Trance built around full sung vocal performances — typically uplifting or progressive in tempo, with verse-chorus song structure.
Definition
Vocal trance integrates full-length sung vocal performances into the trance arrangement framework — verse, chorus, and often bridge sections, with the breakdown typically used to spotlight the vocal at its most emotionally exposed. The subgenre flowered in the late 1990s and 2000s through Above & Beyond, Tiësto's vocal-led tracks, BT, Markus Schulz, and labels like Black Hole Recordings and Anjunabeats. Vocalists associated with the genre include Emma Hewitt, Susana, Christina Novelli, JES, Zoë Johnston, and Audrey Gallagher. The style ranges from arena-friendly anthems to introspective progressive material, but always foregrounds songwriting craft alongside electronic production.