The sibilance of whispery vocals and transparent breaths preserve a sense of realism that keep the vocals sounding acoustic.
The popularity of whisperpop is due to its ability to create a genuinely intimate space for the listener, which contrasts it from the overproduction and sterilization of a lot of pop music. The sibilance of whispery vocals and transparent breaths preserve a sense of realism that keep the vocals sounding acoustic. Of course, this does not necessarily mean that the vocals are not processed at all, but the intentionality is to preserve the intimate and imperfect nature of the human voice. While Adele’s operatic singing is impressively theatrical and technical, Billie Eilish’s whispery singing is raw and emotive — it is relatable precisely because it is imperfect and down-to-earth.