Favorite Singers...

I'm not sure how people choose their favorite classical singers. Is it based on voice type, similarity of voice type, or simple awesomeness? I've listened to several recordings of "Je veux vivre," which is a lyric aria, but didn't like any of the recordings I heard until I came across Natalie Dessay's... who is for all intents and purposes a coloratura. It was cleaner... I could actually understand what the heck she was singing, it wasn't all muddled by heavy tones and too much vibrato or bad French... Younger sounding, fresher, better technique. I just don't understand it all! I am so confuuuuuuuuuused. Ugh. What the heck am I doing all of this for when I don't even know what to look for.