Duets are a big part of singing.
So, Glee does duets, right?
Excuse my attempt at propositional logic, just had to get it out of my system.
Most of the characters in Glee are obsessed with getting solos, but when they actually team up and sing together, some great moments occur. In fact, some of the best Glee moments were duet performance.
With some input from one of my best friends Marc, I have compiled a list of the best (aka my favorite) duets from the past two seasons of Glee. Just a note: if you aren't a big fan of Rachel, you're probably going to hate my list, since she accounts for 70% of the list. Let's be honest though, as annoying as Rachel can be, she is easily the best singer in the group.
Check out the list after the jump:
When Puck got his mohawk shaved off in Season 1, the world almost fell off balance. To regain his mojo, and impress Mercedes, he threw on a fedora and a vest and slid his way through Sammy Davis Jr.'s "Lady is a Tramp". Throwing Mercedes into the mix only made the song even better, solidifying Puck as a male lead and the two of them as a legitimate (albeit short-lived) couple.
On paper, this should have been a disaster, especially looking at the two singers. No offense to Dianna Agron (who I adore), but Lea Michele blows her and almost everyone else out of the water. Yet, the mash-up of the TLC smash and the West Side Story staple was inspired, and their voices sounded amazing together. Lea didn't try outsinging her like I expected, and they both shined as a result.
For the landmark Madonna tribute episode, McKinley's favorite star-crossed lovers performed an excellent mash-up of two of her early hits, while dancing in a hallway filled with Madonna's most iconic look. Even though she was dating Jesse St. James at the time, their vocal and physical chemistry was undeniable. Oh, and the mash-up was pretty sweet too.
It was the diva battle that would've been even more awesome if Sunshine wasn't so sweet. Alas, we just had to deal with the epic voice-off between Lea Michele and amazing guest star Charice. Two powerhouses singing Gaga and Beyoncé's iconic collabo? What more can you ask for?
6. Hello - Rachel and Jesse St. James
Lea Michele and Jonathan Groff's awesome chemistry (they worked together in Spring Awakening) was immediately visible when he popped up as the lead of rival show choir Vocal Adrenaline. The staging for their first duet was set in a bookstore. The two sang Lionel Richie's classic "Hello", and Jesse quickly became a fan favorite. Until he egged Rachel's entire life. Oh well, at least we got a killer song out of it.
5. River Deep, Mountain High - Mercedes and Santana
While Sam and Quinn's duet won the free trip to Breadstix, it was Mercedes and Santana's earth-shaking performance of "River Deep, Mountain High" was the true winner. Mercedes truly found her equal in Santana, and Santana was finally allowed to be front and center. It was the start of Santana's evolution as a lead character on the show.
4. Baby, It's Cold Outside - Blaine and Kurt
Ugh, Blaine is awesome, isn't he? His Christmastime duet with future love interest Kurt was as charming and adorable as he is. If anyone wasn't convinced before that these two would be an awesome couple, then this performance did it. Too bad it took them so long to realize it.
3. Poker Face - Rachel and Shelby
Idina Menzel and Lea Michele? Um, yes please! The mother-daughter duo put a cap on their extremely complicated (and admittedly convoluted) relationship with a performance of the acoustic version of Lady Gaga's "Poker Face". While some of the lyrics sung seemed a bit inappropriate for them (bluffing with my muffin, worst of all), but seeing the two Broadway titans singing at the piano was truly a classic Glee moment.
This elegant, flawless, genius performance by enemies-turned-frenemies-turned-friends was one of the second season's true highlights. It was more than just a tribute to the two's respective iconic counterparts, Barbra Streisand and Judy Garland, it was a song about hope in the face of bullying and non-acceptance. The duet may have been a half-century old, but it's timelessness and timeliness make it an iconic moment in the series
Maybe it was Finn's declaration of love, or the feeling of catharsis over the union of the two lead characters. Hell, maybe it was because it was Journey. Whatever the cause, Rachel and Finn's duet at Regionals in season one was epic, emotional, and one of the best performances of the entire series. Thinking back to their first duet in the show's beginning, their growth, separately and together, is staggering. Don't deny it, you were wiping at your eyes during this performance, weren't you?
Think I missed any epic Glee duets? Share them with me and everyone in the comments! Also, let me know if you like these Glee lists. I might do more!
1 comment:
I personally disagree with your comment about Rachel being easily the best singer since Kurt and Mercedes often give her a run for her money. And in Funeral when they all competed for the title of Most Talented Kurt should have won easily as he was really the only one with any sort of chreography (Unless scrunching your eyebrows and raising your arms in unison counts as choreography. And the argument that Rachel's song was the most epic is beside the point as they had agreed on doing original songs.)But aside from that a agreed with your list. Although A House is not a Home was technically a duet since Finn sang the bridge and if you didn't get choked up over that performance you have no soul. Over all fun and varied list though, thank you so much for posting this.
Post a Comment