Sing-Off Predictions and Favorites

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It may not be fair that I'm writing a predictions blog for The Sing-Off, since I've been to several tapings and am legally not allowed to talk about much that I saw (and if I do, I'll be sued for $5 million). So, I'll just pretend I didn't see what I saw, okay?

First of all, I'm super excited that The Sing-Off was promoted to a weekly series. That means more groups, more shows, more songs, and more all-around aca awesomeness. And what a cappella fan wouldn't be excited about that, right?!

Second of all, they got SARA BAREILLES as the new judge?! It's gonna be EPIC. 'Nuff said.

Okay, now time to tell you how I feel about these groups. When the groups were announced, I'd heard of quite a few of them, but I also hadn't heard of a few, but they're obviously amazing, since they made it to the show. I have a few favorites and a few that I think will win, so let's get to it!

Afro-Blue: A jazzy student group from Howard University, located in Washington, DC. I hadn't heard of them before, and if I had to describe them, I'd say they're like an amalgamation of Groove for Thought and Committed. They have jazzy, complex arrangements injected with a lot of soul. But is this unique combination enough to win over the judges? Honestly, I don't know. I'm a little worried, since they seem to primarily be a jazz group, and if you remember from last season, GFT didn't fare very well. But who knows? Maybe they'll see what GFT did and didn't do and use that to their advantage.

The Cat's Pajamas: I'd heard about these guys from Tina Crouch, Chaser extraordinaire, and I can't wait to see what these guys bring to the show! With a mere five members, I can't help but wonder if they'll have a big enough sound to really "WOW" the judges, but I do know that they'll bring a fantastically infectious personality to the Sing-Off stage.

The Collective: Put together by Jeremy Lister from Street Corner Symphony, last season's runner-up, The Collective is comprised of a bunch of solo artists taking a venture into uncharted territory, i.e. a cappella. They don't have experience singing a cappella, but they have the musical promise to do fairly well, since several (if not all) of them are successful musicians in their own right. It'll be interesting to see if they do as well as SCS did last year.

Dartmouth Aires: First of all, I just thought I'd say, it's pronounced "airs." Why it's spelled like that, I don't know. You may say that it's a quirky spelling, which would rightfully describe these Ivy League college boys. They always put on a good show, and are great entertainers, like the all-male collegiate groups that came around in seasons past (the Tufts Beelzebubs from season one and UO's On the Rocks from season two). Will it be enough? In fact, there are three (yes, count 'em, THREE) male collegiate groups, and they're ALL amazing in their own right. How will the Aires set themselves apart from the other two?

Delilah: Made up of Sing-Off alumnae from seasons past, Delilah is the first all-female group to make it to the show since Maxx Factor and Noteworthy from the first season, and they're the only all-female group this season. Female groups are always tricky, since they lack the low end (i.e. bass) that all-male and co-ed groups have. I'm interested to see how the group handles this weakness, or if it ultimately can become their strength and unique quality.

The Deltones: What struck me about these guys are their love for each other. This group from the University of Delaware are all such a tight-knit family, and you can tell that they truly look out and care for each other. I can't wait to see how this translates into their music and if they're as musically and emotionally connected to each other. Plus, I really love their name.

Fannin Family: I had not heard of them before, and I can't wait to see how their voices blend. I'll bet that they get this a lot, but their story reminds me of the Von Trapp family, from The Sound of Music... Anyways, I'm excited to hear them, since (supposedly) family members' voices blend very well together, and since they've been singing with each other for their whole lives, they must have a great connection with each other.

Kinfolk 9: Dude. They have a female beatboxer. In a co-ed group. And she's AWESOME. Oh, and they're from LA. Unfair bias? I think not. Anyway, they, like The Collective, don't have much experience singing in a cappella groups because they all started out as solo artists (once again, like The Collective). How will they set themselves apart from The Collective and prove that they're better than all the rest?

Messiah's Men: These guys have an inspiring story that moves you when you listen to them sing. They and their musical sound have their roots in Africa, and their brotherly love for each other is apparent. They have a very full sound, but I wonder if they'll be flexible enough, musically speaking, to conform to what the judges ask of them, in terms of the challenges the groups face each week.

North Shore: I love doo wop music. North Shore has opened for many well-known groups in the past, but now it's their time to shine! I know that they'll be amazing in "their element," since they've been doing it for a long time, but the same issue that I brought up with Messiah's Men applies to North Shore: will they be able to sing other genres of music besides doo wop well enough to impress the judges?

Pentatonix: I must preface this by saying that the group's frontman, Scott Hoying, is a current member of USC's SoCal VoCals, he is the same year as I am, and I remember him auditioning for the group (because we auditioned the same day). Oh, and we have mutual friends. He's an amazing vocalist. But anyway, I digress. This may surprise many of you, but this group is my pick to be the winner of this season. Co-ed groups traditionally don't do exceptionally well in this competition, and the highest a co-ed group has gotten is third place (The Voices of Lee from season one and The Backbeats from season two). So, maybe my prediction is a bold one, even though there's "only" one girl in the group. But what sets this group apart from other co-ed groups is in its arrangements, and that's nfortunately all I can say. Pentatonix sings techno and dance hits a cappella, and they do a darn good job of it. You'll just have to wait and see why I think they'll win, but their sound is AMAZING for such a small group of five.

Sonos: If you're a big acafan, you should know who Sonos is. I've seen them perform live at USC several times, and they're very well-known for their use of effects pedals, which allow them to loop several tracks, add effects, etc. Since they're only a group of five, this is helpful in creating a fuller sound, but for this competition, they are pedal- and effects-less. I'm not sure how I feel about this, and I have a bad feeling about it. Their arrangements, which many perceive to be hauntingly beautiful, may be seen in the wrong way, especially without the haunting effects. I'm interested to see how far they get, and I'm worried that they'll be under-appreciated, just like Groove For Thought was last season. But this group is one of my three favorites (along with Pentatonix and Vocal Point).

Soul'd Out: The only high school group in the competition, they follow in the footsteps of Eleventh Hour (from last season), but they're a large group, larger than Eleventh Hour. I wonder if they have a great enough of a frontman (or frontwoman) as Eleventh Hour had in Kendall Young, and I can't wait to see their song choices (hopefully NOT "Baby"). But, are their voices mature enough to compete against the plethora of groups made up of seasoned singers?

Urban Method: Now this is a group to keep an eye on. I'll bet not many of you have heard rap-appella before, but it's off the chain. This is definitely something that will set the group apart from all the rest, but as with North Shore and Messiah's Men, how will they change their arrangements and musical style to fit what the judges are looking for in various challenges?

Vocal Point: Aaaah, the cute Mormon boys from BYU. Where to start, where to start? I love this group. That's saying a lot, since they beat out USC's Reverse Osmosis last year at ICCA Semifinals (and came in second overall, HOLLA). But these guys just have some sort of wholesome charm that, for me at least, puts them over the other two male collegiate groups. With nine members, they're not going overboard and it won't be a flurry of frantic activity on stage (which is what things can turn into with larger groups). And I really like their song choices and arrangements. I've been obsessed with their arrangements of "Nearer, My God, to Thee" and "Super Mario Bros." (Don't worry; I didn't spoil anything for you. These are just songs I've heard of theirs before they were even selected for the show. I highly recommend listening to them.) I want them to go all the way, and they're just fabulous, but in pitting them against some of the other groups, I'm not so sure...

The Yellow Jackets: Yellow is a very bright color. And these guys from the University of Rochester just light up the stage, not only with their music, but with their stage presence and personalities. I'd say that in a way, it's like you take the charm from Vocal Point and the silliness from the Aires and mix it together to get the Yellow Jackets. They're right in the middle, and their music is, of course, spot on. Though, I wonder how they'll set themselves apart from the other two groups; since they seem to be right in the middle, how will they assert themselves as different?


Do you agree with me? Who are your favorites? Who do you want to see win? Leave me a comment below and let me know!