Is Kelly Clarkson a Soprano?
The American singer is famous for her fantastic voice. She can sing impressive high notes, but is she a soprano?
Kelly Clarkson is a soprano. Her vocal range fits well within the standard range for classical soprano singers.
Kelly’s Vocal Range Fits a Soprano
Kelly’s vocal range, or where she is comfortable singing, matches with the range of a soprano. A soprano is the highest vocal range category, so this means Kelly can sing higher notes than most people.
Kelly’s vocal range is from C3 to G6, or 43 notes total. The usual soprano range is much smaller; sopranos can sing from C4 to A5, only 21 notes.
Many sopranos aim to sing higher notes, though, and the famous Soprano C (C6) is a common goal for them. Kelly has proven that she can hit this note as well as multiple notes that are even higher.
Technically, the term soprano refers to slightly more than just range. The ability to comfortably sing high notes marks a soprano, but sopranos are also distinguishable from other voice parts due to the quality of their voice, or timbre.
Kelly has been described as a light-lyric soprano, a specific kind of soprano with a big voice and youthful sound. If her high vocal range was not enough, her voice quality also confirms her status as a soprano.
Kelly’s Vocal Range was Challenged by Another Singing Icon
Every listener is aware that Kelly Clarkson has a stunning vocal range. Her high notes are widely praised and technical musicians also commend Kelly’s control over her voice in the high register.
Fans were shocked when another vocalist dared to question Kelly’s vocal range. On The Voice in 2018, Alicia Keys made the bold statement that she had more range than her fellow judges.
Kelly made a grimace in response, and fans were quick to come to the pop star’s defense. Twitter erupted with retorts that Kelly’s range was better and Alicia should not have pompously claimed otherwise.
The truth? Kelly’s range is actually bigger. Alicia Keys can sing from Bb2 to B5, or 36 notes in total. Kelly’s remarkable 43 note range is not only larger but also reaches much higher than that of Alicia Keys.
Although Kelly and Alicia are both stunning singers with wider ranges than most people, Kelly still wins in a direct comparison of both range and register. The two musicians do not appear to have any bad blood between them, and most of the anger over Alicia’s comment was solely in fan reactions online.
Kelly’s Range Suffered After her Pregnancy
Kelly Clarkson did not brush over the fact that her pregnancy was difficult. After giving birth in 2015 she opened up about her “horrible” pregnancy and explained that she was even hospitalized while pregnant.
Unfortunately, her pregnancy adversely affected her health as well as her voice. After giving birth she temporarily lost her vocal abilities. She admits that she cried and worried that she would never be a singer again.
Luckily Kelly was able to recover her voice, and even went on to have a second child in 2016. Her second pregnancy also caused vocal issues, but she overcame them and performed on a Facebook live stream a few months later.
Kelly Clarkson faced some challenges along the way, but she has fully recovered her range in the years since giving birth. In 2020 she released “I Dare You,” a powerful song that showcases her impressive vocal riffs and high notes.
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