Maintaining a warm, rich tone, without creating either a "muffled" or "heavy" sound?

Hi Camille! I hope you are doing well :) I was just wondering, what are some ways I can maintain a warm, rich tone without either sounding "muffled" or "heavy"? I was singing with a dark tone the other day, and my sister said that she felt like my new tone made me sound like I had a "frog in my mouth." She said this to me a couple years before as well, when I tried to develop a more mature tone, and because of that I went the complete opposite direction and began purposefully resonating through my nose and having forward placement, but I've realized that that's not the tone I like. I personally like my new tone when I record myself, but I do realize that sometimes there is that issue of sounding "muffled" or "heavy," and I might just be overthinking this, but if you have any tips that could help with this (ex: how to keep your soft palette raised, maintain an open space in your mouth) but still allow me to keep that warm, rich tone, I would be incredibly grateful. Thanks!!  

Great question, Vivian! I think the key is in using that dark tone + placement in moderation. A low larynx and lifted palate won't be appropriate for an entire song, unless that whole song is in a limited range. Usually, though, songs have a wider range and require more variety in your tone and placement. Listen to your favorite singers and take note of how they use both dark and bright tone, power and softness, depending on the pitch and intended sound. We don't want to get "stuck"; rather, let your voice (and your larynx) adjust throughout the song to maintain your best, most comfortable tone - whether or not it's always dark and rich.

Keep in mind, also, that your "natural" sound is good and should still have a place in your singing!