From Acoustics to Cognition: Unveiling the Intellectual Structure and Interdisciplinary Evolution of Vocal Arts Scholarship

Although vocal art is historically rooted in aesthetic performance, its academic identity has become increasingly complex, straddling the boundaries between artistic expression, medical science, and cognitive psychology. This expansive growth has led to a fragmented knowledge base, where the "explicit patterns" of global collaboration and the "implicit logic" of thematic evolution remain obscured by disciplinary silos. To decode the structural dynamics of this evolving domain, this study synthesizes bibliometric data from the Web of Science Core Collection (1990–2024). Unlike previous reviews, this analysis employs a multidimensional visualization approach to reconstruct the intellectual topography of the field, moving beyond simple metrics to reveal how vocal research is being redefined globally. Results indicate that the field has undergone a profound paradigm shift. What began as a niche area focused on foundational acoustics and behavioral mechanics (in the 1990s) has matured into a robust interdisciplinary science. The trajectory reveals a distinct evolution: the research focus first expanded to pedagogical psychology and professional competence (2000s–2010s) and has recently pivoted towards technological intervention, neuroscientific validation, and vocal health plasticity (post-2015). This evolution is driven by a deep convergence of Musicology, Otorhinolaryngology, and Audiology, creating a "knowledge bridge" that connects theoretical artistry with clinical practice. Geographically, the United States anchors the central collaboration network, yet a dichotomy exists between "volume" and "impact": while Asian contributions (particularly from China) are surging in quantity, European clusters (e.g., UK, Germany, Finland) demonstrate superior citation influence, driving high-quality theoretical innovation. By identifying four core strategic themes—ranging from physiological performance to cognitive-behavioral effects—this study provides a data-driven framework for the future. It argues that the next phase of vocal arts research must transcend technical measurement to embrace a holistic, evidence-based integration of culture, medicine, and technology.