Mariah Carey's Vocal Range Is Easily Surpassed By Bats
Mariah Carey's Vocal Range Is Easily Surpassed By Bats
Laila Abuelhawa November 30th, 2022
Mariah Carey performs onstage during Global Citizen Festival 2022: New York at Central Park on September 24, 2022 in New York City.
Researchers have found a living creature with more vocal range than Mariah Carey. According to research published in the journal PLOS Biology Tuesday (November 29), it has been found that bats have vocal ranges that rival that of the five-octave singer. In fact, bats' "voices" have seven octaves (1 to 120 kHz), whereas most humans typically have three.
"Bats can make low-frequency calls, using their so-called 'false vocal folds' – like human death metal singers do," said the bat study's lead author, Professor Coen Elemans of the University of Southern Denmark. "Well-known examples are Mariah Carey, Axl Rose and Prince. It turns out bats surpass this range by using different structures in their larynx." Elemans said that these nocturnal animals use high-frequency sounds called echolocation when communicating with each other.
According to the professor, death metal singers use the same technique bats do to create sound. "We identified for the first time what physical structures within the larynx oscillate to make their different vocalizations," explained Elemans. "For example, bats can make low-frequency calls using their so-called 'false vocal folds' — like human death metal singers do." The study says that bats use the lower register when flying in and out of large swarms.
Co-author and bat expert Lasse Jakobsen added that when a bat is hunting for food, it uses a higher frequency to locate prey. Humans were allegedly once able to hit the higher frequency but lost the ability due to evolution. "A bat can determine the shape, size and texture of echoing objects within milliseconds," explained Jakobsen.
GALLERY: Mariah Carey's 10 Best Songs Ranked
10. "Obsessed"
This heavily autotuned diss track was written in response to Eminem's claims that Carey had dated him.
9. "Don't Forget About Us"
From her 2005 album 'The Emancipation of Mimi,' produced by Jermaine Dupri. Lyrically, the song deals with the emotions that are sometimes felt after the loss of their relationship. Carey explained that the true meaning of the song is left to be interpreted by the listener.
8. "Touch My Body"
From Carey's eleventh studio album 'E=MC2,' released in 2008. The song broke the record for the highest opening week download tallies in US chart history.
7. "Get Your Number"
Featuring Jermaine Dupri includes a pop and R&B mashup, with an '80s synth influence. The song is built around a sample of 1982's "Just An Illusion" by Imagination.
6. "Always Be My Baby"
From her 1995 album 'Daydream,' had us at "doo-doo-doo-dow." Also produced by Jermaine Dupri, the ballad's lyrics describe the sense of attachment Carey still feels towards her former lover. When asked about his experience of working with the singer, Dupri said: "She can pretty much do anything with her voice."
5. "Shake It Off"
For the music video, Carey had to be carried around set because she couldn't walk in her ultra-high heels. Even though they were making her feet bleed, she refused the director's offer to trade them for comfortable slippers because she insisted she couldn't wear flat shoes. "My feet repel them," she laughed.
This inspirational ballad was made for the 1992 Dustin Hoffman film of the same name.
Musically, "Emotions" borrows heavily from Seventies disco to create a winning formula that went on to win her another number one in the US. Carey's vocal range spans more than four octaves on the track, one of the highest notes produced by a human voice in the history of recorded music.
2. "All I Want For Christmas"
Christmas means hearing this song everywhere you go. The song sold more than 16 million copies worldwide.
1. "We Belong Together"
This was Carey's big comeback track after a few years out of the spotlight. She said of recording the ballad: "I had the chills. I had a great feeling about it when we finished writing the song, and I was flying back from Atlanta at some crazy hour of the morning... But we were listening to it on the plane ride on the way home, and even from the demo version, I really felt something very special."
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