For lovers of husky voices: Female singers in Western music
From a slightly hoarse, smoky, soothing tone to a powerful voice that might make you think for a moment, “Is that a male vocalist?,” husky female vocals radiate a wide range of charms.
Many of my vocal training students admire husky voices as well.
This time, I’ve selected recommended works by female artists in Western music who showcase such captivating husky singing.
Some tracks are chosen from my perspective as a vocal producer, so I believe they’ll be helpful references for female singers with husky voices.
However!! No matter how wonderful a husky voice is, please never intentionally damage your own voice to get it, okay? I truly mean it—please be careful.
- [Western Music] A Recommendation of the Lady of Soul: Wonderful Female Soul Singers
- [Cool Female Vocals] The World’s Coolest Female Singers [2025]
- I Want to Be Healed from the Heart: Recommended Western Ballads Sung by Female Vocalists
- A male Western music vocal artist with an appealing husky voice
- Female Western music artists who are good singers
- [Western Music] Female vocalists known for their beautiful voices
- Still Shining! Recommended Female Singers of 1980s Western Music
- Captivating female jazz singers who illuminate the history of jazz. Recommended jazz vocals from around the world.
- Foreign female singers' commercial songs: CM/commercial/popular song ranking [2025]
- [1970s] Recommended Nostalgic Western Music: Female Singers
- Beautiful high notes that feel so good! Classic Western songs where you can fully enjoy high-tone vocals.
- Introducing artists with whisper vocals
- Classic R&B songs recommended for women
For Lovers of Husky Voices: Female Singers in Western Music (51–60)
Un-Break My HeartToni Braxton
Toni Braxton, a female singer who was hugely active in the R&B scene of the 1990s.
She is known worldwide as an artist with a great voice and has received especially high praise for her lower register.
Many people who are captivated by her alto voice may not realize it, but she actually has a husky voice as well.
The combination of a low register and a husky tone is quite rare, so if you like Black music such as R&B, be sure to check her out.
My Heart Goes BoomMiss Li
Miss Li is a singer-songwriter whose characterful singing voice is utterly charming.
Husky yet cute, her voice will leave you wanting to hear more after just one listen.
She began her music career in 2006 and has released nine albums through 2022.
Her songs blend genres like gypsy jazz, country, and pop, and they never get boring.
Highly recommended if you like singers such as Zaz or Lily Allen!
Doo-WopLauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill is a female singer widely known as a leading figure in neo-soul, a genre that blends soul music with hip-hop, funk, and jazz.
Anyone who loves Black music is surely familiar with her.
Because she often raps, many people may not realize it, but she is in fact a bona fide singer with a husky voice.
Her dynamic expressiveness is remarkable, and if you listen to her quieter tracks, you can appreciate her husky tone even more.
Good Morning GorgeousMary J Blige
Mary J.
Blige, an American female singer hailed as the “Queen of Hip-Hop Soul.” She was a hugely successful artist in the 1990s and is extremely well-known, so I think anyone who listened to Western music even a little at the time would be familiar with her.
She, too, has a husky voice, and as she has aged, her tone has become even huskier.
If you follow her career while listening, you might enjoy tracing the history of her husky voice.
For lovers of husky voices: Female singers in Western music (61–70)
If It Makes You HappySheryl Crow
Sheryl Crow’s 1993 debut album, Tuesday Night Music Club, became a worldwide smash hit and helped spark the boom in female singers from the ’90s onward.
While grounding her music in rootsy genres like country and folk, she has continued to create superb songs that appeal to a wide range of ages.
Her greatest charm lies in her distinctive voice.
As evidenced by her work singing backup for major artists—including Michael Jackson—her vocals, which seem to combine freshness with a robust huskiness, continue to shine, captivating not only listeners but fellow musicians as well.
AloneAnn Wilson（Heart）
Heart, the band that sparked the boom of rock groups fronted by women, was one of the acts that achieved global success from the 1970s through the 1980s.
The band’s greatest appeal lies in its vocals.
The lead singer is Ann Wilson, the real-life older sister of Heart’s guitarist, Nancy.
A song that fully showcases Ann’s captivating voice is Alone, released in 1987.
Its husky, high-toned vocals make for a track that grips your heart.
Breaking Down The DoorBuika
Buika, the songstress from Spain.
Among the female singers we’ve introduced this time, she stands out with an unmatched husky voice.
Her two greatest charms are: first, her timbre.
Every register is husky, yet her voice has solid depth and richness.
Second, her vocal ability.
As a singer, her prowess is top-tier—based on my assessment of nearly 3,000 songs from over 80 countries annually, she’s the number one active vocalist in terms of skill.
In short, she’s an outstanding artist across the board, so be sure to check her out.