Mat #1 02:05 pm Jul 28 2010

is delusional and 100% wrong!

Che Fu, Fat Freddy's Drop, P Diggs, Tiki Taane, PNC, etc... All have strong American accents, especially when they rap!

@Linguistics nerd - Any idea if there is any established argument for why some of us "cringe" over particular accents?

Deciphering the phonetics of pronunciation is actually very complex and requires real skill. Saying that there were only three singers doesn't indicate the depth of data gained as this type of study would require multiple recordings and time-consuming analysis of the sounds produced. Research into people and the society that we live in is no less valid than research into the hard sciences. It is just different.

This is news to people? I always thought it was pretty obvious that a lot of non-American pop singers revert to an Americanised voice when singing. Not exactly surprising.

I also did my MA thesis on NZ singing accents and I know Andy Gibson. This article definitely doesn't even scratch the surface of what is covered in an MA thesis (usually around 140 pages), and none of you are in the target audience of such a work (it would mostly be very boring to you, as someone noted). This article is rubbish so take it with a grain of salt. Many of the comments above highlight the fact that "cultural cringe" and negative attitudes toward our own accent are still rife in NZ. This fact is exactly why research like this is conducted- so that in time we may accept ourselves for what we are and stop looking to other Western cultures as 'ideals' for how we should sound. Language is language is language- none is better or worse than the other. NZ accent is not "lazy" or "rude", and having it accepted in music, tv, etc will help dispel that attitude. Amen :) Well done if you made it to the end of this comment.

So many people seem to regard Andy Gibson's findings as obvious - yet hardly anyone seem to be bothered by the fact that our culture is so Americanised. American popular culture has so successfully colonised our heads that their accents have become the "default setting" for the way we sing. The impression I get from most of the feedback is: "Of course! But who cares?" Some people even say they can't stand kiwi accents. Wow! Are we really so brainwashed?

The guy studied three singers? Hardly a comprehensive study. I'd suggest this bozo goes back to the drawing board with this one. Too small a sample size to hold any relevance.

I wonder how much of the tax payers money they wasted coming to that conclusion.

This article is guilty of over simplifying a complex thesis and therefore coming across as irrelevant. It's actually fascinating research and a valuable insight into the psyche of MZ musicians.

I have a different theory.

Most people when singing in English get a more "universal" language. For example The Beatles when visiting the US for the first time were asked why they sang with an American accent. It was news to them. The only time I can really hear an strong accentual give-away with The Beatles is with their hard "g"'s in words such as song. Also look at Abba. Very non-American accents for that band.

I also think that this more universal accent certainly contains some accentual influences that the American accent has inherited not the other way around.