Who should win the APMA for Best Vocalist?
With the second annual AP Music Awards taking place July 22 (get your tickets now), at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, we thought we would use the weeks leading up to this epic event to give you a category-by-category breakdown of the nominees, so you can be an informed voter. Read on to learn about the Best Vocalist nominees, and cast your vote at altpress.com/apmas!
TYLER CARTER (ISSUES)
Tyler Carter has the vocal versatility to front a metalcore group or to front a world-dominating boy band (not to mention, to sing both Aladdin's and Jasmine's parts in “A Whole New World.”) Luckily for us, Carter's heart belongs to the rock scene where he adds an additional blast of soul and melisma to everything he lets his golden voice touch.
VIC FUENTES (PIERCE THE VEIL)
In our APMAs issue (out July 7), Fuentes details the challenge of becoming comfortable with his higher-toned voice, one that has been both criticized as a shrill and commended as swoon-worthy. As the saying goes, any work worth paying attention to will incite love or hate, never indifference. Fuentes’ unique instrument is one such masterpiece, standing apart from the ranks and splitting the scene into factions, where—clearly—the members of the “love” camp outnumber the “hate.”
LYNN GUNN (PVRIS)
Remember when Sia’s “Chandelier” came out and everyone’s jaws just sort of unhinged and they had to sit down and stare at something neutral for a while to recover from her vocal acrobatics? Okay, yeah. But have you heard PVRIS’s cover of “Chandelier?” Stunningly, Gunn not only matches that revered ability, but adds a bit of grit, injecting the song with even more ragged desperation. Should the pop world decide to pay attention, Gunn could become one of the most respected voices dominating the airwaves.
ADAM LAZARRA (TAKING BACK SUNDAY)
Quick, go listen to one of your favorite songs from Tell All Your Friends. Hold that sound in your memory. Now, turn on Happiness Is. Amazing, right? Lazarra has never stopped enduring, creating an unmatched signature timbre. To a degree, each person’s voice is always going to be what it is. Lazarra’s long-term metamorphosis as a vocalist proves that you can break your own boundaries to create something entirely new.
JEREMY McKINNON (A DAY TO REMEMBER)
Pop-punk? Done it. Metalcore? He can do that, too. Jeremy McKinnon has one of those rare voices that break genre boundaries so seamlessly, it makes uncommon juxtapositions seem second-nature. Not to mention: If there's any one singer the vocalists of budding pop-punk bands are obviously modeling themselves after (besides Kenny Vasoli of the Starting Line), it's definitely this guy. Hey, if you’re going to imitate someone, it’s probably best to set the master in your crosshairs.
HAYLEY WILLIAMS (PARAMORE)
In recent years, Paramore frontwoman Hayley Williams has been added to the ranks of vocalists like Christina Aguilera as a role model for aspiring singers on everything from American Idol to The Voice. Her energy and control live are practically superhuman. While standing still is not something you often see from this performer, her faltering even a fraction because of all that movement is an even rarer occurrence.
Feel educated yet? Good—now go cast your vote at altpress.com/apmas! Tickets for the award show are on sale now.
