Voices and vocal expression play a crucial role in popular music. Voices are linked immediately to the human body and various affective states. But vocal expression could be conventionalized and manipulated deliberately by learned cultural patterns of expression, too -in everyday speech as well as in music. Two approaches to investigate voice and singing in popular music are outlined: Firstly, an analytical approach is illustrated by a characterization of a vocal performance by Ray Charles using spectrograms and transcription. Secondly, an empirical approach to the effects of vocal performances is illustrated by listener surveys asking for ascriptions of emotions and personality traits to music excerpts.