From Snoop Dogg to Sean Kingston to Billy Joel: it's an Auto-Tune pile-up

A couple of months back I posted about the new Snoop Dogg song, "Sensual Seduction" (aka "Sexual Eruption", if you're all about the uncensored version), which I mistakenly credited with bringing the vocoder back. Apparently, as folk who know about these things will confirm, there's actually no vocoder at work in this song at all. Nope, all that wibbly-wobbly voiceness - aka "The Cher Effect" - is done through Auto-Tune.

Auto-tune is the audio equivalent of skin concealer. It smoothes out inaccuracies in vocal performances, and can be used in the studio but also in the live arena. Hometracked.com have a very interesting article with ten examples of "auto-tune abuse" - Sean Kingston, Natasha Bedingfield and Avril Lavigne all feature, and once you know what an auto-tuned vocal sounds like you'll be spotting it every time you turn on the radio.

Posted by Stuart Waterman on February 15, 2026 11:35 AM in Music News| To Mime Ain't A Crime
Permalink | Comments (0) | digg this | del.icio.us this |

Amy Winehouse's MTV EMA performance prompts open letter from Shiny Media employee

My colleague over at Dollymix, the magnificent Cate Sevilla, is pretty cut up over Amy Winehouse's descent into... well, whatever mess she's in this week. Wino's recent performance at the MTV EMAs (which you can see after the jump) was the last straw. Take it away, Cate:

An open letter to Amy Winehouse about her performance at the MTV European Music Awards

Dear Amy Winehouse,

Hi! It's me, Cate. I know we don't actually know each other, but I've bought two of your CDs, and well, I sort of like you, Amy. Over the past few months things have been sort of shaky. You got married, and then next thing we know you're running through the streets of London in your tattered pink ballerina slippers, dripping Rimmel liquid eyeliner and blood everywhere. Now, I may not be a doctor or a psychologist, but I think you may have a problem.

The one thing that sets you apart from all the other Hollywood crackheads like Lindsay and Britney is that you actually have talent. Girlfriend, you can totally sing. And lets be honest, you have hair, so, that already makes you better than Britney. However, you know when everyone made fun of Britney Spears' crap performance on the VMAs? Well, after watching your performance of Back To Black at the MTV European Music Awards, you made her look like a freakin' pro. You couldn't remember the lyrics and when you did manage to remember the words, you wailed them in the most disturbing, off-key voice I've ever heard. I'm afraid the sound of you shouting, "Goo-BAAAI wifff weerrrdz" will forever echo in my ears.

Sister, go to rehab...

Cate
xx

Posted by Stuart Waterman on November 5, 2025 10:58 AM in Music News| TV / Radio Coverage| To Mime Ain't A Crime| Video
Permalink | Comments (0) | digg this | del.icio.us this |