The Sing-Off (2009) s03e05 Episode Script
Top 10 Groups: Guilty Pleasure Music
So far on the sing off sixteen incredible groups came to Los Angeles to compete for the chance of a lifetime.
Some soared above the rest.
This is the reason that I do this gig.
Others left our stage forever.
Tonight, vocal worlds collide as our top 10 groups meet for the first time on our stage.
Is this the end of our run here the Sing-Off? I don't know.
It's a head-on clash for the ultimate prize $200,000 and a life-changing Sony Music recording contract.
We want to win, and this could be a reality.
At the end of the night, two contenders will be eliminated.
Stakes are high, you know? I'm not trying to go home.
The unprecedented vocal battle kicks off with the biggest opening number in Sing-Off history.
The Sing-Off Is on.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
What's up, everyone? I'm Nick Lachey, and we just heard a symphony of one hundred voices unleashing incredible harmonies on Lionel Richie's "all night long," and it's the kind of awe-inspiring sound you're gonna hear all night long on the Sing-Off.
Until now, our contenders have been split into two brackets, but starting tonight, our top ten have merged together.
That means all our vocal groups are going head to head for the $200,000 grand prize and the Sony Music recording contract.
But if these groups want to withstand tonight's heart-stopping double elimination, they've got to impress our distinguished judges Our prolific piano man, Ben Folds The stunning songbird Sara Bareilles And Boyz II Men-to-judge, Shawn Stockman.
This evening, we're indulging in some "guilty pleasure" hits and sing your heart out.
Now, five groups are gonna perform, and then one will be eliminated.
Then another five will pick up their Mikes and, once again, the judges will send one group packing.
There are no second chances tonight, and one missed note could cost these groups the opportunity of a lifetime.
Let's get it going with a powerhouse group of 15 college guys.
Now the Rochester Yellowjackets are trying to put some spice into a "girl power" guilty pleasure.
The Yellowjackets wooed judge Sara Bareilles with a heartfelt rendition of the '60s classic "can't take my eyes off of you.
" I thought I was gonna be, like, all nervous, but I got out there, and suddenly I was like, "oh, yeah.
" Our guilty pleasure song this week is "wanna be" by the spice girls.
The lyrics are very profound and deep, and that's what we're No, it's it's awful.
Okay, who's gonna be what character? Why don't we just be ourselves? I'll be the jock, he'll be the music nerd, he'll be the nerd.
This week, we are having so much fun with our song.
It certainly is a guilty pleasure for us.
However, we are going to have to add a musical foundation, something that shows a more intense musical experience.
'Cause then it's just not music.
No.
We decided it was going to be three steps.
No.
Two groups are going home this week.
We're still one of three all-male college groups.
This arrangement is still very bare.
We've got to find something to really turn it around.
The biggest risk this week is letting the music suffer.
We have to dance and really put on a show, but, at the same time, sing our hearts out so that they won't be like, "oh, their moves were cool," but their voices were okay.
" We have to bring 110%.
Showing us just how far they'll go to be in the top spot, performing the '90s pop smash "wanna be" by the spice girls, here are the Yellowjackets.
Fish and chips.
Do you follow? Yeah! The spice guys! And that's why we call it the guilty pleasure show.
Sara, what'd you think? That was a ton of fun, and I'm laughing really hard.
I don't even know what I just experienced.
That was insane.
I love that there was so much personality, and so much energy onstage.
I loved hearing Michael and Matt for the first time coming out and shining.
There were some tuning issues.
I think that when you're giving such a high- energy performance, it's really easy to sort of over-sing, but I think the point of this was just to have a blast onstage, and you definitely did that.
I loved it.
I-I would totally watch that again.
Shawn? Oh, wow.
I just can't help but to, you know, get out of my retina you men slamming your body down and winding it all around.
That was a bit strange for me, but somehow I enjoyed it.
You know, all of it was good.
I mean, in the midst of some of the harmonies kind of, you know, was a little "flarp.
" That's my word Flat and sharp, so, "flarp.
" Just stay with me.
Actually, Danny, you mentioned that, you know, you're one of the three all-male college groups that are still in this competition, which is true, but the pressure is on because you have nine other acts Great acts That you have to compete against, and so far, so good.
Great job.
I enjoyed it, guys.
Ben? It was really entertaining.
That's the main thing Everyone in the room was smiling, and every four to eight bars, there's another event, which is really smart arranging.
Mick, the end riff, that was That was such a statement.
I always love hearing Jamal coming out because you've got such a unique voice, and if you're going to have a challenge in this, I think it's going to be putting a face on everything you do, that you can close your eyes and know who the singer is, but then you laser-focus that into one dude, like Jamal, and then just, you know, a starburst of energy goes out into the universe - And everyone votes for you.
- Starburst? Yeah.
There you go.
Thank you, judges.
All right, we'll see later if the Yellowjackets advance to the next round.
Thanks, guys.
When we return, our all-girl power group blasts us back to the '80s with the theme from flashdance, plus you can download any of the music you hear tonight from iTunes.
The Sing-Off is on.
We're goofy guys, so it's a goofy guilty-pleasure song, and we just got to show everybody how much fun we were having.
One of the best things about a guilty pleasure is how it takes you back to a special time A junior high mix tape, spring break trip, or, like our next song, a classic movie scene.
Now, taking the stage with this memorable hit is our all-female super group of Sing-Off all-stars.
The beauties of Delilah are fighting hard to make memories of their own this season.
After coming out of the gate strong with an emotional rendition of "what do you want from me?" Delilah faltered in their second song and found themselves in the bottom two.
The group that still has a chance is Delilah! To think we could go home was a big shock, but we needed a kick in the butt.
Our song this week is "what a feeling" by Irene Cara, and we are so excited about this.
We can have this huge sound, and I think there's a definite opportunity in this song.
We really need to get our momentum back, and this is the perfect song to do it with.
Flashdance, our secret weapon is Candace.
She has such a soulful voice.
We have a lot to prove, and me being at the forefront of the group this week, I definitely feel the pressure, and I hope that I make Delilah proud.
After this past week, I was just feeling like maybe we don't have what it takes.
You know, stupid thoughts have definitely gone through my head.
I'm really, really excited to be in the top ten.
We do not want to be on the bottom again.
We don't even want to be in the middle.
We really are striving to be on top every week.
Taking their passion and making it happen, performing "flashdance, what a feeling" by Irene Cara, here is Delilah.
Delilah.
Ben, what'd you think? You know, I'm a big Delilah fan.
I have your concert tees and your ticket stubs from your concerts.
I'm always rooting for you guys 'cause you've made a really cool choice in the way you've put your group together.
I mean, you know it's a challenge to have an all-female group because of the range spread, and then you also know that it gives you an edge because you're unique that way.
But the real strengths you have is that you're all such great singers, and you've got big brains, and you're pulling it off in the verses, no doubt about it.
The beginning took about four bars for the harmonies to come into focus.
I'm not sure why.
But then they were there after that.
I love Candace.
I'm always happy to hear Candace sing.
So, when you did the breakdown chorus, you cracked the code.
That was winning.
Obviously, you can't do that in both choruses.
But I think it's just a matter of arranging.
The heart is there, the energy's there.
You're all ace singers, and so I just think you need to crack that one bit of the code.
Sara? This felt like you to me.
I know you were really devastated to end up in the bottom two, and I see that you guys really dug deep this time, and the emotion is really coming across.
I really believe you guys up there when you're singing.
There were some pitch issues here, and a little bit of rhythm moving around, but I loved that you guys focused in on the heart and soul of Delilah again.
I felt like your personality was coming across, that you guys are gelling really well together, but yet, technically, this one wasn't quite up to par with the first few performances we've seen from you, um, but great job.
Shawn? Candace, you know, I've always loved your voice, since voices of Lee.
I've always thought that you had a very beautiful voice, and, when you sing, you tell a story.
You know, like, you can tell it's coming from the heart.
Um, at the end, it came undone a little bit, when you guys were kind of overlapping each other and things of that nature, but you guys brought it back at the end.
And you guys are a patchwork of groups that were on the show before, and you're a testament of what never giving up represents, and you guys should be proud of that.
I just love your perseverance and how strong you come with every performance.
Your heart is always there.
Thanks, judges.
We'll see if Delilah stays in the competition later tonight.
Thank you, ladies.
After the break, our doo-wop dads put their spin on a guilty pleasure, and we'll find out later which groups power through the first elimination.
Stay tuned.
It's the Sing-Off.
A lot has changed in my life since season one, and I know I'm stronger, and they make me stronger.
I know I'm supposed to be here with them.
Ohh! Our Sing-Off contenders are creating the greatest playlist of all time with guilty pleasures, those classic hits you secretly know all the words to.
Now, the guys in this next group are seasoned doo-woppers with decades of experience.
The men of North Shore are cooking up a guilty pleasure song, hoping to overpower their younger competition.
Last week, North Shore took on the challenge of a top-40 pop hit and proved that age ain't nothing but a number.
You guys owned the song.
If I didn't know it was a Bruno Mars song, I would have thought it was a North Shore song, honestly.
You know, it's amazing being 64 and being in this thing.
Exactly.
It's like I can't believe It's amazing being 24 and being in this thing.
Four our guilty pleasure song, we're singing "mmmbop" by Hanson.
We chose the "mmmbop" song because what better way to compete with young kids than to do a song that was done by young kids? We're doing the best we can with the song, but it just doesn't have enough movement in the song to really be in a competitive level.
When I say "mmmbop," nothing's happening.
"Doo-wop.
" I like that better.
- Yeah, me too, but - Can we try that? Would that change the whole song, though? We've been practicing all week long, and it's just not working the way we want it to work.
Simplest song we've ever heard, but we're having a hard time.
It is not working for us.
It's two days before the show.
We've got to change it.
We have no choice.
We were just killing ourselves to do this.
Now we've got to start all over to get something better than that, so it's going to be very tough with a couple of days to go.
We got it! We've finally settled on "the power of love" by huey Lewis and the news.
We're gonna get it.
You'll find a way.
We don't know the arrangement yet, and tomorrow's the show! It's a race against the clock, and I'm really afraid that we're not gonna beat the clock.
Putting their hearts into "the power of love" by huey Lewis and the news, here is North Shore.
Man, forget the power of love! That's the power of North Shore.
All right, let's go ahead and get the judges' call.
Shawn? Aw, man, you know, it's cool that you always remind us what North Shore is about.
With that being said, I look for you guys to exude emotion and that feel and things of that nature, and although, guy, you're always fun to watch, I just want to see another or feel another side of guy and the North Shore sound, but I know you guys didn't have enough time to implement a lot of it because you switched songs from "mmmbop" to "power of love" by huey Lewis and the news.
But you guys have nailed every performance thus far.
This time, I just wanted to see something a little different from you guys and see how you guys were gonna approach it.
You always nail the entertainment part; I just wanted to get more of that emotion part.
Ben? Now, I love the transitions and the interpretation, and you always start really strong.
You know you're in good hands with North Shore as soon as you start.
Like, you're total pros and it's totally entertaining.
I'm with Shawn the last thing on the list that we need to see, which is actually very, very important when you're making records is that identifiable timbre of the delivery.
I was hearing it in the opening more than anything because, guy, you were singing more with a softer, smokier voice, and I'd like to encourage that and encourage you to just think about closing your eyes and put the record on and know that it's you guys, not just that you're visually happening and that it's entertaining.
But you're so good.
Thank you.
Sara? Huey Lewis and the news is one of my favorite bands of all time, and this is the first concert I ever saw, was on my dad's shoulders, watching huey Lewis.
And I think you guys really took some risks this week.
I remember giving the note that I wanted to hear more of your interpretation of the lead and the melody, and I think you really did that.
Yeah, I want to see some diversity from you guys as well, but I'm so entertained.
I'm smiling.
You guys are doing your job really well.
Thank you.
Thank you, judges.
And we'll find out in just a bit if North Shore will advance in the competition.
Thanks again, fellas.
Coming up, our music city singers take on a disco anthem, "I will survive," and we're one step closer to the first elimination of the night.
It's all happening on the Sing-Off.
When we walk on that stage, we're going to work.
Here they are, here we are.
You give it, you get it back.
That's the best feeling in the world.
That's why we do it.
We are back on the Sing-Off, and our groups are having a blast, breaking out the greatest guilty pleasure songs of all time, but they know they've got to nail every note to have a shot at the $200,000 grand prize and the record contract.
Next up, some talented solo artists who joined together to create the ultimate vocal band, and that vision is what keeps the Nashville singers of The Collective going the distance.
After battling through a week of sickness and fatigue, The Collective, led by a courageous effort from lead vocalist Rachel, delivered an emotionally charged rendition of "rocketeer.
" But their '60s classic lacked energy We know you've got it in you, but you've got to do it from the beginning pretty soon.
And they found themselves on the brink of elimination.
The Collective! It's pretty obvious that the judges see something in us, even though we may not have shown it yet, and so we're taking this week as our last chance.
Our guilty pleasure this week is Gloria Gaynor's "I will survive.
" We had a week where, if somebody wasn't sick, somebody was in the hospital, so I don't think there could be a better song for us right now.
We need intense.
What's the best way to get intense? We've had a struggle.
We want to be true to the song, which does start small, but the judges have commented on us not being strong enough at the beginning, being all lead singers and having never done a cappella before, it's definitely a challenge.
Talented groups are going home, and it's scary.
I think this week is definitely the week where we can't hold anything back.
I want the judges to have no doubt that we are supposed to be here.
Failure is not an option.
Hoping to outlast their competition, performing "I will survive" by Gloria Gaynor, here is The Collective.
The Collective, everybody.
Great job, guys.
Sara, how did that feel to you? Damn, if I didn't love that.
I loved that! I loved that it was so emotional for you guys, and then, on top of that, you still really delivered a stellar performance with an interesting arrangement and some amazing vocals.
Rachel and Ruby, you guys are just fantastic, and I love that you You guys are so good, and you match each other's voices really well.
I mean, it's great when you have two powerful lead vocalists, but it's hard to blend that and make it sound so seamless, and you did the Yeah, that was good.
I know that you guys want to do more than just survive, and you did with this performance.
I thought it was really, really good.
Thank you.
Shawn? Wow, with each and every week, you guys find yourselves, vocally, which is very, very fun to just see on national television.
Ruby and Rachel, you guys had some great moments together.
Like, you really took it home during the end.
I wish that four-on-the-floor thing that you guys were doing, I wish it came a little sooner because that's what I wanted to feel at the first part.
You know, it's still a great performance, but I really wanted to get into it quicker.
Okay.
Ben? Uh, one of the many improvements you've made is that you just grabbed us from the start on this one, with the vibrato statement, and, Ruby, how do you do that? I was thinking about it.
I'd have to go That's the only way I could possibly get that vibrato.
Um and I respect the choice you made by not glomming on to the anthemic feel of the song.
'Cause, you know, Shawn would have liked to have heard it earlier.
I might I think I I think I like that you held off on it, and that you were making a respectable choice.
Jonathan, with your vocal percussion, it's very difficult to hold that kind of groove down because there's space between every bar.
It's like a sample.
It's like you're And that space could rush the whole thing, and you didn't rush that.
And also had Your background vocals, they blended this time.
We finally heard them lock, and it's because you exaggerated those swells and the dynamics back there, and it was very kind of old-fashioned and spooky.
It had kind of an almost a funeral march feel to it.
I thought the interpretation was cool.
I thought everything's a step up from where it was, and, uh, yeah, nice work.
All right, thank you, judges.
And we'll find out later if the collective will survive the night.
Thank you, guys.
Great work.
When we come back, the final group of the first half tries to push aside the competition with "Jessie's girl," and then the judges will send one group home empty-handed.
The competition's heating up on the Sing-Off.
It feels amazing just to have a judge like Ben Folds to compliment your a cappella group, but when he, you know, compliments you individually on something, it's just the next step up.
I felt I felt pretty good.
You're tuned in to the Sing-Off, the voices-only competition that's making sound waves all over America.
You know, a big reason a cappella's become such a phenomenon is its massive popularity on university campuses across the country.
Next up, we've got an Ivy league college group known for hitting the stage with a ton of energy and enthusiasm.
Now, despite their fun-loving reputation, the Dartmouth Aires know it will take focus to win the judges' affection.
Graduating from the Ivy league to the big leagues with two wildly energetic performances The Dartmouth Aires brought the crowd and the judges to their feet.
The interpretation was great.
The transitions were really exciting.
It was all really, really good.
Our guilty pleasure song is "Jessie's girl" by Rick Springfield.
"Jessie's girl" is an absolutely ridiculous song, but it's so much fun.
"Jessie's girl" is about a guy who is interested in his best friend's girlfriend.
And, in the aires, I don't think that would ever happen.
I would never compete, like, with another That's not true, though.
Ha ha ha! It's really unnerving to decide what song you're doing and who's gonna sing the solo immediately.
You're five people, it's a little easier 'cause only five people can get onboard.
Sixteen people getting onboard, it's a whole different story.
Okay, yeah, take it down.
Do it down, the octave.
Every week, we have solo auditions.
It's always kind of nerve-wracking because whoever's been picked to do the solo, they don't want to let the aires down.
This is such a hard competition.
This is the hardest thing that the Dartmouth Aires have ever done, but I'd be lying to you if I said that we didn't want to win.
We want to win this badly.
Wishing they could be with "Jessie's girl," by Rick Springfield, here's the Dartmouth Aires.
The Dartmouth Aires, bringing it back.
Very nice.
Ben? I'm not normally a dance moves person, but that was pretty bitchin'.
I was Clark, I was waiting for that moment.
You guys, you know, set it up, and Clark knocked it down.
That was really good.
Great energy.
"A-plus" to anyone in the tenor range and up.
That was smooth.
As you get lower in the range, it becomes a little less defined for me, in the baritones and the basses, and in the groove, so, overall, you've got visual energy That's going for you You've got the top where there's energy, but it's not really quite grooving really.
It's just grooving sort of virtually.
I applaud your simplicity, but that always shows the seams.
You can hear where the basses are kind of arrhythmically not kind of gelling with that.
Just get that record- making stuff going down below so that you don't have to put out so much energy visually for us all to feel it.
Shawn.
Yeah.
Yeah, I would say that was the only thing I was missing from all of that.
When the chorus hit, I was listening for that Something from the bottom to kind of give it that warmth where you're like, "oh, snap!" You know what I'm saying? But, yeah, the energy was there.
Uh, Clark, I'm impressed at how high you got your leg up.
Demi-plié! And he pliés, yeah! But that was amazing.
And and I knew with a hairstyle like that that we was gonna have a Clark moment.
So that was smart, guys, but, um, obviously, the energy was there, the performance was there.
You guys never fail at that.
So, again, it was very entertaining.
Sara? I was smiling from ear to ear.
Um, Brendan, you kicked ass on that lead! Where are you? That was awesome.
That was so great, and your range and your control is really, really impressive, and it carried very, very well in that song.
And I loved the point in the middle of the song where Brendan, Henry, and Michael were singing together.
That was great, and the blend was great, and you guys dancing all over the stage.
I agree with the boys We're missing a little bit of consistency and focus in the low end, but I thought it was a super entertaining performance.
Well done, purple people.
All right, thank you, judges.
We'll find out in just a minute if the aires will stay afloat.
Thank you, guys.
Purple people.
All right, the first set of groups has delivered their guilty pleasure hits, and now it's time for the judges to confer.
When we return, one of these groups will hear some heartbreaking news.
The first cut of the night is moments away.
The Sing-Off Keep it tuned.
I loved that I had the opportunity to kick high for the judges, um, and if we are to go home tonight, I think we did the best that we could and we left it out there on the stage.
Welcome back to the Sing-Off.
We've got five more vocal bands waiting in the wings, but right now it's time for the first elimination of the night.
I'm joined by the Yellowjackets Delilah North Shore The Collective And the Dartmouth Aires.
They all pushed their voices to the limit with catchy guilty pleasures, but one group is about to be pulled out of the competition.
I have the results right here.
Four of these groups will be back to perform next week.
For one group, it's the final curtain.
The first two groups that are guaranteed spots on the next show are The Collective! And the Yellowjackets! You're safe! Go ahead and return to your boxes.
We're down to three groups.
Only two of you will survive to sing again.
The next group that will definitely advance is The Dartmouth Aires! Congratulations.
You can head on back.
That leaves Delilah and North Shore.
Delilah, your all-girl super group of stars from past seasons came with dreams of a second chance at glory and started off the season strong, but last week, you narrowly avoided elimination, and tonight you find yourself back on the razor's edge.
The judges all agree that, while your heart and energy shine through, they wish you'd made smarter choices with your arrangement.
North Shore, having performed together for over 30 years, your group is by far the most experienced this season, and from the start, the judges embraced your polished doo-wop sound.
Tonight, they said you were true entertainers but they wanted to feel more emotion in your performance and see you connect to the song more deeply.
One of you can rest easy.
The other will raise their Mikes and leave our stage.
The group that will remain in the race for the grand prize is Delilah! Congratulations.
You guys can head on up to the box.
North Shore North Shore Your unforgettable performances were such a joy to watch.
You guys have a timeless sound.
We loved having you here on the show - And you will all be missed.
- Thank you, Nick.
Now it's time to raise your Mikes one final time for your swan song.
Waving goodbye to the Sing-Off It's North Shore.
Who loves you, baby? That was North Shore singing "good night, sweetheart" by the spaniels.
Well, we've seen the first five groups give it everything they've got, and now the second set is going to unveil more unforgettable music.
First up, a group of sophisticated music majors from Howard university.
For their guilty pleasure song, Afro-Blue is gonna put on their dancing shoes and leave the classroom behind.
Afro-Blue continued to impress with their distinct harmonies and complex arrangements.
It was nothing wrong with that performance.
Nothin'.
But the judges were disappointed with their '60s classic.
There's some times that were overthought.
You were going over our heads.
Our guilty pleasure song for this week is "dance with somebody" by Whitney Houston.
It's very risky to do a Whitney Houston song because she's known for being this amazing vocalist.
We've got to figure out how to keep it fun and still keep our sound.
Like, what are we gonna do to flip this joint? There's definitely risks.
We changed the groove of the song several times, and if the audience comes along with us, then that's great.
If they're lost, then it'll be a huge failure.
One of the notes that we received is that we sometimes overthink what we're supposed to do, so we're like, "okay, guys, let's not 'jazzify' it up too much.
" It's definitely an honor to be in the top 10, but it's getting real.
Right now, we are on a tightrope.
It is really important for us to nail the song this week.
We definitely don't want to go home, so we're gonna do what we have to do to fight our way through to the end.
Trying to dance their way into the judge's hearts, performing "I want to dance with somebody" by Whitney Houston, here is Afro-Blue.
One, two, three, and! Watching you guys perform makme wanna dance, and I hate dancing! Shawn, how do you feel? Aww, man, you guys! Afro-blizz-ue.
Was good, guys.
That was a very, very entertaining and smart arrangement.
What's good is that you took to heart what we talked about last week, as far as just knowing or riding that fine line between doing too much or too little or nothing at all.
You guys did the perfect blend of keeping the original song so people can get into it, and then you did the little samba breakdown in the middle, and then you incorporated that signature Afro-Blue 25-part harmony, which we all love.
It was great.
I love the fact that you guys all included the ladies.
Everybody got their shine in the leads, which, all of you soundmagnifico.
Ha ha ha! And, Eliza, it was so nice to hear you! Everything, it was just candy.
It was it was great.
Good job.
Ben? The first chorus seemed a little separated.
Uh, I was hearing bass, and then I was missing some stuff in the meat of the baritone area, and then I was hearing alto and soprano above that, and I thought that the second chorus kicked in beautifully.
It shows a lot of confidence to let all your female singers step out the way you did.
It never lost energy.
The only thing I would say is that, just pronounce the words a little bit more.
It's the difference between a great singer who harmonizes all the time, has got the vowels down pat, that you drive the lyrics home.
Make sure you always understand the words and the diction's there, and you guys are so amazing, I can't believe I'm lecturing you.
Thanks.
Sara, your thoughts? Because I respect your musicality so much, I was wondering if you guys were gonna take yourselves too seriously in this challenge.
And, um, I loved the frickin' wedding march at the end where y'all were coming down the, you know -Soul train line, baby.
- Yeah, I love it! That was tsoul train line.
They got it in here.
You know what I'm saying? Like, you know, they did this, and They do it at weddings now too, so You know what I'm saying? I'm sorry.
Go ahead.
Can somebody turn off this microphone, please? Ha ha ha! - Thank you.
- Security! But I love You guys were silly, and it was a lot of fun to watch.
Um, I agree with Ben.
I was missing some of the meat in the middle, and, at the end, it almost felt like it went a little sharp for me, but it was so much fun to watch.
So, yeah, I love it.
I loved it.
I really loved it.
- All right.
- Thanks, judges, and we'll see if Afro-Blue makes the cut later tonight.
Thank you, guys.
After a break, a group of techno-texans go new wave on "Video killed the radio star.
" The $200,000 and the Sony music recording contract is on the line.
This is the Sing-Off.
I think it was great for people to be able to see kind of our true side.
In our rehearsals, we're crazy, jumping around, acting silly, and sometimes that doesn't always translate onstage, so it was good to be able to do a fun song where we could really be ourselves.
I'm Nick Lachey, and tonight, the songs might be fun, but the stakes are serious.
One Sing-Off competitor has already struck out, and now our second set of contenders are stepping up to the Mike with vocal takes on some of the catchiest songs ever.
Next up is a daring quintet that's making a name for themselves with futuristic vocal remixes.
With their guilty pleasure hit, Pentatonix is hoping a blast from the past can rocket them to the next round.
Putting their spin on a top-40 hit, Pentatonix failed to impress the judges.
The risky arrangement didn't quite work for me, and the appeal of the song was abandoned in making that choice.
That was the first time that we had gotten some heavier criticism.
We just know we need to work really hard because it's a new game each week.
This week we're doing "Believe" by Cher.
I think we have an issue.
First problem we've noticed with our arrangement is that we've been struggling with the tempo.
We should be really careful and take what Ben said to heart and not stray from the song too much.
We're taking this song really seriously, but they want it to be a guilty pleasure.
They want it to be fun.
I think we need to bring something different.
- Guys, I - This is not working.
We can change our song, but we only have, like, two days.
We should change it up.
Sonos was going to do "Video killed the radio star" if they made it to guilty pleasure week.
It was so hard to see Sonos go home.
We've gotten so close to them.
They're what we want to be, so we're doing it in their honor.
I don't want the fear of critiques to affect our performance, and it's really scary because one wrong move can cost us our dream of winning the Sing-Off.
It is very stressful 'cause we don't know if we'll get it to where we really want it to be.
We're pretty nervous about changing our song, but we're going to take risks 'cause that's what we do.
We just hope America and the judges like it because it's a week that we have to show that we're in this to win this.
Trying to tune in a killer performance with the new wave hit "Video killed the radio star" by The Buggles, here is Pentatonix.
One, two, three, four.
Shh! All right! Let's go ahead and go to the judges.
Sara? That was awesome.
I think you guys did what you do so well really well in that performance, and that is that you make really distinct, specific, meticulous choices, and you just deliver 'em.
Your drum and bass section is just So solid.
And, Scott, I think you showed a lot of restraint, and I really appreciated that, and I know that you guys made this song choice based on your buddies in Sonos, who, uh Yeah, Sonos! Yeah.
Which, I think that is, um Yeah.
Well, I-I love that.
There's so much camaraderie here, and we all make such really close connections with each other, and I think it was really neat to see you guys representing your buddies, and I thought that was really cool.
There's just really a lot of ear candy there, and it was great.
Hell, yeah.
That was great.
Shawn? Oh, man.
Pentatonix, I think you guys were sent back from the future to save a cappella and do it in a futuristic way, or And I think this '80s type of electromagnetic, synth-saturated, you know, space-aged music is, you know, right up you guys' alley because this is what a cappella's all about It's kind of pushing the limits and pushing the envelope and seeing what else you can do outside of the traditional, and you guys got a grasp of that.
Good job.
Ben, your thoughts? Yeah, you've definitely hit on something with this one.
There's a looseness about it that, uh, just really suited you.
Uh, Scott, great voice, and the stylings on it, that's kind of radical because it's such a nerdy song, and, yeah, you've got the nerdy glasses, but, uh, your voice I don't know who else has those in here, but they're probably nerds too.
You know, that's radical because you didn't kind of go robotic on the vocal You actually delivered a vocal that was kind of, you know, that had some soul to it.
That was really great.
Every once in a while, you were on top of the beat.
For such a great rhythm section, just when you get excited, you don't need to go on top of the beat.
It's still exciting.
Great work.
All right, thank you, judges.
We'll find out later if Pentatonix will advance.
Thank you, guys.
Nice job.
When we come back, button up your tux and get ready for a junior prom classic, Roxette's "Listen to your heart.
" The guilty pleasures just keep on coming on the Sing-Off.
It was such a rush to put this arrangement together.
Yeah.
And, like, we put it together And made it perfect just in time, I feel like, and it, like, really paid off, and they loved it And it's such a relief.
It's awesome.
Wanna go behind the scenes at the Sing-Off? Check out nbc.
Com and follow Internet sensation Sam Tsui as he takes you up close and personal with all our groups.
Thank you, guys! Yeah.
When our groups blend their voices together, it creates an incredible unified sound, and it's all without a single instrument, and that's what makes the Sing-Off unlike any other competition.
Now, for our next group, their shared sound was born out of a tight friendship.
But if the Deltones want to reach the championship, they're gonna need to give each other more support than ever.
Last week, the Deltones fought through late-night rehearsals and bruised vocal chords to belt out their best Gaga.
Great, great job, guys.
Really, really solid.
Solid is good, but not quite good enough.
It's weird that everybody's, like, doing different syllables.
Our guilty pleasure song is "Listen to your heart" by Roxette, and it's gonna be a little bit cheesy 'cause it's '80s.
"Listen to your heart" is one of those songs that's timeless, but you don't want to admit it, because the lyrics are extremely melodramatic.
That's what makes it so awesome.
The judges' main comment this week was, you know, your energy is there, but it seemed a little stiff.
When someone tells you you need to get better, it really pushes you to keep working.
As a group, we feel more motivated to really get into the art of performing.
We want to show everyone that we deserve to be here, so this week, we're more motivated than ever.
I don't want the fact that we may have been stiff onstage to be the thing that sends us home.
This week is our chance to bring that performance to the next level.
Hoping to hear some love from the judges, performing "Listen to your heart" by Roxette, here are the Deltones.
Great job, guys.
Ben, how'd they do? Yeah, it's great.
You're one of the few groups on the show that earnestly sing the lyrics every time, and I think that that's a real important thing.
Courtney, you're kind of a country singer.
Is that okay with you? That could work in your favor, actually, 'cause what you guys need is a real face on what you do.
It's easy to get lost in a group that big, but you still at some point need a calling card that people go, "oh, that's that group that sounds like this.
" The breakdown should have worked, and I don't know why it didn't.
I wish I could tell you why it didn't, but it should have been an anthemic, big, breakdown moment, and somewhere in there, it got lost.
The breath at the end was really cool 'cause it showed you guys take your music seriously, but, obviously, you don't take yourselves too seriously, and and that's a great thing, but at the end of the day, it's gonna be about making records and why you're going to stick out in the middle of a sea of all these groups that have such thumbprints that you recognize off the bat Just looking for that voice that says, "we are the Deltones.
" Okay.
Sara? You are all heart, and I totally see it up there, and, um, I thought this was a really good performance.
I think the song choice might have been too serious.
You know, overall, like, the blend was great, and I thought, Courtney, that your lead was really sweet and right on.
I'd like to see, also, in your arrangements dropping out voices here and there to give us a deeper range of dynamics.
But I like roxette, and I liked the song, so So, well sung.
Well done, guys.
Shawn? Um, Courtney, let me start out by saying you have a very beautiful voice.
Yes, she does.
She has a beautiful voice.
With that being said, you have 15 people onstage, so, you know, me personally, I would love to hear more dynamics.
It would have been nice to just kind of take rides on the crescendo de crescendo train, and just kind of, like, just do different things.
You have so many strengths that I have yet to feel from you guys, and I want to hear that.
All right.
Thank you, judges.
The Deltones are heartbeats away from hearing their fate.
Thanks, guys.
See you in a bit.
Can't get enough of your favoriSing-Off groups? Go to nbc.
Com and check out their behind-the-scenes blogs, videos, and tweets.
And don't forget, if you love the music you're hearing, you can download all the Sing-Off songs from iTunes.
When we return, another guilty pleasure treat, and later, the competition amps up with the night's second elimination.
One more group will sing their swan song on the Sing-Off.
Sara always says, "you guys have a lot of heart.
" The Deltones have always had a lot of heart.
We have heart for each other and love for each other, and love for the music that we sing.
I'm Nick Lachey, and tonight our top ten groups are paying tribute to the greatest guilty pleasure songs of all time, those classic tracks that every deejay knows will get the party started.
Our next contender in the hunt for the record contract is a rap-a-ppella group that's been bringing a little street cred to our Hollywood stage.
Now Urban Method is battling to keep it fresh and make sure their unique style shines bright.
Showcasing a powerful combination of rock and rap, Urban Method's innovative style wowed the judges.
Switch up! You have a unique niche, unlike anything that we've seen thus far in this show.
Good job, y'all.
Good job.
Urban Method was able to pick one of my favorite guilty pleasures, which is the song "Poison" by Bell Biv Devoe.
The pressure's on for the week because of the connection of this song to Shawn Stockman.
Shawn was signed by Michael Bivins, who's a part of Bell Biv Devoe, so he's gonna know every step, every word.
If Shawn is not out of his chair by the end of this performance, then I don't think that we've succeeded.
Each week, it gets harder and harder.
And we want this so bad, and we're gonna do everything it takes to get there.
We rehearse from eight in the morning till eleven or twelve at night.
I have two boys, and being away from my boys and my wife, I'm sacrificing time away from them growing up to make sure that this group is exceptional.
We can't spend this time away from them and not win this thing.
We have to win.
Taking the situation seriously, breaking out the '90s club jam "Poison" by Bell Biv Devoe, here is Urban Method.
Poison.
Poison.
Poison.
Yo, Myke, chill.
Poison.
Poison.
Poison.
Wrong move, you're dead.
Poison, deadly, moving in slow.
Looking for a mellow fellow like devoe.
Getting paid, laid, so you better lay low.
I'm scheming the hearts, money yeah, the whole show.
Them low-pro hos should be cut like an afro.
What you sayin', huh? She's a winner to you But I know she's a loser.
How do you know? Me and the crew used to do her.
Come on! Wrong move, you're dead.
Whoo! Whoo! Nice job, Urban Method.
I'm embarrassed to say, that took me straight back to my freshman year of high school.
Shawn, what'd you think? That took me back Bell Biv Devoe were mentors of ours, and, you know, shout out to Shout out to Mr.
Bivins, wherever you are.
Okay, um, I loved the way y'all Y'all went into the Then you See, that's what it's about.
You guys took on the premise of the record.
It was a fun song from the gate.
Tony, you held that bass down, big baby.
Never have I seen anyone singing bass and doing the cabbage patch at the same time.
That was a first for me.
You guys arranged it good.
It was cool the ladies with the sexy, you know, sway and the 3-part harmony.
It's fun, it's sexy, it's flirty.
It's street.
It's hip-hop.
It's basically Urban Meth, so, you did your thing.
Ben? Richard, you were swinging that.
That was really great.
Nice work.
I mean, it was loads of fun.
I-I'm not an expert in this genre of music, but I-I just thought it grooved from beginning to end, and you can't fault that.
He's the expert, you know? I was a little worried for a while, Troy, when you were singing lower in the arrangement.
It wasn't as articulate as I would like to have been.
As soon as you went up, you knocked it out of the park, and it was great.
I've got a couple of kids too, so I know how tough it is to go out on tour and not be able to see them.
You can go home and tell them, "never trust a big butt and a smile.
" That's gonna be That's gonna be something you can take home to your kids.
I think it's gonna be Sage advice.
You rocked it.
Thanks.
Sara? That was so much fun.
Um, Troy, I love how versatile your vocals are.
You are really stylized, and you make really specific choices, and I really appreciate that about you.
I thought it was a little "pitchy" for me in the beginning, but it really sunk in, and I felt like there was so much happening onstage, um, it was a really polished, well-delivered performance.
Well-done.
Oh! Oh! Oh! Wait, wait, wait! Ben's raised his hand! Myke, that was good.
I just wanted to say, we didn't mention Myke.
Myke was good.
Now, you guys back me up on that.
- Come on, Ben! - Come on, Ben! - Come on, Ben! - Get in there! Well, I've been around the world and I've seen things happen.
I don't mind singing and I don't mind rapping.
I could find another hundred ways to get my kicks singing a cappellas - I'm sorry.
- Whoa! I think this is where I say thank you, judges.
Yes, thank you.
- Thank you? - Yes! - Segue! - And we'll learn The fate of Urban Method in just a moment.
Thanks, guys.
Great job.
There's one more vocal band on deck Nine upstanding gentlemen waiting to get footloose.
Then, another group will be cut loose in the final elimination of the night.
It's all happening on the Sing-Off.
It was great to just go out there and rap some smooth lyrics and just kind of have a good time, and, um, you know, play off the energy with the rest of my group.
It was great.
We're back on the Sing-Off, and we're cranking up guilty pleasure hits, those classic songs we all love to sing at the top of our lungs when we're alone in our car with the windows rolled up.
Heh heh heh! Our final group of the night are some clean-cut B.
Y.
U.
guys that have been short a member since we started.
Well, now their missing man is back, and Vocal Point is ready to cut loose.
Performing without group member Ben, Vocal Point crooned their way into the top ten.
I'm swooning.
You guys are such a cute little rat pack.
Things are going well for us so far, and when Ben gets back, it's gonna be even better.
It was a tough couple of weeks in Australia.
My dad actually passed away.
He had leukemia.
It's been a little bit difficult to come back, but I think it's something that my dad would be proud of.
He loved watching me sing, and being part of this is something that he would really want.
We're singing "Footloose" this week, by Kenny Loggins.
That's good! Ben seems to be doing really well.
He came back ready to work and grateful for our support, which was really humbling to us, so we feel like it's a tribute to Ben.
We absolutely feel a responsibility to keep our song really positive, to keep Ben in very good spirits.
I'm happy with the decision to come back, just get to be busy and involved in a schedule like this, but also they're real good friends, and I know that they're there for me at this time too.
The stakes are a lot higher now, in the top ten.
The competition is just so heated right now.
You know, the stage is going to be a little bit of a new experience, so I'm a little bit apprehensive just because the guys have done it before, and I haven't.
I just don't want to mess things up.
Back together again, performing their take on "Footloose," from the new movie in theaters now, here's Vocal Point.
Two, three, four.
Great job, guys! Wow! Awesome performance.
I'd say what year that takes me back to and how old I was, but I'd be embarrassed to say it.
Ben, what did you think? I was in my 40s, and I enjoyed it back then too.
You look remarkable.
Thank you.
It's amazing.
Just a couple of weeks in Los Angeles, and I'm looking good.
That was some of the first real rock 'n' roll I've heard out of the a cappella groups, and, Ross, you were belting it.
Like, that was so fun! That's cool.
I like that stuff.
Um, Keith, the falsettos you keep popping out there, that's really giving a lot of energy to it.
Is it the baritones that are singing the guitar, almost like a baritone guitar, like Well, we're glad we have Ben back, 'cause that's really adding a lot.
We missed you, and, I mean, we don't know you, but we missed you anyway, and it was a lot of rock 'n' roll going on, and the bass was totally perfectly in time.
And that made it really work.
That's hard for a cappella groups to do.
You see them try that, fail, try that, fail, and you guys just tried that, and you won, so, nice work.
Yeah.
Sara? I think Kenny Loggins would love that performance.
You're exuding the essence of the song.
It's sort of this innocent, "Poppie" version of rock 'n' roll, and I think you guys did that really, really well.
Ben, welcome back.
Yes, we're so happy to have you, and I know that all your brothers here are really happy that you're here.
I also wanted to say it was just grooving a lot for me.
Robert and Tanner, my vocal percussionist and my bassist, well done, you guys.
It's just a lot of fun to watch you perform.
Thank you.
Shawn? I enjoyed it.
I'm 'on tell you, Jake, you you're sick, seriously, like But this is what it's all about.
Diversity.
It's about showing different characteristics, different sides, different voices, different everything.
With each song, so far you guys have shown at least twenty different personalities, and you've made the crowd go crazy, you've made us go crazy.
You've made the people in TV, I'm sure they're dancing in their pajamas, hello kitty pajamas, right now, listening to you guys.
Like, seriously, it was so much fun, and I enjoyed it, guys.
Great.
Job.
Thanks, judges.
And we'll find out if Vocal Point will be calling this stage home again in just a minute.
Thanks, fellas.
The judges are already putting their heads together to make a critical decision.
Four more groups will be tapped to perform on next week's show, but for one, the music is about to stop.
The Sing-Off Hold that note.
And it was amazing to have our full group together again, to finally be able to sing how we really feel like we can sing.
So, it's really good to have Ben back.
Yeah, Ben! Good to be back.
Yeah! We're back on the Sing-Off.
It's time for the final elimination of the night.
I'm joined onstage by Afro-Blue Pentatonix The Deltones Urban Method And Vocal Point.
They left everything on the stage, but for one group, it's game over.
The results are here in my hand.
Four of these groups will raise their voices on our next show, but one is about to fall out of contention.
The first two groups that will definitely be back next week are Pentatonix And Urban Method! Congratulations.
You're both safe.
Go ahead and return to your boxes.
We're down to three groups.
Only two of you will advance.
The next group who is definitely in the clear tonight is Vocal Point.
Congrats, guys.
You made it.
That leaves Afro-Blue and the Deltones.
Afro-Blue, you came to our show on a mission to bring a rich music tradition to a whole new generation.
From the start, the judges praised your smooth vocals.
Last week, your inventive arrangements were hit or miss.
Tonight, the judges loved your confidence and energy, but felt the middle of your sound was lacking and you needed crisper diction.
Deltones, your group stormed the Sing-Off stage, held together by strong Bonds of friendship.
You impressed the judges with genuine and emotional performances, but last week they noted that you needed to work on your focus.
Tonight they said your blend was great, your lead was beautiful, but they wanted more dynamics and urged you to find your calling card.
One of you will sing again next week; the other is about to sing their swan song.
The group that still has a shot to win the Sing-Off title is Afro-Blue! Congratulations.
You're moving on.
Deltones, you guys have given so many heartfelt performances that have moved us all, and your close friendship has been truly, truly inspiring, but now it's time to raise your Mikes one last time and sing your swan song.
Exiting the Sing-Off stage forever, it's the Deltones.
That was Deltones singing "Goodbye to you" by Michelle Branch.
Now, remember, you can download any of the songs you heard tonight on iTunes.
Next Monday, our top eight groups are gonna hit the stage for the hip-hop episode, waging vocal battle to popular radio jams from kanye West, Bruno Mars, p.
Diddy, and more.
It's gonna be one of the most difficult challenges of the season, with a jaw-dropping elimination at the end of the night.
Till next time, I'm Nick Lachey, signing off from the Sing-Off.
Good night.
Some soared above the rest.
This is the reason that I do this gig.
Others left our stage forever.
Tonight, vocal worlds collide as our top 10 groups meet for the first time on our stage.
Is this the end of our run here the Sing-Off? I don't know.
It's a head-on clash for the ultimate prize $200,000 and a life-changing Sony Music recording contract.
We want to win, and this could be a reality.
At the end of the night, two contenders will be eliminated.
Stakes are high, you know? I'm not trying to go home.
The unprecedented vocal battle kicks off with the biggest opening number in Sing-Off history.
The Sing-Off Is on.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
What's up, everyone? I'm Nick Lachey, and we just heard a symphony of one hundred voices unleashing incredible harmonies on Lionel Richie's "all night long," and it's the kind of awe-inspiring sound you're gonna hear all night long on the Sing-Off.
Until now, our contenders have been split into two brackets, but starting tonight, our top ten have merged together.
That means all our vocal groups are going head to head for the $200,000 grand prize and the Sony Music recording contract.
But if these groups want to withstand tonight's heart-stopping double elimination, they've got to impress our distinguished judges Our prolific piano man, Ben Folds The stunning songbird Sara Bareilles And Boyz II Men-to-judge, Shawn Stockman.
This evening, we're indulging in some "guilty pleasure" hits and sing your heart out.
Now, five groups are gonna perform, and then one will be eliminated.
Then another five will pick up their Mikes and, once again, the judges will send one group packing.
There are no second chances tonight, and one missed note could cost these groups the opportunity of a lifetime.
Let's get it going with a powerhouse group of 15 college guys.
Now the Rochester Yellowjackets are trying to put some spice into a "girl power" guilty pleasure.
The Yellowjackets wooed judge Sara Bareilles with a heartfelt rendition of the '60s classic "can't take my eyes off of you.
" I thought I was gonna be, like, all nervous, but I got out there, and suddenly I was like, "oh, yeah.
" Our guilty pleasure song this week is "wanna be" by the spice girls.
The lyrics are very profound and deep, and that's what we're No, it's it's awful.
Okay, who's gonna be what character? Why don't we just be ourselves? I'll be the jock, he'll be the music nerd, he'll be the nerd.
This week, we are having so much fun with our song.
It certainly is a guilty pleasure for us.
However, we are going to have to add a musical foundation, something that shows a more intense musical experience.
'Cause then it's just not music.
No.
We decided it was going to be three steps.
No.
Two groups are going home this week.
We're still one of three all-male college groups.
This arrangement is still very bare.
We've got to find something to really turn it around.
The biggest risk this week is letting the music suffer.
We have to dance and really put on a show, but, at the same time, sing our hearts out so that they won't be like, "oh, their moves were cool," but their voices were okay.
" We have to bring 110%.
Showing us just how far they'll go to be in the top spot, performing the '90s pop smash "wanna be" by the spice girls, here are the Yellowjackets.
Fish and chips.
Do you follow? Yeah! The spice guys! And that's why we call it the guilty pleasure show.
Sara, what'd you think? That was a ton of fun, and I'm laughing really hard.
I don't even know what I just experienced.
That was insane.
I love that there was so much personality, and so much energy onstage.
I loved hearing Michael and Matt for the first time coming out and shining.
There were some tuning issues.
I think that when you're giving such a high- energy performance, it's really easy to sort of over-sing, but I think the point of this was just to have a blast onstage, and you definitely did that.
I loved it.
I-I would totally watch that again.
Shawn? Oh, wow.
I just can't help but to, you know, get out of my retina you men slamming your body down and winding it all around.
That was a bit strange for me, but somehow I enjoyed it.
You know, all of it was good.
I mean, in the midst of some of the harmonies kind of, you know, was a little "flarp.
" That's my word Flat and sharp, so, "flarp.
" Just stay with me.
Actually, Danny, you mentioned that, you know, you're one of the three all-male college groups that are still in this competition, which is true, but the pressure is on because you have nine other acts Great acts That you have to compete against, and so far, so good.
Great job.
I enjoyed it, guys.
Ben? It was really entertaining.
That's the main thing Everyone in the room was smiling, and every four to eight bars, there's another event, which is really smart arranging.
Mick, the end riff, that was That was such a statement.
I always love hearing Jamal coming out because you've got such a unique voice, and if you're going to have a challenge in this, I think it's going to be putting a face on everything you do, that you can close your eyes and know who the singer is, but then you laser-focus that into one dude, like Jamal, and then just, you know, a starburst of energy goes out into the universe - And everyone votes for you.
- Starburst? Yeah.
There you go.
Thank you, judges.
All right, we'll see later if the Yellowjackets advance to the next round.
Thanks, guys.
When we return, our all-girl power group blasts us back to the '80s with the theme from flashdance, plus you can download any of the music you hear tonight from iTunes.
The Sing-Off is on.
We're goofy guys, so it's a goofy guilty-pleasure song, and we just got to show everybody how much fun we were having.
One of the best things about a guilty pleasure is how it takes you back to a special time A junior high mix tape, spring break trip, or, like our next song, a classic movie scene.
Now, taking the stage with this memorable hit is our all-female super group of Sing-Off all-stars.
The beauties of Delilah are fighting hard to make memories of their own this season.
After coming out of the gate strong with an emotional rendition of "what do you want from me?" Delilah faltered in their second song and found themselves in the bottom two.
The group that still has a chance is Delilah! To think we could go home was a big shock, but we needed a kick in the butt.
Our song this week is "what a feeling" by Irene Cara, and we are so excited about this.
We can have this huge sound, and I think there's a definite opportunity in this song.
We really need to get our momentum back, and this is the perfect song to do it with.
Flashdance, our secret weapon is Candace.
She has such a soulful voice.
We have a lot to prove, and me being at the forefront of the group this week, I definitely feel the pressure, and I hope that I make Delilah proud.
After this past week, I was just feeling like maybe we don't have what it takes.
You know, stupid thoughts have definitely gone through my head.
I'm really, really excited to be in the top ten.
We do not want to be on the bottom again.
We don't even want to be in the middle.
We really are striving to be on top every week.
Taking their passion and making it happen, performing "flashdance, what a feeling" by Irene Cara, here is Delilah.
Delilah.
Ben, what'd you think? You know, I'm a big Delilah fan.
I have your concert tees and your ticket stubs from your concerts.
I'm always rooting for you guys 'cause you've made a really cool choice in the way you've put your group together.
I mean, you know it's a challenge to have an all-female group because of the range spread, and then you also know that it gives you an edge because you're unique that way.
But the real strengths you have is that you're all such great singers, and you've got big brains, and you're pulling it off in the verses, no doubt about it.
The beginning took about four bars for the harmonies to come into focus.
I'm not sure why.
But then they were there after that.
I love Candace.
I'm always happy to hear Candace sing.
So, when you did the breakdown chorus, you cracked the code.
That was winning.
Obviously, you can't do that in both choruses.
But I think it's just a matter of arranging.
The heart is there, the energy's there.
You're all ace singers, and so I just think you need to crack that one bit of the code.
Sara? This felt like you to me.
I know you were really devastated to end up in the bottom two, and I see that you guys really dug deep this time, and the emotion is really coming across.
I really believe you guys up there when you're singing.
There were some pitch issues here, and a little bit of rhythm moving around, but I loved that you guys focused in on the heart and soul of Delilah again.
I felt like your personality was coming across, that you guys are gelling really well together, but yet, technically, this one wasn't quite up to par with the first few performances we've seen from you, um, but great job.
Shawn? Candace, you know, I've always loved your voice, since voices of Lee.
I've always thought that you had a very beautiful voice, and, when you sing, you tell a story.
You know, like, you can tell it's coming from the heart.
Um, at the end, it came undone a little bit, when you guys were kind of overlapping each other and things of that nature, but you guys brought it back at the end.
And you guys are a patchwork of groups that were on the show before, and you're a testament of what never giving up represents, and you guys should be proud of that.
I just love your perseverance and how strong you come with every performance.
Your heart is always there.
Thanks, judges.
We'll see if Delilah stays in the competition later tonight.
Thank you, ladies.
After the break, our doo-wop dads put their spin on a guilty pleasure, and we'll find out later which groups power through the first elimination.
Stay tuned.
It's the Sing-Off.
A lot has changed in my life since season one, and I know I'm stronger, and they make me stronger.
I know I'm supposed to be here with them.
Ohh! Our Sing-Off contenders are creating the greatest playlist of all time with guilty pleasures, those classic hits you secretly know all the words to.
Now, the guys in this next group are seasoned doo-woppers with decades of experience.
The men of North Shore are cooking up a guilty pleasure song, hoping to overpower their younger competition.
Last week, North Shore took on the challenge of a top-40 pop hit and proved that age ain't nothing but a number.
You guys owned the song.
If I didn't know it was a Bruno Mars song, I would have thought it was a North Shore song, honestly.
You know, it's amazing being 64 and being in this thing.
Exactly.
It's like I can't believe It's amazing being 24 and being in this thing.
Four our guilty pleasure song, we're singing "mmmbop" by Hanson.
We chose the "mmmbop" song because what better way to compete with young kids than to do a song that was done by young kids? We're doing the best we can with the song, but it just doesn't have enough movement in the song to really be in a competitive level.
When I say "mmmbop," nothing's happening.
"Doo-wop.
" I like that better.
- Yeah, me too, but - Can we try that? Would that change the whole song, though? We've been practicing all week long, and it's just not working the way we want it to work.
Simplest song we've ever heard, but we're having a hard time.
It is not working for us.
It's two days before the show.
We've got to change it.
We have no choice.
We were just killing ourselves to do this.
Now we've got to start all over to get something better than that, so it's going to be very tough with a couple of days to go.
We got it! We've finally settled on "the power of love" by huey Lewis and the news.
We're gonna get it.
You'll find a way.
We don't know the arrangement yet, and tomorrow's the show! It's a race against the clock, and I'm really afraid that we're not gonna beat the clock.
Putting their hearts into "the power of love" by huey Lewis and the news, here is North Shore.
Man, forget the power of love! That's the power of North Shore.
All right, let's go ahead and get the judges' call.
Shawn? Aw, man, you know, it's cool that you always remind us what North Shore is about.
With that being said, I look for you guys to exude emotion and that feel and things of that nature, and although, guy, you're always fun to watch, I just want to see another or feel another side of guy and the North Shore sound, but I know you guys didn't have enough time to implement a lot of it because you switched songs from "mmmbop" to "power of love" by huey Lewis and the news.
But you guys have nailed every performance thus far.
This time, I just wanted to see something a little different from you guys and see how you guys were gonna approach it.
You always nail the entertainment part; I just wanted to get more of that emotion part.
Ben? Now, I love the transitions and the interpretation, and you always start really strong.
You know you're in good hands with North Shore as soon as you start.
Like, you're total pros and it's totally entertaining.
I'm with Shawn the last thing on the list that we need to see, which is actually very, very important when you're making records is that identifiable timbre of the delivery.
I was hearing it in the opening more than anything because, guy, you were singing more with a softer, smokier voice, and I'd like to encourage that and encourage you to just think about closing your eyes and put the record on and know that it's you guys, not just that you're visually happening and that it's entertaining.
But you're so good.
Thank you.
Sara? Huey Lewis and the news is one of my favorite bands of all time, and this is the first concert I ever saw, was on my dad's shoulders, watching huey Lewis.
And I think you guys really took some risks this week.
I remember giving the note that I wanted to hear more of your interpretation of the lead and the melody, and I think you really did that.
Yeah, I want to see some diversity from you guys as well, but I'm so entertained.
I'm smiling.
You guys are doing your job really well.
Thank you.
Thank you, judges.
And we'll find out in just a bit if North Shore will advance in the competition.
Thanks again, fellas.
Coming up, our music city singers take on a disco anthem, "I will survive," and we're one step closer to the first elimination of the night.
It's all happening on the Sing-Off.
When we walk on that stage, we're going to work.
Here they are, here we are.
You give it, you get it back.
That's the best feeling in the world.
That's why we do it.
We are back on the Sing-Off, and our groups are having a blast, breaking out the greatest guilty pleasure songs of all time, but they know they've got to nail every note to have a shot at the $200,000 grand prize and the record contract.
Next up, some talented solo artists who joined together to create the ultimate vocal band, and that vision is what keeps the Nashville singers of The Collective going the distance.
After battling through a week of sickness and fatigue, The Collective, led by a courageous effort from lead vocalist Rachel, delivered an emotionally charged rendition of "rocketeer.
" But their '60s classic lacked energy We know you've got it in you, but you've got to do it from the beginning pretty soon.
And they found themselves on the brink of elimination.
The Collective! It's pretty obvious that the judges see something in us, even though we may not have shown it yet, and so we're taking this week as our last chance.
Our guilty pleasure this week is Gloria Gaynor's "I will survive.
" We had a week where, if somebody wasn't sick, somebody was in the hospital, so I don't think there could be a better song for us right now.
We need intense.
What's the best way to get intense? We've had a struggle.
We want to be true to the song, which does start small, but the judges have commented on us not being strong enough at the beginning, being all lead singers and having never done a cappella before, it's definitely a challenge.
Talented groups are going home, and it's scary.
I think this week is definitely the week where we can't hold anything back.
I want the judges to have no doubt that we are supposed to be here.
Failure is not an option.
Hoping to outlast their competition, performing "I will survive" by Gloria Gaynor, here is The Collective.
The Collective, everybody.
Great job, guys.
Sara, how did that feel to you? Damn, if I didn't love that.
I loved that! I loved that it was so emotional for you guys, and then, on top of that, you still really delivered a stellar performance with an interesting arrangement and some amazing vocals.
Rachel and Ruby, you guys are just fantastic, and I love that you You guys are so good, and you match each other's voices really well.
I mean, it's great when you have two powerful lead vocalists, but it's hard to blend that and make it sound so seamless, and you did the Yeah, that was good.
I know that you guys want to do more than just survive, and you did with this performance.
I thought it was really, really good.
Thank you.
Shawn? Wow, with each and every week, you guys find yourselves, vocally, which is very, very fun to just see on national television.
Ruby and Rachel, you guys had some great moments together.
Like, you really took it home during the end.
I wish that four-on-the-floor thing that you guys were doing, I wish it came a little sooner because that's what I wanted to feel at the first part.
You know, it's still a great performance, but I really wanted to get into it quicker.
Okay.
Ben? Uh, one of the many improvements you've made is that you just grabbed us from the start on this one, with the vibrato statement, and, Ruby, how do you do that? I was thinking about it.
I'd have to go That's the only way I could possibly get that vibrato.
Um and I respect the choice you made by not glomming on to the anthemic feel of the song.
'Cause, you know, Shawn would have liked to have heard it earlier.
I might I think I I think I like that you held off on it, and that you were making a respectable choice.
Jonathan, with your vocal percussion, it's very difficult to hold that kind of groove down because there's space between every bar.
It's like a sample.
It's like you're And that space could rush the whole thing, and you didn't rush that.
And also had Your background vocals, they blended this time.
We finally heard them lock, and it's because you exaggerated those swells and the dynamics back there, and it was very kind of old-fashioned and spooky.
It had kind of an almost a funeral march feel to it.
I thought the interpretation was cool.
I thought everything's a step up from where it was, and, uh, yeah, nice work.
All right, thank you, judges.
And we'll find out later if the collective will survive the night.
Thank you, guys.
Great work.
When we come back, the final group of the first half tries to push aside the competition with "Jessie's girl," and then the judges will send one group home empty-handed.
The competition's heating up on the Sing-Off.
It feels amazing just to have a judge like Ben Folds to compliment your a cappella group, but when he, you know, compliments you individually on something, it's just the next step up.
I felt I felt pretty good.
You're tuned in to the Sing-Off, the voices-only competition that's making sound waves all over America.
You know, a big reason a cappella's become such a phenomenon is its massive popularity on university campuses across the country.
Next up, we've got an Ivy league college group known for hitting the stage with a ton of energy and enthusiasm.
Now, despite their fun-loving reputation, the Dartmouth Aires know it will take focus to win the judges' affection.
Graduating from the Ivy league to the big leagues with two wildly energetic performances The Dartmouth Aires brought the crowd and the judges to their feet.
The interpretation was great.
The transitions were really exciting.
It was all really, really good.
Our guilty pleasure song is "Jessie's girl" by Rick Springfield.
"Jessie's girl" is an absolutely ridiculous song, but it's so much fun.
"Jessie's girl" is about a guy who is interested in his best friend's girlfriend.
And, in the aires, I don't think that would ever happen.
I would never compete, like, with another That's not true, though.
Ha ha ha! It's really unnerving to decide what song you're doing and who's gonna sing the solo immediately.
You're five people, it's a little easier 'cause only five people can get onboard.
Sixteen people getting onboard, it's a whole different story.
Okay, yeah, take it down.
Do it down, the octave.
Every week, we have solo auditions.
It's always kind of nerve-wracking because whoever's been picked to do the solo, they don't want to let the aires down.
This is such a hard competition.
This is the hardest thing that the Dartmouth Aires have ever done, but I'd be lying to you if I said that we didn't want to win.
We want to win this badly.
Wishing they could be with "Jessie's girl," by Rick Springfield, here's the Dartmouth Aires.
The Dartmouth Aires, bringing it back.
Very nice.
Ben? I'm not normally a dance moves person, but that was pretty bitchin'.
I was Clark, I was waiting for that moment.
You guys, you know, set it up, and Clark knocked it down.
That was really good.
Great energy.
"A-plus" to anyone in the tenor range and up.
That was smooth.
As you get lower in the range, it becomes a little less defined for me, in the baritones and the basses, and in the groove, so, overall, you've got visual energy That's going for you You've got the top where there's energy, but it's not really quite grooving really.
It's just grooving sort of virtually.
I applaud your simplicity, but that always shows the seams.
You can hear where the basses are kind of arrhythmically not kind of gelling with that.
Just get that record- making stuff going down below so that you don't have to put out so much energy visually for us all to feel it.
Shawn.
Yeah.
Yeah, I would say that was the only thing I was missing from all of that.
When the chorus hit, I was listening for that Something from the bottom to kind of give it that warmth where you're like, "oh, snap!" You know what I'm saying? But, yeah, the energy was there.
Uh, Clark, I'm impressed at how high you got your leg up.
Demi-plié! And he pliés, yeah! But that was amazing.
And and I knew with a hairstyle like that that we was gonna have a Clark moment.
So that was smart, guys, but, um, obviously, the energy was there, the performance was there.
You guys never fail at that.
So, again, it was very entertaining.
Sara? I was smiling from ear to ear.
Um, Brendan, you kicked ass on that lead! Where are you? That was awesome.
That was so great, and your range and your control is really, really impressive, and it carried very, very well in that song.
And I loved the point in the middle of the song where Brendan, Henry, and Michael were singing together.
That was great, and the blend was great, and you guys dancing all over the stage.
I agree with the boys We're missing a little bit of consistency and focus in the low end, but I thought it was a super entertaining performance.
Well done, purple people.
All right, thank you, judges.
We'll find out in just a minute if the aires will stay afloat.
Thank you, guys.
Purple people.
All right, the first set of groups has delivered their guilty pleasure hits, and now it's time for the judges to confer.
When we return, one of these groups will hear some heartbreaking news.
The first cut of the night is moments away.
The Sing-Off Keep it tuned.
I loved that I had the opportunity to kick high for the judges, um, and if we are to go home tonight, I think we did the best that we could and we left it out there on the stage.
Welcome back to the Sing-Off.
We've got five more vocal bands waiting in the wings, but right now it's time for the first elimination of the night.
I'm joined by the Yellowjackets Delilah North Shore The Collective And the Dartmouth Aires.
They all pushed their voices to the limit with catchy guilty pleasures, but one group is about to be pulled out of the competition.
I have the results right here.
Four of these groups will be back to perform next week.
For one group, it's the final curtain.
The first two groups that are guaranteed spots on the next show are The Collective! And the Yellowjackets! You're safe! Go ahead and return to your boxes.
We're down to three groups.
Only two of you will survive to sing again.
The next group that will definitely advance is The Dartmouth Aires! Congratulations.
You can head on back.
That leaves Delilah and North Shore.
Delilah, your all-girl super group of stars from past seasons came with dreams of a second chance at glory and started off the season strong, but last week, you narrowly avoided elimination, and tonight you find yourself back on the razor's edge.
The judges all agree that, while your heart and energy shine through, they wish you'd made smarter choices with your arrangement.
North Shore, having performed together for over 30 years, your group is by far the most experienced this season, and from the start, the judges embraced your polished doo-wop sound.
Tonight, they said you were true entertainers but they wanted to feel more emotion in your performance and see you connect to the song more deeply.
One of you can rest easy.
The other will raise their Mikes and leave our stage.
The group that will remain in the race for the grand prize is Delilah! Congratulations.
You guys can head on up to the box.
North Shore North Shore Your unforgettable performances were such a joy to watch.
You guys have a timeless sound.
We loved having you here on the show - And you will all be missed.
- Thank you, Nick.
Now it's time to raise your Mikes one final time for your swan song.
Waving goodbye to the Sing-Off It's North Shore.
Who loves you, baby? That was North Shore singing "good night, sweetheart" by the spaniels.
Well, we've seen the first five groups give it everything they've got, and now the second set is going to unveil more unforgettable music.
First up, a group of sophisticated music majors from Howard university.
For their guilty pleasure song, Afro-Blue is gonna put on their dancing shoes and leave the classroom behind.
Afro-Blue continued to impress with their distinct harmonies and complex arrangements.
It was nothing wrong with that performance.
Nothin'.
But the judges were disappointed with their '60s classic.
There's some times that were overthought.
You were going over our heads.
Our guilty pleasure song for this week is "dance with somebody" by Whitney Houston.
It's very risky to do a Whitney Houston song because she's known for being this amazing vocalist.
We've got to figure out how to keep it fun and still keep our sound.
Like, what are we gonna do to flip this joint? There's definitely risks.
We changed the groove of the song several times, and if the audience comes along with us, then that's great.
If they're lost, then it'll be a huge failure.
One of the notes that we received is that we sometimes overthink what we're supposed to do, so we're like, "okay, guys, let's not 'jazzify' it up too much.
" It's definitely an honor to be in the top 10, but it's getting real.
Right now, we are on a tightrope.
It is really important for us to nail the song this week.
We definitely don't want to go home, so we're gonna do what we have to do to fight our way through to the end.
Trying to dance their way into the judge's hearts, performing "I want to dance with somebody" by Whitney Houston, here is Afro-Blue.
One, two, three, and! Watching you guys perform makme wanna dance, and I hate dancing! Shawn, how do you feel? Aww, man, you guys! Afro-blizz-ue.
Was good, guys.
That was a very, very entertaining and smart arrangement.
What's good is that you took to heart what we talked about last week, as far as just knowing or riding that fine line between doing too much or too little or nothing at all.
You guys did the perfect blend of keeping the original song so people can get into it, and then you did the little samba breakdown in the middle, and then you incorporated that signature Afro-Blue 25-part harmony, which we all love.
It was great.
I love the fact that you guys all included the ladies.
Everybody got their shine in the leads, which, all of you soundmagnifico.
Ha ha ha! And, Eliza, it was so nice to hear you! Everything, it was just candy.
It was it was great.
Good job.
Ben? The first chorus seemed a little separated.
Uh, I was hearing bass, and then I was missing some stuff in the meat of the baritone area, and then I was hearing alto and soprano above that, and I thought that the second chorus kicked in beautifully.
It shows a lot of confidence to let all your female singers step out the way you did.
It never lost energy.
The only thing I would say is that, just pronounce the words a little bit more.
It's the difference between a great singer who harmonizes all the time, has got the vowels down pat, that you drive the lyrics home.
Make sure you always understand the words and the diction's there, and you guys are so amazing, I can't believe I'm lecturing you.
Thanks.
Sara, your thoughts? Because I respect your musicality so much, I was wondering if you guys were gonna take yourselves too seriously in this challenge.
And, um, I loved the frickin' wedding march at the end where y'all were coming down the, you know -Soul train line, baby.
- Yeah, I love it! That was tsoul train line.
They got it in here.
You know what I'm saying? Like, you know, they did this, and They do it at weddings now too, so You know what I'm saying? I'm sorry.
Go ahead.
Can somebody turn off this microphone, please? Ha ha ha! - Thank you.
- Security! But I love You guys were silly, and it was a lot of fun to watch.
Um, I agree with Ben.
I was missing some of the meat in the middle, and, at the end, it almost felt like it went a little sharp for me, but it was so much fun to watch.
So, yeah, I love it.
I loved it.
I really loved it.
- All right.
- Thanks, judges, and we'll see if Afro-Blue makes the cut later tonight.
Thank you, guys.
After a break, a group of techno-texans go new wave on "Video killed the radio star.
" The $200,000 and the Sony music recording contract is on the line.
This is the Sing-Off.
I think it was great for people to be able to see kind of our true side.
In our rehearsals, we're crazy, jumping around, acting silly, and sometimes that doesn't always translate onstage, so it was good to be able to do a fun song where we could really be ourselves.
I'm Nick Lachey, and tonight, the songs might be fun, but the stakes are serious.
One Sing-Off competitor has already struck out, and now our second set of contenders are stepping up to the Mike with vocal takes on some of the catchiest songs ever.
Next up is a daring quintet that's making a name for themselves with futuristic vocal remixes.
With their guilty pleasure hit, Pentatonix is hoping a blast from the past can rocket them to the next round.
Putting their spin on a top-40 hit, Pentatonix failed to impress the judges.
The risky arrangement didn't quite work for me, and the appeal of the song was abandoned in making that choice.
That was the first time that we had gotten some heavier criticism.
We just know we need to work really hard because it's a new game each week.
This week we're doing "Believe" by Cher.
I think we have an issue.
First problem we've noticed with our arrangement is that we've been struggling with the tempo.
We should be really careful and take what Ben said to heart and not stray from the song too much.
We're taking this song really seriously, but they want it to be a guilty pleasure.
They want it to be fun.
I think we need to bring something different.
- Guys, I - This is not working.
We can change our song, but we only have, like, two days.
We should change it up.
Sonos was going to do "Video killed the radio star" if they made it to guilty pleasure week.
It was so hard to see Sonos go home.
We've gotten so close to them.
They're what we want to be, so we're doing it in their honor.
I don't want the fear of critiques to affect our performance, and it's really scary because one wrong move can cost us our dream of winning the Sing-Off.
It is very stressful 'cause we don't know if we'll get it to where we really want it to be.
We're pretty nervous about changing our song, but we're going to take risks 'cause that's what we do.
We just hope America and the judges like it because it's a week that we have to show that we're in this to win this.
Trying to tune in a killer performance with the new wave hit "Video killed the radio star" by The Buggles, here is Pentatonix.
One, two, three, four.
Shh! All right! Let's go ahead and go to the judges.
Sara? That was awesome.
I think you guys did what you do so well really well in that performance, and that is that you make really distinct, specific, meticulous choices, and you just deliver 'em.
Your drum and bass section is just So solid.
And, Scott, I think you showed a lot of restraint, and I really appreciated that, and I know that you guys made this song choice based on your buddies in Sonos, who, uh Yeah, Sonos! Yeah.
Which, I think that is, um Yeah.
Well, I-I love that.
There's so much camaraderie here, and we all make such really close connections with each other, and I think it was really neat to see you guys representing your buddies, and I thought that was really cool.
There's just really a lot of ear candy there, and it was great.
Hell, yeah.
That was great.
Shawn? Oh, man.
Pentatonix, I think you guys were sent back from the future to save a cappella and do it in a futuristic way, or And I think this '80s type of electromagnetic, synth-saturated, you know, space-aged music is, you know, right up you guys' alley because this is what a cappella's all about It's kind of pushing the limits and pushing the envelope and seeing what else you can do outside of the traditional, and you guys got a grasp of that.
Good job.
Ben, your thoughts? Yeah, you've definitely hit on something with this one.
There's a looseness about it that, uh, just really suited you.
Uh, Scott, great voice, and the stylings on it, that's kind of radical because it's such a nerdy song, and, yeah, you've got the nerdy glasses, but, uh, your voice I don't know who else has those in here, but they're probably nerds too.
You know, that's radical because you didn't kind of go robotic on the vocal You actually delivered a vocal that was kind of, you know, that had some soul to it.
That was really great.
Every once in a while, you were on top of the beat.
For such a great rhythm section, just when you get excited, you don't need to go on top of the beat.
It's still exciting.
Great work.
All right, thank you, judges.
We'll find out later if Pentatonix will advance.
Thank you, guys.
Nice job.
When we come back, button up your tux and get ready for a junior prom classic, Roxette's "Listen to your heart.
" The guilty pleasures just keep on coming on the Sing-Off.
It was such a rush to put this arrangement together.
Yeah.
And, like, we put it together And made it perfect just in time, I feel like, and it, like, really paid off, and they loved it And it's such a relief.
It's awesome.
Wanna go behind the scenes at the Sing-Off? Check out nbc.
Com and follow Internet sensation Sam Tsui as he takes you up close and personal with all our groups.
Thank you, guys! Yeah.
When our groups blend their voices together, it creates an incredible unified sound, and it's all without a single instrument, and that's what makes the Sing-Off unlike any other competition.
Now, for our next group, their shared sound was born out of a tight friendship.
But if the Deltones want to reach the championship, they're gonna need to give each other more support than ever.
Last week, the Deltones fought through late-night rehearsals and bruised vocal chords to belt out their best Gaga.
Great, great job, guys.
Really, really solid.
Solid is good, but not quite good enough.
It's weird that everybody's, like, doing different syllables.
Our guilty pleasure song is "Listen to your heart" by Roxette, and it's gonna be a little bit cheesy 'cause it's '80s.
"Listen to your heart" is one of those songs that's timeless, but you don't want to admit it, because the lyrics are extremely melodramatic.
That's what makes it so awesome.
The judges' main comment this week was, you know, your energy is there, but it seemed a little stiff.
When someone tells you you need to get better, it really pushes you to keep working.
As a group, we feel more motivated to really get into the art of performing.
We want to show everyone that we deserve to be here, so this week, we're more motivated than ever.
I don't want the fact that we may have been stiff onstage to be the thing that sends us home.
This week is our chance to bring that performance to the next level.
Hoping to hear some love from the judges, performing "Listen to your heart" by Roxette, here are the Deltones.
Great job, guys.
Ben, how'd they do? Yeah, it's great.
You're one of the few groups on the show that earnestly sing the lyrics every time, and I think that that's a real important thing.
Courtney, you're kind of a country singer.
Is that okay with you? That could work in your favor, actually, 'cause what you guys need is a real face on what you do.
It's easy to get lost in a group that big, but you still at some point need a calling card that people go, "oh, that's that group that sounds like this.
" The breakdown should have worked, and I don't know why it didn't.
I wish I could tell you why it didn't, but it should have been an anthemic, big, breakdown moment, and somewhere in there, it got lost.
The breath at the end was really cool 'cause it showed you guys take your music seriously, but, obviously, you don't take yourselves too seriously, and and that's a great thing, but at the end of the day, it's gonna be about making records and why you're going to stick out in the middle of a sea of all these groups that have such thumbprints that you recognize off the bat Just looking for that voice that says, "we are the Deltones.
" Okay.
Sara? You are all heart, and I totally see it up there, and, um, I thought this was a really good performance.
I think the song choice might have been too serious.
You know, overall, like, the blend was great, and I thought, Courtney, that your lead was really sweet and right on.
I'd like to see, also, in your arrangements dropping out voices here and there to give us a deeper range of dynamics.
But I like roxette, and I liked the song, so So, well sung.
Well done, guys.
Shawn? Um, Courtney, let me start out by saying you have a very beautiful voice.
Yes, she does.
She has a beautiful voice.
With that being said, you have 15 people onstage, so, you know, me personally, I would love to hear more dynamics.
It would have been nice to just kind of take rides on the crescendo de crescendo train, and just kind of, like, just do different things.
You have so many strengths that I have yet to feel from you guys, and I want to hear that.
All right.
Thank you, judges.
The Deltones are heartbeats away from hearing their fate.
Thanks, guys.
See you in a bit.
Can't get enough of your favoriSing-Off groups? Go to nbc.
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And don't forget, if you love the music you're hearing, you can download all the Sing-Off songs from iTunes.
When we return, another guilty pleasure treat, and later, the competition amps up with the night's second elimination.
One more group will sing their swan song on the Sing-Off.
Sara always says, "you guys have a lot of heart.
" The Deltones have always had a lot of heart.
We have heart for each other and love for each other, and love for the music that we sing.
I'm Nick Lachey, and tonight our top ten groups are paying tribute to the greatest guilty pleasure songs of all time, those classic tracks that every deejay knows will get the party started.
Our next contender in the hunt for the record contract is a rap-a-ppella group that's been bringing a little street cred to our Hollywood stage.
Now Urban Method is battling to keep it fresh and make sure their unique style shines bright.
Showcasing a powerful combination of rock and rap, Urban Method's innovative style wowed the judges.
Switch up! You have a unique niche, unlike anything that we've seen thus far in this show.
Good job, y'all.
Good job.
Urban Method was able to pick one of my favorite guilty pleasures, which is the song "Poison" by Bell Biv Devoe.
The pressure's on for the week because of the connection of this song to Shawn Stockman.
Shawn was signed by Michael Bivins, who's a part of Bell Biv Devoe, so he's gonna know every step, every word.
If Shawn is not out of his chair by the end of this performance, then I don't think that we've succeeded.
Each week, it gets harder and harder.
And we want this so bad, and we're gonna do everything it takes to get there.
We rehearse from eight in the morning till eleven or twelve at night.
I have two boys, and being away from my boys and my wife, I'm sacrificing time away from them growing up to make sure that this group is exceptional.
We can't spend this time away from them and not win this thing.
We have to win.
Taking the situation seriously, breaking out the '90s club jam "Poison" by Bell Biv Devoe, here is Urban Method.
Poison.
Poison.
Poison.
Yo, Myke, chill.
Poison.
Poison.
Poison.
Wrong move, you're dead.
Poison, deadly, moving in slow.
Looking for a mellow fellow like devoe.
Getting paid, laid, so you better lay low.
I'm scheming the hearts, money yeah, the whole show.
Them low-pro hos should be cut like an afro.
What you sayin', huh? She's a winner to you But I know she's a loser.
How do you know? Me and the crew used to do her.
Come on! Wrong move, you're dead.
Whoo! Whoo! Nice job, Urban Method.
I'm embarrassed to say, that took me straight back to my freshman year of high school.
Shawn, what'd you think? That took me back Bell Biv Devoe were mentors of ours, and, you know, shout out to Shout out to Mr.
Bivins, wherever you are.
Okay, um, I loved the way y'all Y'all went into the Then you See, that's what it's about.
You guys took on the premise of the record.
It was a fun song from the gate.
Tony, you held that bass down, big baby.
Never have I seen anyone singing bass and doing the cabbage patch at the same time.
That was a first for me.
You guys arranged it good.
It was cool the ladies with the sexy, you know, sway and the 3-part harmony.
It's fun, it's sexy, it's flirty.
It's street.
It's hip-hop.
It's basically Urban Meth, so, you did your thing.
Ben? Richard, you were swinging that.
That was really great.
Nice work.
I mean, it was loads of fun.
I-I'm not an expert in this genre of music, but I-I just thought it grooved from beginning to end, and you can't fault that.
He's the expert, you know? I was a little worried for a while, Troy, when you were singing lower in the arrangement.
It wasn't as articulate as I would like to have been.
As soon as you went up, you knocked it out of the park, and it was great.
I've got a couple of kids too, so I know how tough it is to go out on tour and not be able to see them.
You can go home and tell them, "never trust a big butt and a smile.
" That's gonna be That's gonna be something you can take home to your kids.
I think it's gonna be Sage advice.
You rocked it.
Thanks.
Sara? That was so much fun.
Um, Troy, I love how versatile your vocals are.
You are really stylized, and you make really specific choices, and I really appreciate that about you.
I thought it was a little "pitchy" for me in the beginning, but it really sunk in, and I felt like there was so much happening onstage, um, it was a really polished, well-delivered performance.
Well-done.
Oh! Oh! Oh! Wait, wait, wait! Ben's raised his hand! Myke, that was good.
I just wanted to say, we didn't mention Myke.
Myke was good.
Now, you guys back me up on that.
- Come on, Ben! - Come on, Ben! - Come on, Ben! - Get in there! Well, I've been around the world and I've seen things happen.
I don't mind singing and I don't mind rapping.
I could find another hundred ways to get my kicks singing a cappellas - I'm sorry.
- Whoa! I think this is where I say thank you, judges.
Yes, thank you.
- Thank you? - Yes! - Segue! - And we'll learn The fate of Urban Method in just a moment.
Thanks, guys.
Great job.
There's one more vocal band on deck Nine upstanding gentlemen waiting to get footloose.
Then, another group will be cut loose in the final elimination of the night.
It's all happening on the Sing-Off.
It was great to just go out there and rap some smooth lyrics and just kind of have a good time, and, um, you know, play off the energy with the rest of my group.
It was great.
We're back on the Sing-Off, and we're cranking up guilty pleasure hits, those classic songs we all love to sing at the top of our lungs when we're alone in our car with the windows rolled up.
Heh heh heh! Our final group of the night are some clean-cut B.
Y.
U.
guys that have been short a member since we started.
Well, now their missing man is back, and Vocal Point is ready to cut loose.
Performing without group member Ben, Vocal Point crooned their way into the top ten.
I'm swooning.
You guys are such a cute little rat pack.
Things are going well for us so far, and when Ben gets back, it's gonna be even better.
It was a tough couple of weeks in Australia.
My dad actually passed away.
He had leukemia.
It's been a little bit difficult to come back, but I think it's something that my dad would be proud of.
He loved watching me sing, and being part of this is something that he would really want.
We're singing "Footloose" this week, by Kenny Loggins.
That's good! Ben seems to be doing really well.
He came back ready to work and grateful for our support, which was really humbling to us, so we feel like it's a tribute to Ben.
We absolutely feel a responsibility to keep our song really positive, to keep Ben in very good spirits.
I'm happy with the decision to come back, just get to be busy and involved in a schedule like this, but also they're real good friends, and I know that they're there for me at this time too.
The stakes are a lot higher now, in the top ten.
The competition is just so heated right now.
You know, the stage is going to be a little bit of a new experience, so I'm a little bit apprehensive just because the guys have done it before, and I haven't.
I just don't want to mess things up.
Back together again, performing their take on "Footloose," from the new movie in theaters now, here's Vocal Point.
Two, three, four.
Great job, guys! Wow! Awesome performance.
I'd say what year that takes me back to and how old I was, but I'd be embarrassed to say it.
Ben, what did you think? I was in my 40s, and I enjoyed it back then too.
You look remarkable.
Thank you.
It's amazing.
Just a couple of weeks in Los Angeles, and I'm looking good.
That was some of the first real rock 'n' roll I've heard out of the a cappella groups, and, Ross, you were belting it.
Like, that was so fun! That's cool.
I like that stuff.
Um, Keith, the falsettos you keep popping out there, that's really giving a lot of energy to it.
Is it the baritones that are singing the guitar, almost like a baritone guitar, like Well, we're glad we have Ben back, 'cause that's really adding a lot.
We missed you, and, I mean, we don't know you, but we missed you anyway, and it was a lot of rock 'n' roll going on, and the bass was totally perfectly in time.
And that made it really work.
That's hard for a cappella groups to do.
You see them try that, fail, try that, fail, and you guys just tried that, and you won, so, nice work.
Yeah.
Sara? I think Kenny Loggins would love that performance.
You're exuding the essence of the song.
It's sort of this innocent, "Poppie" version of rock 'n' roll, and I think you guys did that really, really well.
Ben, welcome back.
Yes, we're so happy to have you, and I know that all your brothers here are really happy that you're here.
I also wanted to say it was just grooving a lot for me.
Robert and Tanner, my vocal percussionist and my bassist, well done, you guys.
It's just a lot of fun to watch you perform.
Thank you.
Shawn? I enjoyed it.
I'm 'on tell you, Jake, you you're sick, seriously, like But this is what it's all about.
Diversity.
It's about showing different characteristics, different sides, different voices, different everything.
With each song, so far you guys have shown at least twenty different personalities, and you've made the crowd go crazy, you've made us go crazy.
You've made the people in TV, I'm sure they're dancing in their pajamas, hello kitty pajamas, right now, listening to you guys.
Like, seriously, it was so much fun, and I enjoyed it, guys.
Great.
Job.
Thanks, judges.
And we'll find out if Vocal Point will be calling this stage home again in just a minute.
Thanks, fellas.
The judges are already putting their heads together to make a critical decision.
Four more groups will be tapped to perform on next week's show, but for one, the music is about to stop.
The Sing-Off Hold that note.
And it was amazing to have our full group together again, to finally be able to sing how we really feel like we can sing.
So, it's really good to have Ben back.
Yeah, Ben! Good to be back.
Yeah! We're back on the Sing-Off.
It's time for the final elimination of the night.
I'm joined onstage by Afro-Blue Pentatonix The Deltones Urban Method And Vocal Point.
They left everything on the stage, but for one group, it's game over.
The results are here in my hand.
Four of these groups will raise their voices on our next show, but one is about to fall out of contention.
The first two groups that will definitely be back next week are Pentatonix And Urban Method! Congratulations.
You're both safe.
Go ahead and return to your boxes.
We're down to three groups.
Only two of you will advance.
The next group who is definitely in the clear tonight is Vocal Point.
Congrats, guys.
You made it.
That leaves Afro-Blue and the Deltones.
Afro-Blue, you came to our show on a mission to bring a rich music tradition to a whole new generation.
From the start, the judges praised your smooth vocals.
Last week, your inventive arrangements were hit or miss.
Tonight, the judges loved your confidence and energy, but felt the middle of your sound was lacking and you needed crisper diction.
Deltones, your group stormed the Sing-Off stage, held together by strong Bonds of friendship.
You impressed the judges with genuine and emotional performances, but last week they noted that you needed to work on your focus.
Tonight they said your blend was great, your lead was beautiful, but they wanted more dynamics and urged you to find your calling card.
One of you will sing again next week; the other is about to sing their swan song.
The group that still has a shot to win the Sing-Off title is Afro-Blue! Congratulations.
You're moving on.
Deltones, you guys have given so many heartfelt performances that have moved us all, and your close friendship has been truly, truly inspiring, but now it's time to raise your Mikes one last time and sing your swan song.
Exiting the Sing-Off stage forever, it's the Deltones.
That was Deltones singing "Goodbye to you" by Michelle Branch.
Now, remember, you can download any of the songs you heard tonight on iTunes.
Next Monday, our top eight groups are gonna hit the stage for the hip-hop episode, waging vocal battle to popular radio jams from kanye West, Bruno Mars, p.
Diddy, and more.
It's gonna be one of the most difficult challenges of the season, with a jaw-dropping elimination at the end of the night.
Till next time, I'm Nick Lachey, signing off from the Sing-Off.
Good night.