Cursive singing, famously showcased in a viral Vine by user Chrish singing “Welcome to my kitchen. We have bananas and avocados,” is an interesting technique. This style has made its way into mainstream culture and is often parodied on platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
The response is mixed. On the one hand, cursive singers make it challenging to understand their words. But on the other hand, they’re also adding a fun twist to their singing.
While cursive singing doesn’t mean singers are bad, it shows a trend where artists prefer vocal tricks and trendy styles instead of traditional techniques. If you’re curious about cursive singing, here’s a guide for you — the good, the bad, and the unconventional.
What Is Cursive Singing?
Cursive singing is a term coined in 2009 by a Twitter user Trackdroppa. It involves singers adding extra vowel sounds to syllables and occasionally omitting consonants at the ends of words. For example, "Life goes on, and on, and on, and on, and on” turns into “Life goes oyn, an oyn, an oyn, an oyn, an oyn”.
This technique creates a range of effects, from dreamy to playful, depending on the artist’s style. Musicians like Amy Winehouse, Halsey, Billie Eilish, and others have embraced this approach. Now, it’s already commonly heard in settings like local open mic nights.
Different experts have their interpretations: Jamie Lynn Hart from Berklee College of Music describes it to The Guardian as a mix of vocal fry (similar to Britney Spears’ gravelly tone), elongated vowels, and a subtle adjustment in the pronunciation of S. Some associate singing in cursive with a tight jaw and minimal mouth space.
Where Singing in Cursive Began
The exact beginnings of cursive singing are not fully clear. According to Cassandre McKinley, a professor at Berklee and a singer, its origins would require understanding the influences of each cursive singer.
Vocal trainers and social media users suggest that Macy Gray, Amy Winehouse, and Corinne Bailey Rae were among the early adopters of this style, and it gained popularity internationally later on. Artists such as Lorde, Halsey, Adele (early in her career), Selena Gomez, and Olivia Rodrigo, have contributed to its widespread recognition. Tate McRae, Jessie Reyez, and Tones and I from Australia have also been noted for their characteristic cursive singing styles.
Lis Lewis, a singing teacher from LA, believes that cursive singing draws on its roots from R&B and gospel music, where syllables are added to words to fit the rhythm. This connection is logical, as many African-American musical trends, like scat singing in jazz, also focus on rhythmic syllable additions.
Is Cursive an Accent?
A vocal coach Lewis Lis noted in her interview with the Guardian that singers and actors develop unique ways of pronouncing words to make them memorable. For some, these pronunciations reflect their natural accents or singing voices shaped by their region and training. Others adopt these accents more as a stylistic choice.
Robert Toft, a music teacher at Western University, discusses Jorja Smith as an example of the former. He explains that Smith's singing naturally reflects a cursive-like quality due to her accent from Walsall, England. He says her accent is evident in her singing, so the cursive style of different vowel and diphthong pronunciations sounds natural to those who know her accent well.
Toft also mentions singers who use accents different from their own. For example, Amy Winehouse had a North London accent in everyday speech. That said, her soulful performances on songs like “Back to Black” or “Valerie” made her accent hard to identify. Winehouse was inspired by ‘50s jazz and soul musicians like Sarah Vaughan and Dinah Washington. This goes back to the second category of cursive signers we’ve talked about.
Bryan Gick, a linguist and phonetics researcher at the University of British Columbia, says that identifying a singer’s dialect in their head is challenging because it blends with the musical style. He describes cursive singing as a vocal style that doesn’t neatly fit into any specific social category.
Is Cursive Singing Only for Female Singers?
Cursive singing has been called “indie girl voice”. But as you can guess by now, it isn’t just for female singers. Although it’s often linked with female indie artists, this style crosses gender and genre lines. Artists like Shawn Mendes, Justin Bieber, and John Legend break the stereotype and use cursive singing in their music. Even Bob Dylan, known for his unique voice, uses elements of cursive singing.
Linguist Bryan Gick told CBC that women often lead innovations in language and expression. That’s why it seems like it’s mostly women who are linked to unique singing styles. Another reason for the indie girl stereotype is the rise of female pop acts. While male singers still dominate the charts, newer female voices are becoming more prominent.
Ultimately, anyone can sing “goyidd” instead of “good”.
Is It Natural or Stylized?
Hart from Berklee noticed that some of her students sing with embellishments similar to cursive writing or imitate powerful vocalists like Christina Aguilera without realizing it. After she posted an Instagram video poking fun at this trend, she received comments like “Oh, I do that too.” It’s relatable; no artist wants to feel like they’re just copying others. But is feeling “guilty” the right word?
Artistic styles naturally change over time. Growing up with 90s rock on the radio, people may have thought all male singers had Kurt Cobain’s accent and deep voice. When they sang “everything,” it sounded like “eyavrayathaying.”
People naturally copy their musical heroes. Hart’s students, singer-songwriters who draw inspiration from bands like Mt Joy and the Lumineers, sometimes have difficulty singing in tune. This trend may have begun with Bob Dylan’s own unconventional vocal style. Even if it seems like everyone’s singing the same way, music keeps evolving. Rodrigo and Macy Gray have their own styles, even though they both use cursive-like elements.
So, is this trend natural or deliberate? Following trends isn’t always the peak of creativity, but it’s normal to, as Lewis says, “grow from a trend.” When singers learn from others, it’s part of their artistic journey. They might use, build on, or toss out those influences — that’s how art moves forward, right? Hart doesn’t think her students are trying to sing in cursive on purpose, but she wouldn’t stop them if it happened naturally.
What Music Fans Thing About Cursive Singing
Music fans have different views on cursive singing. It's widely popular but also controversial. Influencers and social media sometimes make fun of it, yet many listeners appreciate it. Grace Vanderwaal, known for America’s Got Talent, and Billie Eilish, famous for her breathy style, show how cursive singing can make stars.
Fans appreciate cursive singing for its emotional power, using vocal breaks, breathy tones, and unique inflections to convey deep feelings. This style resonates with listeners who crave heartfelt musical expressions. That’s one side’s argument.
On the other side of the ring, criticism of cursive singing comes from its popularity. People tend to criticize what’s mainstream, and this leads to mixed reactions. Some listeners also want clearer lyrics, similar to how schools are moving away from teaching cursive for better readability. Plus, vocal coaches and professionals worry about the health effects of cursive singing. The husky, breathy style, reminiscent of jazz, can cause irreversible vocal fry and possible long-term vocal problems if not handled with care.
So, What’s the Final Word?
Ultimately, whether you like the cursive style is a matter of personal taste. It’s not for everyone, but it has had a big impact on different genres of music.
R&B and pop singers use breathy voices and glottal fry to create intimate moments with listeners (like Mariah Carey in Touch My Body) or to express vulnerability (as heard in Britney Spears’s Oops!... I Did It Again). If you browse through Spotify and look for playlists tagged with keywords like “indie relaxing chill music,” you'll find that cursive singing is thriving. The style is also in jazz, punk, folk, and everyday conversations in various English accents.
There’s no need to choose sides — just appreciate the music in the way that works for you. You can enjoy your indie-pop favorites and also find humor in the fun parodies of cursive singing online.
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