Your first vocal take is almost always the one
Why polishing performances before you've felt them is the fastest way to a hollow record.
There's a moment, usually in the second or third take, where the singer stops performing and starts remembering. That take is the record. Everything after it is editing.
Comp light. Track loose. Trust the take where you forgot you were recording. The cracks aren't mistakes — they're the only proof a human was in the room.
If you must punch in, punch in for pitch, never for feel. Feel doesn't survive a second visit.