Female celebrities change the pitch of their voices because they feel pressure to please and demand respect, vocal experts have revealed.
Paris Hilton wowed fans this week with her ability to slip in and out of her signature “girly” voice, which is as much a part of her character as pink sparkles and Chihuahuas.
The hospitality heiress is known for her high-pitched “baby voice,” but while contributing to a congressional panel on improving social protections for young people, The mother of two, who recently spoke out about alleged abuse she suffered as a child, opted for a deeper tone.
This comes after Ariana Grande did the same while speaking on an episode of Podcrushed with Penn Badgley last month, as she delved into her childhood and her experiences working for Nickelodeon.
Dr Daniel Glazer, clinical psychologist and co-founder of UK Therapy Rooms, told Femail: ‘Vocal modulation, while not exclusive to women, appears to be more prevalent among female performers.
Ariana was speaking on an episode of Podcrushed with Penn Badgley when her voice changed from deep to high.
‘This may be partly due to social pressures for women to strike a balance between being liked and commanding respect, and vocal adjustments are sometimes employed to calibrate that balance.
‘Many women are taught from a young age to prioritize nurturing personalities that exude warmth and approachability. Modulating one’s voice to consciously or unconsciously emphasize those qualities could have its origins in those ingrained gender norms and expectations. It’s a way of signaling femininity while also exerting authority when necessary.’
Similarly, Nilou Esmaeilpour, Clinical Director and Registered Clinical Counsellor at Lotus Therapy & Counselling Centre, She said: ‘The phenomenon of voice change appears to be more widespread among women, which might be expected from social demands for femininity and perceptions related to women’s voices.
‘Higher voices connote traditional notions of femininity, and deeper voices are similarly related to authority and credibility.
‘Women in the public eye may feel the need to modulate their voices to suit different contexts, whether to make themselves accessible or to make themselves heard in serious arguments.’
Paris Hilton changed her voice while contributing to a congressional panel focused on improving social protections for young people.
Other voice experts and psychologists have suggested that higher-pitched female voices tend to be “more appealing” to fans.
Psychologist Ms Esmaeilpour said: ‘A higher-pitched voice generally appears more youthful and energetic, making the celebrity more attractive to certain groups of people.
‘It’s normal for higher-pitched voices to connect better with their fans because higher-pitched voices show enthusiasm and interest in their content.’
Dr. Glazer added: “Higher tones generally connote youth, femininity and approachability, which some celebrities take advantage of to foster identification among their fans.
But she also added that when stars feel insecure, they can often adopt an “artificial, exaggerated vocal persona that is totally different from how they actually sound.”
The Wicked star was speaking about her growth as a singer and her journey as a songwriter while discussing her album, Eternal Sunshine, when she switched to a higher pitch.
Many people theorized that her voice change could be because she still uses the voice she used while playing Glinda in Wicked, which she seemed to confirm; pictured with Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba.
Ariana indicated that the change was a matter of “habit,” likely due to using a different voice while filming Wicked, and was also an attempt to maintain her “vocal health.”
Ariana was quick to respond to critics, saying she had gotten used to speaking in her higher-pitched voice for Wicked, in which she plays Galinda Upland, later known as Glinda the Good.
Writing on TikTok, she said: ‘A habit (talking like this for two years) and also vocal health :)’.
‘I often intentionally change the placement of my voice (high/low) depending on how much I sing.
“I’ve always done this, BYE,” he added, abruptly ending the conversation.
Anne Leatherland, a vocal intuitive, said: ‘If someone habitually speaks in a tone other than their optimum, over time the vocal cords may become strained and other problems may arise.
‘This is especially true if the voice is pressured to continue emitting that tone when it is already being challenged or compromised.’
U.S. Representative Claudia Tenney asked Paris to explain how psychological and mental health support could be incorporated into child welfare programs.
The chat began with the star praising Rep. Tenney’s jacket.
In her signature girly voice, Paris said, “Thank you, I enjoyed our Zoom call. I love your jacket. The sparkles are amazing.”
The US representative responded: “I’ve got a little shine here for today.”
The mother of two replied: “I wanted to know who did it later.”
However, when the conversation turned to something more serious, so did the blonde beauty’s voice.
“I think the most important thing is that we need access to therapy, counseling, mentoring and other community programs,” he said authoritatively.
Commenting on the change, Dr Glazer said: “Paris Hilton’s decision to lower her voice when addressing Congress likely stemmed from a desire to convey seriousness and to be taken seriously on such a profound matter. Lower tones tend to be perceived as more authoritative.”
In a viral video, U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney, 63, (left) asked Paris to explain how psychological and mental health support could be incorporated into child welfare programs.
The 43-year-old media mogul is known for her iconic, high-pitched voice, which has often been called her “baby voice” by her fans.
And it seems that his goal of bringing “seriousness” to what he said worked, with some fans suggesting that he should go into politics.
Paris addressed her “dumb blonde” image and admitted it was just a persona she used to gain popularity.
Last year, speaking about Lorraine, she said: “I’ve always been ahead of my time! Like I say, I’m not a dumb blonde, I’m just very good at pretending to be one.
The 42-year-old socialite rose to fame around the world in the early 2000s when she starred in the first-of-its-kind reality show, The Simple Life, with Nicole Richie.
She played a clueless rich girl on the show, and kept the momentum going off-screen as well.
“It was really groundbreaking, we’re the OGs and it was amazing to see so many people inspired by it while creating a new genre of celebrity,” she added.
This was seen when fans came to the Paris Congress and presented him with their book for him to sign, as well as asking for selfies.
Similarly, during an appearance on This Morning, presenter Alison Hammond was left stunned when Hilton spoke in her deep timbre.
Paris Hilton fans ask the star for selfies during a break last week
Paris Hilton gives an autograph on her book to a House staff member during a recess
“Is this the real Paris? This is not the voice I remember,” he gasped.
“This is my real voice, that was a character,” Paris replied.
Noël Wolf, a teacher and linguistics expert at Babbel, said: ‘Paris Hilton has spoken publicly about how the iconic “Paris Hilton voice” was part of a character she created for her public appearances.
‘It seems that Paris was aware of a certain image she wanted to present and adapted her voice to be higher pitched during public appearances or for television, to fit that overall impression she wanted to create.’