The Sing-Off continues as the Top 4 take the stage. I’ll be live blogging the 1 hour show right here.
The Top 4 tackle songs chosen by the judges!
The group song is “Shake it Out” by Florence + The Machine. As the groups disappear, these group numbers become less unwieldy.
It’s the semi-final tonight! One group will be eliminated, and the Top 3 will compete on Monday’s finale.
Nick visited the remaining groups to deliver the song assignments. The girls are kinda geeking out. Nick loves being host and a support system to the groups.
The Filharmonic – Baby I Need Your Loving by Four Tops – Shawn says the Four Tops set the blueprint for boy bands to follow. Nick Lachey dropped by to mentor. I like that the host is musical too. Nick sings along with the band to help them shore up their harmonies. The Four Tops lead singer sang with such unbridled passion, this is really weak sauce by comparison. Very watered down. They tackle a tough arrangement, but don’t quite nail it. Not one of the group’s better performances. Shawn thought the choreography was slick. There should have been more of a buildup, he says. Jewel thought they locked better, and showed some restraint. But she missed a climax and was frustrated not to reach it. She became instantly embarrassed when she realized what she said. Ben thought they dropped he rhythm ball this week.
Ten – Proud Mary by Ike and Tina Turner – Ben says the song was an obvious choice. The judges felt they could make it explode. The group is very happy with the choice. Nick drops by to mentor. The group wonders about disagreements and how to handle them. He says that as long as the group members respect each other, they’ll be fine. The lead singers are the best about this group. Both girls are really great. This performance is really smooth. I hate this song, though. Just hate it. Ben says it was really strong. The rhythm was awesomely behind the beat. He advises them to take more risks. Shawn is really proud of them. Dee dee killed it. But they could have gone even stronger. Jewel loved the performance and the arrangement. But, Jewel hasn’t got their identity outside of gospel music.
Home Free – Colder Weather by Zac Brown Band – Jewel says they beleive the band can do anything, but they haven’t really done a ballad yet. Nick advises them to dig deep into a genuine place. Nick says the audience will pick up insincerity right away. As always, perfect harmonies. Great singing from everybody. And the performance is very heartfelt. I’m calling it now. These guys will win The Sing-Off. Shawn was really impressed with Rob, who stepped out for once. Complete package. There was a slight fluctuation in pitch, but really good. Ben says it’s good to stretch themselves. He could feel their nervousness initially, but they got right back on track. Jewel says that less is more only when you have talent. She thinks they could take even more risks. play it safe sometimes.
Vocal Rush – “My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark” by Fall Out Boy – Ben says the judges chose the song because they thought it would be nice for the teens to sing music from their own generation rather than “old people’s music.” On nerves, Nick says that butterflies and jitters are a good thing. He suggests they do wall presses before they take the stage to release the pressure. The teens are acquitting themselves quite nicely here. Great lead singing and their harmonies are tight. They may have sung their way into the final. Jewel said they did so many things right. They’re artists, she says. They lived up to the “pyro blast” that went off behind them. Ben thought the song had a great sense of playful drama. He had a little nitpicky technical criticisms but he liked it. Shawn loves their reckless abandon. Also, they’re all cuties. He notes some problems on the bridge.
Ten and The Filharmonic will perform in the Ultimate Sing Off. I’m already predicting that The Filharmonic will go home. The groups sing “Should I Stay or Should I Go” by The Clash. Oy. Ha. This performance is loads of fun, although I hate that an iconic punk song has been given the Glee treatment. Some incredible singing on that, especially by the Ten singers. The judges save Ten.
The Filharmonic are eliminated. Aw. These guys have a lot of potential. I was hoping they’d make the final! But the group’s performance tonight was week.
