Experts reveal the real reason why Paris Hilton and Ariana Grande drastically changed their voices

According to singing experts, celebrity women change the pitch of their voice because they feel pressured to be liked and gain respect.

Paris Hilton surprised fans this week with her ability to switch on and off her signature “girly” voice, which is as much a part of her character as pink glitter and Chihuahuas.

The hotel heiress is known for her high “baby voice,” but while she was serving on a congressional committee to improve social protection for young people, The mother of two, who recently spoke about the alleged abuse she suffered as a child, chose a deeper tone.

This comes after Ariana Grande did the same thing last month when she spoke to Penn Badgley on an episode of Podcrushed, discussing her childhood and her experiences working for Nickelodeon.

Dr Daniel Glazer, clinical psychologist and co-founder of UK Therapy Rooms, told Femail: “While vocal modulation is not unique to women, it appears to be more common among female entertainers.”

“This may be partly due to societal pressures on women to strike a balance between being liked and gaining respect, sometimes seeking to achieve this balance through vocal adjustments.”

“Many women are raised from a young age to develop a nurturing personality that exudes warmth and approachability. Modulating the voice to emphasize these qualities, consciously or unconsciously, may be based on these deeply ingrained gender norms and expectations. It is a way to signal femininity while exerting authority when needed.”

Psychologist Esmaeilpour expressed similar views: “The phenomenon of voice change appears to occur more frequently in women, which is to be expected given society’s expectations of femininity and the perception of female voices.”

“Higher voices are associated with traditional notions of femininity, and lower voices are similarly associated with authority and credibility.”

“Women in the public eye may feel the need to adapt their voices to different contexts, whether to become accessible or to make their voices heard in serious debates.”

Other voice experts and psychologists point out that higher, female voices tend to be more “attractive” to fans.

Nilou Esmaeilpour, clinical director and registered clinical counsellor at Lotus Therapy & Counselling Centre, said: “A higher voice usually appears more youthful and energetic and therefore makes the celebrity more attractive to certain groups of people.”

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“It is normal for higher voices to build better relationships with their fans, as higher voices express excitement and interest in the content.”

Dr. Daniel Glazer, clinical psychologist and co-founder of UK Therapy Rooms, expressed similar views: “Higher pitches generally connote youth, femininity and accessibility, which some celebrities use to encourage identification with their fans.’

However, he also added that when stars feel insecure, they often adopt an “artificial, exaggerated vocal persona that is completely different from how they really sound.”

Ariana was quick to hit back at the critics, saying she got used to speaking in her higher voice for “Wicked,” in which she plays the role of Galinda Upland, later known as Glinda the Good.

On TikTok she wrote: “Habit (of speaking like this for two years) and also vocal health :)”,

“I intentionally change my vocal range (high/low) often, depending on how much I sing.

“I’ve always done it that way, BYE,” she added, ending the conversation abruptly.

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Intuitive voice specialist Anne Leatherland said: “If someone habitually speaks in a different pitch than is optimal for them, over time the vocal cords could become overloaded and other problems could arise.”

“This is especially the case when the voice is pressured to continue to defend its position even though it has already been challenged or compromised.”

Paris was asked by U.S. Representative Claudia Tenney to explain how mental health and counseling support could be integrated into child protection programs.

Their conversation began with the A-lister complimenting Rep Tenney’s jacket.

In her typical “girly” voice, Paris said, “Thank you, I enjoyed our Zoom call. I love your jacket. The sparkles are amazing.”

The US representative replied: “I have some bling here today.”

The mother of two children replied: “I wanted to find out later who made it.”

However, as the conversation turned to a more serious topic, the blonde beauty’s voice also changed.

“I think the most important thing is that we need access to therapy, counseling, mentoring and other community-based programs,” she said in an authoritative tone.

Commenting on the change, Dr. Glazer said: “Paris Hilton’s decision to lower her voice when speaking to Congress probably stemmed from a desire to convey dignity and to be taken seriously on such a profound issue. Deeper tones tend to be perceived as more authoritative.”

And it seems that her goal of giving more seriousness to her statements has worked: some fans suggested that she should go into politics.

Paris addressed her image as a “dumb blonde” and admitted that this was just a role she used to gain popularity.

Speaking on Lorraine last year, she said: “I was always ahead of my time! As I said, I’m not a dumb blonde, I’m just very good at pretending to be one.”

The 42-year-old celebrity rose to global fame in the early 2000s when she starred in the first reality show of its kind, “The Simple Life with Nicole Richie.”

She played a clueless rich girl in the series and also provided excitement off-screen.

“It was really (groundbreaking), we are the OGs and it was amazing to see how many people were inspired by it as we created a new kind of celebrity,” she added.

This became clear when fans came to Paris at the convention, gave her her book to sign and asked her for selfies.

During an appearance on “This Morning,” presenter Alison Hammond was also amazed when Hilton spoke in her deep timbre.

“This is the real Paris? That’s not the voice I remember,” she gasped.

“That’s my real voice, that was a character,” Paris replied.

Noël Wolf, teacher and language expert at Babbel, said: “Paris Hilton has spoken publicly about how the iconic ‘Paris Hilton voice’ was part of a character she created for her public appearances.

“It seems that Paris was conscious of a certain image she wanted to present and made her voice sound higher during public appearances or on television to match the overall impression she wanted to create.”