Rufus Wainwright is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter known for his theatrical, baroque-pop style, and his emotionally charged lyrics that range from personal to political. If you want to learn how to sing like him, there are several key techniques to keep in mind.

One hallmark of Wainwright's singing is his expressive vibrato, which can convey a wide range of emotions. To develop your vibrato, try the vocal warm-up exercise from Singing Carrots that focuses on establishing a comfortable pitch and gradually introducing vibrato: "Diaphragm Bounce". A smooth vibrato can be key to capturing the nuanced phrasing characteristic of Wainwright's singing.

Another important element of Wainwright's style is his use of dynamics, often alternating between softer, more intimate moments and powerful, belted notes. To build your own dynamic range, using the "Singing Comfort Zone" exercise from Singing Carrots can help you explore your chest voice, where your strongest, most powerful notes lie. Careful breath support, as explained in the "Breath Support" article from Singing Carrots, is also crucial for sustaining those powerful notes and controlling your volume.

Wainwright is also known for incorporating classical elements into his music, such as soaring operatic melodies and dramatic dynamic shifts. To learn more about classical singing and how it differs from other styles, check out the "Pop/Jazz vs Classical singing" article from Singing Carrots.

Wainwright has a distinct vocal timbre, owing to his unique open-throated technique, and the use of falsetto. Mastering the technique of open mouth and throat can work wonders for your singing. Read the Singing Carrots article "Open mouth & throat while singing" to get more details on how to improve your tone and projection. The Singing Carrots "Resonance in singing" article explains how to use various parts of your body to control and adjust your resonance and timbre as per need. "Breath technique exercises" from Singing Carrots can help you further control and balance the use of air while maintaining appropriate pressure and release. You can achieve better control over falsetto through the "Sustain Vocal" exercise from Singing Carrots, which focuses on augmenting breath support and phrasing control in order to achieve sustained notes in head voice.

One song showcasing Wainwright's unique vocal style is "Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk", where he leans more towards speech-level-singing, smoothly transitioning into powerful belting while still maintaining the song's conversational tone. Another example is "Hallelujah", where he demonstrates his command of dynamics and vibrato as he captures the emotional intensity of the lyrics.

To find songs that showcase your own vocal range and style, check out Singing Carrots' "Song search" feature.

By mastering these techniques and using the relevant resources from Singing Carrots, you can start to develop a unique singing voice that captures the theatricality, expressiveness, and emotional depth of Rufus Wainwright's sound.