singing in cursive 

When one sings and repeatedly mispronounces and/or slurs parts of words, requiring those listening to guess (usu. incorrectly) from context what the lyrics actually are. Like reading words written in cursive requires the reader to guess each word from its legible parts, listening to signing in cursive requires the listener to guess each word from its intelligible parts.

Extensive slur-based singing in cursive in a single musical piece can also be referred to as "singing in italics."

Singing in cursive can be intentional or unknowing. Unknowingly singing in cursive generally results from a high level of intoxication. Intentionally singing in cursive is a modern choral technique, typically utilized in unoriginal pop songs and coupled with straining one's voice. One might intentionally sing in cursive out of boredom or, as in the case of pop music, as a marketing strategy to goad listeners into discussing with others the artist's derivative work and/or to generate search engine queries to boost or maintain the singer's fleeting relevance.

Example 1: Singing in Cursive (Unknowing)

Ashley: Did you hear the last woman who sang?

Michael: No, I was in the loo. Was she any good? She didn't sound good from the loo.

Ashley: The woman approached the karaoke mic after 6 vodka sodas and proceeded to sing in cursive... doctor's handwriting cursive... we knew the title of the song, but everything else was unintelligible.

Example 2: Singing in Cursive (Intentional)

Friend: (Singing Britney Spears's "Hold It Against Me") Hey,... you might think... that I'm crazy... but, you know I'm just your type... I might be... little hay-light...

Me: Dude, it's Little HAZY.

Friend: Um, no, she's definitely not saying hazy.

Me: Yeah... well, she's just singing in cursive. It's a thing. Look up the lyrics, bro.

singing in cursive by michaeljritter April 12, 2019