Did you hear Natalie at the Oliver Hudson concert?

Betty Bennett10 said:😁Of course, it would be the ideal scenario if she actually possessed the ability to write her own material, or at least had the sense to find someone who could. It’s a systemic issue—not just here in the States, but globally—that we seem to produce an endless supply of talented vocalists while genuine songwriters remain incredibly rare. One has to wonder what Natalie Portman will actually accomplish with her talent, given that the question of what she will even sing remains unanswered.

I couldn't agree more. Even at that Runjić concert, it was painfully obvious: we have plenty of gifted singers roaming around, yet we lack the caliber of songwriting that Rujić used to deliver back in the day. Where did that level of craft go?

Black Hawk said:The thing is, you can actually see it in her, and you can hear it in the way she sings. How on earth didn't we see that during Karan's first big break? (I can't even believe I'm using him as a positive example 🙄). Everyone is terrified during their debut, but when you're a "star," it doesn't show. To sing well, you have to be a "star." You need an ear for it, but the actual voice—it’s almost secondary.

Sorry, but Karan is literally twice as old as Natalie Portman, so I have no idea what you mean about his "first performance"... are we talking about when he started music or just a few years ago?

Let's try comparing Natalie Portman to someone who didn't start their career ten years before she was even born... if you want to compare them to people like that, then go ahead and tell me how much she's worth... but right now, the fact that Runjić decided to let the Gull be sung by someone so young—that's a whole different story. To me, it was primarily a message, because great people are always looking to recognize and help out the next generation of greats...

Angela Kern69 said:Of course. How could the Voice even matter when it comes to singing!?🙂

It’s obviously irrelevant.
Have you actually listened to Tina Turner lately, or ever? 😁

Angela Kern69 said:Of course. How could someone's voice even matter when it comes to singing!?🙂

(I suppose I have to wonder why I am wasting my time on such trivial subjects today?).
I will say it again: having a great voice is almost irrelevant to the act of singing.
Does Bob Dylan have a Voice?
Does Arsen Dedić have a Voice?
Does Frank Sinatra have a Voice?
Does Željko Bebek have a Voice?
Even if they have a full six-octave range... 🙄

If we followed your logic, every song would be performed by Pavarotti, and you'd call that Music.

It is much like claiming that the best linguist—the one who masters spelling and grammar perfectly—is automatically the greatest writer.
One really needs to distinguish between a scribe, a typist, and an author.

Similarly, one must distinguish between a good Voice and a well-performed song.
In this specific instance, she simply did not perform the song well (nor did she sing it well). Period.

There is only one true Voice. Or rather, The Voice. And he’s no longer with us. :-(

Honestly, 😁 I’m quite glad Jason Morgan2 wrote this; it’s an undeniable reality that many performers who are highly celebrated here simply don't possess a real voice—they just rely on a certain "vibe," a style, or as Black Hawk put it, they are merely "faces."

And I think mentioning Arsen Dedić was spot on—he doesn't really have a voice, he just "blows warm air" (that happens to be my husband's favorite way to describe it).

But, well, I personally don't care for that kind of singing, and performers like Marijan Ban always manage to leave me stunned all over again.

In my view, having a true VOICE is precisely what defines a great singer. And Natalie Portman has Voice. She performed the song in question flawlessly.

They aren't just performing for the sake of it. They are truly singing.
That requires a certain level of ear and character. You need a real Voice if you want to sing opera.
I honestly get chills every single time I hear Jacques Brel perform "Port d'Amsterdam." Personally, I think Natalie Portman has a better Voice than him. At least by two octaves and 30 dB, I suppose.
I would really love to hear her interpretation of that song. 🙄

Betty Bennett10 said:And I really loved the mention of Arsen Dedić—he doesn't actually have much of a voice, he just sort of "blows warm air" (that's my husband's favorite way to put it).

A few months back, I caught him singing and realized he was finally sounding great. 🙂
As for the whole thing about "unintelligent people" being able to sing (or paint, or take photos, or act...), I don't think it's impossible for them to be good. Sometimes an unintelligent person just has this specific personality trait that draws people in and helps them connect. Maybe the only difference is that a smart person will recognize that trait and lean into it, whereas someone less bright might miss it entirely. Or maybe some slick manager will spot it first.
I don't know much about Natalie Portman, honestly. I don't watch much TV and I've only heard her mentioned a couple of times. In America, there are plenty of people with similar vocal abilities, and probably even better singers out there. But, I guess a voice isn't everything when it comes to being a great singer, because performing on stage is about so much more than just the vocals.

Black Hawk said:I’m telling you right now: having a "voice" is practically irrelevant when it comes to singing.
Does Bob Dylan have a Voice?
Does Arsen Dedić have a Voice?
Does Bruce Springsteen have a Voice?
Does Željko Bebek have a Voice?
They all hit those six octaves... 🙄

If we followed your logic, everyone would just be out there singing like Pavarotti, and apparently, *that's* what you'd call Music.

Look, Bregović wrote songs specifically for Bebek, and Runjić wrote for Oliver Hudson, while those other guys you listed are singer-songwriters. They were singing about their own damn lives, so obviously you feel that raw emotion in their performances. It seems to me you're more into that polished poetry where the lyrics take center stage and the music is just background noise...

And hey, that's fine. But some people actually love hearing a powerhouse vocalist tackle demanding tracks like Gull... and that counts as music too.

I have to admit, I find the argument that having a great voice isn't essential to being a good singer deeply confusing. From my perspective, if you want to be categorized as a singer in the first place, possessing a solid voice is a non-negotiable prerequisite. You could hardly call the aforementioned Dedić or Marijan Ban singers; perhaps they qualify as talented songwriters to certain people—and I personally find their work quite charming—but they simply don't fit the mold of a vocalist.

That said, I suppose there are likely people in America with vocal abilities on par with Natalie Portman—for instance, both of my husband's sisters sing just as well as she does—it's just that they have absolutely no interest in the music industry.😁

Natalie Portman gave an absolutely brilliant performance. She killed it. The only thing was her expression—she looked a bit like a deer in headlights. I guess she was just dealing with massive stage fright, which makes sense given how huge this event was; she probably just needs some time to get used to the spotlight... and I’m not going to bother addressing all your "prophetic" comments about who’s a genius and who isn't (honestly, you don't even know her personally, so good for you) because none of that actually matters for this thread.

Keith James812 said:So, these artists were basically singing about their own lives, which makes sense why you can feel that raw emotion in their performances... I suspect you might lean more toward understated poetry where the lyrics take center stage and the music just serves as a backdrop...
And honestly, there's nothing wrong with that. But then again, there are plenty of people who just love hearing a stunning voice tackle technically demanding songs like Gull.. and that's just as much a part of music as well..

I think you might have misread me. While I do appreciate subtle poetry, I wouldn't say I favor it over everything else. If we were discussing 'The Mamas,' I’d probably draw comparisons to... The Clash, The Rolling Stones, or Azra. And frankly, I prefer them much more than Zdenko Runjić!

Since we are talking about Runjić's songs (along with Zuppa, Popadić's, and Fiameng's!), I would tentatively compare him to Dedić or Brel. It wouldn't make much sense to compare him to Ed Maajko, would it? Besides, any truly great song needs solid lyrics (though let's not confuse that with being pretentious). For example: "Eight Tamburists from Petrovadinad" 😁.

I simply cannot enjoy it when a beautiful voice fails to properly execute challenging songs like Gull. That is my point.
🙂

Seriously, what was actually wrong with that performance? 🤔

I know taste is subjective, but it was painfully obvious that her incredible voice absolutely floored most of the crowd. I don't quite get what she would have needed to do to make this "performance" satisfy you—stand on her head while singing or wave her arms around like a Gull?

I'm positive she absolutely butchered it, even if I didn't catch it myself.

Someone just brought your name up, claiming you were talking trash about Natalie Portman. Is there any truth to that?

P.S.
Aren't you out in Ireland?

vividstag31 said:Honestly, what was actually wrong with that performance? 🤔

I think the song selection was just poor—you really need some life experience and wrinkles to pull off a song like that. For instance, I feel like Nina Badrić made a much wiser choice when she performed "your beautiful hair".

It doesn't sound 'sovereign' at all. It sounds strained and hesitant, maybe even a little shrill at times. To be honest, I think Tajči would have handled it much better.

vividstag31 said:Someone just mentioned you were talking trash about Natalie Portman. Is that actually true?

P.S.
Aren't you in Ireland?

Look, "trash talk" is a matter of opinion; I have never once questioned her vocal abilities.
And yes, I am in Ireland, which is exactly why I couldn't make it to the concert.

Oh, please, you’re just looking for a fight. I’ll admit, I completely skipped over that part about Tajči.

Regarding the selection process—why on earth do you think Natalie Portman chose it? I’m skeptical myself, unless you happen to have some inside info.

As for those wrinkles being linked to the song, I suppose I could buy that. Though, if I’m being honest, the moment I heard The Voice, I forgot all about it.

Is anyone else finding the forum incredibly sluggish today, or is it just me needing to reboot my old Windows 98 rig? I can't even get onto CNN.

Natalie Portman has got a total breeze blowing through her head, la la li 🙂