The Sing-Off returns on NBC with an all new Wednesday, December 17 season 5 premiere episode called “Holiday Special” and we have your weekly recap below. On tonight’s episode, the accapella competition is back for cycle five all wrapped into a two hour singing holiday spectacular.
On this season Two Teams From Nashville, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and New Haven Compete for $50,000 Grand Prize Home Free Performing with Host Nick Lachey and Judges Jewel, Shawn Stockman and Patrick Stump While Pentatonix Also Set to Appear
On tonight’s show as per the NBC synopsis “six new groups compete for a first-place prize of $50,000. Jewel and Shawn Stockman return as judges in this Season 5 extravaganza, and are joined by Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump. Also performing tonight are season four “Sing-Off” champions Home Free, who will sing with Lachey and all three judges, as well as season three winner and hugely popular group Pentatonix.”
Tonight’s “The Sing-Off” is back and it is going to be an exciting season which you won’t want to miss. So be sure to tune in for our live coverage of NBC’s The Sing-Off – tonight at 9 PM EST! While you wait for our recap, hit the comments and let us know how excited you are about the new season of The Sing-Off.
Tonight’s episode begins now – Refresh Page for Updates
The Sing-Off returns tonight for all new season of great musical talent. In case you need a reminder : The show itself was built on the premise that they wanted to find great singers that didn’t even need auto-tune or a band to accompany them – all the potential winners need is a voice that would inspire both the judges and America.
Sounds hard but frankly this is the fifth season. All those that come for an auditions should know what they’re in for by now! The Sing-Off didn’t just become the number one accapella competition there is overnight.
Host Nick Lachey is back (notorious dimples included) to open the show this season and it was his privilege to introduced the trio of judges. Former Boys II Men crooner Shawn Stockman, famed country star Jewel (the only one that hasn’t been in a boy band), and Fall Out Boy’s own Patrick Stump.
The first group to perform for the night was Timothy’s gift. And they did something Jewel hasn’t saw coming. They didn’t have a lot of base or percussion while they sang and that’s not the typical for accapella groups. But she liked what they did.
Shawn and Patrick also liked what they did there though Shawn did warn them about softening their sound. Yet rather than talk about the music which is really what the show is about – the guys wanted to show their respect for the ladies. The judges have performed in various places but none that compares to a prison like the ladies have done. So the guys let admiration show.
And after the ladies, it was the guys’ turn to take to the stage. A.Squared said they too wanted to do something different and that was bringing in something technical. It was new and had never done before. Though, still, it was good.
The performed Bastille’s Pompeii and they had entertained the crowd with what they did. But the judges weren’t as enthused about the machine as the audience was. Shawn as turns out is purist. He doesn’t call what they did Acappella. And as for Jewel, she warned them about the machine they were using becoming a gimmick. So the only person that truly liked what they did was Patrick.
The group Traces on the other hand brought things back to the traditional sense. They were made of entirely of women and the ladies had originally met and form their group at church. So they were like other groups the judges have seen before.
What made Traces stand out was their performance. They did “River Deep, Mountain” High by Tina Turner and because they gave their performance so much soul – everyone eat it up. And they definitely ended the night as a favorite of the judges.
And while Oldies are always entraining, The Exhange that happens to be the nest all male group decided to infuse the competition with some One Republic. The group performed “Love Runs Out” because they believed it would showcase their intensity at its best. Which they were right about.
The song showed their full range and none of the judges had a complaint about it. But the group that followed them ended up putting what they did (in terms of range not intensity) to shame. SanFran6 sang Ariana Grande’s “Break Free” and they managed to keep up with up with the beat and entertained the judges.
So, yes they did a lot of things right. They were fun and more importantly everyone was visible in the song. Not an easy to thing to do with when there’s simply so many players involved. Yet they had their own setbacks.
The college accapella group Melodores were the last act of the first round. And sure they were silly and there was the odd complaint about not everyone (most especially the base) being heard in the song but overall they were loved by literally everyone that heard them sing.
And funnily enough that’s what carried them through into the next round. The Melodores along with The Exhange and Traces all continued on to the final round. They had talent and they had steam!
The final leg of this competition though is what going to differentiate the talented and the stars. This final stage of tonight’s episode consists of the groups being given songs they have to sing on the fly. No preparation and no exchanges. So this will show what each group is really made of.
Traces were up first. They were given “I’m Every Woman” and much like their first song they killed it. And one their own again stood out to the judges. But both songs were upbeat and had soul. So honestly it wasn’t that much of a stretch for the group to perform.
Meanwhile, The Exchange were given “Sing” by Ed Sheeran. A tad different to what they were used to. Yet it helped the judges see an otherwise lost side to their range. For instance there was one member of the band that was only considered a base and he managed to change that perception when he suddenly hit a high note a la Ed Sheeran.
But probably the biggest difference between the first and second performance was the Melodores. They sang “Take Me To Church” by Hozier and for a group that’s generally upbeat to be given something considered dark – it was like a 180.
And at first, the judges hadn’t the though the Melodores would have been able to pull off. So the fact they did – received such applauding it was readily the best performance of the night. The camera had actually cut away during the performance to the judges and there was just a look of purse shock/amazement on Patrick’s face – that’s when the audience knew Nick Lachey could have saved his breath.
He later announced the Melodores were the winners of The Sing-Off but truly who hadn’t saw that one coming!
Melodores were the winners of tonight’s special edition of The Sing-Off and that meant they also won the grand prize of 50,000 dollars and the dream of an Epic Records/Sony Music recording contract. Good luck to them but based on their last performance – they don’t need it!