Do you find a lyrical masterpiece or vocal intricacy more impressive? I’m going to use these 2 artists as an example because they are known as being experts at each.

 

[Bridge]
Well, maybe we got lost in translation
Maybe I asked for too much
But maybe this thing was a masterpiece
'Til you tore it all up
Running scared, I was there
I remember it all too well
And you call me up again
Just to break me like a promise
So casually cruel in the name of being honest
I'm a crumpled up piece of paper lying here
'Cause I remember it all, all, all
Too well

[Verse 4]
Time won't fly, it's like I'm paralyzed by it
I'd like to be my old self again, but I'm still trying to find it
After plaid shirt days and nights when you made me your own
Now, you mail back my things and I walk home alone
But you keep my old scarf from that very first week
'Cause it reminds you of innocence and it smells like me
You can't get rid of it
'Cause you remember it all too well, yeah

 

To kiss in cars and downtown bars
Was all we needed
You drew stars around my scars
But now I'm bleedin'
'Cause I knew you
Steppin' on the last train
Marked me like a bloodstain, I
I knew you
Tried to change the ending
Peter losing Wendy, I
I knew you
Leavin' like a father
Running like water, I
And when you are young, they assume you know nothing
But I knew you'd linger like a tattoo kiss
I knew you'd haunt all of my what-ifs
The smell of smoke would hang around this long
'Cause I knew everything when I was young
I knew I'd curse you for the longest time
Chasin' shadows in the grocery line
I knew you'd miss me once the thrill expired
And you'd be standin' in my front porch light
And I knew you'd come back to me
You'd come back to me
And you'd come back to me
And you'd come back
And when I felt like I was an old cardigan
Under someone's bed
You put me on and said I was your favorite

VS

 

 

 

 

Lyrics are more important, for me

 

 

Edited January 5, 20242 yr by Sebastián Muñoz

I’m more of a fan of lyricism, vocal harmonies are heavenly and definitely a rare skill but they just don’t matter to me in the long run. I’m fascinated by the stories we share and the thoughts we provoke through musical poetry. 

Depends on my mood.

More impressive? Vocals. 

 

Personal preference though is lyrics. I’m gonna enjoy a song with good lyrics and mediocre vocals more than a song with good vocals and mediocre lyrics. 

I (usually) care more about lyrics in what I listen to, but I find them equally impressive; both require a great degree of innate talent and practiced skill to do at the level that these women do them.

I am sure this will be a very civil thread.  It’s really just what you prefer.  Personally I find lyrics more mentally stimulating and harder to pull off. 

There is already an art form for arranging words. It's called poetry.

 

Music is about arranging sound. Lyrics without the vocal performance and the rest of the production is not music. Imo a great song should be great even if you don't speak the language.

music is about sounds not words 

All Too Well is a lyrical masterpiece? 
 

Anyways, the vocals. It’s something that can’t be learned, you either have the vocals or not, sure you can somewhat improve your vocals but you can never reach certain notes or have the power if it’s not there. Plus the melody of a song will be known everywhere in any language. 
 

With writing you can improve endlessly, look deeper at what you want to say and put it in words and embellish it with metaphors, a thesaurus helps too. 

You can see in my pfp that lyrics (and melodies) are what I enjoy in music, but of course there are people who prefer vocal talent or people that prefer good instrumentation, catchy tunes you can dance to or whatever. To each their own.

5 minutes ago, Triton said:

All Too Well is a lyrical masterpiece? 
 

Anyways, the vocals. It’s something that can’t be learned, you either have the vocals or not, sure you can somewhat improve your vocals but you can never reach certain notes or have the power if it’s not there. Plus the melody of a song will be known everywhere in any language. 
 

With writing you can improve endlessly, look deeper at what you want to say and put it in words and embellish it with metaphors, a thesaurus helps too. 

Melodies are part of writing and you can also improve your lyricism up to a certain point. If you don't have the talent or the ability to connect with the audience in an emotional way through your songs there is not much you can do.

Edited January 5, 20242 yr by Bonicap

Lyrics provoke emotions out of me no vocals can- if there's an instance that vocals can, it's because of the lyrical content. Lyrics can also inspire me, can motivate me, and can make me stop and think things. It's basically like those deep poems and writings from philosophers and various writers from different times.

Edited January 5, 20242 yr by FailSafe

Songwriting is generally far above vocal prowess for me, but that's just my personal preference. Both talents should be revered. I love June Christy for her incredible voice and intonation, just as I love Springsteen for his songwriting and poetry.

I’m more impressed by vocals only because I lack any vocal skill. I have more appreciation for good lyrics though.

Lyrics are it for me. Especially that song-writing is also about creating melodies. 
 

Good voice exists like sand on the beach making it one of the least interesting musical talents and as such has no use if the song as a whole is not good or at least not up my tastes. 

Songwriting moves me in a way no vocal acrobatics can. 

lyrics

 

i don’t care about your “art” if you’re just singing something that somebody else wrote for you. what’s YOUR point of view? what do YOU want to say to the world? that’s what matters to me.

Vocals and lyrics are of equal importance to me.

 

Whitney (for example) wasn’t a lyricist, yet she comfortably ranks among the best musical minds to ever exist. An unparalleled interpreter of song.

 

Bob Dylan has never had notable singing talent, but he, too, ranks among the splendid forces in music. He changed the way that people approach songwriting as a whole.

Edited January 5, 20242 yr by LikeATattoo

1 hour ago, Revolution said:

There is already an art form for arranging words. It's called poetry.

 

Music is about arranging sound. Lyrics without the vocal performance and the rest of the production is not music. Imo a great song should be great even if you don't speak the language.

If you think poetry isn’t about arranging sound and that music isn’t about telling stories and communicating, then you might not be an authority on the matter.  

Edited January 5, 20242 yr by byzantium

how about an artist with both

 

 

1 hour ago, FailSafe said:

Lyrics provoke emotions out of me no vocals can- if there's an instance that vocals can, it's because of the lyrical content. Lyrics can also inspire me, can motivate me, and can make me stop and think things. It's basically like those deep poems and writings from philosophers and various writers from different times.

Have you ever been moved by an instrument? Electric guitars can take a song to a much higher level for me (some people even consider the voice an instrument)

 

Sade even tho she isn't part of discussion. They represents both in this divine messagrre from the Gods. 

 

So I guess I prefer both aspects equally. However I am more of a production person. 

Edited January 5, 20242 yr by Phaunzie

Both are immaculate, but that verse of cardigan was godly 

 

IT did something to my soul when I heard that verse for the first time

In my opinion, vocals reign supreme, melody next, lyrics not so much.