Something Felt Off... Vocal Analysis of Jessica Sanchez & Morissette "Stronger Than Before"

[00:00:00]the duet I think we've all been waiting to see and I've been waiting to watch for the first time just for you.

[00:00:11][music] >> So Jessica Sanchez actually co-wrote Stronger than Before with Rodney Jerkens. He's a Grammy award-winning producer.

[00:00:25]My aching heart.

[00:00:32]>> Love the depth of those notes. [singing] >> Okay, now wait a minute. Wait a minute.

[00:00:42]They had me all the way up until this part, but if you're going to do a large battery of riffs like that, you got to make them clean. And there was some mud going on in here. [singing] >> This is all perfection.

[00:00:58]>> Mm- name maybe, but I want to hear every single one of those notes. And I know she has that. So maybe she was nervous. Maybe because it's a song she wrote. I don't know. But that's not clear. And if you listen closely, you're going to hear the same. Like there's a lot of notes that are just sort of glossed over and I call that muddy riffs and runs. I like really crispy crispy riffs and runs where the listener can hear quickly but still can hear every single one of the notes that are included in that battery of the melodic line.

[00:01:29]>> Her tone is amazing.

[00:01:34]>> No, didn't do it for me.

[00:01:38]that [singing] heavy rain.

[00:01:41]>> She seems nervous here like like a lot of like when even in this next riff that she just did which was much cleaner by the way really good. Um but it just seems like she's a little frantic right now and I am surprised >> right here just a little stuttery when crashing down. [music] I remember what [singing] you said only you could break. Put the crown on [singing] my >> That's a shiny moment for me when she sings Crown and I get to hear all of the beautiful Jessica Sparkle that we all know and love and wait for when she sings. I'm like, "Okay, girl. Yeah, you're in it now." Like, you got this.

[00:02:29]You know, like the Jessica Sparkle is right on that crown.

[00:02:34]>> [music] >> Put the crown on.

[00:02:37]>> That's what we want to hear. [singing] >> I'm standing in the fire cuz you're lifting me up into [music] something with your grace. I give [singing] up.

[00:02:53]You're taking me higher. [music] Walking through that.

[00:02:58]I am stronger than ever before. [music] Again with the riffs a little muddy.

[00:03:06]Love the switch though between chest and head then be that was great right but I think is what she was going for there.

[00:03:15]Let's listen again.

[00:03:17][singing] [music] >> [singing] [music] >> Song was written around Mother's Day, >> too.

[00:03:35]Shadows [music] [singing] cry. [music] [singing] >> Okay, that was awesome. That was super crispy. And she did two of them in chest and the last one in head. Same.

[00:03:54][singing] And I love how Morset and Jessica, they both actually know how to do this really well. Change the integrity of the vowel based on the register that you're singing in. So this is funny. You don't sing the word same the same way when you're switching registers. Same.

[00:04:11]You need more a there. But then you almost make it seem instead of same when you go up into head voice. Why?

[00:04:20]Because if I didn't do that, listen to what would happen. same, which is pretty. But what she's looking for here is pure tone on the upper end, which is why she changes it to E, because it's the only way you're going to get a pure tone when switching to head voice. And it's not an extreme note. Hey, that's not a high note for your head voice. So, you have to lessen the space by making it an E instead of an A so that you get that tone quality that you're looking for. Super interesting. That's also a really big pop trick and R&B trick, by the way.

[00:04:52]Lots of vowel changes when registerical changes happen in the genres of pop and R&B.

[00:05:03][singing] [music] Love that.

[00:05:15]>> That was awesome. Crashing. That was a great opportunity. Actually, if you're home and you're wanting to practice how to learn to give a little more attitude, a little more spunk and sass to your voice and you don't know how to growl, that's a great word to try it on, by the way, crack. Because the C and the R kind of gives you a little bit of that growl.

[00:05:36]So if you want to try that at home and just crash it and the A is in the back here, the glauus the epiglatus here closes to get that kind of like chokey sound and then you go into tone after crashing.

[00:05:49]Yeah, I love that. And then she went really really pretty after that. So that was a beautiful dichotomy of like rough and smooth.

[00:06:03]I remember only nice big breath there [music] [music and singing] taking me higher. I'm walking through that door.

[00:06:31]I am. [music and singing] >> Okay. I just think that one line that Morset sang could be a complete video vocal master class. I am stronger than before.

[00:06:44]So, she's got two little growls going on. And then she goes then be and that's a whole thing we talked about about the registeral change open mouth vowel on then and then closing it off to the B, which by the way in in secret is a really nice vocal pressure release valve. It's like a break for the voice, especially when you're doing a big belty song. Anytime you can flip up into head voice for just a second, it gives your chest voice this little h mini nap in the middle of the song. And then when you go back down, it's a little refreshed. You know, like we're we're a little perkier than before. Okay. Love that strategy. And also, it's so much more interesting to listen to.

[00:07:22][music] I am [singing] stronger than before.

[00:07:31][singing] >> Great vocal instincts on Morsett's part.

[00:07:38]It's like everything that she chose to do, she was vocally prepared to do. It wasn't like an afterthought. It wasn't probably in the moment something she chose to do. It seems very well poised and placed and well pitched as well. And all of her riffs that she's done, both on the upward trajectory in the melodic line and down, are clear and crispy in the pitch of the notes, which I so appreciate. So appreciate.

[00:08:09]There we go.

[00:08:11]>> That was a really crispy rundown.

[00:08:14][music] [singing] >> Yes.

[00:08:21][screaming] >> Yes.

[00:08:23]>> Beautiful mix.

[00:08:29]>> There [screaming] we go. Okay. There was a little bit of a moment where I was like, "Oh, are we going to be okay?" And Jessica finally locked into that chest mix placement. But the first COUPLE RECAPITULATIONS OF THE note were a little bit like teeter tottery.

[00:08:47][screaming] Yeah. Like right about there is where she got into it. But the first couple DA DA DA DA DA TH those notes were a little pitchy and then she had a hard time because she was a little under finding that center that she could just recapitulate over and over again. It's a tough note. It's wide opened. It's not easy at all. But I'm just letting you know what I hear. She did lock in eventually though.

[00:09:13][screaming] >> Love that hold up for Jessica [cheering and screaming] though. Love that.

[00:09:22]That's gorgeous. Yes. [screaming] >> We'll just keep going. Why don't we [screaming] stronger than ever before?

[00:09:37][music] [singing] [music] Woo! What a top note from Morset. That was more said on the top note. Really powerful. Really powerful. Wide open vowel again. Great climate for that.

[00:09:56]While we're stopped, I can't help but feel that knowing Jessica's voice and seeing her performances in the past.

[00:10:02]There's something off here. I I don't know what it is. And everybody has off moments. I definitely have in past performances. So, I'm not dogging her in this. I'm just saying like I just feel like she looks worried or seems concerned or not completely confident in what's going on. And when I compare the facial expressions and the vibe between her and Morsette, I feel like Morsett's more constantly smiling and like confident and and sort of just getting it in where Jessica's sort of like surviving the song. And there are moments of just complete triumph and beauty in her voice, but it just seems a little more worried, like forced and nervous in certain places than I've ever seen. and and I've seen her perform in like some pretty high pressure situations, so I'm a little surprised right now to be honest. What do you think in the comments?

[00:10:51][music] [screaming] >> That was good.

[00:11:00][singing] [music] [singing] >> Oh, I love that prime.

[00:11:11]>> [singing] >> like Morset's just holding it down. Like even that she held that forever and was just like the base, the foundation for everything that Jessica was adding on top of it a couple times, but she just like holds it down. I man like [screaming] [singing] and so effortless with her, right?

[00:11:37]>> [music] >> I believe it.

[00:11:47]>> I can't help but think that if this were a vocal competition and it were like say the round in the voice where they're in the boxing ring that Morsette would have definitely beaten Jessica if this were competition. But luckily this is a show where people are wanting to hear great singers collab. And I think that they're a good match. But for some reason, I don't know why in this particular performance, I feel like Morsette sort of overshadowed Jessica's vocals. And I was surprised. I am surprised to say that. I was not expecting to leave this analysis saying that. And I'm a big fan of Jessica's. I think she's got a gorgeously astounding vocal quality and capability within her. But in this one in particular, I think Morset just really was superior in all of the riffs and the runs and the vocal holds and the pitches and and even just the the facial expressions and emotion. And I think it was a lovely duet, but I was a little distracted by how differently each of their vibe was and how they were coming to the performance. But what did you think? I'm interested to know. Am I crazy? Did Did I just hear and see all those things myself? Do I need to recalibrate? Let me know in the comments. Also, if you're a singer and you love to sing, but you're not sure if you can improve your voice any more than it already has been improved, or maybe you're not sure if you can improve at all, click the link in the description box below because we are offering you today a discounted online first vocal lesson. So, wherever you are in the world, whatever time zone you're in, this is your chance to get in front of me and my coaches for a discounted rate and let us show you in just a half hour how much your voice can improve. I love you guys so much. I am so proud of you and as always, I'll see you in the next one. Bye.