the EE sound in music

[heyimyourlife]

Some times i feel that singers pronounce it as a short E sound, like in "send", "bed", "ten", etc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNk7OM5OypE
at 1:47
"Growing conspiracy" it ends in the short E sound
"Everyone's after me" rhyming with the previous one, it's again the short E sound
"Frayed ends of sanity" it ends in the EE sound
"hear them calling... hear them calling me" rhyming with the previous one, it's again the EE sound

So the same word, "ME", is pronounce with two different vowels.

Would you say that in the first quoted verse James (the singer) pronounces "ME" with the short E sound? or is it just the EE sound? but then why it sounds different in the last quoted verse?

Some times I can listen to singers saying the EI diphthong, like in "SAY".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQmEd_UeeIk
at 0:37
"You're on your knees" the EE sound
"Begging please" the EE sound
"Stay with me" the EI diphthong

The same question:
Would you say that in the last quoted verse April (the singer) pronounces "ME" with the EI diphthong? or is it just the EE sound? but then why it sounds like that?

 

[jutfrank]

Hi heyimyourlife

Yes, you've identified the pronunciation of the vowels correctly.

I suppose singers simply pronounce things the way they like the sound of. I don't think there's any special rules of phonology.

The only thing I might say, specifically with regards to the word me is that if you pronounce it with an EE, it doesn't sound very aggressive. James Hetfield pronounces this word with E because that's his personal badass style and Avril Lavigne pronounces it as EI because she's raising her voice to a crescendo. In both cases, I think an EE would sound too 'weak'. If you try shouting the word me!, you might find that the vowel sound naturally distorts.

 

[Tdol]

Music is an area where pronunciation can be very flexible. If it sounds right, sing it.