Singing Guide: Julia Michaels
Vocal technique, exercises, tips and relevant resources
How to Sing like Julia Michaels: Unleashing Your Raw, Emotional Sound
If you're a fan of confessional, painfully honest pop music, you'll love Julia Michaels. From "Issues" to "Uh Huh" to "What a Time," Michaels's songs boast irresistible hooks and searing lyrics that make you want to sing your heart out. But what sets Julia Michaels apart from other pop stars? It's her raw, emotional sound.
Discovering Your Emotional Core
If you want to sing like Julia Michaels, you need to access your emotional core. Michaels is known for her piercing, powerful voice that conveys vulnerability, pain, and passion. To achieve such emotional power, you must tap into your feelings and be sincere in your performance. No matter how technically proficient you are, your singing won't resonate with listeners if it doesn't come from within.
To begin, consider the emotions conveyed in Michaels's music. Her lyrics reveal authentic, complex feelings that anyone can relate to: love, heartbreak, anxiety, passion, and hope. To tap into your emotional core, start by reflecting on your own experiences. What makes you feel love, fear, excitement, or sadness? Use those emotions as inspiration, and let them infuse your singing with truth and power.
Mastering Vocal Techniques
While emotion is essential to singing like Julia Michaels, you still need to master a range of vocal techniques. Here are some tips for channeling Michaels's signature sound:
- Analyze your voice using the vocal range test.
- Work on breathing correctly, and practice breathing exercises regularly.
- Explore voice registers and vocal breaks and work on mastering transitions and smoothing out your voice in between the registers. Read this article on voice registers.
- Learn how to open your mouth and throat while singing, and avoid constrictions to your voice.
- Work on vocal health and practice integrating emotion into your vocal performance without any damage to your voice
Julia Michaels's Unique Sound
To truly embody Julia Michaels's signature sound, you need to experiment with both vocal techniques and unique song elements. Here are some key features of Michaels's style:
- Whispers: Michaels frequently whispers or sings in a breathy, subtle voice. To master this technique, experiment with your breath and focus on keeping your voice soft and subtle.
- Breaks: Michaels is a master of effortless transitions from chest to head voice and back, so pay close attention to voice registers and vocal breaks.
- Runs and Riffs: Michaels is known for her impressive vocal runs, which are quick embellishments or melodic patterns that add flair to her singing. You can learn how to do runs and riffs by practicing pitch accuracy with pitch accuracy test.
- Belting: Michaels also showcases belting techniques in many of her songs. Work on loud, sustained notes while keeping your vocal health in mind.
Resources for Singing like Julia Michaels
Use the following Singing Carrots resources to help you sing like Julia Michaels:
- Analyze your voice using the vocal range test.
- Work on breathing correctly, and practice breathing exercises regularly.
- Learn about voice registers and explore voice breaks
- Find out how to open your mouth and throat while singing with exercises that help you avoid constrictions to your voice
- Learn how to maintain good vocal health
- Improve your pitch accuracy with the pitch accuracy test to learn runs and riffs and pitch like Julia Michaels