Most of my music is either purely instrumental or features male vocalists. I’m far less focused on vocals than on the music itself, but these are a few female vocal tracks from my library that stand out to me at the moment.
I’m really into Delerium, too. Delerium uses a wide variety of almost entirely female vocalists.
Yep, she’s amazing. One of the most creative female singer-songwriters I know.
Now to my favorites: since it wasn’t specified, I’ll go ahead and interpret this as “best vocalists” in terms of enjoyment of the whole listening experience rather than them being the best in terms of pure vocal qualities. This allows me to include singer-songwriters that have produced a spectacular combination of melody, instrumentation, lyrics and vocals, even while not having the best voices in the world, in which case:
Maria Mena
One of the main two I couldn’t imagine life without the music of. A composer and singer of own-life based music, with a direct, clear, open and sincere presentation that feels like she’s melting herself into liquid music and pouring herself into you. Goosebumps-inducing, her best songs stop me cold every time.
Best albums: “Cause and Effect”, e.g.
and “Growing Pains”, e.g.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_oeXFCf-cA
but with very good tracks on the other albums too, e.g.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXAMx1gskWA
Sara Tavares
Her second and third album are pretty much the perfect positive-vibe sunny beach pure-dripping-happiness music, a blend of Portuguese-African folk (from the West-African island of Cape Verde), soul and jazz influences, with lyrics in Cape Verdean Portuguese Creole language.
https://saratavares.bandcamp.com/album/balance
https://saratavares.bandcamp.com/album/xinti
Cat clyde by a large margin. She is amazing
Love this thread…learning and loving 
Not a big country fan tbh but I do love Nancy Griffith’s live album ‘One fair Summer Evening’…everyone has a bit of country in them? lol…
Adding another cross-link, as Priscilla Ahn also fits this thread perfectly, since OP said he listens to female vocals to chill: Singer-songwriters & One-man-bands
And on that note, the most chill female vocalist I’ve ever heard has to be Hope Sandoval, particularly her releases in the ‘Hope Sandoval and The Warm Inventions’ band format:
Warpaint’s my favorite.
Feathers is another.
One more for good measure, Lana Del Rey.
I found some good recommendations on this thread and wanted to extend my recommendations. Although these may not be typical audiophile artists, they deserve some love.
Starting with St. Vincent. Although I couldn’t find a youtube link, her version of “Slow Disco” on her “MassEducation” album is great. Also this Tiny Desk Concert video is pretty good :
Lights is another favorite of mine.
Another Tiny Desk Concert but still a good one none the less.
Hope you all enjoy. Happy listening!
I dont know what constitutes as a audiophile artist if they make good music they make good music.
Julien Baker is bae. She was actually at the Tiny Desk twice, which almost never happens:
Sure her second album is a bit repetitive of a few musical patterns you hear a lot on the first album, but there’s originality in there as well, I like to think she’s still growing as a composer.
Late for work, running for the bus with a coffee in ya hand?..this will help https://youtu.be/oqqya8w36OI
Really into this one, thanks
Cool if you like that then you might like Kate Nash?..https://youtu.be/EglS_4VLpdc
Ps Lily Allen has a famous dad Kieth and her brother was in the Game of Thrones…Alfie Allen aka Theon Greyjoy.
Sweet, I have quite a bit of new music to listen to now!
Some of my all time favorite female vocal artists:
Maria Callas - if you like opera, then her voice stands out as darker and robust and unique in a way that grows on you. Her voice commands attention.
Amy Lee (Ailee) - because kpop, why not. She is one of my favorite to listen to for the amount of technical skill she puts into her vocals where she makes difficult things sound easy.
Utada Hikaru - I enjoy her voice in English or Japanese, and she sounds distinct from the rest of the market she comes from.
Kim Tae-yeon - Kpop sound from Girls’ Generation was one thing (that unified and balanced sound shared between the nine members), but as a soloist I think she sounds even better. When her tracks come on, I turn the volume up and listen.
Mia Yamane - have you heard ‘The Real Folk Blues’? How about ‘After In The Dark’ from Macross Plus, or ‘If You’ from the Vision of Escaflowne? That is her voice pulling you in and bring back memories from great shows.
Sarah Jarosz
I’m With Her - Aoife O’Donovan, Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz
Sharon Den Adel
I think I got this link from here or the searching ?.. Loving it 
Sarah Jarosz… 
Sans…Early morning light 
I think Ida Maria has a great voice (not in the classical sense perhaps, but in rawness and energy). She had a somewhat international hit with “oh my god” on her first album, but went quiet for some time after that. She is still active though.