I was walking in Liverpool Street station yesterday (just as evening rush hour got going). I was fiddling with my iPod Touch and in the process ended up putting P!nk/Pink on by accident. I am glad I did though. As I played 'Please Don't Leave Me' which rolled into 'Who Knew' etc I realised quite what an exemplary balladeer she is. She has all those 'essential ingredients': "authenticity", "emotive voice", "genuine lyrics". The total full package. Hence I'd rate her as being one of the best balladeers within the sphere of "popular music".

 

But more importantly who do you the folks of Buzzjack rank highly in your esteem? Who has consistently churned out quality ballads. Also who consistently releases quality uptempo singles? Who are at the top of the tower for the relative tempos? THE BEST UPTEMPO ACT OF THE NOUGHTIES, BALLADEER NOUGHTIES ETC

 

Plx though let us not get trapped by our loonship of our favourite acts, 'step outside the box', 'go for the non-obvious' etc

Girls Aloud have to be up there in the 'uptempo' category, if not in the ballads category

I must say that Mutya Buena is absolutely outstanding at ballads. She has an amazing voice that is of an amazing quality live.

 

Her Naive cover is epic, as is her cover of Tracy Chapman's Fast Car.

 

Back in their day, S Club 7 were very good at producing a good quality uptempo, Dragonette may not have had any commercial success, but Galore has many great uptempo's Especially the superb I Get Around.

 

An honourable mention must go to the Sugababes,

 

They have given us some of the best Ballads and uptempo's of the past decade.

 

Run For Cover, Stronger, Too Lost In You, Colder In The Rain, Freak Like Me, Round Round, Hole In The Head, Push The Button, About You Now, Ace Reject

 

I could go on, but i'll stop before i list their entire discography

Ballad-wise I'm not really sure anybody has a rep these days. It was the big R&B divas in the 90s but lately ballads are fewer and further between... P!nk is the master of uptempos for me. Her ballads are hit'n'miss.

THAT SAID Mary J Blige is an absolute master of ballads. '911', 'We Ride', 'Be Without You', 'Alone', 'Stay Down', 'Come To Me' :wub: Fabulous. Natalie Bassingthwaighte KILLS uptempos, especially live. She was born to perform. Gwen is also consistently great with ballads; 'Cool', 'The Real Thing', '4 In The Morning', 'Early Winter', 'Wonderful Life'.

Yeah, I'd say Gwen is awesome at ballads. Her voice doesn't quite do her uptempo songs justice when she does them live but her ballads are all amazing.

Plx though let us not get trapped by our loonship of our favourite acts, 'step outside the box', 'go for the non-obvious' etc

But wouldn't some people's favourite artists be that because of their high quality ballads/uptempos?

 

I know my favourite "balladeer" would be Beverley Knight because I think "Shoulda Woulda Coulda", "Gold", "No Man's Land", "The Queen Of Starting Over" and album tracks "No One Ever Loves In Vain" and "Remember Me" are all lovely tracks and I love her voice. :wub: I'm not going to try and say she's the best at uptempos though, she has some good ones but I much prefer her ballads in general.

 

I too think P!nk is one of the best at both. She can do "Who Knew", "Please Don't Leave Me", "Family Portrait", "Dear Mr. President" and sound genuine but she's just as good on stormers like "So What", "U & Ur Hand", "Trouble" and "God Is A DJ".

 

I do love an Alicia Keys ballad too "Fallin'", "If I Ain't Got You", "No One" and "A Woman's Worth" are all gems. :wub:

I agree with you Jake, Pink's ballads are absloutely perfect most of the time, 'Who Knew' is one of my favourite ever songs and 'Please Don't Leave Me' is my favourite song of the moment. I can't actually think of another person like her at all... Beyonce was quite good with the ballads but she's not in the same league imo.

 

As for uptempo, Girls Aloud without a doubt are the best at this from this century. Obviously I heart them, but I honestly can't see anyone who comes close. Ballads though, hellll no, give up please.

Agreed with what has been said so far. Pink's ballads are incredible and whilst her uptempo's are fantastic aswell, her ballads are better IMO. Balllas's wise The Sugababes, Beverley Knight, Mary J Blige, Alicia Keys, with all four of those artists i think their ballads are often better than the uptempos.

The Veronicas are pretty amazing when it comes to the up-tempos tbh...Girls Aloud too quobv.

 

Balladeers though? Most of my fave Beyoncé songs are her ballads (Dangerously In Love 2, Listen, If I Were A Boy etc.). I don't know quite how to define Little Boots? Either way she has extreme potential to be one of my faves (Mathematics :heart:) when it comes to both (Meddle :heart:). Kylie's pretty versatile when it comes to both too really - In My Arms and The One are both exquisite.

I don't think Kylie's very versatile with ballads at all. :o She's had so few of them, never mind good ones. 'Fragile' springs to mind, 'Loving Days', that's about it. I'm not sure I'd call 'The One' a ballad..!

But wouldn't some people's favourite artists be that because of their high quality ballads/uptempos?

 

quite. My favourite balladeer by far is Delta Goodrem...how predictable of me :lol:

I think Sugababes are very hit 'n' miss IMO :o I'm surprised they're getting mentioned TBH. Especially for the ballad's...

 

I will have to get back onto this one... coz I don't think ANY one artist is THAT consistent... Although I do agree with P!nk to some extent, her earlier stuff, is nowhere near as good as now IMO... but I guess it just proves she has "Improved" and when she's good, she's REALLY good. But when she's not AS good, it's still listenable I guess. So I guess you could count P!nk...

 

Also, I think Rihanna's 'Good Girl Gone Bad' era is quite good. The Uptempo numbers, especially, are REALLY good.

Shania Twain has many great ballads, You're Still The One, From This Moment...

and so many uptempo songs like Up! and Man! I Feel Like A Woman!

The Veronica's are amazing for up-tempo... Especially on Hook Me Up

Gone Till November are incredible for very P!nk/Kelly C-esque songs and its such a shame they ended before they even got started (I recommend Save You, Goodbye Lullabye, If You Dont Miss Me)

Also, Michelle Branch, Colbie Calliat and Vanessa Carlton are some of my favourite Acoustic artists

Stacie Orrico - VERY UNDERAPPRECIATED.

 

If you are interested in Gone Til November, here is Save You which is on Kelly Clarksons upcoming album :wub: (This is the demo version not Kellys version)

 

Edited February 12, 200916 yr by Joao.

I don't think Kylie's very versatile with ballads at all. :o She's had so few of them, never mind good ones. 'Fragile' springs to mind, 'Loving Days', that's about it. I'm not sure I'd call 'The One' a ballad..!

 

 

Ocean Blue is a beautiful ballad by Kylie

I don't think Kylie's very versatile with ballads at all. :o She's had so few of them, never mind good ones. 'Fragile' springs to mind, 'Loving Days', that's about it. I'm not sure I'd call 'The One' a ballad..!

 

IMHO I'd say the song she recorded (but never released in this format, it escaped in a live uptempo version) late in 2005 that would have been released posthumously had she lost her battle with cancer is quite possibly the best pop ballad I've heard in the 21st Century and goes without saying is better than everything on her X comeback album and anything the Scissor Sisters have ever written or performed.

 

For all too obvious personal reasons it is easy to see why this was never released (in the same way that she passed on first refusal of Brian Higgins (aka Xenomania) "Believe" that was written about losing and getting over a loved one (Michael Hutchence), which Cher ended up recording becoming a monster worldwide hit single).

 

Kylie - White Diamond (2005 Ballad version)

 

Lyrics:

I know that it's getting too much baby

But you don't need the words to say

Sometimes you feel you're at the end of the line

But tonight it's gonna fade away

 

You're looking out from the darkness

Feeling so alone and you need a flare

Well I've got the light that's gonna treat you right

And illuminate what's already there

 

Understand I will be there for you

Understand I'm a diamond for you

A white diamond for you

 

And just like a burning radio

I'm on to you

Your spell I'm under

In the silver shadows I will radiate

And flow for you

What you see and what it seems

Are nothing more than dreams within a dream

Like a pure white diamond

I'll shine on and on and on and on and on

 

There I'm gonna take you now

Where the tear will look out of place

Well I thought about it

But it took until now

To crystallise it into a phrase

 

Understand I will be there for you

Understand I'm a diamond for you

A white diamond for you

 

And just like a burning radio

I'm on to you

Your spell I'm under

In the silver shadows I will radiate

And flow for you

What you see and what it seems

Are nothing more than dreams within a dream

Like a pure white diamond

I'll shine on and on and on and on and on

Meh. White Diamond (the ballad) isn't up to much imo. The live uptempo version is possibly my favourite Kylie song - SO uplifting. I really lamet that it never leaked in studio format.