Falsetto Melodies: The Emergence of a New Masculinity

Male falsetto singing has been around for centuries (eg. castras of the 17th and 18th c. However, this technique seems to have developed a rather intriguing relationship with male popular singers in the past couple of decades. More precisely, in the pop/rock stream of the 1980s-2000s, artists such as Sting (The Police), Thom Yorke (Radiohead), Mathew Bellamy (Muse), Jonsi (Sigur Ros) etc., seem to constitute a lineage of singers using their falsetto voice in similar musical contexts: For example, at some point in many of their songs, we notice the emergence of a melodic line sung in falsetto voice. Although such a practice could be linked to past practices, this paper will attempt to interpret male falsetto singing in terms of the expression of a new representation of masculinity. Based on the work of other scholars (such as Stan Hawkins or Freya Jarman-Ivens), the analysis of a group of songs should contribute to the elucidation of this apparent contradictory relationship.