The Sing-Off (2009) s02e03 Episode Script
Season 2, Episode 3
Last time, the Sing-Off kicked into high gear.
Eight amazing groups got the judges on their feet With all-vocal versions of today's biggest hits.
As the battle intensified they dialed up the energy Pushed their voices to the limit And rocked unbelievable harmonies.
That's what it's about, man.
I'm not gonna lie.
I had a musical climax during that.
But after heart-wrenching eliminations, Two more fell from the competition.
Now only six are left in the chase for the championship, The $100,000, And the Sony music recording contract.
Tonight they will have double the pressure, As they take the stage not once, but twice, to impress the judges.
First they'll amp it up with rock hits, Then let loose with fun, guilty-pleasure songs.
It's make-it or break-it.
It's really anybody's game.
Two heart-stopping challenges.
One step closer to victory.
No room for error.
An incredible group performance Kicks off a night of unforgettable music.
The Sing-Off starts now.
Hey, everyone.
I'm Nick Lachey, And welcome to the Sing-Off.
The nation's top all-vocal groups Just jump started another spectacular night With green day's musical version of 21 guns.
Now let's say hello to our remaining six groups.
Committed.
On the Rocks.
Jerry Lawson & talk of the town.
Groove for Thought.
The Backbeats.
And Street Corner Symphony.
We started with ten phenomenal groups, And only these talented six are left in the race.
They joined forces for the opening number, But now they'll head back into battle For $100,000, a Sony music recording contract, And the Sing-Off title.
Now, tonight, each group will step up And perform two electrifying songs.
First, they'll take on hard-charging rock hits Without a guitar in sight.
Then later, we reload with guilty pleasures Those memorable songs you might not want to admit you love.
After all these performances, Five groups will be sent on to our next show.
One will be going home tonight.
Making that tough decision is our esteemed panel of judges.
Virtuoso singer-songwriter Ben Folds.
Beautiful pop diva Nicole Scherzinger.
And legendary R&B vocalist Shawn Stockman.
Great to see you guys, as always.
Our judges will narrow the field.
But remember, America, on the live season finale, You will vote to crown the ultimate winner.
All right, let's get right to the music.
First up, the Backbeats may have only been singing together For a short while, But for these West-coast all-stars, Their time on the Sing-Off has made memories That will last forever.
We honestly didn't know what to expect going into this, But it's just been an incredible experience.
You shut it down.
You shut it down, girl.
We just came together a few weeks ago.
And to come through this emotional journey together Has just been really amazing.
I love you, guys.
I think it was good that we started off With two emotional songs.
But it is crucial on this next performance That we show the audience our fun, entertaining side.
Backbeats! Taking their shot with Bon Jovi's you give love a bad name, It's the Backbeats! One, two, three, four! All right, Backbeats.
Let's see if that rocked the judges.
Nicole? All right, what a great way to start the night, you guys.
Good job.
I just want to know who did the pistol at the end, 'cause that was really cool.
Courtney? Of course.
My righteous girl.
Catherine, it's really nice to see you Step out of the group.
You did a really good job.
It was a lot of fun.
I like your vibe, I like your look right now.
I would've liked you all to have loosened up just a little bit more, And maybe I don't even know If we could've slowed down the tempo just a hair To really kind of, like, make a meal out of it Whatever that means.
But, overall, it was a strong performance.
Thanks.
Ben? Well, it was good to see you do something fun this time.
I could tell you got a kick out of that, too.
Um, I think what Nicole was talking about Is probably right, with the groove.
It was a little fast.
Catherine's lead was it was really neat.
It was more R&B than it was rock, which I think that's your strong suit, And that's what you should stick with.
The arrangement seemed a little confused for a while Until somewhere around the bridge, And then it took off.
And I was hoping that the whole thing Would have felt as good as it did from the bridge on, Because even when you were doing the straight rock beat, And you just had two and four going, That could've held me, I think, the whole time.
Really good, but I wish the whole thing Had been as good as the bridge and on.
Anything to add, Shawn? Yeah.
Catherine, I loved your solo, But I do agree with the judges.
It was definitely better towards the end than the beginning.
But overall a good performance.
All right.
Thanks, Backbeats.
We'll see you again in the guilty pleasure round.
After the break, six Tennessee boys Bring us a modern rock masterpiece.
And later, the judges choose Which groups take another step in the competition, And which will step off the stage for good.
The Sing-Off.
Keep it tuned.
It felt really good to be out there, Singing a different type of song for our group.
You know, we're trying something new tonight, And it was really fun to bring the audience into what we were doing.
So, we had a lot of fun out there.
We're back on the Sing-Off.
The nation's six best singing groups are pumping up the volume With their takes on epic rock songs.
Next on our stage, Street Corner Symphony considers themselves A bunch of good of Southern boys.
Let's see how they handle the transition From the comfort of Nashville To the bright lights of Hollywood.
Just a couple of months ago, We were working regular jobs Just regular people.
And now we're on tv.
Being here it's like I'm in a dream in some ways.
I've been through the ringer with the record industry, And it's great to have a second chance To be performing for everyone.
All those things that happened in the past You can throw them away now, 'cause you're here.
You're on national tv.
You're on the Sing-Off, baby.
These guys are the most talented people I know.
It's just an honor to sing with them.
And there's a lot at stake this week.
So, we've got to step it up a notch, Because, you know, if you miss notes here or there, It could mean you're going home.
Tuning in their version of radio headâs creep, Here's Street Corner Symphony.
Thank you, Street Corner Symphony.
Now let's hear from our esteemed judges.
Ben? Jeremy, great use of your range.
That's great.
That's That just built the whole time.
I believe it pulled the whole thing off.
Lead vocal was awesome.
I thought when it hit the chorus, it really took off.
That's where the band came together.
The bass and the drums sounded really good.
And by the end, the standing ovation was well deserved.
Shawn? Jeremy, you did the rock star thing, big baby.
I like the fact that you guys didn't have any choreography, Because it would've been really cheesy and corny.
It would've took away from the song itself.
So, that was great The fact that you guys stood, you locked in.
And ultimately I was impressed.
I liked the fact that, Jeremy, you let loose And you showed your range, and you showed that energy That you needed to, when you needed to do it.
Because that's one of my favorite songs, too.
So, you know, to do it the way you did it And to dip in and to go and do what you did, That rock star mentality, That's what this song needed, and you delivered.
Good job.
Anything else, Nicole? Yeah, this is definitely one of my favorite songs, So I was interested to see what you all were gonna do with it.
I agree with Shawn.
I loved that you all just stood there And you just sang and kept it very honest With your performance, Jeremy.
And this is about the time in the competition When you start to do what you just did right now.
So, that was excellent.
And, boysI don't know.
I closed my eyes And I felt that your accompaniment Was, dare I say, better than the original instrumentation that I heard.
I thought it was beautifully done.
Thanks.
All right.
Thanks, judges.
And thank you, Street Corner Symphony.
Coming up, an a cappella legend Channels Mick Jagger.
And later, all six groups Reveal their secret guilty pleasure songs.
The Sing-Off.
Hold that note.
It's cool.
A lot of us are from that background, Where we play with rock bands.
So, it's fun to be able to pull that off in the a cappella world.
I'm Nick Lachey, and we're back on the Sing-Off.
The top six vocal groups in America Are locked in a rock showdown, On the hunt for $100,000 And a Sony music recording contract.
Next up is a group of music veterans Who have influenced generations of singers.
But now Jerry Lawson & talk of the town Are finding their own inspiration Here on the Sing-Off stage.
Being on the Sing-Off is just a beautiful, beautiful thing.
I'm just getting chills.
Pinch me.
Is this real? Is this really happening? The unfair advantage that you have Is that you own your genre, And you're sitting in it.
I love what each one of the judges said.
It makes me feel important, It makes me feel acknowledged.
We're proud to be here with you, To share the stage with you.
This experience is something That I'll never, ever forget.
Never.
We've had great moments on the stage.
And, believe me, we are not ready to go home yet.
Bringing a soulful sound To one of the greatest rock songs of all time Satisfaction, by the rolling stones Here's Jerry Lawson & talk of the town.
Lord, have mercy.
Ha ha ha! Wait a minute, fellas.
Oh, Lord.
Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Thank you, guys.
Let's check in with our panel.
Shawn, were you satisfied? Aw, man.
Now, was that not fun? Was that not fun? See, that's what the whole thing When rock 'n' roll first started, That's what it was all about.
It was fun.
It was about being flirtatious, And movin' and groovin' and all that good stuff.
And you guys Y'all encompassed all of that with your performance.
And that scream, Jerry.
That "owwww!" Owwwww! Yeah! I can't do it myself, but ha ha! But, no, you guys It was great.
It was a solid performance.
Very entertaining.
Professionals.
True, true professionals.
All right.
Nicole? Well, Jerry, you might have not gotten any satisfaction, But I think we got some satisfaction.
Okay? I was waiting for somebody to, you know, Help me shake my groove thing.
I think that we saw a whole 'nother side of you fellas tonight That we've never seen before.
And, uhit was just really refreshing.
Jerry, some things was going on down there.
I don't know what was going on.
But it was hot.
And, uh I just had a blast.
Um, that was awesome.
Thanks.
Ben, anything to add? That was great.
It brought me back to being a little boy, When I was sitting on the floor, listening to Otis Redding, Live at the whiskey a go go.
I used to love that record.
I'd put the speaker on the floor, So that it'd shake my butt.
That's exactly what you guys just did.
You're gonna get plenty of satisfaction after this show.
Thank you, gentlemen.
When we continue, 15 college dudes keep the rock coming With a headbanger by Def Leppard.
And jazz singers get a glam rock makeover With a David bowie classic.
The music won't stop until someone goes home.
This is the Sing-Off.
The audience is just unbelievable.
Everybody's excited.
The laughter, the fun And that's what it's supposed to be.
We're supposed to have fun.
And that's what we just had.
We had fun.
And I just loved every minute of it.
Welcome back to season two of the Sing-Off.
The chase for the top prize is tougher than ever tonight, As America's best vocal groups rock out With make-or-break performances To keep their spots in the Sing-Off boxes.
When we first met these college boys, They were already hits on YouTube.
But now the undergrads of On the Rocks Are learning what it takes to make it in prime-time.
Being on the show is just absolutely surreal.
We're doing it! People make you look nice for free.
I'm okay with that.
We're just a performing group on campus, And we're around this amazing talent, These groups that are just phenomenal.
We just go, "what are we doing here?" It sounded great.
You guys did your thing.
You did a great job, but I'm gonna be looking For where it is that you transition From entertainer to artist.
We're a big, energetic group.
But this is a singing competition.
So, we're gonna work really hard, Focusing on the musicality.
But we're not gonna lose anything that is On the Rocks, Because that's who we are.
From college quad to arena rock, Singing Def Leppard's Pour Some Sugar on Me, Here's On the Rocks! One, two, three, four! Thank you, O.
T.
R.
Now let's turn it to the judges.
Nicole, was it sweet? Ohh, yeah.
That was sweet, all right.
I'm sorry.
Y'all were just cracking me up.
I liked the choreography a lot.
I could really literally see the sugar Actually being poured on you.
UmAlex, where are you at, buddy? You were just holding it down with those, uh, Strong power '80s drums, Rocking it out over there.
That was hot.
UhOverall, you guys did a really good job.
Jonah You rocked it out.
However, I would've liked for you To have owned it a little bit more.
With this song, it's just, like, there's no going back, buddy.
There's no going back, you know? But overall you guys did a good job.
Okay.
Ben? It just makes you smile.
You can't not smile watching you guys.
It's, like, "don't smile, don't smile.
" And you just Anyway, I thought, Jonah, the posterior hump maneuver was awesome.
I mean, it was just fun from the beginning to the end.
I'm not sure this is where we did the transitioning From entertainer to artist, but that's okay.
I think that would've been I mean, there was that moment that was very artistic, But, um There were some times that seemed Like I couldn't tell where the pitch center was.
It turned it into a little bit of a rap thing for a little while, In the way that, like, we will rock you is.
But it was really, really fun.
Everyone loved it, and they should've.
Shawn, anything else? Yeah, I would say, because that is such a heavy song, like, I would've felt better if I felt a little more bottom from you guys.
Jonah, you did do your thing.
I wish it would've been more of a, you know That little cut that those rockers Push it a little bit more.
But, I mean, you got the girls all hot and bothered, So, I guess that was okay.
So, overall, good job, guys.
Hot and bothered girls is always a good thing.
Thank you, On the Rocks.
These next cats honed their jazzy style In the clubs of Seattle, But now Groove for Thought has hit the Sing-Off stage To bring their sophisticated sound to the world.
Being in this competition is amazing.
It was so incredible to see all those people there, Even though we do a kind of music That isn't typically appreciated by the common mass of people.
I really love your jazzy style.
Where else are you gonna hear that? We've had a chance to show That singing vocal jazz isn't dorky.
You all's whole thing is just cool.
I think being in this competition Is bringing my dad and me closer together.
I couldn't be prouder of my daughter, I tell you.
Doing a rock song this week is gonna be really fun.
I think it's gonna surprise people That we like rock and we're prepared to rock out.
Whoo-hoo! Making the change from jazz to glam, Performing David Bowie's changes, It's Groove for Thought! Good work, Groove for Thought.
Now let's hear from our experts.
Shawn? You could probably sing the menu to a diner, And it'll sound good.
You guys have that ability to make anything sound great.
And, Amanda, we cannot ignore how beautiful your voice is On this particular one.
It was just beautiful.
But With that being said, This is a rock 'n' roll segment.
I know you guys' style is very jazzy, very smooth, And I was hoping That you kind of stepped out of it just a little bit.
I wanted to hear if you guys could flip it And do some changes no pun intended to your style.
You know what I'm saying? But That was my opinion.
That's the way I feel.
All right.
Nicole? I have to agree with Shawn.
I think that in this point in the competition, We would like to hear just a little bit more diversity Within the groups.
It's crazy, because you guys really can sing, You know, everything under the moon.
But people don't realize how hard this competition really is, Because we hear everything.
It sounded like Really, and I'm so used to you all just sounding so pristine.
And then somewhere at the end, I think you kind of lost your place in your vocal.
And then I don't know it kind of went sharp.
Um, but, that aside, Amanda There's something I really like about you.
It's just different from what I've seen From everyone else on this show.
Dad Kelly you must be really proud.
And the bass Jeff, nice and warm.
Overall, it was really good, though, you guys.
Something to add, Ben? You guys surprise me every time out.
I realize it's not That wasn't rocking out exactly, But I was moved, and I shouldn't have been.
On paper, it sounded like a horrible idea.
I thought it was good.
There was a half-step thingy in one of the last chords.
Only time I've heard you guys fall off the horse, Just for a second.
That's what she was mentioning there at the end.
But it was beautiful.
All right.
Thank you, Groove for Thought.
When we come back, a gospel group gets in the spirit With the biggest hit ever by the police.
Then it's on to guilty pleasures.
It's all coming up on the Sing-Off.
I think a big part of any competition Is the ability to be resilient.
So, regardless of what just happened, We feel good about the performance.
Obviously, there was some not necessarily positive feedback from the judges, But all we can do is go out and do the next song With as much energy, and just do what we do.
Welcome back to the Sing-Off.
Tonight, it's double the pressure.
Each group is performing not once, but twice, To secure a spot in the next episode.
And remember at the end of the season, America votes to crown the winner.
All right, let's round out the rock block.
Before the Men of Committed stepped in front of our cameras, Their main stage was the local church.
But, even though their audience has grown, Their faith has helped them keep their focus.
The first time we hit the stage, It was electrifying.
I could feel the shock coming through my body.
I was, like, "oh, my goodness.
We're about to perform In front of millions of people.
" Shawn over here was having a musical orgasm.
I don't know if I'm allowed to say that on Sing-Off.
Hearing the judges' comments As musicians, we understand.
Music, tight harmonies, Gives you a certain feeling.
We're gonna have to, like, bring it 100%.
A rock song is, like, to the next level Of completely out of our element.
We want to win so bad.
Music is our passion.
So, to win this Would be a great honor.
Breathing new life into a rock classic With every breath you take, by the police, Here's Committed! All right! Thank you, Committed.
Now let's see what our panel thought.
Ben? I could write ten pages of what you guys get right, Because you're so good.
Rock is often about being very simple, And you guys went post-doctorate on it a couple of times.
There's a lot of thinking going on.
And sometimes rock 'n' roll music is about being a thug, And you guys didn't I hate to say it, You just don't make convincing thugs.
But you sing beautifully.
So, on one hand, I want to say that was a gorgeous performance.
ButThe judges want to rock! And, um that's it.
There's some rock.
And then he smiles after it.
You're an amazing group.
And, you know you know I'm a big fan.
But I can't say that that rocked.
Okay.
Shawn? Um That's one of my favorite police records, And the thing about that song is that it's very Almost melancholy and kind of sad.
And, although you guys kind of did the whole upbeat thing to it, It would've been nice to start off The way the original of the song made you feel.
It's a very cold type of record, you know? Very lonely, you know what I'm saying? And that's what I wanted to feel at first.
Not one of my favorite arrangements that you guys did, Because I know what you guys are capable of.
I respect you guys vocally, and things of that nature, But, honestly, that was not one of my favorite performances from you guys.
All right.
Nicole, do you agree? Yeah, I have to agree with Shawn.
That was, um Not one of my favorite performance of you also.
I think when we say "rock", You guys can connect with it a lot more than what you think.
Rock comes from a very soulful place.
It doesn't have to be, like, hair like this It wasn't my favorite performance from you all, But it was still good.
Thank you.
Thank you, Committed.
Six amazing vocal groups have lit up the stage With explosive rock performances.
Next, they'll unveil their not-so-serious guilty pleasure picks.
Only five will find the right combination to advance.
One will be locked out of the competition forever.
This is the Sing-Off.
It doesn't bother us at all.
Like, we know that we're gonna bring the next one.
And, heyThey'll have a change of heart.
I'm Nick Lachey, and we're back on the Sing-Off.
The nation's hottest all-vocal groups Are going head-to-head to win a Sony music recording contract And $100,000.
Now, we've just seen these groups shake the stage With some of the biggest rock anthems of all time.
Now they'll break out their guilty pleasure favorites Those songs from your middle school mix tapes That you still love to hear.
First up, the Backbeats.
These Southern California contenders Earned a place here tonight with their serious performances.
But now they're gonna let their hair down With a new wave classic.
Our guilty pleasure song is love shack, by b-52s.
This song is perfect for us, And at exactly the right time.
We've been doing very serious songs.
We aren't just serious people.
Do me a favor.
This is kind of weird.
ButTwirl your hair.
Do it! I had the girls twirl their hair Because they need to get silly.
Yeah! A lot of the other groups have done things That are really fun and high-energy, And now is our time to really just have a ball on stage.
It's make-it or break-it.
We have to work so hard now.
We can only hope that it's gonna be enough to impress the judges.
Getting a little silly with love shack, by the b-52s, Here are the Backbeats! One, two Tin roof! Rusty.
I think I just went back to my High School freshman dance.
Thank you, guys.
That was great.
Ha ha! Ben, what'd you think? That was more fun than you can shake a stick at.
That was that was fun.
That was great.
That's more like, thank you.
That was really good.
Uh, Kenton, you got in touch with your inner Fred Schneider.
It was awesome.
Your presence was "as big as a whale!" Thank you.
No, it grooved, it was fun, It was made everybody happy.
What more can you want? Nothing to feel guilty about, guys.
Sounded great.
Nicole? Oh, wow.
That was a lot of fun.
I agree with Ben.
I'm team Kenton and team Backbeats right now.
It was great.
You guys showed That you don't have to always take yourselves so seriously And you kind of can let loose.
It's not only visually colorful, But it was colorful to the ear, And it was kind of hot.
It was kind of hot.
Especially when you had the girls flanking you, And then Courtney just stepped out, And we were, like, "okay, rock it out, honey.
" And, yeah, thanks for taking us back there To the love shack.
Shawn, anything more? Yeah, that's what I'm talkin' about.
Hot and fun.
Hot and fun.
That's what this whole thing was about.
I love the outfits.
I love that you guys Fell into the character of the whole song.
You weren't afraid.
You guys let your hair down.
It was great.
I loved the performance.
Wonderful.
Well, we'll find out if you guys have earned a spot On the next show.
Thank you, Backbeats.
When we return, seven boys hop the pond For a British one-hit wonder.
And elder statesmen make the ladies swoon With their guilty pleasure favorites.
And later, we'll find out which five groups Will stay alive in the competition.
It's all coming up on the Sing-Off.
We went up there and said, "you know what? Let's throw everything out the window and have a really good time.
" And we did.
So, I'm really, really happy That the judges loved it.
Welcome back to the Sing-Off.
We're in the middle of an all-out musical battle Featuring the best vocal groups in America.
Earlier, they tore up the stage with rock hits.
Now they're showing off their lighter side with guilty pleasures.
Since we met them, the men of Street Corner Symphony Have stayed true to their laid-back vibe.
So, let's see how these easygoing guys Dove into a rousing guilty pleasure hit.
We're trying not to let the stress of this competition Keep us from being ourselves and having a good time.
So, it's time to un-practice.
Once we're back to a good head space, we can get back to practicing.
For our guilty pleasure song, We're singing Come on Eileen, By Dexy's Midnight Runners.
So, Come on Eileen Didn't you do this with your '80s cover band back in Nashville? I performed with a group in Nashville Called guilty pleasures, And this was one of the songs we performed.
This is gonna be a lot of fun And a little bit easier for us, With me being familiar with the song.
Overall, we're taking this extremely seriously.
But it's fun to have fun and kick back.
Kicking up a storm with Come on Eileen, by Dexy's Midnight Runners, Here is Street Corner Symphony! Thank you guys very much.
Shawn, did they nail the "toora looras"? Yeah, they nailed the "toorla-rooLar" Yeah, the "toolas".
Yeah, this is good.
This is good.
Yeah, yeah, this is what it's all about.
The great thing about both performances thus far Is that you guys aren't afraid to be silly.
I guarantee there are people In their living rooms right now, In their drawers and in their pajamas, Dancing to every one of these songs so far.
No, honestly, you guys really did a great job.
It was fun, and I'm so glad you did the I love that part.
I love that.
You made my night.
Thank you, guys.
Great job.
Nicole? Wow.
You guys should un-practice more often.
I liked the "too" the thingies.
Yeah, the "toola roos".
"toora loora".
I liked the "digga-digga-digga-diggas".
Did you guys do something like that? Yeah, I was, like, "oh, yeah.
That's cool.
I can follow it.
" Um, no, but it was a lot of fun, you guys.
And, John hello! High notes! Yeah, wow.
Yeah, killing it there.
You guys were beautifully in synch.
Your voices were wonderful together.
And thenBig John? Big John.
Came out and busted it out for us, And all of a sudden, we were all coming with Eileen at the club.
That was a lot of fun.
No, you guys, it was fun.
Thanks for giving us a little party.
You agree, Ben? Oh, yeah, that was great.
And you made it look easy, too.
It was like, what, five transitions? Five different tempos you were going.
It was like a Come on Eileen medley.
"you'll hear such hits as Come on Eileen And Come on Eileen and come on " It was really cool because you picked all those up And you made it effortless, And it was fun the whole time.
Great.
Great work.
All right.
Thank you, Street Corner Symphony.
Okay, for our next group, Singing crowd-pleasers is nothing new.
But when Jerry Lawson & talk of the town Take the stage with their guilty pleasure hit, The ladies better beware.
Our guilty pleasure song is easy, by the Commodores.
I asked the guys, "what does guilty pleasure mean?" And everybody had a really funny story.
This song kind of reminds me of me.
I've been in relationships where you do all you can, But then she doesn't appreciate it.
She wants to put a change on me and bound me down And make things tough on me in life.
When we sing the song easy, We're gonna be singing this song to the ladies.
We like to give goosebumps no matter what we sing.
I want the ladies in the audience "mmmmm.
" I think this performance The ladies are gonna get a real feel Of what Jerry Lawson & talk of the town is all about.
Yeah! Hoping to make the women melt with easy, by the Commodores, It's Jerry Lawson & talk of the town.
Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Ha ha! I love that we have the "Jerry" chant going.
That's classic.
Ha ha! Thank you, guys.
Nicole, was that pretty easy on the ears? Uh, ladies, can I get a "mmmmm"? Mmmmmm.
I said, one more time, ladies, can I get a "mmmmm"? Mmmmmm.
That's right, Jerry.
That's right, Jerry.
That was so easy And just, like, sweet music to the ears.
Thank you all so much for that.
C.
D.
, why don't you just show us how it's done, okay? 'cause that was so awesome.
You sounded amazing, And still, at the same time, effortless up there.
I don't know what else to say.
It was just beautiful.
You guys were just sharp, you look sharp.
On your game.
Thank you.
Ben? I mean, I'm not a lady, but, you know If I was, it would've moved me in that way, I believe.
Uh, Douglas, nice work on the bass.
It was very, um There's a thing that great bass players do, With short and long notes, if you know what I mean.
It's like James Jamerson.
I don't know if any of you Ever had the pleasure of meeting James.
But your bass playing reminded me of that style of music, And it moves the song along.
It's the unsung hero Of the groove that you guys just did.
So, I thought that was really awesome.
And great falsetto there, Carl.
It was awesome.
How do you do that? And I also love that everyone has a different personality, And that still blends.
You're not trying so hard to sound like each other.
I hear different speeds of vibrato Coming out of each of you, and that makes you feel it.
And that was really great.
Great singing again, Jerry.
Nice work.
Shawn, your thoughts? Uh, again D, good job, man.
good job, baby.
Good job.
And I'm gonna tell you, c.
D.
, I swore if closed my eyes, I thought I heard Eddie Kendricks Up on that stage, man.
That was beautiful.
That was absolutely beautiful.
And you nailed that falsetto.
I'm telling you a lady loves a nice placed falsetto.
I'm telling you.
And you did your thing.
Good job.
Ha ha! All right, thank you, gentlemen.
When we return, we've got more guilty pleasure classics.
And later, decision time.
Who will advance, And who will hand over their Mikes for good? The Sing-Off.
The beat goes on.
You know, it was just great, Because Eddie Kendricks is his idol.
And to be compared to one of the great tenors of all time, That's an honor.
That's an honor.
We're back on the Sing-Off, Where America's best all-vocal groups Are fighting for the top prize $100,000 and a Sony music recording contract.
Tonight they're making us smile With their favorite guilty pleasure songs.
For me, right here waiting, Richard Marx That's my go-to.
Next up, Groove for Thought is known For their tight jazz arrangements.
But with the guilty pleasure choice from hall & oates, They're hoping to loosen up and just have some fun.
We're performing you make my dreams come true, by hall & oates.
Oh, yeah, and all that, too.
It is a cheesy tune, to be perfectly honest.
But it's a chance for us to loosen up for the performance.
The challenge for us is going to be making sure That the Joy and the fun of the song really comes through.
And we don't sort of get in our own way About trying to make it too complex.
It's easy when we're just joking around To just be goofy and not worry about how we look.
But when we get in front of people, It'll be harder for us to just let go And be our goofy selves.
Getting wild with an '80s jam, Singing you make my dreams, by hall & oates, Here's Groove for Thought! One, two, one, two, three.
Yeah! All right.
Shawn, did they find the fun? Yeah, they found the fun.
The cool thing about this particular song Is that the original record it lends itself For you to do those types of chords, 'cause it has them in there, But you just don't really hear them Because you're busy dancing And singing along and everything.
But you guys did it justice.
Amanda, your inflections you have in your voice, It's just so sick.
Like the way you flip, you know, that vocal Up to those high notes to sound like that trumpet It's so crazy.
Jeff bass.
Wow.
You held it down, son.
You held it down.
The song kind of lent itself to you guys' style, And I dug it.
Cool.
Ben? The tempo was just about to break, But in a really good way.
It was so exciting and on top, And it was really swinging, like a good big band.
That was fun.
That's your idea of keeping it simple? That's cool.
That's totally fine.
Because, like you say, it's groove and thought, And you've got the groove and thought ratio going perfectly.
Peter, great vocal.
That's just That's smooth.
It sounded great.
Amanda, too.
And, Jeff You totally earned the little Booty maneuver you did.
We waited for it for this whole series, And now we finally got I've been waiting for it.
I've been waiting for it.
You made us wait, but it was worth it.
There was a couple of times I was a little worried That this was gonna fly over the top in tempo.
That's the only thing that ever bugged me about it.
Nice work.
Okay.
Nicole, want to add anything? You definitely found the Joy and the fun of this song, And it was great to go there with you all.
Amanda and Peter, Beautiful on your leads.
And, Jeff, I could, like, Literally see the upright bass when you started out.
And then the combination of the whole Booty sway that you did as well Was just, I think, the cherry on top.
So, um But I enjoyed your performance.
Okay.
Thank you, Groove for Thought.
When we return, our campus heroes Keep the fun going.
And later, five groups will earn the go-ahead from our judges, But one will go home.
This is the Sing-Off.
We were excited to get a chance to do something Real up-tempo and high-energy, And we just had a great time.
I'm Nick Lachey, and this is the Sing-Off.
We're just two memorable performances away From the judges' final decision.
The best five groups will advance in the competition, But one will see their journey end tonight.
Next, the boys from On the Rocks Have charmed us with their high energy and sense of humor.
Now let's see how these rowdy college guys Tackle the serious harmonies of their guilty pleasure song.
For this episode, we're singing Kyrie, by Mr.
Mister.
One really great thing about doing this song this week Is that it really gives us a chance To show off our artistry with our music.
So, let's really try and lock these in.
It gets tough to run rehearsals sometimes.
These guys do tend to be rowdy.
Can you guys stop doing that? Do you know how hard this is for me right now? I know that it's a little more boring For the "fun group" to harness it and just sing, But I feel like if we don't, we're gonna go home.
Buckling down does get a little tough, But it really pays off once we see what we can accomplish.
Oh, my Aiming to strike heavenly harmonies With Kyrie, by Mr.
Mister, It's On the Rocks! Three, four.
Thank you, guys.
Ben, did they take you there? Lord, have mercy.
I just think it's funny that you waited till the guilty pleasure To show your artistry.
You're doing your own thing.
That's amazing.
Um, Peter, great lead vocal.
Great lead vocal.
Very good.
That had a lot more rock in it, honestly.
That was great.
And all the harmonies were pretty sweet.
I don't use the word "sweet" lightly, you know.
Uh, but they really were.
The arrangement was nice.
It was fun.
I don't even like that song.
I thought that was amazing.
All right.
Shawn? Yeah, it is funny, the fact that you picked One of the cheesiest songs ever created To be serious.
But you guys did a great job.
Yeah, Peter, you nailed those high notes, man.
You did your thing.
And, um It really, honestly If I can be cheesy for a second It felt like I sprouted wings And I, like, just Jumped off the grand canyon and just Flew away and just looked at rivers and deer and BirdsAnd other birds.
And I was saying, "hi!" No, but, honestly, guys Yeah, forget it.
Come back, come back.
Keep going.
Keep going with that.
I know you were with me.
No, you guys sounded really good.
The harmonies were good.
It was a nice, solid performance.
Good job, guys.
Nicole, anything more? I like this song, guys.
I'm really happy with that.
I think you guys did a really good job, boys.
And, Peter, honey, you owned it, You rocked it out, and you killed it.
Good job.
All right.
Thanks, O.
T.
R.
Okay, when we come back, We've got one more guilty pleasure, And it happens to come from a genre near and dear to my heart Boy bands! Then, the judges make their final decision.
It's the Sing-Off.
Stick around.
I think the group finally came together, And we got to just stand and deliver and just sing, Which is something that this group is really good at, And I'm so happy that we got to show the world that.
We're back on the Sing-Off.
Earlier, we were blown away by rock mega-hits.
Now our all-vocal contenders are wowing us With guilty pleasure songs, And there's just one more performance Before the judges are forced to make a tough call.
Our final group of the night is used to singing in church, So they're always on their best behavior.
Let's find out how the Men of Committed Take on a guilty pleasure that brims with boy band sex appeal.
Our guilty pleasure is I want it that way, By Backstreet Boys.
Are you ready to put choreo to this thing? Yeah! We know the ladies love Backstreet Boys, So we want to make sure that they love us.
Squint a little bit.
In church, we're not trying to be sexy at all.
So, this we're gonna have to turn it up About 1,000 notches.
Hopefully the audience will see That we're trying to come out of our shells a little bit more.
We're dedicating this one to the ladies Specifically Nicole.
Nicole, we're coming for you.
We're coming.
Be ready.
We're coming for you, girl! You're my fire, girl.
Trying to light a spark with I want it that way, By the Backstreet Boys, Here is Committed! I think the only thing wrong with that performance Is you guys had the wrong boy band.
Come on! 98 degrees! What do I gotta do?! Man! Ha ha! Nicole, were you feeling the fire? Whoo! Yes.
I think y'all took the girls To a whole 'nother kind of church.
No, that was hot.
From the get-go, Y'all just sounded so warm and just Oh, it sounded so beautiful.
And then y'all just busted out.
And Tommy, I just love your vocal percussion.
I just love it in everything you do.
I don't always point it out.
It feels so good.
Does it feel good, girls? All right.
Shawn? It was dope because it was, like You took the vocals, and you made them your own.
It's a fun song, you know what I mean? It's one of those songs that everybody loves, So you can't make it too intricate, Or else it'll just sound silly, believe it or not.
But you guys kept it fun, kept it fresh, And you impressed Nicole, so, that's a good thing.
That was hot, man.
You guys did y'all thing.
Yeah.
Ben, your thoughts? Well, I pretended like it was for me, And that made it a lot better.
You started out with D.
J.
With the lead vocal, And you really held that.
That was great.
It was great to see you come out and start it.
That was awesome.
Yeah, it's funny and it's really cool to see you guys loosen up, 'cause I think you are funny.
And I realize we gave you a hard time on the last one, But that's 'cause you're "a" students, and that's what happens.
But this was great.
A-plus.
Nice work.
Thank you, Committed.
Great job, guys.
From epic rock hits to beloved guilty pleasures, It's been a night of one-of-a-kind performances.
Now it's all up to our expert panel.
Who will sing another day, and who will sing their swan song? The results when we come back on the Sing-Off.
Sometimes you just have to bounce back.
You have to accept the constructive criticism And just take it as motivation for the next thing, And that's what we did tonight.
If you want to learn how to download the songs You heard performed tonight, Go to nbc.
Com/singoff.
Welcome back to the Sing-Off.
After two amazing rounds of vocal competition, It's time for the judges' decision.
Joining me now are the six groups Who lit up the stage tonight.
Jerry Lawson & talk of the town.
Street Corner Symphony.
On the Rocks.
Groove for Thought.
The Backbeats.
And Committed.
Over the break, our judges huddled up And made a difficult choice.
I have the results in my hand.
Five groups will advance in the competition.
For one group, the music ends here.
The first two groups that will definitely be singing On the next show are Jerry Lawson & talk of the town! And Street Corner Symphony! Nice job.
We'll see you guys on the next episode.
On the Rocks, Groove for Thought, The Backbeats, Committed.
Only three of you will be saved by the judges.
The next two teams That are still alive in this competition are Committed! And The Backbeats! Congrats! You've both made it to our next show.
Which means On the Rocks and Groove for Thought.
One of you will be singing again next time.
The other is about to sing your swan song.
On the Rocks.
Your rock hit got the girls hot and bothered.
But the judges said Jonah didn't find his inner rock star And own the lead.
But they loved your guilty pleasure song, And said Peter's soaring vocals made Shawn feel Like he had sprouted wings.
Groove for Thought.
The judges said a misstep in your first song Got you off to a shaky start.
Shawn and Nicole wanted to hear you move out of your comfort zone.
But they agreed your second song was gorgeous, And Ben said your groove-to-thought ratio was perfect.
The group that still has a chance To become the Sing-Off champion is On the Rocks! Congratulations, guys.
You made the cut.
Groove for Thought I'm sorry, guys, but your journey ends here.
Jeff, do you have any final thoughts About your experience on the show? We just want to thank everybody behind the scenes And here tonight For making this an amazing experience for us.
We appreciate it.
You guys have made a brave run, But now I'm gonna ask you to take your Mikes One last time.
Each group has chosen a swan song To say good-bye to the Sing-Off audience.
And now, singing their way off of our stage, Here is Groove for Thought.
That was Groove for Thought, Singing that's life, by Frank Sinatra.
The judges have spoken, And now five supremely talented groups Remain in the quest for the grand prize $100,000, a Sony music recording contract, And the title of Sing-Off champion.
On the next show, our contenders will perform twice.
First, superstar medleys From some of the greatest artists of all time.
Then, judges' request Songs hand-picked by our experts To launch each group to the next level.
These top five groups Have moved one step closer to the title.
But, when they take the Mike on our next episode, They'll have to survive not one, But two heart-breaking eliminations.
And when the night is over, Only three will advance.
Then the power shifts to you, America.
Your votes will choose the Sing-Off champion On the live season finale.
I'm Nick Lachey, signing off from the Sing-Off.
Good night.
Eight amazing groups got the judges on their feet With all-vocal versions of today's biggest hits.
As the battle intensified they dialed up the energy Pushed their voices to the limit And rocked unbelievable harmonies.
That's what it's about, man.
I'm not gonna lie.
I had a musical climax during that.
But after heart-wrenching eliminations, Two more fell from the competition.
Now only six are left in the chase for the championship, The $100,000, And the Sony music recording contract.
Tonight they will have double the pressure, As they take the stage not once, but twice, to impress the judges.
First they'll amp it up with rock hits, Then let loose with fun, guilty-pleasure songs.
It's make-it or break-it.
It's really anybody's game.
Two heart-stopping challenges.
One step closer to victory.
No room for error.
An incredible group performance Kicks off a night of unforgettable music.
The Sing-Off starts now.
Hey, everyone.
I'm Nick Lachey, And welcome to the Sing-Off.
The nation's top all-vocal groups Just jump started another spectacular night With green day's musical version of 21 guns.
Now let's say hello to our remaining six groups.
Committed.
On the Rocks.
Jerry Lawson & talk of the town.
Groove for Thought.
The Backbeats.
And Street Corner Symphony.
We started with ten phenomenal groups, And only these talented six are left in the race.
They joined forces for the opening number, But now they'll head back into battle For $100,000, a Sony music recording contract, And the Sing-Off title.
Now, tonight, each group will step up And perform two electrifying songs.
First, they'll take on hard-charging rock hits Without a guitar in sight.
Then later, we reload with guilty pleasures Those memorable songs you might not want to admit you love.
After all these performances, Five groups will be sent on to our next show.
One will be going home tonight.
Making that tough decision is our esteemed panel of judges.
Virtuoso singer-songwriter Ben Folds.
Beautiful pop diva Nicole Scherzinger.
And legendary R&B vocalist Shawn Stockman.
Great to see you guys, as always.
Our judges will narrow the field.
But remember, America, on the live season finale, You will vote to crown the ultimate winner.
All right, let's get right to the music.
First up, the Backbeats may have only been singing together For a short while, But for these West-coast all-stars, Their time on the Sing-Off has made memories That will last forever.
We honestly didn't know what to expect going into this, But it's just been an incredible experience.
You shut it down.
You shut it down, girl.
We just came together a few weeks ago.
And to come through this emotional journey together Has just been really amazing.
I love you, guys.
I think it was good that we started off With two emotional songs.
But it is crucial on this next performance That we show the audience our fun, entertaining side.
Backbeats! Taking their shot with Bon Jovi's you give love a bad name, It's the Backbeats! One, two, three, four! All right, Backbeats.
Let's see if that rocked the judges.
Nicole? All right, what a great way to start the night, you guys.
Good job.
I just want to know who did the pistol at the end, 'cause that was really cool.
Courtney? Of course.
My righteous girl.
Catherine, it's really nice to see you Step out of the group.
You did a really good job.
It was a lot of fun.
I like your vibe, I like your look right now.
I would've liked you all to have loosened up just a little bit more, And maybe I don't even know If we could've slowed down the tempo just a hair To really kind of, like, make a meal out of it Whatever that means.
But, overall, it was a strong performance.
Thanks.
Ben? Well, it was good to see you do something fun this time.
I could tell you got a kick out of that, too.
Um, I think what Nicole was talking about Is probably right, with the groove.
It was a little fast.
Catherine's lead was it was really neat.
It was more R&B than it was rock, which I think that's your strong suit, And that's what you should stick with.
The arrangement seemed a little confused for a while Until somewhere around the bridge, And then it took off.
And I was hoping that the whole thing Would have felt as good as it did from the bridge on, Because even when you were doing the straight rock beat, And you just had two and four going, That could've held me, I think, the whole time.
Really good, but I wish the whole thing Had been as good as the bridge and on.
Anything to add, Shawn? Yeah.
Catherine, I loved your solo, But I do agree with the judges.
It was definitely better towards the end than the beginning.
But overall a good performance.
All right.
Thanks, Backbeats.
We'll see you again in the guilty pleasure round.
After the break, six Tennessee boys Bring us a modern rock masterpiece.
And later, the judges choose Which groups take another step in the competition, And which will step off the stage for good.
The Sing-Off.
Keep it tuned.
It felt really good to be out there, Singing a different type of song for our group.
You know, we're trying something new tonight, And it was really fun to bring the audience into what we were doing.
So, we had a lot of fun out there.
We're back on the Sing-Off.
The nation's six best singing groups are pumping up the volume With their takes on epic rock songs.
Next on our stage, Street Corner Symphony considers themselves A bunch of good of Southern boys.
Let's see how they handle the transition From the comfort of Nashville To the bright lights of Hollywood.
Just a couple of months ago, We were working regular jobs Just regular people.
And now we're on tv.
Being here it's like I'm in a dream in some ways.
I've been through the ringer with the record industry, And it's great to have a second chance To be performing for everyone.
All those things that happened in the past You can throw them away now, 'cause you're here.
You're on national tv.
You're on the Sing-Off, baby.
These guys are the most talented people I know.
It's just an honor to sing with them.
And there's a lot at stake this week.
So, we've got to step it up a notch, Because, you know, if you miss notes here or there, It could mean you're going home.
Tuning in their version of radio headâs creep, Here's Street Corner Symphony.
Thank you, Street Corner Symphony.
Now let's hear from our esteemed judges.
Ben? Jeremy, great use of your range.
That's great.
That's That just built the whole time.
I believe it pulled the whole thing off.
Lead vocal was awesome.
I thought when it hit the chorus, it really took off.
That's where the band came together.
The bass and the drums sounded really good.
And by the end, the standing ovation was well deserved.
Shawn? Jeremy, you did the rock star thing, big baby.
I like the fact that you guys didn't have any choreography, Because it would've been really cheesy and corny.
It would've took away from the song itself.
So, that was great The fact that you guys stood, you locked in.
And ultimately I was impressed.
I liked the fact that, Jeremy, you let loose And you showed your range, and you showed that energy That you needed to, when you needed to do it.
Because that's one of my favorite songs, too.
So, you know, to do it the way you did it And to dip in and to go and do what you did, That rock star mentality, That's what this song needed, and you delivered.
Good job.
Anything else, Nicole? Yeah, this is definitely one of my favorite songs, So I was interested to see what you all were gonna do with it.
I agree with Shawn.
I loved that you all just stood there And you just sang and kept it very honest With your performance, Jeremy.
And this is about the time in the competition When you start to do what you just did right now.
So, that was excellent.
And, boysI don't know.
I closed my eyes And I felt that your accompaniment Was, dare I say, better than the original instrumentation that I heard.
I thought it was beautifully done.
Thanks.
All right.
Thanks, judges.
And thank you, Street Corner Symphony.
Coming up, an a cappella legend Channels Mick Jagger.
And later, all six groups Reveal their secret guilty pleasure songs.
The Sing-Off.
Hold that note.
It's cool.
A lot of us are from that background, Where we play with rock bands.
So, it's fun to be able to pull that off in the a cappella world.
I'm Nick Lachey, and we're back on the Sing-Off.
The top six vocal groups in America Are locked in a rock showdown, On the hunt for $100,000 And a Sony music recording contract.
Next up is a group of music veterans Who have influenced generations of singers.
But now Jerry Lawson & talk of the town Are finding their own inspiration Here on the Sing-Off stage.
Being on the Sing-Off is just a beautiful, beautiful thing.
I'm just getting chills.
Pinch me.
Is this real? Is this really happening? The unfair advantage that you have Is that you own your genre, And you're sitting in it.
I love what each one of the judges said.
It makes me feel important, It makes me feel acknowledged.
We're proud to be here with you, To share the stage with you.
This experience is something That I'll never, ever forget.
Never.
We've had great moments on the stage.
And, believe me, we are not ready to go home yet.
Bringing a soulful sound To one of the greatest rock songs of all time Satisfaction, by the rolling stones Here's Jerry Lawson & talk of the town.
Lord, have mercy.
Ha ha ha! Wait a minute, fellas.
Oh, Lord.
Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Thank you, guys.
Let's check in with our panel.
Shawn, were you satisfied? Aw, man.
Now, was that not fun? Was that not fun? See, that's what the whole thing When rock 'n' roll first started, That's what it was all about.
It was fun.
It was about being flirtatious, And movin' and groovin' and all that good stuff.
And you guys Y'all encompassed all of that with your performance.
And that scream, Jerry.
That "owwww!" Owwwww! Yeah! I can't do it myself, but ha ha! But, no, you guys It was great.
It was a solid performance.
Very entertaining.
Professionals.
True, true professionals.
All right.
Nicole? Well, Jerry, you might have not gotten any satisfaction, But I think we got some satisfaction.
Okay? I was waiting for somebody to, you know, Help me shake my groove thing.
I think that we saw a whole 'nother side of you fellas tonight That we've never seen before.
And, uhit was just really refreshing.
Jerry, some things was going on down there.
I don't know what was going on.
But it was hot.
And, uh I just had a blast.
Um, that was awesome.
Thanks.
Ben, anything to add? That was great.
It brought me back to being a little boy, When I was sitting on the floor, listening to Otis Redding, Live at the whiskey a go go.
I used to love that record.
I'd put the speaker on the floor, So that it'd shake my butt.
That's exactly what you guys just did.
You're gonna get plenty of satisfaction after this show.
Thank you, gentlemen.
When we continue, 15 college dudes keep the rock coming With a headbanger by Def Leppard.
And jazz singers get a glam rock makeover With a David bowie classic.
The music won't stop until someone goes home.
This is the Sing-Off.
The audience is just unbelievable.
Everybody's excited.
The laughter, the fun And that's what it's supposed to be.
We're supposed to have fun.
And that's what we just had.
We had fun.
And I just loved every minute of it.
Welcome back to season two of the Sing-Off.
The chase for the top prize is tougher than ever tonight, As America's best vocal groups rock out With make-or-break performances To keep their spots in the Sing-Off boxes.
When we first met these college boys, They were already hits on YouTube.
But now the undergrads of On the Rocks Are learning what it takes to make it in prime-time.
Being on the show is just absolutely surreal.
We're doing it! People make you look nice for free.
I'm okay with that.
We're just a performing group on campus, And we're around this amazing talent, These groups that are just phenomenal.
We just go, "what are we doing here?" It sounded great.
You guys did your thing.
You did a great job, but I'm gonna be looking For where it is that you transition From entertainer to artist.
We're a big, energetic group.
But this is a singing competition.
So, we're gonna work really hard, Focusing on the musicality.
But we're not gonna lose anything that is On the Rocks, Because that's who we are.
From college quad to arena rock, Singing Def Leppard's Pour Some Sugar on Me, Here's On the Rocks! One, two, three, four! Thank you, O.
T.
R.
Now let's turn it to the judges.
Nicole, was it sweet? Ohh, yeah.
That was sweet, all right.
I'm sorry.
Y'all were just cracking me up.
I liked the choreography a lot.
I could really literally see the sugar Actually being poured on you.
UmAlex, where are you at, buddy? You were just holding it down with those, uh, Strong power '80s drums, Rocking it out over there.
That was hot.
UhOverall, you guys did a really good job.
Jonah You rocked it out.
However, I would've liked for you To have owned it a little bit more.
With this song, it's just, like, there's no going back, buddy.
There's no going back, you know? But overall you guys did a good job.
Okay.
Ben? It just makes you smile.
You can't not smile watching you guys.
It's, like, "don't smile, don't smile.
" And you just Anyway, I thought, Jonah, the posterior hump maneuver was awesome.
I mean, it was just fun from the beginning to the end.
I'm not sure this is where we did the transitioning From entertainer to artist, but that's okay.
I think that would've been I mean, there was that moment that was very artistic, But, um There were some times that seemed Like I couldn't tell where the pitch center was.
It turned it into a little bit of a rap thing for a little while, In the way that, like, we will rock you is.
But it was really, really fun.
Everyone loved it, and they should've.
Shawn, anything else? Yeah, I would say, because that is such a heavy song, like, I would've felt better if I felt a little more bottom from you guys.
Jonah, you did do your thing.
I wish it would've been more of a, you know That little cut that those rockers Push it a little bit more.
But, I mean, you got the girls all hot and bothered, So, I guess that was okay.
So, overall, good job, guys.
Hot and bothered girls is always a good thing.
Thank you, On the Rocks.
These next cats honed their jazzy style In the clubs of Seattle, But now Groove for Thought has hit the Sing-Off stage To bring their sophisticated sound to the world.
Being in this competition is amazing.
It was so incredible to see all those people there, Even though we do a kind of music That isn't typically appreciated by the common mass of people.
I really love your jazzy style.
Where else are you gonna hear that? We've had a chance to show That singing vocal jazz isn't dorky.
You all's whole thing is just cool.
I think being in this competition Is bringing my dad and me closer together.
I couldn't be prouder of my daughter, I tell you.
Doing a rock song this week is gonna be really fun.
I think it's gonna surprise people That we like rock and we're prepared to rock out.
Whoo-hoo! Making the change from jazz to glam, Performing David Bowie's changes, It's Groove for Thought! Good work, Groove for Thought.
Now let's hear from our experts.
Shawn? You could probably sing the menu to a diner, And it'll sound good.
You guys have that ability to make anything sound great.
And, Amanda, we cannot ignore how beautiful your voice is On this particular one.
It was just beautiful.
But With that being said, This is a rock 'n' roll segment.
I know you guys' style is very jazzy, very smooth, And I was hoping That you kind of stepped out of it just a little bit.
I wanted to hear if you guys could flip it And do some changes no pun intended to your style.
You know what I'm saying? But That was my opinion.
That's the way I feel.
All right.
Nicole? I have to agree with Shawn.
I think that in this point in the competition, We would like to hear just a little bit more diversity Within the groups.
It's crazy, because you guys really can sing, You know, everything under the moon.
But people don't realize how hard this competition really is, Because we hear everything.
It sounded like Really, and I'm so used to you all just sounding so pristine.
And then somewhere at the end, I think you kind of lost your place in your vocal.
And then I don't know it kind of went sharp.
Um, but, that aside, Amanda There's something I really like about you.
It's just different from what I've seen From everyone else on this show.
Dad Kelly you must be really proud.
And the bass Jeff, nice and warm.
Overall, it was really good, though, you guys.
Something to add, Ben? You guys surprise me every time out.
I realize it's not That wasn't rocking out exactly, But I was moved, and I shouldn't have been.
On paper, it sounded like a horrible idea.
I thought it was good.
There was a half-step thingy in one of the last chords.
Only time I've heard you guys fall off the horse, Just for a second.
That's what she was mentioning there at the end.
But it was beautiful.
All right.
Thank you, Groove for Thought.
When we come back, a gospel group gets in the spirit With the biggest hit ever by the police.
Then it's on to guilty pleasures.
It's all coming up on the Sing-Off.
I think a big part of any competition Is the ability to be resilient.
So, regardless of what just happened, We feel good about the performance.
Obviously, there was some not necessarily positive feedback from the judges, But all we can do is go out and do the next song With as much energy, and just do what we do.
Welcome back to the Sing-Off.
Tonight, it's double the pressure.
Each group is performing not once, but twice, To secure a spot in the next episode.
And remember at the end of the season, America votes to crown the winner.
All right, let's round out the rock block.
Before the Men of Committed stepped in front of our cameras, Their main stage was the local church.
But, even though their audience has grown, Their faith has helped them keep their focus.
The first time we hit the stage, It was electrifying.
I could feel the shock coming through my body.
I was, like, "oh, my goodness.
We're about to perform In front of millions of people.
" Shawn over here was having a musical orgasm.
I don't know if I'm allowed to say that on Sing-Off.
Hearing the judges' comments As musicians, we understand.
Music, tight harmonies, Gives you a certain feeling.
We're gonna have to, like, bring it 100%.
A rock song is, like, to the next level Of completely out of our element.
We want to win so bad.
Music is our passion.
So, to win this Would be a great honor.
Breathing new life into a rock classic With every breath you take, by the police, Here's Committed! All right! Thank you, Committed.
Now let's see what our panel thought.
Ben? I could write ten pages of what you guys get right, Because you're so good.
Rock is often about being very simple, And you guys went post-doctorate on it a couple of times.
There's a lot of thinking going on.
And sometimes rock 'n' roll music is about being a thug, And you guys didn't I hate to say it, You just don't make convincing thugs.
But you sing beautifully.
So, on one hand, I want to say that was a gorgeous performance.
ButThe judges want to rock! And, um that's it.
There's some rock.
And then he smiles after it.
You're an amazing group.
And, you know you know I'm a big fan.
But I can't say that that rocked.
Okay.
Shawn? Um That's one of my favorite police records, And the thing about that song is that it's very Almost melancholy and kind of sad.
And, although you guys kind of did the whole upbeat thing to it, It would've been nice to start off The way the original of the song made you feel.
It's a very cold type of record, you know? Very lonely, you know what I'm saying? And that's what I wanted to feel at first.
Not one of my favorite arrangements that you guys did, Because I know what you guys are capable of.
I respect you guys vocally, and things of that nature, But, honestly, that was not one of my favorite performances from you guys.
All right.
Nicole, do you agree? Yeah, I have to agree with Shawn.
That was, um Not one of my favorite performance of you also.
I think when we say "rock", You guys can connect with it a lot more than what you think.
Rock comes from a very soulful place.
It doesn't have to be, like, hair like this It wasn't my favorite performance from you all, But it was still good.
Thank you.
Thank you, Committed.
Six amazing vocal groups have lit up the stage With explosive rock performances.
Next, they'll unveil their not-so-serious guilty pleasure picks.
Only five will find the right combination to advance.
One will be locked out of the competition forever.
This is the Sing-Off.
It doesn't bother us at all.
Like, we know that we're gonna bring the next one.
And, heyThey'll have a change of heart.
I'm Nick Lachey, and we're back on the Sing-Off.
The nation's hottest all-vocal groups Are going head-to-head to win a Sony music recording contract And $100,000.
Now, we've just seen these groups shake the stage With some of the biggest rock anthems of all time.
Now they'll break out their guilty pleasure favorites Those songs from your middle school mix tapes That you still love to hear.
First up, the Backbeats.
These Southern California contenders Earned a place here tonight with their serious performances.
But now they're gonna let their hair down With a new wave classic.
Our guilty pleasure song is love shack, by b-52s.
This song is perfect for us, And at exactly the right time.
We've been doing very serious songs.
We aren't just serious people.
Do me a favor.
This is kind of weird.
ButTwirl your hair.
Do it! I had the girls twirl their hair Because they need to get silly.
Yeah! A lot of the other groups have done things That are really fun and high-energy, And now is our time to really just have a ball on stage.
It's make-it or break-it.
We have to work so hard now.
We can only hope that it's gonna be enough to impress the judges.
Getting a little silly with love shack, by the b-52s, Here are the Backbeats! One, two Tin roof! Rusty.
I think I just went back to my High School freshman dance.
Thank you, guys.
That was great.
Ha ha! Ben, what'd you think? That was more fun than you can shake a stick at.
That was that was fun.
That was great.
That's more like, thank you.
That was really good.
Uh, Kenton, you got in touch with your inner Fred Schneider.
It was awesome.
Your presence was "as big as a whale!" Thank you.
No, it grooved, it was fun, It was made everybody happy.
What more can you want? Nothing to feel guilty about, guys.
Sounded great.
Nicole? Oh, wow.
That was a lot of fun.
I agree with Ben.
I'm team Kenton and team Backbeats right now.
It was great.
You guys showed That you don't have to always take yourselves so seriously And you kind of can let loose.
It's not only visually colorful, But it was colorful to the ear, And it was kind of hot.
It was kind of hot.
Especially when you had the girls flanking you, And then Courtney just stepped out, And we were, like, "okay, rock it out, honey.
" And, yeah, thanks for taking us back there To the love shack.
Shawn, anything more? Yeah, that's what I'm talkin' about.
Hot and fun.
Hot and fun.
That's what this whole thing was about.
I love the outfits.
I love that you guys Fell into the character of the whole song.
You weren't afraid.
You guys let your hair down.
It was great.
I loved the performance.
Wonderful.
Well, we'll find out if you guys have earned a spot On the next show.
Thank you, Backbeats.
When we return, seven boys hop the pond For a British one-hit wonder.
And elder statesmen make the ladies swoon With their guilty pleasure favorites.
And later, we'll find out which five groups Will stay alive in the competition.
It's all coming up on the Sing-Off.
We went up there and said, "you know what? Let's throw everything out the window and have a really good time.
" And we did.
So, I'm really, really happy That the judges loved it.
Welcome back to the Sing-Off.
We're in the middle of an all-out musical battle Featuring the best vocal groups in America.
Earlier, they tore up the stage with rock hits.
Now they're showing off their lighter side with guilty pleasures.
Since we met them, the men of Street Corner Symphony Have stayed true to their laid-back vibe.
So, let's see how these easygoing guys Dove into a rousing guilty pleasure hit.
We're trying not to let the stress of this competition Keep us from being ourselves and having a good time.
So, it's time to un-practice.
Once we're back to a good head space, we can get back to practicing.
For our guilty pleasure song, We're singing Come on Eileen, By Dexy's Midnight Runners.
So, Come on Eileen Didn't you do this with your '80s cover band back in Nashville? I performed with a group in Nashville Called guilty pleasures, And this was one of the songs we performed.
This is gonna be a lot of fun And a little bit easier for us, With me being familiar with the song.
Overall, we're taking this extremely seriously.
But it's fun to have fun and kick back.
Kicking up a storm with Come on Eileen, by Dexy's Midnight Runners, Here is Street Corner Symphony! Thank you guys very much.
Shawn, did they nail the "toora looras"? Yeah, they nailed the "toorla-rooLar" Yeah, the "toolas".
Yeah, this is good.
This is good.
Yeah, yeah, this is what it's all about.
The great thing about both performances thus far Is that you guys aren't afraid to be silly.
I guarantee there are people In their living rooms right now, In their drawers and in their pajamas, Dancing to every one of these songs so far.
No, honestly, you guys really did a great job.
It was fun, and I'm so glad you did the I love that part.
I love that.
You made my night.
Thank you, guys.
Great job.
Nicole? Wow.
You guys should un-practice more often.
I liked the "too" the thingies.
Yeah, the "toola roos".
"toora loora".
I liked the "digga-digga-digga-diggas".
Did you guys do something like that? Yeah, I was, like, "oh, yeah.
That's cool.
I can follow it.
" Um, no, but it was a lot of fun, you guys.
And, John hello! High notes! Yeah, wow.
Yeah, killing it there.
You guys were beautifully in synch.
Your voices were wonderful together.
And thenBig John? Big John.
Came out and busted it out for us, And all of a sudden, we were all coming with Eileen at the club.
That was a lot of fun.
No, you guys, it was fun.
Thanks for giving us a little party.
You agree, Ben? Oh, yeah, that was great.
And you made it look easy, too.
It was like, what, five transitions? Five different tempos you were going.
It was like a Come on Eileen medley.
"you'll hear such hits as Come on Eileen And Come on Eileen and come on " It was really cool because you picked all those up And you made it effortless, And it was fun the whole time.
Great.
Great work.
All right.
Thank you, Street Corner Symphony.
Okay, for our next group, Singing crowd-pleasers is nothing new.
But when Jerry Lawson & talk of the town Take the stage with their guilty pleasure hit, The ladies better beware.
Our guilty pleasure song is easy, by the Commodores.
I asked the guys, "what does guilty pleasure mean?" And everybody had a really funny story.
This song kind of reminds me of me.
I've been in relationships where you do all you can, But then she doesn't appreciate it.
She wants to put a change on me and bound me down And make things tough on me in life.
When we sing the song easy, We're gonna be singing this song to the ladies.
We like to give goosebumps no matter what we sing.
I want the ladies in the audience "mmmmm.
" I think this performance The ladies are gonna get a real feel Of what Jerry Lawson & talk of the town is all about.
Yeah! Hoping to make the women melt with easy, by the Commodores, It's Jerry Lawson & talk of the town.
Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Ha ha! I love that we have the "Jerry" chant going.
That's classic.
Ha ha! Thank you, guys.
Nicole, was that pretty easy on the ears? Uh, ladies, can I get a "mmmmm"? Mmmmmm.
I said, one more time, ladies, can I get a "mmmmm"? Mmmmmm.
That's right, Jerry.
That's right, Jerry.
That was so easy And just, like, sweet music to the ears.
Thank you all so much for that.
C.
D.
, why don't you just show us how it's done, okay? 'cause that was so awesome.
You sounded amazing, And still, at the same time, effortless up there.
I don't know what else to say.
It was just beautiful.
You guys were just sharp, you look sharp.
On your game.
Thank you.
Ben? I mean, I'm not a lady, but, you know If I was, it would've moved me in that way, I believe.
Uh, Douglas, nice work on the bass.
It was very, um There's a thing that great bass players do, With short and long notes, if you know what I mean.
It's like James Jamerson.
I don't know if any of you Ever had the pleasure of meeting James.
But your bass playing reminded me of that style of music, And it moves the song along.
It's the unsung hero Of the groove that you guys just did.
So, I thought that was really awesome.
And great falsetto there, Carl.
It was awesome.
How do you do that? And I also love that everyone has a different personality, And that still blends.
You're not trying so hard to sound like each other.
I hear different speeds of vibrato Coming out of each of you, and that makes you feel it.
And that was really great.
Great singing again, Jerry.
Nice work.
Shawn, your thoughts? Uh, again D, good job, man.
good job, baby.
Good job.
And I'm gonna tell you, c.
D.
, I swore if closed my eyes, I thought I heard Eddie Kendricks Up on that stage, man.
That was beautiful.
That was absolutely beautiful.
And you nailed that falsetto.
I'm telling you a lady loves a nice placed falsetto.
I'm telling you.
And you did your thing.
Good job.
Ha ha! All right, thank you, gentlemen.
When we return, we've got more guilty pleasure classics.
And later, decision time.
Who will advance, And who will hand over their Mikes for good? The Sing-Off.
The beat goes on.
You know, it was just great, Because Eddie Kendricks is his idol.
And to be compared to one of the great tenors of all time, That's an honor.
That's an honor.
We're back on the Sing-Off, Where America's best all-vocal groups Are fighting for the top prize $100,000 and a Sony music recording contract.
Tonight they're making us smile With their favorite guilty pleasure songs.
For me, right here waiting, Richard Marx That's my go-to.
Next up, Groove for Thought is known For their tight jazz arrangements.
But with the guilty pleasure choice from hall & oates, They're hoping to loosen up and just have some fun.
We're performing you make my dreams come true, by hall & oates.
Oh, yeah, and all that, too.
It is a cheesy tune, to be perfectly honest.
But it's a chance for us to loosen up for the performance.
The challenge for us is going to be making sure That the Joy and the fun of the song really comes through.
And we don't sort of get in our own way About trying to make it too complex.
It's easy when we're just joking around To just be goofy and not worry about how we look.
But when we get in front of people, It'll be harder for us to just let go And be our goofy selves.
Getting wild with an '80s jam, Singing you make my dreams, by hall & oates, Here's Groove for Thought! One, two, one, two, three.
Yeah! All right.
Shawn, did they find the fun? Yeah, they found the fun.
The cool thing about this particular song Is that the original record it lends itself For you to do those types of chords, 'cause it has them in there, But you just don't really hear them Because you're busy dancing And singing along and everything.
But you guys did it justice.
Amanda, your inflections you have in your voice, It's just so sick.
Like the way you flip, you know, that vocal Up to those high notes to sound like that trumpet It's so crazy.
Jeff bass.
Wow.
You held it down, son.
You held it down.
The song kind of lent itself to you guys' style, And I dug it.
Cool.
Ben? The tempo was just about to break, But in a really good way.
It was so exciting and on top, And it was really swinging, like a good big band.
That was fun.
That's your idea of keeping it simple? That's cool.
That's totally fine.
Because, like you say, it's groove and thought, And you've got the groove and thought ratio going perfectly.
Peter, great vocal.
That's just That's smooth.
It sounded great.
Amanda, too.
And, Jeff You totally earned the little Booty maneuver you did.
We waited for it for this whole series, And now we finally got I've been waiting for it.
I've been waiting for it.
You made us wait, but it was worth it.
There was a couple of times I was a little worried That this was gonna fly over the top in tempo.
That's the only thing that ever bugged me about it.
Nice work.
Okay.
Nicole, want to add anything? You definitely found the Joy and the fun of this song, And it was great to go there with you all.
Amanda and Peter, Beautiful on your leads.
And, Jeff, I could, like, Literally see the upright bass when you started out.
And then the combination of the whole Booty sway that you did as well Was just, I think, the cherry on top.
So, um But I enjoyed your performance.
Okay.
Thank you, Groove for Thought.
When we return, our campus heroes Keep the fun going.
And later, five groups will earn the go-ahead from our judges, But one will go home.
This is the Sing-Off.
We were excited to get a chance to do something Real up-tempo and high-energy, And we just had a great time.
I'm Nick Lachey, and this is the Sing-Off.
We're just two memorable performances away From the judges' final decision.
The best five groups will advance in the competition, But one will see their journey end tonight.
Next, the boys from On the Rocks Have charmed us with their high energy and sense of humor.
Now let's see how these rowdy college guys Tackle the serious harmonies of their guilty pleasure song.
For this episode, we're singing Kyrie, by Mr.
Mister.
One really great thing about doing this song this week Is that it really gives us a chance To show off our artistry with our music.
So, let's really try and lock these in.
It gets tough to run rehearsals sometimes.
These guys do tend to be rowdy.
Can you guys stop doing that? Do you know how hard this is for me right now? I know that it's a little more boring For the "fun group" to harness it and just sing, But I feel like if we don't, we're gonna go home.
Buckling down does get a little tough, But it really pays off once we see what we can accomplish.
Oh, my Aiming to strike heavenly harmonies With Kyrie, by Mr.
Mister, It's On the Rocks! Three, four.
Thank you, guys.
Ben, did they take you there? Lord, have mercy.
I just think it's funny that you waited till the guilty pleasure To show your artistry.
You're doing your own thing.
That's amazing.
Um, Peter, great lead vocal.
Great lead vocal.
Very good.
That had a lot more rock in it, honestly.
That was great.
And all the harmonies were pretty sweet.
I don't use the word "sweet" lightly, you know.
Uh, but they really were.
The arrangement was nice.
It was fun.
I don't even like that song.
I thought that was amazing.
All right.
Shawn? Yeah, it is funny, the fact that you picked One of the cheesiest songs ever created To be serious.
But you guys did a great job.
Yeah, Peter, you nailed those high notes, man.
You did your thing.
And, um It really, honestly If I can be cheesy for a second It felt like I sprouted wings And I, like, just Jumped off the grand canyon and just Flew away and just looked at rivers and deer and BirdsAnd other birds.
And I was saying, "hi!" No, but, honestly, guys Yeah, forget it.
Come back, come back.
Keep going.
Keep going with that.
I know you were with me.
No, you guys sounded really good.
The harmonies were good.
It was a nice, solid performance.
Good job, guys.
Nicole, anything more? I like this song, guys.
I'm really happy with that.
I think you guys did a really good job, boys.
And, Peter, honey, you owned it, You rocked it out, and you killed it.
Good job.
All right.
Thanks, O.
T.
R.
Okay, when we come back, We've got one more guilty pleasure, And it happens to come from a genre near and dear to my heart Boy bands! Then, the judges make their final decision.
It's the Sing-Off.
Stick around.
I think the group finally came together, And we got to just stand and deliver and just sing, Which is something that this group is really good at, And I'm so happy that we got to show the world that.
We're back on the Sing-Off.
Earlier, we were blown away by rock mega-hits.
Now our all-vocal contenders are wowing us With guilty pleasure songs, And there's just one more performance Before the judges are forced to make a tough call.
Our final group of the night is used to singing in church, So they're always on their best behavior.
Let's find out how the Men of Committed Take on a guilty pleasure that brims with boy band sex appeal.
Our guilty pleasure is I want it that way, By Backstreet Boys.
Are you ready to put choreo to this thing? Yeah! We know the ladies love Backstreet Boys, So we want to make sure that they love us.
Squint a little bit.
In church, we're not trying to be sexy at all.
So, this we're gonna have to turn it up About 1,000 notches.
Hopefully the audience will see That we're trying to come out of our shells a little bit more.
We're dedicating this one to the ladies Specifically Nicole.
Nicole, we're coming for you.
We're coming.
Be ready.
We're coming for you, girl! You're my fire, girl.
Trying to light a spark with I want it that way, By the Backstreet Boys, Here is Committed! I think the only thing wrong with that performance Is you guys had the wrong boy band.
Come on! 98 degrees! What do I gotta do?! Man! Ha ha! Nicole, were you feeling the fire? Whoo! Yes.
I think y'all took the girls To a whole 'nother kind of church.
No, that was hot.
From the get-go, Y'all just sounded so warm and just Oh, it sounded so beautiful.
And then y'all just busted out.
And Tommy, I just love your vocal percussion.
I just love it in everything you do.
I don't always point it out.
It feels so good.
Does it feel good, girls? All right.
Shawn? It was dope because it was, like You took the vocals, and you made them your own.
It's a fun song, you know what I mean? It's one of those songs that everybody loves, So you can't make it too intricate, Or else it'll just sound silly, believe it or not.
But you guys kept it fun, kept it fresh, And you impressed Nicole, so, that's a good thing.
That was hot, man.
You guys did y'all thing.
Yeah.
Ben, your thoughts? Well, I pretended like it was for me, And that made it a lot better.
You started out with D.
J.
With the lead vocal, And you really held that.
That was great.
It was great to see you come out and start it.
That was awesome.
Yeah, it's funny and it's really cool to see you guys loosen up, 'cause I think you are funny.
And I realize we gave you a hard time on the last one, But that's 'cause you're "a" students, and that's what happens.
But this was great.
A-plus.
Nice work.
Thank you, Committed.
Great job, guys.
From epic rock hits to beloved guilty pleasures, It's been a night of one-of-a-kind performances.
Now it's all up to our expert panel.
Who will sing another day, and who will sing their swan song? The results when we come back on the Sing-Off.
Sometimes you just have to bounce back.
You have to accept the constructive criticism And just take it as motivation for the next thing, And that's what we did tonight.
If you want to learn how to download the songs You heard performed tonight, Go to nbc.
Com/singoff.
Welcome back to the Sing-Off.
After two amazing rounds of vocal competition, It's time for the judges' decision.
Joining me now are the six groups Who lit up the stage tonight.
Jerry Lawson & talk of the town.
Street Corner Symphony.
On the Rocks.
Groove for Thought.
The Backbeats.
And Committed.
Over the break, our judges huddled up And made a difficult choice.
I have the results in my hand.
Five groups will advance in the competition.
For one group, the music ends here.
The first two groups that will definitely be singing On the next show are Jerry Lawson & talk of the town! And Street Corner Symphony! Nice job.
We'll see you guys on the next episode.
On the Rocks, Groove for Thought, The Backbeats, Committed.
Only three of you will be saved by the judges.
The next two teams That are still alive in this competition are Committed! And The Backbeats! Congrats! You've both made it to our next show.
Which means On the Rocks and Groove for Thought.
One of you will be singing again next time.
The other is about to sing your swan song.
On the Rocks.
Your rock hit got the girls hot and bothered.
But the judges said Jonah didn't find his inner rock star And own the lead.
But they loved your guilty pleasure song, And said Peter's soaring vocals made Shawn feel Like he had sprouted wings.
Groove for Thought.
The judges said a misstep in your first song Got you off to a shaky start.
Shawn and Nicole wanted to hear you move out of your comfort zone.
But they agreed your second song was gorgeous, And Ben said your groove-to-thought ratio was perfect.
The group that still has a chance To become the Sing-Off champion is On the Rocks! Congratulations, guys.
You made the cut.
Groove for Thought I'm sorry, guys, but your journey ends here.
Jeff, do you have any final thoughts About your experience on the show? We just want to thank everybody behind the scenes And here tonight For making this an amazing experience for us.
We appreciate it.
You guys have made a brave run, But now I'm gonna ask you to take your Mikes One last time.
Each group has chosen a swan song To say good-bye to the Sing-Off audience.
And now, singing their way off of our stage, Here is Groove for Thought.
That was Groove for Thought, Singing that's life, by Frank Sinatra.
The judges have spoken, And now five supremely talented groups Remain in the quest for the grand prize $100,000, a Sony music recording contract, And the title of Sing-Off champion.
On the next show, our contenders will perform twice.
First, superstar medleys From some of the greatest artists of all time.
Then, judges' request Songs hand-picked by our experts To launch each group to the next level.
These top five groups Have moved one step closer to the title.
But, when they take the Mike on our next episode, They'll have to survive not one, But two heart-breaking eliminations.
And when the night is over, Only three will advance.
Then the power shifts to you, America.
Your votes will choose the Sing-Off champion On the live season finale.
I'm Nick Lachey, signing off from the Sing-Off.
Good night.