb said:

Pink is excellent but Kelly is arguably one of the best pop vocalists of all time. To me it's not really a contest in terms of technique, versatility and power.

Yeah, with the exception of a stronger lower register, there isn't one technical aspect of Pink's voice that's superior to Kelly's.

[born]

Sept 17, 2017 13:33:04 GMT -5 carrieidol1 said:

I LOVE both, but I think Kelly's voice is a little more versatile. They have very similar singing styles, but Kelly has more range and can overall do more with her voice. So I vote Kelly.

This. But I think that Pink is still among the best vocalists we have.

[stunnedout]

Sept 17, 2017 13:43:51 GMT -5 bb said:

Pink is excellent but Kelly is arguably one of the best pop vocalists of all time. To me it's not really a contest in terms of technique, versatility and power.

I'm curious, what does Kelly offer that Pink doesn't vocally? I honestly created the poll because they are both so similar vocally I kind of see it as a tie.

[dbhmr]

Sept 17, 2017 16:58:26 GMT -5 stunnedout said:

Sept 17, 2017 13:43:51 GMT -5 bb said:

Pink is excellent but Kelly is arguably one of the best pop vocalists of all time. To me it's not really a contest in terms of technique, versatility and power.

I'm curious, what does Kelly offer that Pink doesn't vocally? I honestly created the poll because they are both so similar vocally I kind of see it as a tie.

Kelly has a stronger, fuller upper range, and can both hit higher notes (belting and in head voice) and can also sing in a higher key for longer. Her vocal delivery is more versatile, lending itself to more authentic performances across different genres and styles. She has more control generally, but especially on vocal runs.

But Pink is still one of the greats, and has improved quite a bit since she quit smoking--something she herself has commented on quite a bit. In addition to her low notes, her breathe control is probably superior to Kelly's (/everyone's).

[Focus]

Sept 17, 2017 16:58:26 GMT -5 stunnedout said:

Sept 17, 2017 13:43:51 GMT -5 bb said:

Pink is excellent but Kelly is arguably one of the best pop vocalists of all time. To me it's not really a contest in terms of technique, versatility and power.

I'm curious, what does Kelly offer that Pink doesn't vocally? I honestly created the poll because they are both so similar vocally I kind of see it as a tie.

Kelly.

I love Pink, she's in my top 5 female vocalists, but nobody in Pop today can touch Kelly as a vocalist, imo.

eta, my reasons:
Kelly's tone is much fuller and very smooth with a relaxed open throat. I love Pink's tone as well, it's lovely, but occasionally she can get nasal (more often in her older stuff). I don't like that.
Both are very soulful, but Kelly more so.
Both have great range and power, but Kelly quite a bit more so.
Both are very versatile, but Kelly more so.

[Unhinged]

Kelly Clarkson hands down but I love P!nk's voice as well.

This thread is begging for a neally breakdown of their vocal prowess. :)

[Linnethia Monique]

P!nk's vocal ability had me so shook that I swore she was mixed for about two years.

[neally]

^^ Thanks for the tag, Unhinged....I would not have seen this poll otherwise :)

This is as tough one, because both vocalists are in my Top 5 among all mainstream females, but looking objectively at the multiple facets of vocals over the past few album cycles (3-4 years):

Power: Kelly by a moderate margin- at lower registers, Pink by a small-moderate margin (Kelly's lower register has grown much fuller over the years, but Pink's is fuller and richer at lower ranges). At mid- and higher-chest register, Kelly by a small-moderate margin (this has to do with the volume or heaviness of the voice at any given range). In head-voice, Kelly by a massive margin: Pink's head voice is almost non-existent, whereas Kelly's is fully developed and is probably the most powerful of all mainstream female artists of the past decades with the exception of Mariah Carey and Leona Lewis.

Range: Kelly by a small margin- Pink has the ability to scale lower with comfort in the lower 3rd octaves- D/E3 (Christina Aguilera is probably the mainstream female with the strongest and lowest register to the upper 2nd octave, Adele is close) where Kelly's is in the mid 3rd octave (F/G3). On the upper end, Pink's can transiently hit a F#5 and even G5 in full chest voice (the song, 'Reason'), but can sustain a E#5/F5 comfortably. Kelly can transiently hit a C6 and sustain an A#5 in full chest voice (she has sustained a C6 in chest voice only on one occasional that I am aware of). In head voice, Pink really does not have much of one, where Kelly has a fully developed head voice well into the lower 6th octave and whistle abilities in the mid 6th octave.

Clarity/Consistency: TIE- Pink has MARKEDLY improved this area in the past 5 years since ceasing from smoking. When Pink sustains lower-mid 5th octave notes, she is fairly clear and loses some of this clarity at E/F5. When Kelly sustains notes in this range, she has full clarity, but has some "gravel" in the voice in the upper 5th octave notes, depending on the day. Both artists are in the top 4 most consistent mainstream female artists (Beyonce, Kelly, Pink, Carrie)

Tone: Kelly by a moderate margin- Pink sings with an open throat until about D5, where her closes her vocal chords and her voice is mixed chest/head, giving it somewhat nasal/thinner tone (Beyonce and Carrie are top vocal artists who do this as well, moreso than Pink). Kelly and Jennifer Hudson are two of the very few mainstream artists from the past 10-15 years whose throat stays fully open at all ranges, creating an optimal full chest voice that allows these artists to have the power and control and optimal tone that 99% of artists lose in their upper ranges. Additionally, Kelly, after 15 years in the business, still has a buttery, "wet" tone to her voice which she proudly displays at the end of her notes in chest voice and always in head voice. (Mariah Carey is the only other female mainstream artist who has this immaculate tone in all ranges and Leona Lewis has this in head voice only). Considering head and chest voices, Kelly's tone continues to be superior to any mainstream artist today (but a pretty large margin).

Soul/Melisma: Kelly by a small margin- Both vocalists are in the top rung of soulfulness among female mainstream artists from the past 2 decades. Both exude soul in every performance, regardless of genre, and can tell a better story than most any artist solely with their voice singing the exact same song. We have more examples of Kelly doing this than Pink, simply because Kelly covers a new song every show, and so many have loads of views, reviews, many of which have gone viral. Kelly's melisma and control of this is much better developed than those of Pink. Kelly's soulfulness is on par with other legendary female vocal storytellers like Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Bonnie Raitt, and Janis Joplin.

Versatility: Kelly by a moderate margin- again both artists are the two MOST versatile mainstream female vocalists today, covering Pop, Rock, Folk, R&B, pure Blues genres with full ease. Kelly simply has more tools in her belt with abilities to be able to sing with easy Country, R&B, Opera (fully in chest voice or mixed chest/head voice), Broadway, Jazz-lite, Doo-wop, and even added lullabies, lol. She has been and continues to be the reigning undisputed VOCAL CHAMELEON for a more than a decade.

Winner: Kelly by a small-moderate margin

[Unhinged]

Yaaaas! Excellent post!

[Fat Ass Kelly Price]

I think it's closer than many realize. Also, Pink doesn't display or use her head voice much, but she's displayed some ease in that register by sliding into the sixth octave in an impromptu, off-the-cuff moment. I also think that Pink has great agility and ability to execute accurate, complex runs and melismas, but it mostly goes unshowcased due to musical choices. I can't comment any further because I haven't kept up with Kelly's live vocals much in the past 3-5 years. I'd probably give her the edge though.

[SoMuchToSay]

I love me some P!nk, but c'mon... Kelly is a better vocalist and P!nk is a better performer.

[stunnedout]

I ended up voting for Pink. I think I just prefer her tone especially on more soulful tracks.

[Deleted]

I like Pink alot but it's not even close from a singing perspective. Kelly Clarkson sings circles over Pink, Adele Christina, Demi and all Dem gyals.

[Legenderry]

P!nk. Kelly Clarkson's voice is thin.