accents when singing

dutch   Monday, June 14, 2004, 16:16 GMT
why does it seem that when people of different english speaking countries sing, their accents seem to be less pronounced than when they speak? for example, when paul mccarthy sings, his british accent is not as noticible as when he speaks.

p.s. speaking from an american point of view
Vic   Monday, June 14, 2004, 16:27 GMT
I have often wondered excatly the same thing. Some artists though their accent does poke through a bit, for example Peter Andre.
Jordi   Monday, June 14, 2004, 17:13 GMT
As I've repeated elsewhere it's because of rhythm, intonation and even pitch. All this makes up a lot of the accent, which isn't as noticeable when you sing. Anyway, very much the same happens when Americans or Australians are heard singing in GB. I mean not only do they lose their British voices but you also tend to lose your American voices when singing. The very same thing also happens in Spanish between the European and South American accents that seem to disappear too.
When singing we all use the same notes, if you know what I mean and we all lose our speaking lilts. Furthermore, as far as vowel go many southern British or Australian singers adopt a more "American" system, especially when pronouncing their "a" ("fast" pronounced as an American would.) It's because of the importance of the American market, I suppose. Exceptions would be "world music singers" who tend to keep their own local system. I mean what's the use singing Irish, Scottish or Australian bush ballads with an American drawl?
Konrad Valentin   Monday, June 14, 2004, 19:27 GMT
Everyone sounds American when they sing and I find it really annoying. I think people should sing in their native accents and stop trying to sound like something they are not.
Damian   Monday, June 14, 2004, 21:07 GMT
I don't like it when someone speaks in pure Brummie or Geordie or any other British accent, but when they sing it's in some sort of West Coast American or whatever.....anyway, what sounds to me to be pure American. As Jordi says, I guess it's for commercial reasons and mass appeal.

Singing "Danny Boy" or "On the Bonnie, Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond" or "We'll Keep a Welcome in the Hillsides" would sound weird in an American accent. But they are traditional and not part of the pop culture.