Master the Flow of "Vegas"
"Vegas" is a standout track from the Elvis original motion picture soundtrack. It samples Big Mama Thornton's original "Hound Dog," blending vintage soul with Doja Cat's modern trap delivery. This song isn't about hitting high notes; it's about rhythm, attitude, and tone.
To sing this well, you need to seamlessly switch between a rapid-fire rap cadence and a soulful, chest-dominant singing voice. You cannot sound timid here—Doja's performance is characterized by vocal fry, glottal stops, and undeniable confidence.
AI Coach Tip: Watch Your Diction
In the second verse, the tempo of the syllables speeds up significantly. Users often slur words like "player" and "prayer." Practice these lines at 0.75x speed in the app to lock in the consonants before speeding up.
Phase 1: The Verses (Rap Flow)
The verses are delivered in a mid-range speaking voice, sitting around G#3 to B3. The challenge here is the rhythmic pocket. Doja raps slightly behind the beat in some lines to create a relaxed feel, but snaps to strict sixteenth notes in others.
The Trap: Running out of breath. Because the lines are dense, you must identify quick places to inhale (micro-breaths) without disrupting the flow. Focus on diaphragm support rather than throat tension.
Phase 2: The Chorus (The "Hound Dog" Interpolation)
The hook ("You ain't nothin' but a...") is sung with a heavy, chesty mix. This is where you channel the blues influence. Do not use your head voice or falsetto here; it needs to sound grounded and gritty.
- Tone Color: Think "bored but dangerous." Keep the volume moderate but the intensity high.
- Vibrato: Use very little vibrato. Doja keeps straight tone for most of the track, only sliding off notes at the end of phrases.
Phase 3: Attitude & Texture
What makes Doja Cat unique is her use of vocal texture. She uses "vocal fry" (that creaky sound at the bottom of your range) to start sentences, giving them an edgy, conversational quality.
When she says "I ain't playin'," add a slight growl or constriction to the sound. This stylistic choice scores high on the "Expression" metric in Singing Coach AI.
Frequently Asked Questions
The vocal melody peaks around C5, but the song mostly resides in the comfortable speech-level range (G#3-B4). It is very accessible for Altos and Mezzo-Sopranos.
Start slow. Rap emphasizes rhythm over pitch. Use the Singing Coach AI app to slow the track down, master the articulation of the consonants, and then gradually increase the speed.
It samples the original version of "Hound Dog" by Big Mama Thornton (1952), utilizing the guitar riff and re-interpolating the famous chorus hook.
