These videos helped me wake up to the reality behind the "great" voices of Kpop and the (in)famous high notes that these vocalists hit. You don't have to watch all the way through. Just watch a few examples to get the main point.

You don't have to dig too deep into Kpop to know that there are some phenomenal vocalists. There are singers who are famous for their impressive vocal range and effortless high notes like Changmin, Yoseob, Jonghyun, Chen, Woohyun, Taeyeon, Luna, Hyorin, Eunji, and Ailee. I have great admiration and pride for these artists, but there is a dark side to this.

As both videos explain, there are 2 types of ways to sing high notes, support and strain. This video helped me realize that some of these idols are straining. Some idols strain on almost every high note. For example, Choa from AOA, Jihyo from Twice, Rose from Blackpink, and Leo/Ken from Vixx, Taeyang from Big Bang.

Straining is bad for the vocal chords. It can cause permanent damage and ruin a person's singing voice for life. The voice can be a singer's most prized possession and to lose that would be horrible. I hear some singers struggling to hit a certain note and it's so painful to watch, it hurts my ears. Even if they nail it, I still feel uneasy. Singing should be natural and not forced. I speculate that Bom's and Soyou's (Sistar) voice suffered from improper singing techniques. 

Straining is happening because of several reasons. In the Kpop industry hitting high notes is often more important than accuracy. A singer could be mediocre, but they are given a singing position because they can hit high notes. (We all can name a few singers) This is why you have some main vocalists that aren't very stable. Songs are also not written in the right range for a certain group/member. For example, Key from SHINee is a great singer, but his natural voice is low for most songs.  

I would like to point out that SM has the best vocal training. Their singers strain the least amount and their voices are clear, confident, and show natural progression over time. SM also doesn't force their idols to sing notes they can't hit, which actually protects them. And this is why their live performances can sound better than other companies. 

I'm tired of companies forcing singers to sing high notes. There are some great vocalists that can sing well if they are given the right range to sing in and a song that fits them. And there are also idols that don't need to be singing professionally because they are trying to hit difficult notes that will injury them in the future.

We all know about the unfair treatment/payments, diets, and lawsuits, but this is an issue that is so important and it needs more attention. Both strong and unstable vocalists can be affected by vocal straining.

Kpop composers!! Lower your ing songs so singers can sing comfortably!!