Before there was The Voice, there was The X Factor and before that there was American Idol. All these titles should now step aside because a new show is in town and promises to be around for the longest time. Introducing The Sing-Off, a show where true singers are given the chance to compete among themselves.
The Voice first hides your face and you impress judges with nothing but your voice on some backtrack, and that’s impressive, but The Sing-Off steps up the game by allowing nothing but voices on the show.
This is any artist’s nightmare, because there is no such thing as a guaranteed perfect pitch.
Somewhere in rehearsals everything may go well, but come performance time the nerves might take over and in turn the voice comes out as something else.
Many people can relate to this, which is why The Sing-Off is probably the best out of all the singing talent shows out there.
The show seeks to find the best a cappella group and all the groups that compete will be refused the comfort of a band. All they have is each other. This may sound bland, but after checking out an episode or two, you will be amazed at what the voice can do.
Few people know that in musical terms some people have agreed that the voice is the most powerful instrument we have. If a cappella is done right, it proves this point.
American and Puerto Rican groups are invited to come and show off their lung power as they belt it out with other groups, week in, week out. The groups that made an impact are selected by the judges, with the winning group being a choice made by the voting multitudes.
The host and the judges are the who’s who of the music industry. Nick Lachey from the boy band 98 Degrees is the host.
With a background like that, whatever he has to say, even if it is a joke, the contestants hang on every word.
The judges’ panel includes Boyz II Men’s Shawn Stockman. For Boyz II Men, Shawn was and remains the smooth crooner whose range only a few can match.
His advice comes from a rich background of a cappella as it is one of his group’s strongest points. He often breaks into song and reminds us of why he is a member of one of the most successful R&B groups of all time.
Sharing the panel with Shawn is Sara Bareilles, a singer and pianist who is also accomplished in her own right. She has sold over a million albums and has been placed 80th in Top 100 Greatest Women in Music by VH1.
On the show she is the most delicate of the panel as she always finds something good to say.
The final judge is Ben Folds, a man who has made a living as a singer and songwriter. He was the frontman and pianist for Ben Folds Five, an alternative rock band, before going solo.
The group has since reformed but when he is not with them, Folds is cracking jokes as a judge on this show.
The Sing-Off pushes the human voice to the craziest levels yet.
The winning group will get a Sony Music recording contract and R1.6 million prize money.
• The Sing-Off airs every Wednesday at 8pm on SABC3.