A new article in the New York Times, which was written by journalist Jon Caramanica, has described Ariana Grande and Fifth Harmony as "songbirds with clipped wings".

In the editorial, Caramanica observes the restrained nature of both albums and explains that it seems strange to hear both acts lacking in the power he knows they actually have:

"The title track from Ariana Grande’s new album, “Dangerous Woman,” posits Ms. Grande, not that long ago an ingénue, as an avatar of sexual strength and control. Yet there’s something curiously dry about the song: Her voice, which is powerful, is practically tamed. Her vocals are so weakened, lines like “I wanna savor” and “I live for danger” lack punch. It’s like hearing her shout in a field very far away — she’s singing with force but nothing hits hard."

"Something similar is happening on “Work From Home,” the single from “7/27,” the new album by the girl group Fifth Harmony. Here, too, the vocals have been compressed so the rhythm of the words stands out, rather than their timbre or meaning."

"Both Ms. Grande and the members of Fifth Harmony — Ally Brooke, Camila Cabello, Dinah Jane, Lauren Jauregui and Normani Kordei — are formidable but loose singers, the sort of vocalists who grew up with Mariah Carey as a vocal inspiration, not a cautionary tale."

He goes onto explain that it's clear that current pop music is "struggling to identify its center": "What’s striking about these albums is how gently they treat their stars, as if they were fragile artefacts in need of safe shipping. In the past, each act has delivered memorable singing, but something deadening is at play on these records, which reflect a pop universe not much interested in displays of vocal flamboyance."

Grande's new album 'Dangerous Woman', however, still managed to be a commercial success as it went to No.1 in 65 countries on iTunes on the day of its release. Do you have a favourite song on Fifth Harmony's '7/27'? We're running a readers' poll and you can vote for your favourite here. 

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