The Sing-Off 3 – Top 5 – Videos and Recap

Vocal Point are ELIMINATED

I would have sent home Afro Blue tonight. But, I get why they didn’t. Two college groups in the Top 4 might have been a bit much, so in order to keep the final group diverse, they sent home vocal point. Although Vocal Point performed better than Dartmouth Aires tonight, over the course of the season, I think the boys from New Hampshire have put on the most diverse and entertaining performances.

Pentatonix should win this whole contest. The inventive arrangements, the vocals, the amazing percussion and bass–they’ve got it all and rarely disappoint. I’m pretty sure the judges would pick them to win if it were up to them. But in the end, it will be up to America. Don’t let me down, home of the brave and land of the free. Ok?

The Sing-Off is down to the Top 5! Each of the 5 remaining groups will sing 2 R&B songs–1 classic and 1 contemporary

OPENING NUMBER: “I Feel Good,” James Brown; “ABC,” Jackson 5; “Forget You,” Cee-Lo Green – OMG. The remaining 5 groups are CRANKING THE GROOVE Y’ALL. This is FANTASTIC. – VIDEO

CONTEMPORARY R&B

Dartmouth Aires: “Ignition,” R. Kelly – The Aires FEEL THE PRESSURE. “It got really out of hand,” says one of the members.  I’m not familiar with the original R. Kelly tune, but this performance is kind of a mess. Way too much going on in that arrangement. It didn’t work for me.  Although, I continue to appreciate the group’s sense of humor.  I <3 Clark. That is all.  Sara: It was so charming and entertaining.  Sean: There were so many uncomfortable moments.  I could have used more bounce in the drums. Ben: Always entertaining, the group was grooving, but your forte isn’t the bass and the drums.  – VIDEO

Urban Method: “Knock You Down,” Keri Hilson Feat. Ne-Yo & Kanye West – The female voices are all wrong for hip-hop. And actually, we’ve been here before.  When the rapper jumps in to the song, it’s literally jarring, because his rap feels completely different than the rest of the song.  Replace the chicks with edgier voices, and we’d be talking.  The background vocals and bass are great. Sean: I’m proud of you guys. You kept fighting. Katie, I’m so happy for you. You’ve grown the most.  Mike, you give those raps your own flair. Ben: It’s always really solid. Richard you are one of the best beatboxers. I like when your arrangements are slightly bizarre. A lot of heart. Sara: You are like the little engine that could. Blown away by your depth and complexity.  Love the choices you made with the arrangement. – VIDEO

Vocal Point: “Every Little Step,” Bobby Brown – The white boys of Vocal Point want to assure you they’ve soul in their pale little bodies.  We’ll see! Well…the boys are bringing it…in an energetic, white bread sort of way. It’s very peppy! But entertaining nevertheless. Fun choreography, great arrangement and harmonies.  Shawn is grooving in his seat! Ben: That was really good! A lot of fun.  Thumbs aloft gentlemen! Sara: My jaw was on the floor that you handled the choreography and the super cool arrangement. Kicked butt.  Shawn: Man…that was impressive! You made it your own. Truly. Good job. – VIDEO

Afro-Blue: “We Belong Together,” Mariah Carey – They switched from Ne-Yo’s “Closer”.  I am not really loving this arrangement. There’s a whole lot going on there. They should have stripped it back a bit. Christie the lead singer did a fantastic job–she really connected to the song. She was the best thing up there.  Sara: I love you! Christie great lead…by the end of the song you were soaring.  Ben: I feel we’re getting somewhere now. You’re a group that has jazz at your disposal. I believed it the whole time. Shawn: I think you guys are starting to understand the method behind arranging. It’s about not letting the song own you. – VIDEO

Pentatonix: “OMG,” Usher – One of the members is super-religious and he can’t connect to it. So, they attempt to change the lyrics.  Not sure why. He doesn’t sing words.  Once again a brilliant arrangement, full of twists and turns. Breathtaking!  That rhythm section is insane. It all comes together beautifully. I’m going to be upset if they don’t win this thing.  Shawn: I’m tired of saying that you’re good. It’s about dynamics– liked the fact that you laid it in…like a smooth club song. Those two dudes on the end. Kevin and Avi are freaks of nature.  Sara:  You set the bar really high for yourselves, and you don’t disappoint. It’s so locked in as an ensemble. Ben: Smart arranging.  You hit some really interesting choral notes. Brilliant. – VIDEO

CLASSIC R&B

Dartmouth Aires: “Midnight Train to Georgia,” Gladys Knight & the Pips –  Micheal’s lead was fantastic–heartfelt and powerful.  The background vocals were sweet. But…I was kind of bored.  Not sure this was a great song choice for them.  At the very least, they should have made the arrangement a little more dynamic.  I like my Aires upbeat and snarky.  Leave the earnest stuff to others. Ben: Nice work guys. You have such a timeless style, Michael. The pitch came a little unglued at times, but held together. Well done. Shawn: I believed that performance. You locked into that actual song. Sara: That was beautiful. The restraint you chose to show–you paid attention to that song. Boys backed him up so earnestly. I could have used a few more dynamics in the song. The blend was good. – VIDEO

Urban Method: “It’s Your Thing,” The Isley Brothers –  OK. They can keep Kim, the black female singer, but they really need to ditch the two white chicks. If they’re hoping to represent a young, urban sound, they are all wrong.  The arrangement was great, the rest of the ensemble right on. The rapper guy is always fantastic. But the girls? NO. They’ve got no groove.  Shawn: I wanted it to keep going. It felt good. You’re ahead of your time—you’re taking hip hop to the next level. Ben: You recognize the challenge of the song. It’s about the vocal delivery.  Sara: I thought that was a strong showing for you guys. – VIDEO

Vocal Point: “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg,” The Temptations – Shockingly, the really really really white boys of Vocal Point are bringing it on R&B night.  The key to their success–they keep it simple and energetic.  And, the lead singers are surprisingly soulful. Blue eyed baby.  Very nice. Sara: That was really sweet. Great lead vocal. It did feel like you were trying a little bit. I couldn’t lose myself in the performance. It felt disjointed. Shawn: He wanted more grit from the performance. You guys always sound good, you gotta pull some other things out. Ben: Well said Shawn. You guys are always on it.  I feel like you’ve been playing it safe for a little while.  Well, I disagree with the judges on this one. – VIDEO

Afro-Blue
: “Best of My Love,” Emotions –  This was a really good song choice for the group, but unfortunately, it didn’t hold together they way it could have. And again, the arrangement was  too busy.  They really need to be tighter. Part of the problem is they really have a hard time adapting songs from other genres to their style. I think they’re going home tonight. Ben: Nice work. Total star. There were some holes in the chorus for me.  You guys are upholding an American tradition. Ohhhh. This sounds like a kiss-off from Ben. Sara: Overall, that was a solid performance, but you were missing what Ben was saying. Shawn: I loved the performance, it came undone in certain spots. – VIDEO

Pentatonix: “Let’s Get It On,” Marvin Gaye  –  Another fantastic performance from Pentatonix.  From the guitar lick at the beginning, through the soulful lead, and the always steady percussion–this is just fantastic. I’m going to cut a BITCH if Pentatonix doesn’t take the whole thing. It will be UP TO YOU AMERICA. Do not disappoint me.  Shawn: I can’t express enough how incredible that was. Marvin’s my guy. The way you did that –you make it your own. I really can’t talk. Ben: There’s going to be a suspicious bump in the birthrate in 9 months. That song sums up what R&B is about. Sara: That was unbelievable. Incredibly polished, incredibly professional. F*cking awesome. – VIDEO

Results: Pentatonix and Urban Method are safe. Dartmouth Aires are safe. NO FUCKING WAY. Afro Blue are Safe! Shocker! Vocal Point’s Swan Song is “Home”. The only thing I can figure here, is Afro Blue were saved to keep the remaining group diverse. – VIDEO

About mj santilli 34833 Articles
Founder and editor of mjsbigblog.com, home of the awesomest fan community on the net. I love cheesy singing shows of all kinds, whether reality or scripted. I adore American Idol, but also love The Voice, Glee, X Factor and more!