Music Experts Weigh In On Christina Aguilera & Mariah Carey

When The Chicago Sun-Times asked a slate of singers and vocal coaches which pop stars possess real vocal talent, nearly all of them mentioned Christina Aguilera. Celebrity voice coach Roger Love remarked, “She’s the last new artist that was really incredible. I teach Natasha Bedingfield, who’s got one of the top pop records in the country, but there’s still nobody out there who can sing like Christina Aguilera. She has a 3-1/2-octave range, and she sounds totally powerful with it.” But Chicago Symphony Orchestra composer and pop arranger Cliff Colnot had a different opinion of Aguilera’s new pop rival. “Mariah Carey? Oh, come on,” he sneers. “If you asked who was the most famous, then yes — Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera. But I didn’t think that was your question. Mariah Carey … is a little trick pony. She leverages her range like she should, but it’s not new or unique. She’s borrowing from other people.”