breathy

Despite her small, breathy voice and heavily accented French, Birkin became a major interpreter of Gainsbourg’s songs.

Emily was followed by a slew of page-turners in similar, breathy vein: Bella, Harriet, Imogen and Prudence.

Isley, an up-and-coming R&B singer whose father is Ernie Isley of the Isley Brothers, calls Riperton “the prime example” of a voice that shows “the strength in restraint,” and indeed you can trace her influence through the softly confiding tone of music by Prince in the ’80s and Janet Jackson in the ’90s to modern-day songs like Isley’s dreamy “Good & Plenty” or Ravyn Lenae’s breathy pop hit “Love Me Not.”

It can be breathy and ethereal or a searing flamethrower — and she transforms into an angelic chorus of one when she tracks layers of her own harmonies.

But it was ballads like Casual, Coffee and Picture You that really showcased the star's voice – all country twang and breathy vocal flips, that puts her on a higher plane than her pop contemporaries.