In this paper, I address how singing techniques like vibrato can not only index the genres they are stylistic to, but also portray, reflect, and/or complicate the socio-cultural perceptions that become attributed to these genres. In the realm of opera, for example, sociologists Paul DiMaggio (1982) and David Evans (1999) and historians Bruce McConachie (1988) and Lawrence Levine (1990) have traced the designation of the genre as highbrow to the co-option of the form by elites in the US in the late 19^th century. I draw on interviews with experimental operatic and musical theater performers; digital ethnography within social media and online community forums; and analysis of soundtracks and cartoon, commercial, and film footage to show how operatic vibrato can become a core signifier of class in American popular music and media of the 20^th into 21^st centuries. I argue these associations, in the context of a shifting social landscape, can be consciously referenced to take on positive or negative connotations depending on the prevailing topical views of class at various periods of time. Building upon ethnomusicological and anthropological studies of the voice through register/range and timbre by the likes of Steven Feld (1982); Judith Irvine (1990); Nina Sun Eidsheim (2008); Nicholas Harkness (2013); and Amanda Weidman (2014), I illustrate vibrato as a previously unexplored vocal technique which can also represent “material embodiments of social ideology and experience” (Feld et al 2004: 332) while bringing heightened focus to cultural functions of the voice as a medium of communication in song.

This paper investigates the role of voice in negotiating affective relationships between anime characters, voice actors, and Japanese female fans within contemporary anime franchises. Historically prioritizing a male-centered visual media marketing strategy, the Japanese anime industry did not consider female fans as compatible and affluent consumers. However, as women’s spending power increased during the economic boom of the 1980s, the industry recognized female fans as a potential market and introduced male voices as a fix for “visually-picky” women. Based on my ethnographic fieldwork in Tokyo, this paper focuses on how female fans pursue male voices through the popular concept of “oshi.” Oshi refers to fans’ favorite anime character or voice actor/actress on whom they spend resources to support. The term has evolved into a cultural phenomenon that drives the anime economy, normalizes anime fans’ devotion, and unburdens female fans from expressing their love for anime. In following their oshi male voice, female fans find spaces and communities for this expression in interwoven affective bonds with anime characters, voice actors, and other fans. Nevertheless, through integrating opinions from Japanese female fans and scholars, I consider the production of male voices as a paradoxical liberation of female fans that remains within a binary, heteronormative, and patriarchal framework. Contributing to discussions in voice studies and sound studies about the alterity of the embodied voice (Cavarero 2005; Connor 2004; Dolar 2006), this case study reflects on how the in-betweenness of voice shapes affective networks that afford contrasting ideologies of gender and sexuality.

This paper examines the career of Yi Nanyŏng (1916–1965), a key figure in Korean popular music during the Japanese occupation (1910–1945), whose artistic choices challenge simplistic binaries of resistance and collaboration. While her 1935 hit Mokp’o ŭi Nunmul (Tears of Mokp’o) resonated deeply with Korean audiences, she rebranded herself in Japan as Oka Ranko and released Wakare no Funauta (Farewell Boat Song) in 1936. As Tears of Mokp’o became foundational to t’ŭrot’ŭ, a genre often scrutinized for its ties to Japanese enka, Yi’s legacy remains contested in postcolonial Korea. The persistent collaborator-versus-resistor binary has overshadowed the complexities of her career, restricting a deeper understanding of the everyday lives of colonized musicians.

However, drawing on archival research and musical analysis, I argue that Yi’s recordings exemplify the multi-strategic responses of colonized artists. My comparative study of her Korean- and Japanese-language recordings reveals how Tears of Mokp’o embodies han—a Korean affect of sorrow—through melisma, vocal breaks, and dynamic phrasing. Her vocality intentionally evokes what Wilbourne (2015) describes as "virtuosic vocal failure," a technique that, as Bloechl (2021) argues, can create a space for empathy. In contrast, her 1936 Japanese version subdues these elements, aligning with imperial narratives that reframed han as sentimentality rather than historical suffering.

Ultimately, Yi’s dual identities reveals how colonized musicians, while participating in imperial structures, created spaces for subtle resistance and cultural preservation. Her case illustrates the complexities of cultural negotiation under empire, moving beyond the rigid categories of collaboration and resistance.