Professor and voice instructor Melinda Imthurn writes:
Oversinging is not a word found in common dictionaries, but it is a well-known phenomenon.[2][3] Some forms of oversinging, especially in the United States, can be traced and attributed to renowned soloists in the 1980s like Whitney Houston.
There are different opinions on what oversinging implies, though it is commonly recognized as one or both of the following:
Oversinging can be technically understood as pushing too much breath pressure through the larynx,[4] which is known as overblowing of the vocal folds. The result is the over-production of sound. Oversinging may also be termed "vocal gymnastics" when referring to usage of melisma.[5] Hollywood vocal coach Roger Burnley describes this type of oversinging as "using too many riffs, runs, and embellishments".[3]
Singers who try to impress or show off their vocal abilities may turn to this kind of singing.
Vocal damage[edit]
Straining the singing voice, for instance by using belting without proper coordination, can lead to forcing, which in turn can cause vocal deterioration, known as fatigue of the vocal cords, also known as vocal fatigue. Straining the voice can lead the development of vocal nodules, a form of scarring on the vocal cords caused by strenuous or abusive voice practices. Professional singers on extended tours with tight schedules run a substantial risk of damaging their voices unless they make sure to rest the vocal cords and get enough sleep and proper diet.[11][12]
Some famous singers known to have developed vocal nodules are Luciano Pavarotti,[13] Whitney Houston,[14] Mariah Carey,[15] Freddie Mercury,[14] and Joss Stone.[16]
Singers known to have had their vocal nodules surgically treated include Justin Timberlake, Sam Smith, Tove Lo, Adele, Björk, Shirley Manson, Keith Urban, John Mayer and Rod Stewart.[11][14][17][18][19] Julie Andrews is well known for her singing voice being permanently damaged by the surgery. Elton John is notable for having vocal surgery, as it caused his voice to significantly deepen.
Research by Massachusetts General Hospital which analysed a group of elite singers who suffered vocal cord damage, with a total of 240 Grammy award nominations among them, showed that 90% of those injuries was the result of vocal trauma and overuse.[20]