Science and music rarely, if ever, coincide with one another. However, there is an exception to this separation when studying the anomaly of Freddie Mercury’s voice. To many, he is the greatest vocalist of all time, and if one doesn’t believe that, you still can’t help but wonder how in the world he sings the way he sings. Well, other than lots of practice, what if we told you he has a weird superpower that allows him to reach the highest and lowest of notes?
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Matter of fact, he does, to an extent that is. Numerous sources attribute this superpower to various attributes in Mercury’s mouth region. That being so, the reason why he sings so gloriously is not fully proven. However, the research conducted suggests that there is one element attributing to his one-of-a-kind voice that might be coined as a “musical superpower.”
It Wasn’t Freddie Mercury’s Teeth
Before we dive into what has been confirmed true, it’s important to debunk the myth surrounding his vocal talents. That myth concerns Mercury’s teeth. Yes, they might be crooked and crowded, and overall, just a bit homely. However, what these imperfect teeth allegedly led to was a perfect voice. However, this reason is a myth according to numerous studies conducted on Mercury’s vocal cords and oral cavity.
The myth in question is that Freddie Mercury’s extra and large teeth gave him room in his mouth which allowed him to expand his oral cavity to unnatural lengths and reach more notes. But, that is merely people’s hypothesis and no science has ever proven that to be true. Instead, the truth about Mercury’s superpower resides in his vibrato frequency.
According to This Study…
The more notable study conducted on Mercury’s stupendous vocal range was executed by Professor Christian Herbst and Daniel Zangger-Borchs. In Herbst’s and Zangger’s study, their findings concluded that Mercury’s vibrato reaches a higher frequency than most opera singers. The study states, “Typically, an opera singer’s vibrato has this frequency of about 5.5-6 Hz. Freddie Mercury’s is higher” and “It’s also more irregular, and that kind of creates a very typical vocal fingerprint.”
According to the study, Mercury’s vocal frequency reached a whopping 7.0 Hz which made him reach the range of vocal tremor. Despite the extensive research and the discovery of his high vibrato frequency, researchers still couldn’t figure out exactly how he did it. Nonetheless, the ability to reach such a frequency is seemingly a superpower in and of itself.
Also, it is something that Adele, Aretha Franklin, and many other acclaimed vocalists have never been able to achieve. Needless to say, science noted that Freddie Mercury’s voice is out of the ordinary, but even they can’t discover what it is due to its highly irregular nature.
Photo by Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
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