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Sparkle (2)
Well, it's certainly better singing than we've heard on American Idol or America's Got Talent lately, I will totally give them that!
I'm a choir geek, but I've never quite achieved full Gleek status. I love the singing on Glee, but often find the storylines less compelling...when they exist at all.
So, really, The Sing-Off is the perfect show for me...all of the singing, none (or very little) of the manufactured drama, usually featuring a neurotic or shrewish woman.
Let's leave aside that it's hosted by Nick Lachey, who joins Kate Gosselin and Bethenny Frankel (who, let's not forget, got her start on Martha Stewart's The Apprentice show a few years back) among those who have really done the world a favor, especially in these economic times, and created an entirely new career: Reality Show Hopper. Let's leave it aside because, really, I find him yawn-inducing. (Though, to be fair, not as annoying as that guy hosting Skating with the Stars -- where did they even find him?)
Let's instead focus on the fact that the three judges are actually pretty credible. Ben Folds is awesome. He even released an album of college a capella groups singing his music -- musical genius and obviously not a fly-by-night a capella fan. Shawn Stockman comes from one of the first and best "boy bands," Boyz II Men -- whose debut album was in 1991, can you believe it? Now, Nicole Scherzinger might seem like a lightweight comparatively speaking, but a) she got her big break on -- yes -- a reality TV singing competition, and b) she's a bona fide Top 40 artist, both as part of Pussycat Dolls and now solo. As opposed to being popular over 10 years ago, as Paula Abdul was when Idol started, Scherzinger is pretty hot right now. So, reasonable choice.
Image courtesy NBC.
The Sing-Off went through some process to choose the 10 singing groups that appeared last night, and this looks like a short run show. They eliminated two groups last night and apparently plan to wrap up on another four weeks. In the meantime, each group seemed to sing a full song -- not the 1:30 American Idol contestants get -- so it felt like a show about singing, with a little bit of filler, instead of a show about filler, with a little bit of singing. Me likey.
So, were these the "best singers" in the country? Let's see how they did:
1. Eleventh Hour, a group of 7 high schoolers (4F/3M) from Ohio, sang Justin Bieber's "Baby"
Given that Glee is set in Ohio, this group indeed represents what Scherzinger called "Real Life Glee." I think one pop culture reference really would have been enough, but they had to go all Breakfast Club on us, comparing these seven disparate teens to the motley crew in that movie. Look, the artsy one! Look, the Homecoming Queen! Look, the computer geek! Look, the jock! Blurg. Seriously. The POINT of Breakfast Club was to break down those stereotypes, and their approach pretty much reinforced them. Go team. And I'm sure those kids they asked to imitate the dancing sequence on the library tables probably had NO idea what they were supposed to be doing!
But let's not blame the singers for the producers. On to the singing. Eleventh Hour did put out a lot of sound for just seven people. If there was any spot of thinness, it was at the top range, including the lead singer's top range. Their strongest point was probably their rhythm section; bass and percussion were tight and consistent. I think they'll have trouble competing long-term (whatever that means in a five-week competition) but they were solid for week one. Would not be surprised if they go next week, though, that's alls I'm saying.
2. On the Rocks, a group of 15 college guys from the University of Oregon, sang Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance"
So, I know everyone is all Gaga-gaga, but I've managed to avoid that fate. This performance was all a bit much for me, particularly the choreography. The vocals were actually pretty straight -- and, frankly, not that tight. Wasn't one of the top numbers of the night for me. And didn't Glee already cover this?
3. Groove for Thought, a 7-person (5M/2F) group from Seattle, sang Stevie Wonder's "I Wish"
OK, I can't help it: I have to talk about their outfits. The yellow and brown ensembles
