torch singer: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Specialized, Musical, Historical
Quick answer
What does “torch singer” mean?
A female singer who specializes in performing torch songs, typically characterized by emotional, sad, or sentimental lyrics about unrequited love.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A female singer who specializes in performing torch songs, typically characterized by emotional, sad, or sentimental lyrics about unrequited love.
A performer, typically associated with jazz or cabaret, who delivers emotionally intense, often melancholic ballads with a sense of deep personal expression and dramatic delivery.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning. More commonly referenced in American cultural history due to the strong association with classic American jazz, blues, and cabaret.
Connotations
Both carry the same historical/jazz-age connotation, but it may be slightly more of an active, understood reference in American musical discourse.
Frequency
Low frequency in both, slightly higher in American English due to cultural context.
Grammar
How to Use “torch singer” in a Sentence
[torch singer] + [performs/sings] + [song/ballad/repertoire]The [torch singer] + [delivered/interpreted] + [the lyrics/emotion]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “torch singer” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- She was torch-singing her way through the classic repertoire.
American English
- She torch-sang the blues standard with heartbreaking clarity.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
N/A
Academic
Used in cultural studies, musicology, and history papers discussing 20th-century performance styles.
Everyday
Rare, used when discussing classic music, film noir, or specific historical performers.
Technical
Used in music criticism and historiography to categorize a specific vocal style and repertoire.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “torch singer”
Strong
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “torch singer”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “torch singer”
- Using it for any emotional singer (e.g., a pop ballad singer). It is genre-specific. Confusing with 'songwriter' – it refers specifically to the performer.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Predominantly yes, as the genre and term originated with female performers. While male singers can perform torch songs, they are rarely referred to as 'torch singers'; terms like 'balladeer' or 'vocalist' are more common.
A torch singer is a specific subtype of jazz or cabaret singer focused exclusively on the torch song genre—sentimental, often sorrowful love songs. A jazz singer has a broader repertoire encompassing many styles within jazz.
While the classic era peaked mid-20th century, contemporary artists like Madeleine Peyroux or even Lady Gaga in her jazz collaborations are sometimes described as having a 'torch singer' quality or style, keeping the tradition alive.
It derives from the idiom 'to carry a torch for someone,' meaning to suffer from unrequited love. The singer is metaphorically carrying the torch of this painful, burning passion.
A female singer who specializes in performing torch songs, typically characterized by emotional, sad, or sentimental lyrics about unrequited love.
Torch singer is usually specialized, musical, historical in register.
Torch singer: in British English it is pronounced /ˈtɔːtʃ ˌsɪŋə/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈtɔːrtʃ ˌsɪŋər/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “carry a torch (for someone) - to have enduring, often unrequited, love for someone.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a singer holding a single lit TORCH in a dark club, singing a sad song about lost love – she's a TORCH SINGER.
Conceptual Metaphor
EMOTION IS FIRE; The singer is the bearer (torch-bearer) of the burning flame of painful love.
Practice
Quiz
Which of these is most characteristic of a torch singer's repertoire?