Glee’s Darren Criss recently taught a master class and performed during the winter session of the Young Actors’ Theater Camp.
Check out his performances of “Get Back to Hogwarts” and “Teenage Dream” below!
I love that he’s performing this by himself! It’s ‘totally awesome!’
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Follow me on Twitter! @KirsCoachman
After reviewing the music from Glee for a good part of the year, I have compiled what I believe to be the 10 best tracks recorded by the Glee cast in 2010.
10. “Faithfully”
The duet between Lea Michele and Cory Monteith of Journey’s “Faithfully” was New Directions lead in song during Regionals. I am a huge fan of both of their singing voices. Michele and Monteith seem to compliment each other very well. This song is what I thought to be their shining moment singing together during the last part of season one.
9. “Beautiful”
Amber Riley has had some amazing vocal performances this year, but it was her rendition of Christina Aguilera’s huge hit song, “Beautiful” that really blew me away. The song allowed for Riley to show off multiple facets of her vocal range, as well as sing a powerful message.
8. “Stop! In The Name of Love/Free Your Mind”
This mash-up from season two features all the Glee guys from New Directions. I really enjoyed this track, and the guys sounded great. I have to add that Chord Overstreet sounds really charming during his verse. I thought the track was well-produced, and who would have ever thought that Diana Ross and EnVogue would meld well together into one song?
7. “Toxic”
It was a toss-up decision between this and “Me Against the Music,’ which I thought was another great track from the Britney Spears themed episode at the beginning of season two. I picked this track, because I really liked what they did with using the harmonies in place of instruments. Plus, it was nice to hear Matthew Morrison singing with the rest of the cast.
The Glee ladies, along with Chris Colfer really nailed the essence of this song on the head. This track is infused with a lot of personality, which is what makes it just as much fun to listen to as the original Lady Gaga version.
Darren Criss made a huge impact during his first singing appearance as Blaine on Glee in episode 2×6, “Never Been Kissed.” As a fan of Glee, I definitely took notice of his presence, and I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one.
The Glee version of Katy Perry’s hit “Teenage Dream,” which features Criss on lead vocals, hit number one on iTunes selling 214,000 copies during it’s first week according to Entertainment Weekly.
Criss independently released his acoustic EP Human this past summer. In five tracks, the singer-songwriter proves that he is the real deal.
Human touches on the basic emotions that we all experience throughout our lives, like love, heartbreak, and jealousy. Criss’ voice exhibits sincerity and passion in each of the songs on his EP.
One of the songs, “Not Alone,” which Criss performed live at the Trevor Project benefit earlier this month, showcases his vocal range from his larger drawn out notes to his falsetto. The chorus also happens to be quite catchy. I promise that you will be singing-a-long by the end of the song. Also, there’s a feeling of truthfulness in the lyrics, which serves almost as a reminder that we’re all capable of these emotions that make us inevitably human.
Production-wise, one can only imagine what Criss could accomplish if he had the time to record a full-length studio album with a full band. For recording the EP at home, the overall sound is pretty good. It’s nice to hear Criss’ raw vocals that are not glossed over by studio magic.
Listeners can experience soul-filled songs from a very talented Criss, who demonstrates great potential with his EP.
For more information on Darren Criss, check out his official website.
Definite Downloads: “Not Alone” and “Jealousy”
Originally posted on BlogCritics.
Follow me on Twitter! @KirsCoachman
Here is Darren’s full performance from The Trevor Project benefit from the other night.
Check out his performance of “Not Alone”/”Teenage Dream” below!
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There was huge buzz in Twitterland last night that Glee star Darren Criss was joined on stage at the Trevor Project benefit in LA by Katy Perry during his performance of “Teenage Dream.”
And finally there’s video! Check it out below!
I loved that Katy joined him on stage, I just wish she sounded better live.
For more information on the Trevor Project, click here.
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Glee headed to Sectionals in the latest episode, and provided an interesting soundtrack for the listening audience.
I have to applaud whoever is in charge of giving Chris Colfer (Kurt) such great songs to sing so far this season. His version of “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina” from Evita proved to be one of his best vocals ever on the show. Colfer seems to be really blossoming this season, and I look forward for what’s to come.
In addition to Colfer’s fantastic rendition, there is also a full recording of Lea Michele (Rachel) singing “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina.” Michele shows vocal restraint and shows a vulnerability while singing the song, that really makes you take notice. With Glee highlighting the latest pop hits every week, it’s refreshing to hear Michele singing songs that truly capture her talent.
Naya Rivera (Santana) finally takes the lead this week with her rendition of Amy Winehouse’s “Valerie.” He voice is a perfect fit for this type of song. It’s a saucy vocal, and Rivera really captures the attitude and vibe of the song.
Dianna Agron (Quinn) and Chord Overstreet (Sam) duet on the Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes song, “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” from the popular Dirty Dancing soundtrack. I was happy to hear these two getting their chance in the spotlight again this season, but I know that there has to be a song that compliments their vocals better this one. Agron couldn’t pull off the bigger notes that were noticeably being sung by Amber Riley (Mercedes) on the track. Maybe it was Overstreet’s vocal phrasing, but I didn’t feel like this song showcased him well at all.
It has to be said that the Glee cast has nothing on Florence and the Machine. Their attempt at “Dog Days Are Over” just didn’t capture the essence of the original recording. Riley and Jenna Ushkowitz (Tina) sounded okay on lead vocals, but this song was not the song for them.
Darren Criss made his return this past week with Train’s huge hit, “Hey, Soul Sister” which was performed in the episode by Dalton Academy’s Warblers. The multiple-part harmonies combined with Criss’ voice breathe new life into one of the most over-played songs on the radio.
Overall, I think this was an alright batch of Glee music. I definitely expect more with all the talent in the cast.
Glee airs Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. on FOX.
Originally posted on BlogCritics.
Two clips from the Christmas episode of Glee have been released. Check them out below!
“Baby, It’s Cold Outside” — Darren Criss & Chris Colfer
“Merry Christmas Darling” — Lea Michele
The four songs from the unofficial tribute to Bruno Mars episode of Glee continue the trend of great song choices.
Guest star Carol Burnett and Jane Lynch (Sue Sylvester) sing “Ohio” from Welcome Home. Carol Burnett sounds pretty good on the track. Lynch sounds alright. She’s definitely not a singer, but I can appreciate that she steps up to bat for the show.
Matthew Morrison (Will Schuester) steps into the spotlight singing Michael Buble’s “Sway.” Morrison’s vocals are a great fit for this song – and really that whole genre of music. He’s got the swagger that really is needed for this vocal, and he pulls it off nicely.
I really like that Morrison is being highlighted musically more this season. He was a relatively untapped resource last season, so it’s nice to hear more from him.
Glee seems to be on quite the Bruno Mars kick this year covering not one, but two of his songs this episode, as well as covering “Billionaire” earlier this season.
The first of Mars’ songs that the cast takes on is “Marry You.” It’s a fun ensemble number which is reminiscent of the Journey To Regionals version of “Don’t Stop Believing” where all the couples within Glee Club were the highlighted singers. Cory Monteith (Finn) and Lea Michele (Rachel) kick off the song strong. Dianna Agron (Quinn) and Chord Overstreet (Sam) then take the lead with their part of the song. Their vocals together sound pretty decent.
I can only imagine that it is quite the task to find a song that the Glee cast will all sound good singing, but whoever did the music selection for “Furt” did a really good job. “Marry You” allows the cast to show that they can sing current songs and make them just as good of a listen as the original.
I had to raise an eyebrow at Monteith covering Mars’ current big hit, “Just The Way You Are.” Monteith’s solos this season have been pretty hit or miss, but “Just The Way You Are” is definitely a hit. I find that Monteith’s voice hits it’s sweet spot when he’s singing pop music, and I hope that Glee realizes that this is his singing genre.
The music from “Furt” is a pretty good listen. Young fans of the show will appreciate the current hits being covered. Glee should probably not cover any more Bruno Mars music for the remainder of the season. Three songs in eight episodes is quite enough.
Glee airs Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. on FOX.
Originally posted on BlogCritics.
Next week Glee is heading back to Sectionals, which means awesome performances, including one from Dalton Academy’s Warblers! Darren Criss (Blaine) is on lead vocals for their performance of Train’s huge hit, “Hey Soul Sister.”
Check it out!
I love Christmas music. I love Glee. The combination of the two results in an album filled with a great mix of classic and contemporary Christmas songs.
Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album goes above and beyond any possible expectations I had before I took my first listen. “Deck The Rooftop,” which is a mash-up of “Deck The Halls” and “Up On The Rooftop,” was completely unexpected. Glee definitely manged to put their twist on two popular holiday songs, and made it into an extremely catchy sing-a-long.
One of the tracks that is already getting a lot of buzz is “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” which is sung by Chris Colfer (Kurt) and Darren Criss (Blaine). It’s a very sweet duet between the two, and their vocals are superb.
“God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” sung by the Glee ladies, is one of my favorites. The harmonizing is on point, and they seem to be reining in the glory notes a bit, which gives the song a sense of vulnerability, and allows the lyrics to stand in the spotlight.
I really liked Glee’s interpretation on “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch.” The song features Matthew Morrison (Will Schuester) and K.D. Lang. I still watch The Grinch Who Stole Christmas every year, so I really appreciated this song being on the album. Morrison and Lang really capture its spirit.
I have to make mention of Amber Riley (Mercedes), who sings “Angels We Have Heard On High.” On this song, she has a voice to be reckoned with. The arrangement for me left something to be desired, but Riley’s voice makes the song a success.
I have to say that the group harmonizing on this album is fantastic. The Glee cast really have never sounded better. There’s something about Christmas music that really brings the best out of singers.
Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album really exceeded my expectations. The album has a great combined energy of Glee and Christmas spirit.
Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album is available now. The Glee Christmas special airs December 7 on FOX at 8 p.m.
Originally posted on BlogCritics.
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