The Best Female Singers in the Game Today!

We live in the era of Katy Perry, Rihanna and Ke$ha, yet not one of these ladies can deliver a decent live performance if their lives depended on it suprisingly however they rack up number 1 after number 1. It is because of this fact that I decided to dedicate a post which celebrates the real and noteworthy (pun intended) talent of the ladies in the music industry, the ladies who do not rely on studio gimmicks to sell a CD. Most major publications such as Rolling Stone have released similar lists and it is important to bear in mind that it remains an individual opinion and that everybody has different taste. The criteria for making my list was rather straight forward: technical vocal ability, quality of live performances and ability to convey emotion in song.

It was incredibly difficult to complete this post and I have reworked it at least a dozen times, but here goes:

1) Mariah Carey

 There was no difficulty in determining the number one voice in the game since she has defined a generation of music and her 5 octave voice is known worldwide. She has topped every major chart and holds the title of 'Best selling female recording artist of all time'. I wont be the first or last person to admit that Mimi's voices is not what it was 15 years ago but that said she can still sing 'circles' around all of the artists in the game today. Now that is a stonewinner!

2) Lauryn Hill

I can not say I cared much for unplugged or any song that she raps on but when this woman sings it is simply amazing. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill remains one of the greatest albums ever made from both a vocal and lyrical perspective. Lauryn please come back to us and leave the weed alone see!

3) Jazmine Sullivan

If it was 2008 Jazmine would probably have topped this list! I can still vividly remember the day I first heard 'Need U Bad', I was convinced it was Lauryn Hill who had finally returned to music! Jazmine's first album 'Fearless' was an absolute stonewinner from start to finish and easily managed to place Jazmine in the legend rankings. Her second album 'Love Me Back' is just as brilliant and showcases this young lady as a world class singer. Her contribution to dying RnB music can be seen as keeping the genre alive.

4) Christina Aguilera

Certainly the voice of her generation and an undisputed vocal powerhouse. Her technique is sometimes questionable as Xtina is prone to over sing her songs but still her vocal ability is unreal. Her latest album 'Bionic' is not for the faint hearted but the songs 'Vanity' and "Little Dreamer" is a smash and worth a listen. No other artist can deliver breath taking vocals while shaking their ass like Christina can in the industry today. Christina is legend sorry Gaga you are...well...not!

5) Jojo

She arrived on the music scene at the tender age of 12 with her bubblegum pop smash hit 'Leave (Get Out)', which I maintain is the prelude to 'Irreplaceable'. Jojo is a tiny girl with unbelievable soul and capable of Mariah like whistle notes. Interestingly, Disney created the concept of Hannah Montana with Jojo in mind but she turned them down to focus on her music and than goodness for that, her talent surpasses these Disney exports of today. To listen to just how talented she is go give her song 'Paper Airplanes' a listen.

Jojo remains criminally underrated both critically and commercially but she does not let anything or anyone get her down and December 20th 2012 sees the release of her second mixtape "Agape"! Keep on keepin on Jo! Her previous mixtape Cant Take That Away fis well worth a listen!

6) Paulini Curuenavuli

Most people have never ever heard of this artist let alone her music and that remains a travesty. Paulini is a finalist of the first season of Australian Idol, her vocals can be compared to Whitney Houston meets Leona Lewis. She is a natural talent and does not rely on screaming to deliver a song. If you have never heard her music go and look for her on Youtube right now! Come on! Go.!

7) Leona Lewis  

 X factor alumni Leona has undeniable vocal ability but I cant help but feel that her career peaked with her debut album. Her second album was utter rubbish and should never have been released. She need to step away from her reality show winner image and find her own musical identity. Also, enough with the Mariah comparisons, Leona can sing but do not push it!

8) Camile Velasco 

 This girl is another Lauryn Hill comparison waiting to happen, but that is only one aspect of this talented singer. She has more versatility than Lauryn does and she easily sings music from most major genres in music today. I love that she has maintained her Hip Hop and reggae influences in a world dominated by euro pop. This is another artist you must hear. Go Check Youtube now!!!!

9) Stacie Orrico 

 She started out as a christian pop artist in her teenage years but hit mainstream with her second self titled album which spawned hits like 'Stuck' and 'More to Life'. She cites Brian McKnight as one of her major influences and you can hear that in her music, she has a soulfulness that is beyond her years. With her distinct 4 octave voice I do not think we have seen the last of Miss Orrico.

10) Mariechan Luiters 

The only South African to make the list, Mariechan is one third of South African urban pop super group Jamali. Her tone is the most distinct within the group and her natural tone is simply sublime. She sings with such ease and her vocals deliver during live performances as well. She is undeniably the voice of the group. She has recorded some solo songs for EMI which received airplay on radio and we hope to get a solo album some time in the near future.

Honourable Mentions
Whitney Houston
Monica
Alexandra Burke
T.K
Jennifer Hudson
Alexis Jordan
Jordin Sparks
Tamia
Katharine McPhee
Kelly Rowland
Tiffany Evans

Who would make up your top 10?