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
- [Healing & Cool] Female Vocalists with Captivating Husky Voices
- [Cool Female Vocals] Badass Women Singers Around the World [2026]
- 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
- Top 1980s Female Singer-Songwriters: Popular Songs Ranking [2026]
- Ranking of Commercial Songs and Popular Hits by Western Female Singers [2026]
- [Western Music] Female vocalists known for their beautiful voices
- Still Shining! Recommended Female Singers of 1980s Western Music
- Female vocal songs where women with low voices can shine
- Captivating female jazz singers who illuminate the history of jazz. Recommended jazz vocals from around the world.
- [70s Western Music] Timeless Masterpieces and Popular Songs by Female Singers
For lovers of husky voices: Female Western music singers (41–50)
Feeling GoodNina Simone
She is Nina Simone, an American jazz and blues singer.
She fought against racial discrimination and the poverty of her early years.
In her voice, you can feel the countless moments of anger, sorrow, and joy that she experienced.
That profound voice has encouraged many people around the world.
Her signature song, “Feeling Good,” has been covered by many musicians, including the jazz singer Michael Bublé and the rock band Muse.
Baby It’s Cold OutsideNorah Jones
Debuting as a new-generation jazz singer, Norah Jones’s 2002 debut album, Come Away with Me, became an instant smash hit, achieving an astonishing global sales figure of over 27 million copies.
Unbound by jazz alone, she draws on a wide range of musical influences—pop, rock, country—and continues to work energetically not only as a solo artist but also as part of many projects and bands.
Her greatest charm, of course, is her refined, sweet, and deeply husky voice.
It never grows tiring to listen to, and it’s easy to see why it’s said to have exceptional soothing effects.
If you’re not into jazz and haven’t yet experienced Norah Jones’s voice, now’s the perfect time!
Back From The DeadElizabeth “Lzzy” Hale（Halestorm）
The vocalist with a powerhouse voice that can rival any male singer is Lzzy Hale of Halestorm.
Halestorm is an American hard rock band formed in 1997 by the Hale siblings—Lzzy and her brother Arejay on drums.
Lzzy’s roaring, howl-like vocals while she thrashes on the guitar are absolutely electrifying.
Their song “Back From The Dead,” themed around mental survival, is a soul-shaking anthem—Lzzy’s cry of life will leave you trembling.
Edge Of A Broken HeartJanet Patricia Gardner（VIXEN)
Do you know the band that was called the female Bon Jovi? Vixen is a band that delivers catchy rock tunes with a husky, powerful voice reminiscent of Bon Jovi.
Many people were captivated by their high-impact performances paired with flashy style.
One of their signature songs is Edge of a Broken Heart.
Sung with a husky high tone, it’s a track whose fresh yet wistful melody is truly moving.
A Whiter Shade of PaleAnnie Lennox
Among many female singers, Annie Lennox is particularly known for her beautifully resonant low voice.
She is a British singer-songwriter, a strikingly handsome woman whose closely cropped hair suits her very well.
Her talent is such that she was ranked among Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Singers of All Time.
Here, Annie is singing “A Whiter Shade of Pale,” the signature song by the band Procol Harum, known in Japanese as “Aoi Kage” (“Blue Shadow”).
The beauty of the song is accentuated by Annie’s vocals.