Crooners: What's in a Name?

Perhaps you can help settle something for me. See, my fiance and I are in a heated debate over what, exactly, defines a crooner. Yes. Laugh all you want, but this is a Serious Argument. Evidence has been presented. Positions have been stated. Resolution is not in sight.

For me, this is a broad category. Basically, if you sing, if it feels like you're singing right to me, and if it feels like you're wooing me with your eyes (whether you're across the room or on my iPod), then you're a crooner. You can be a Serious Crooner, a la Ben Harper or Frank Sinatra. Or you can be an Ironic Crooner, a la Robert Goulet or even John Legend (both are a matter of perspective, sure, but you can't watch this clip and tell me there isn't some Ironic Crooning going on).

My boy, S., on the other hand, only believes in the Serious Crooner. He wants to hear the crooning and really feel it, you know? He enjoys a good ironic croon from time to time, but considers that a different and as-yet-unnamed category of singing. He can get pretty torn up about Lounge Against the Machine, actually. It's kind of funny to watch.

So where do you stand? Is there room in this crazy world for two types of crooner? What do you think makes a crooner?

(Image: Evy Moon via Flickr Creative Common)