Jackson sang from childhood, and over time his voice and vocal style changed noticeably. Between 1971 and 1975, Jackson's voice descended from boy soprano to high tenor. Jackson first used a technique called the "vocal hiccup" in 1973, starting with the song "It's Too Late to Change the Time" from the Jackson 5's G.I.T.: Get It Together album. Jackson did not use the hiccup technique— somewhat like a gulping for air or gasping— fully until the recording of Off the Wall: it can be seen in full force in the "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" promotional video. With the arrival of Off the Wall in the late 1970s, Jackson's abilities as a vocalist were well regarded. At the time, Rolling Stone compared his vocals to the "breathless, dreamy stutter" of Stevie Wonder. Their analysis was also that "Jackson's feathery-timbered tenor is extraordinarily beautiful. It slides smoothly into a startling falsetto that's used very daringly".1982 saw the release of Thriller, and Rolling Stone was of the opinion that Jackson was then singing in a "fully adult voice" that was "tinged by sadness".
杰克逊从小时候就开始唱歌,时间一长他的声音和发声风格都发生了显著的改变. 在1971年到1975年间, 他的声线开始由男童音转向男高音.1973年他在“杰克逊五小子”的专辑《无法分离》中演唱了“一切已晚”,并由此首创了“间断发音”的杰式唱腔.但是直到《离开大墙》专辑的“（彻底）摇摆身体”的歌曲升级视频中,杰克逊才开始充分发挥这种有点类似于大喘气的间断发音技巧.随着20世纪70年代《离开大墙》专辑的发表,杰克逊的歌手天分逐渐被外界看好.在那时,《滚石杂志》将他的声音比作史蒂夫旺达般“令人窒息的,梦幻般的假音”.他们还说“杰克逊羽毛般丰满的高音犹如天籁,他能自如的使用假音并大胆的应用它.”1982年人们见证了《颤栗者》的成功,《滚石杂志》表示那时杰克逊的声音已经“完全成人化了”并且隐含着“淡淡的忧伤”.
"Black or White"
“黑与白”
The lead single from Dangerous, the danceable hard rock song "Black or White" was one of Jackson's most successful recordings. It contains many features of Jackson's vocal style, including the vocal hiccup he is known for.
《危险之旅》的主打歌,舞曲风格的硬摇滚“黑与白”是杰克逊最成功的歌曲之一.这张专辑里面,杰克逊充分发挥了自己的发音风格,包括世人熟知的“间断发音”.
Gritty lead vocals on the verse were displayed by the release of "Bad" in 1987 and lighter tones employed on the chorus. A distinctive deliberate mispronunciation of "come on", used frequently by Jackson, occasionally spelt "cha'mone" or "shamone", is also a staple in impressions and caricatures of him. The turn of the 1990s saw the release of the introspective album Dangerous. The New York Times noted that on some tracks, "he gulps for breath, his voice quivers with anxiety or drops to a desperate whisper, hissing through clenched teeth" and he had a "wretched tone”. When singing of brotherhood or self-esteem the musician would return to "smooth" vocals.
随着1987年《真棒》专辑的推出,人们见识到了沙哑的独唱主音和轻音合唱.其中,杰克逊把“Come on”这两个词特意发错音,拼成“cha’mone”或者”shamone”.后来人们把这两个词作为他的独特发明和特别标志.20世纪90年代,他发行了一张自省的专辑《危险之旅》.对此《纽约时代》评论道“他深吸一口气,他的声音随着焦虑颤抖又坠入绝望的低语,通过紧咬的牙发出嘶嘶的呐喊.”并且他有一副“令人苦恼的嗓音”.只有当唱到兄弟情或自尊心的时候,这位音乐家才会使用比较“柔顺”的嗓音.
When commenting on Invincible, Rolling Stone were of the opinion that—at the age of 43—Jackson still performed "exquisitely voiced rhythm tracks and vibrating vocal harmonies”. Nelson George summed up Jackson's vocals by stating "The grace, the aggression, the growling, the natural boyishness, the falsetto, the smoothness—that combination of elements mark him as a major vocalist".
当评论道杰克逊在乐坛无人匹敌的地位时,《滚石杂志》表示,在43岁时,杰克逊仍拥有“精致的有声节奏音轨和颤音和声”. Nelson George 对杰克逊的声音如此总结道“优雅与狂野并存,咆哮与自然的少年音共进,假声与平滑共具——这些元素一起表明,歌手才是他的主职.”