Melisma, Oversouling and Musical Destruction

Have vocal musicians gone well over the top too far in their performances?

Already so much as been said about the unfortunate situation of Christina Aguilera's rendition and lyric mistakes of the National Anthem at the Superbowl last weekend.   However, there is another side of the discussion that goes a little deeper.   A Huffington Post article talks about "melisma" -- the singing of a single syllable of a word, while at the same time moving all around the musical scale of various notes.  The article also utilizes the expression "oversouling".  My spouse has little tolerance for it, and usually references it to screaming, not singing.  While I have a full appreciation for vocalists to express the extensiveness of their talents and ranges, I tend to agree.   What happened to just expressing the natural qualities of the tune itself, i.e., the allure of the natural artistry and elegance as it originated?


Huffington Post Article

Wikipedia definition of Melisma