vocal
n. C / Un. the part of a piece of music that is sung by a person rather than played on an instrument. You often hear people talk about 'the vocals' when they mean the singing on a track.
n. the part of a musical composition or recording that is performed by the human voice. Often used in the plural to refer to the singing performance as a whole.
The vocals on this track are very clear.
The producer decided to lower the volume of the drums to make the lead vocal stand out more.
While the instrumental arrangement is technically impressive, it is the raw, emotive power of the lead vocal that truly resonates with the audience.
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *wekʷ-der. Proto-Indo-European *wṓkʷs Proto-Italic *wōks Latin vōx Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Latin vōcālisbor. Middle English vocal English vocal Late Middle English vocal, borrowed from Latin vōcālis (“uttering a voice, sounding, speaking”), from vōx (“a voice, sound, tone”) + -ālis (“-al”, adjectival suffix). Doublet of vowel and vocalis. Compare Old French vocal.
Frequently used in the plural ('vocals') to describe the singing on a recording; the singular ('vocal') often refers to a specific vocal track or performance.