I have decided to recreate this thread due to my feeling to urge others to understand the significance of this musical tactic.

Take a look at the following names:

Whitney Houston
Ozzy Osbourne
Adele
Sam Cooke
Alicia Keys
Eric Church
Reba McEntire
Mariah Carey
Frank Sinatra
Adam Lambert
Aaliyah
Olivia Olson
Marsha Ambrosius

All of those artists come from various genres of music and various decades as well. While their styles of performance may differ in one way or another, they have one thing in common.

They've all used melisma.

Melisma is a vocal feat that involves singing multiple notes in a single syllable. Stretching back all the way to early opera, this phenomenon has been around for quite some time. It has been said to be the most difficult vocal accomplishment in music, and it is not surprising that one would say this, because the majority of people who have attempted it, failed.

In past, melisma was not commonly used. Artists like Frank Sinatra would use it once every blue moon, choosing to stick with the then traditional syllabic style. Since then, with the emergence of artists like Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey, melisma has exploded across the music industry. Unfortunately, many try to emulate these women instead of learning melisma on their own.

When done accurately, melisma can be beautiful, like Mariah Carey's Can't Let Go, or Olivia Olson's performance of I'm Just Your Problem in the animated show Adventure Time. When done excessively and drawn out, it can sound horrendous, like Christina Aguilera's performance of the Star-Spangled Banner at the 2011 NFL Super Bowl.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with melisma, as it is an amazing vocal acrobatic, but due to its abuse by young and old Carey and Houston wannabes, the feat has been shunned by many critics. I myslef love melisma, and I am happy to see its usage in many different genres. I can only hope aspiring artists will learn to use it with moderation and, most definitely, only if their voices allow it.

I must say though, I really hate it when people refer to melisma as "flashiness."