This is my new most underrated performance on this show. I don't think most people realize exactly how fantastic this arrangement was. Their transitions and modulations were just, to borrow a Shawn phrase,, BUTTA
OK Reggie has to have perfect pitch. Do you know how hard it is to sing bass in tune standing still. He sang bass in tune going down a Soul Train line! Come on man that's just sick haha
I love when Ben tells to enunciate more. They never told Pentatonix to enunciate (no offense, I looooove Pentatonix, but Scott sometimes makes it hard to understand the words)
It was so terribly annoying to hear subpar entertainers advise a sophisticated musical group. Not one of the judges could have approached anything they did. I felt the judges were threatened and knew their uneducated comments exposed their weaknesses. They didn't have the vocabulary to even describe what they heard. I was disgusted when they lost. Even worse was when the judges performed... what a story that told!
Shawn is a mediocre HATER! How do you tell excellence to become subpar and mediocre? Dumb it down? Hell no! Eugh! That' s why Boyz II Men is washed up now. He is wack.
@Deerych I don't really get what part of Shawn's comments you hate? I mean, he's the one that's been supporting AB constantly. It was Ben that asked them to not overthink it last time.
solid!... and the reason the judges were that critical because they KNOW they are the absolute shit!! so they are telling them the things to absolutely perfect... I mean.. it did go sharp at the end... hell.. they was hype!... excited... God Bless Afro Blue,,, cheers!
Waaaiit a second... where IS the baritone sound range during the first chorus, like Ben said? The baritones are singing, and they're not supplementing the female range in falsetto... Did someone turn their mics down?
Love Afro Blue! Not their best performance but good! During the first chorus during all the dancing, the tenors did get lost but it came back during the samba part which was awesome! Reggie is a BEAST!!!! All the girls did a good job though you can tell who the strongest singers are. One girl in particular only got a chance to sing a bit on this song and not the others. The tall black girl...can't remember what her name is. Good performance overall. B+ I would say.
Seems like Ben and Sara say a lot of negative comments and are very picky with Afro-blue's renditions because they know that the group is just so great and talented!!! When they hear an excellent group, they tend to try and listen for something they don't like so that they can point out faults within the group. Their judgments are very bogus though.
Although, all the group's in their bracket did good tonight, they didn't deserve to be in the bottom two with the group who did get eliminated, but that's TV, right?
Sara is unqualified to be a judge, she said that at the end they were sharp and they were not. Then she said, she liked the wedding march- how goofy. She reminds me of Sarah Palin. She does not know her music history.
@39mwsmith i know! i feel that she never has much to say technically. or when she does it is vague or unexplained. or plain untrue. and then ben with the diction? of all things, that's what you criticize them about?!
The musicality of this group is insane. They gave us three different versions of this song in ONE performance. LOVED when they went into the samba and then slowed it down at 2:42
I love this group and PENTATONIX and then everyone els is really good but theses two groups are just magnifecent. They were in by far the hardest group there. with Pentatonix, Urban Method, Vocal Point. Got top 3 there. Then the Deltones were pretty good too. The group was kind of weak sauce
@djollyboy Do you think Petatonix has a chance. I love this group tp death but I think Pentatonix has been killing it lately.these two groups are my top 2 by far. The other groups are great too dont get me wrong. Its just Pentatonix and AfroBlue take the risks and are sooooooooooooooo fucking awesome
@djollyboy Do you think Petatonix has a chance? I love this group tp death but I think Pentatonix has been killing it lately.these two groups are my top 2 by far. The other groups are great too dont get me wrong. Its just Pentatonix and AfroBlue take the risks and are sooooooooooooooo fucking awesome
I was super happy to see that all the females got to have solos in this song, especially Eliza. She always seems to get pushed to the back and kind of forgotten about during the judges critiques, but not this week. She sounded beautiful, as all the ladies did. Definitely in my top two with Pentatonix as of now.
Ben wasn't critical because he doesn't like this group, its actually quite the opposite. Because he loves this group so much, he's a bit harder, and gives criticism mostly based on fine tuning the sound even more. The only problem is people then think that they didn't do well, and don't vote-Continue to vote for this group, because I sure as hell want them to win!
Ben Folds is an IDIOT! Why was he missing the baritone section..!! Its a Whitney Houston song and she's a friggn' soprano!! this performance was AWESOME!! GO AB!!
Uh, Ben? I didn't hear anything that was so horribly mispronounced that I needed to bring in a master linguist to decipher it. The only "diction issues" I could hear was when the third lead said "I've done alright up till now" in the beginning. It took a few listens to actually understand what she was saying, but so what? I was scratching my head while Ben reviewed them saying, "why even mention that?"
I loved the entire thing, but I can see why they were in the bottom 2 compared to the others.
Problem is bracket 2 was so much stronger than bracket one that I wonder who the hell is doing them. That being said the performance is sick and i cant wait (though I love the judges) for us to get a voice.
@Guyver38 I thought I was the only one who noticed that! The second bracket was super stacked!!! I knew as soon as they announced the order that the Deltones were going home because of the arrangement. I think it may have come out differently if the brackets were different. That being said, Afro Blue should NOT have been in the bottom two because they were definitely better than most in bracket 1
So funny Shawn just had to step in and stop Sara Bareilles from embarrassing herself by calling it a wedding march??? Rofl she must be referring to that viral video of the white people's wedding, lol so clueless
Mariah is sexy!!! But Christie is still my girl. And for a fact, BF is talking about the 3rd girl solo at 1:55 when it comes to diction. The first time I watched. I was confused too. But everything else is perfect. They criticize cuz they have to give the illusion of a fair playing field for dramatic suspense. V
fwiw... i think the judges are very honest and sincere. they are there to give feedback and judge ! They can't reveal their biases (which I'm sure they have)... but I absolutely believed BF when he said, "I cant' believe I"m even lecturing you..." He loves them and he gets that he has a job to do and he also gets that AB is outstanding. As a singer, myself, I absolutely appreciate the feedback I get to make my performances better. Nit picking is what makes it amazing vs great.
Also, did anyone else notice that nobody was singing the lead refrain line at 3:03? I wonder if that was intentional, or if the lady that was supposed to cover it forgot...
But know this, what Afro Blue is doing is as natural to Americans as mom and apple pie, it is quintessential American and we love it, and no matter how far removed we are from Jazz or Classic Soul, no matter how hard the record companies force feed rap and hip hop, those traditional art forms are in America's collective DNA and we will ALWAYS love it when someone (like AB) does it well and reminds us why we love it, from the Great Jazz singers to Motown and onward, its in our DNA
This is a fabulous performance!! I thought the weak group was so obvious and the other 4 were so strong. They had to put someone in the bottom. Ben did spend a while explaining things they didn't do well, but I don't they were huge issues. Even he said he shouldn't have been lecturing them.
I understood EVERY WORD sung! Don't let them discourage you Afro Blue. Critique yourselves, then make adjustment! For me, you perfect! I would buy your records right now!!!! Go with yo bad selves!!!!
@regonkeyz it was the soul train line created and originated by black people and she's acting like a typical ignorant white girl saying shit like it was from weddings and see how she is trying to neglect what the black judge was saying about the soul train line
Very easy to confuse if you haven't seen a soul train line before and saw that dancing down the wedding aisle you tube video like 70 million hits.. Sometimes pointing the racist finger gets a little ridiculous dont you think? Best to just sit back and listen to this insane good music imho.
OMG i loved the SOUL TRAIN line at the end as well. This is like my 20th time watching this video. They are definitely in my top 3 groups, if not my top one!
i didn't have a problem with them being in the bottom 2 of this group...but i did have a problem with all 5 of this group being a lot better than Delilah and still having to have someone sent home...this wasn't their best performance by a lot cause there were a lot of balance issues through the beginning...they just need to stop trying to be "commercial" and just do their thing...this was going to be a questionable week for their style cause they are so serious
You can tell Nick loves this group and he doesn't even try to hide it. This is the second time he praised their performance before he threw it to the judges.
When they did American Boy he said, "I don't mind saying that was ridiculous"
@ElvinD15 I think Ben Folds was just talking about diction because of course this isn't choir or anything, but diction and overpronounciation is still really important. For people who have NEVER heard this song, diction is important. It did upset me too though that they were in the bottom two :/ this was one of the better performances of the night! They have amazing harmonies, and on top of that they had complex dance moves. They did fantastic! :)
Even if this group doesn't win the competition I REALLY hope this gets them enough notice to make an album. I think they deserve it and lord knows I'd buy it.
Lol to Sara B for not knowing what a soul train line is. She's too cute.
@sabattisLG They did Beiber. That's close enough to "female" =P
But I do disagree. Groups should sing whatever style works best for them, rather than trying to force a different style in order to be more all-inclusive.
I really don't know what Ben Folds has against this group. First it was over thought. Next you couldn't hear the middle voices. What next, BF? But this group excites me every time they perform. I have repeated this song at least 20 times, along with their rendition of "American Boy". Afro-Blue, please win this....
@hhsgdp2004 Ben has nothing against this group. He thinks they are fantastic, he is just giving minor critique to make them that much closer to being perfect. And he was right. You could not hear the middle voices in the first chorus. refer to my previous post. Regardless they will go far.
Bottom line, I know hip hop is popular and Urban Method can make records and lots of young folks will buy it, but that doesn't mean I think they are talented, I DON'T, if you want to BRING BACK TALENT then Afro Blue wins this competition.
@Dobermite Agreed. The Hip Hop actually turns me off from that group. Afro Blue is so talented. They can execute so many styles and that's what needs to be showcased. Frankly, it doesn't take much talent to rap.
@silkaem I'll guarantee you this, silk, if the judges allow America to cast its vote on AB, meaning if AB gets through to the finals, they will win in a rout. I almost wish they square off with Urban Method in the finals just to prove what I've always said, its not that people prefer hip hop to the more traditional forms of music that highlights great vocals, its just that the record execs are force feeding them rap, hip hop, auto-tune, digital, etc., which is all dirt cheap to produce.
Can you understand them? Yes Were they sharp? No Can you hear first and second tenor? Of course. But this record was sung by Whitney Houston in a high soprano. It is going to top heavy. Last week Ben says that the harmony is too complicated and overthought. This week, he says that he doesn't hear enough of the other voices. Give me a break BF.
@musicteachjw as Ben said the second chorus was perfect which it was. it had the few girls on low ooohs which made it a lot fuller. and the first chorus had these sparce daaa da's that didn't really add much, which gave that part its sort of emptiness. I agree with where he was coming from. that is why i would give them a 96 on this song. They were near perfect and they take jazz to a new level of amazing. Come on, Ben still loved it.
Afro-Blue has done everything flawless this season & Ben Folds seems to be on a mission to destroy them. LMAO! They have chosen the best songs, they have the best sound musically, & they are unique. Pentatonix has been great a couple times, but their first couple of song choices were stupid. The male generic college groups get praised but all 3 of them are exactly the same & they sound like show tunes. Afro-Blue sounds like a group that could actually make an album.
@raymondjackso25 I don't think Ben is "on a mission to destroy them." It's not like he's said, "oh, I hated it." He's usually pretty spot on, although I don't agree with the diction comment, I felt Afro-Blue was perfectly understandable. And please don't say that the 3 male college groups are the same: they aren't. I feel that Vocal Point has more musicality than Yellow Jackets and Dartmouth Aires while still being high energy.
@raymondjackso25 "The male generic college groups get praised but all 3 of them are exactly the same & they sound like show tunes. Afro-Blue sounds like a group that could actually make an album."
DEAD ON THE MONEY, the male choirs are good in a Glee/Show Tunes sort of way, but IMO only two groups have a shot to make hit records, Urban Method & Afro Blue, and AB is a million times better than Urban. It would be a crime if they lose to that dime-a-dozen rap nonsense, thats whats killing music.
I loved this performance personally. I loved that they let go a bit and had some fun. I'm not very familiar with the original version, but this one definitely made me want to dance!
For not "jazz-ifying" it up too much, I thought the jazzy part (2:39 through 2:59) was the strongest part of their song. However, if they had a whole performance in that style, I think it would be too much of a good thing. The variety really worked here. (For that matter, so did the dancing--they cut loose and had fun, and it really showed.)
(And for irrelevance, I agree with webcomix...go Eliza! :)
was the only time I've ever heard "what a feeling" and felt nothing. The Collective's "I will survive" was the only memorable performance from the first group.
"Afro Blue" and "Tentatonic" were the best of the night--not just in their group. As for the performances in their group,"Urban Method" was good but they should've been in the bottom 2. Clearly the fact that they chose a song that had meaning to one of the judges helped. "Focal Point" was ok, but they weren't better than "Afro Blue" by any stretch of the imagination. "Delilah" should've gone home in the first group. Their performance...continued next post
I love Afro to death and want to really like this performance, but it left me confused and lost in the arrangement. Maybe I'm used to hearing the Whitney version but they really picked a hard song to rearrange. I'm still rooting for them in the finals though. I just think the judges critiques are creeping up on them just like what they do to all jazz contestants on this show.
I usually appreciate what Ben Folds has to say, but he was way off on this!!! Afro Blue was so smooth. They added so much to the performance, the singing, choreography, I loved how they made it their own without making the song unrecognizable. Way to go Afro Blue!!!
"missing the meat" ??? Last week they were told to not "overthink" their arrangements and this week it was missing something then Folds says the second chorus kicked in well, maybe it was because they put in chords they were told to avoid last week -- love the Judges music but they were picking at straws, Dartmouth Aires deserved bottom 2 -- AND ms. bareilles loses major points for "wedding march" - LOL
So. Friggin. Good!
saxoffender17 5 days ago
Whitney Houston would have loved this
music23alisa 1 week ago
WHITNEY R.I.P.
jnilethomas 1 week ago
This is my new most underrated performance on this show. I don't think most people realize exactly how fantastic this arrangement was. Their transitions and modulations were just, to borrow a Shawn phrase,, BUTTA
ujamaa4 1 week ago 4
Fan. Friggin. TASTIC.
saxoffender17 1 week ago
Que maravilha!!!
cirloam 1 week ago
OK Reggie has to have perfect pitch. Do you know how hard it is to sing bass in tune standing still. He sang bass in tune going down a Soul Train line! Come on man that's just sick haha
77anthonyh 2 weeks ago 2
Reggie is a BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD MAN!!
Jansing15 2 weeks ago
RIP Whitney Houston and Don Cornelius..
geoepee 2 weeks ago 3
kind of ironic they incorporated the "Soul Train Line" with a Whitney Houston track and we lost both Don Cornelious and Whitney Houston this month.
jjc858278 2 weeks ago 7
Danielle is such a good soprano. Impeccable quality.
ejoejin 2 weeks ago
ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh what a great tribute! RIP Whitney!
leelee1947 2 weeks ago
RIP Whitney Houston and Don Cornelius. This performance from Afro Blue was masterful.
Melchuck29 2 weeks ago
This has been flagged as spam show
RIP Whitney Houston
TJunglebook 2 weeks ago
the nerve of a Boyz II Men member to tell someone else's group about doing too much...
bowmana614 3 weeks ago 4
I love when Ben tells to enunciate more. They never told Pentatonix to enunciate (no offense, I looooove Pentatonix, but Scott sometimes makes it hard to understand the words)
WEShamanPower 1 month ago 4
Everyone needs to get high def headphones and listen carefully to those bass lines. They are absolutely ridiculous.
77anthonyh 1 month ago 2
Unbelievably good.
dpc1994 1 month ago
It was so terribly annoying to hear subpar entertainers advise a sophisticated musical group. Not one of the judges could have approached anything they did. I felt the judges were threatened and knew their uneducated comments exposed their weaknesses. They didn't have the vocabulary to even describe what they heard. I was disgusted when they lost. Even worse was when the judges performed... what a story that told!
williammanser 1 month ago 2
Ben Folds Is a Tard! Over ur head what a joke. I really hate him now.
johhnnww 1 month ago
reggie @ 2:49 is siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiick!!!! can't breathe!!!!!!
cutierae7 1 month ago
This has been flagged as spam show
2:40 gives me chills everytime I watch this video! I love it!
Ayeblazingg 2 months ago in playlist The Sing Off
Comment removed
Ayeblazingg 2 months ago in playlist The Sing Off
Shawn is a mediocre HATER! How do you tell excellence to become subpar and mediocre? Dumb it down? Hell no! Eugh! That' s why Boyz II Men is washed up now. He is wack.
Deerych 2 months ago
@Deerych I don't really get what part of Shawn's comments you hate? I mean, he's the one that's been supporting AB constantly. It was Ben that asked them to not overthink it last time.
elysiumx2 1 month ago
Pronounce the words a little bit more???? Seriously, that's all you've got ben??? How petty is that?
Heavenlydancer10 2 months ago 3
Amazing harmony!!!!!
ruqysan 2 months ago
im just mad she called it a wedding march
afro blue is freakin awesome
they really should have at least made it to the top 2 if not the winners of the whole season
prettylittleliar0851 2 months ago 4
They definitely shouldn't have been in the bottom two after this week. It was amazing.
theklp1 2 months ago
even listening to the judges....the still rocked that funky joint...lol
best group hands down...\ :-( back by popular demand
DLHCO94 2 months ago
man jazz that shit up.
LegacyRO3 2 months ago
all i gotta say is "SOMEBODY WHOOOOOOO" love that part.lol this group should have won.
LegacyRO3 2 months ago 2
Gosh i love afro blue!
dayrit101 2 months ago 2
I'm going to trade in my bass and drums for a "Reggie".
tnmagicmanmm 3 months ago 18
This is the TRUTH!!!
tempestsoul 3 months ago
Those bass lines are unreal. He is a master bassist
77anthonyh 3 months ago
mrduckbear11 ur mom's a B Afro Blue Is A Solidd A+
JayyKiddBravo 3 months ago 2
solid!... and the reason the judges were that critical because they KNOW they are the absolute shit!! so they are telling them the things to absolutely perfect... I mean.. it did go sharp at the end... hell.. they was hype!... excited... God Bless Afro Blue,,, cheers!
TreeDave79 3 months ago
OMG why did they hav to go home :(
worldsbest101 3 months ago 8
R U Serious?! These guys are KILLER!!!!!!!!!!
LyricalChocolate 3 months ago 7
Waaaiit a second... where IS the baritone sound range during the first chorus, like Ben said? The baritones are singing, and they're not supplementing the female range in falsetto... Did someone turn their mics down?
UMBassStudent25 3 months ago 2
OMGGGG The Samba Breakdowwn.... LOVE!!
JanDragonn 3 months ago 6
...their bassist can sing a double bass better than I can play it...
UMBassStudent25 3 months ago 4
I want to be part of this group so bad!
Niles4180 3 months ago
Love Afro Blue! Not their best performance but good! During the first chorus during all the dancing, the tenors did get lost but it came back during the samba part which was awesome! Reggie is a BEAST!!!! All the girls did a good job though you can tell who the strongest singers are. One girl in particular only got a chance to sing a bit on this song and not the others. The tall black girl...can't remember what her name is. Good performance overall. B+ I would say.
YBGrind 3 months ago
it was very well done, I love your formations that you guys do keep it up thats very important love you guys .............Human Factor
humanfactor750 3 months ago
Am i the only one who sees the white girl?
patriotpossum 3 months ago 6
Seems like Ben and Sara say a lot of negative comments and are very picky with Afro-blue's renditions because they know that the group is just so great and talented!!! When they hear an excellent group, they tend to try and listen for something they don't like so that they can point out faults within the group. Their judgments are very bogus though.
88tinyteena 3 months ago 4
i love u doont lisen to them i hope u winn ggooo afro blue ya
infopmc 3 months ago
Ugh..I want to hit Sara. Wedding march. PSSH..
PivUHT0107 3 months ago 7
Amazing a cappella group from Howard University!
Lindakuriloff 3 months ago
more like 1:35 - 3:17 is an eargasm!
randjfriends 3 months ago 2
Man the judge Ben? always has something bad to say! This performance was their best!
superboobies19 3 months ago 5
I can watch this video 100,000,000x and i'll still love it.
KookiedrinksMilk 3 months ago
"Wedding March" lol... smh
j3music 3 months ago 7
luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuv the soul train line
dansgrl13 3 months ago
I jus died of a beastiness overload!!!!
MrBrian1202 3 months ago
Although, all the group's in their bracket did good tonight, they didn't deserve to be in the bottom two with the group who did get eliminated, but that's TV, right?
betcamus 3 months ago
the third soloist wasn't bad but her diction was. . .not good. i had to re-listen to it 3 times to understand what she said.
MrPantlesswonder 3 months ago
@MrPantlesswonder "I've gone all white up til meow."
mattingbeast 3 months ago
2:58 she was gettin it! lol
MuzikJunkee20 3 months ago 2
Sara is unqualified to be a judge, she said that at the end they were sharp and they were not. Then she said, she liked the wedding march- how goofy. She reminds me of Sarah Palin. She does not know her music history.
39mwsmith 3 months ago 5
@39mwsmith i know! i feel that she never has much to say technically. or when she does it is vague or unexplained. or plain untrue. and then ben with the diction? of all things, that's what you criticize them about?!
lilyisnow 3 months ago
I really like Eliza's voice.. just soundcool and different... really glad that she got a cool part!!!! Go AFRO BLUE!!!
discofever88 3 months ago
That 3rd soloist smh....she done went and messed it up. But overall, AB still reigns supreme!
kee525 3 months ago
2:45 is an eargasm
tonadaasbl 4 months ago 75
@tonadaasbl Totally agree! I also squeed over the tones leading up to it.
Qichar 3 months ago
@tonadaasbl MULTIPLE EARGASMS!
Deerych 1 month ago
"wedding march" ?!?! hahahaha....I must've watched him explain the soul train 40 times.
Benny209 4 months ago 2
3 people want to dance by themselves.
captainlorenzo07 4 months ago 3
@captainlorenzo07 LOL!! The three "dislikes" this got-----funny!!
betcamus 3 months ago
Im angry with the judges! THIS WAS THERE BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
nikster4heather 4 months ago
The samba or rumba part was the best thing about that song.
BrewsterIsAWinner 4 months ago
The musicality of this group is insane. They gave us three different versions of this song in ONE performance. LOVED when they went into the samba and then slowed it down at 2:42
pittbboi 4 months ago 4
I loved hearing all the different soloists, each of them sounded like a lead singer. Afro blue is the best!
Skyhawk02 4 months ago
I love this group and PENTATONIX and then everyone els is really good but theses two groups are just magnifecent. They were in by far the hardest group there. with Pentatonix, Urban Method, Vocal Point. Got top 3 there. Then the Deltones were pretty good too. The group was kind of weak sauce
sundancekid210 4 months ago
Those bass lines are sooo sick.
hebrewhammershabbat 4 months ago 57
@hebrewhammershabbat I know right? He has to have perfect pitch
77anthonyh 1 month ago
the judges try to not make ikt obvious that they know that this is already the wining group :/ I love it!
djollyboy 4 months ago
@djollyboy Do you think Petatonix has a chance. I love this group tp death but I think Pentatonix has been killing it lately.these two groups are my top 2 by far. The other groups are great too dont get me wrong. Its just Pentatonix and AfroBlue take the risks and are sooooooooooooooo fucking awesome
sundancekid210 4 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@djollyboy Do you think Petatonix has a chance? I love this group tp death but I think Pentatonix has been killing it lately.these two groups are my top 2 by far. The other groups are great too dont get me wrong. Its just Pentatonix and AfroBlue take the risks and are sooooooooooooooo fucking awesome
sundancekid210 4 months ago
Wedding march?! Seriously Sara Bareilles needs to go she doesn't know anything!
webbec 4 months ago 2
I was super happy to see that all the females got to have solos in this song, especially Eliza. She always seems to get pushed to the back and kind of forgotten about during the judges critiques, but not this week. She sounded beautiful, as all the ladies did. Definitely in my top two with Pentatonix as of now.
TenshiAzure 4 months ago
Ben wasn't critical because he doesn't like this group, its actually quite the opposite. Because he loves this group so much, he's a bit harder, and gives criticism mostly based on fine tuning the sound even more. The only problem is people then think that they didn't do well, and don't vote-Continue to vote for this group, because I sure as hell want them to win!
JediJonas007 4 months ago
@JediJonas007 you can't vote for this show
juicelab 4 months ago
@juicelab lol got carried away, forgot you don't vote until the end
JediJonas007 4 months ago
I liked this song. Don't know why the judges hated it so much. I hope either Afro Blue or Pentatonix will win
theprplzebra 4 months ago
I LOVE YOU AFRO BLUE, OH MY GOD THEY ARE AMAZZZZINNNNNGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!
lakers901109 4 months ago
Ben Folds is an IDIOT! Why was he missing the baritone section..!! Its a Whitney Houston song and she's a friggn' soprano!! this performance was AWESOME!! GO AB!!
swts04 4 months ago
the bass at 2:49-2:52...MANNNNN i felt that 4real
supasmashbro901 4 months ago in playlist supasmashbro901's favorites
that one white girl....
checkmarkedprod 4 months ago
GO MS.BURKON!
jaymad099 4 months ago
i just kinda raped the replay button.
sorry replay button...
xoyoojeongxo 4 months ago
I swear, you'd think they had playing a fretless bass.
mattdre88 4 months ago
Uh, Ben? I didn't hear anything that was so horribly mispronounced that I needed to bring in a master linguist to decipher it. The only "diction issues" I could hear was when the third lead said "I've done alright up till now" in the beginning. It took a few listens to actually understand what she was saying, but so what? I was scratching my head while Ben reviewed them saying, "why even mention that?"
I loved the entire thing, but I can see why they were in the bottom 2 compared to the others.
westmambo 4 months ago
I love, love, love this group. I hope they win ... I would go see them perform in a heartbeat.
tharris525 4 months ago
Problem is bracket 2 was so much stronger than bracket one that I wonder who the hell is doing them. That being said the performance is sick and i cant wait (though I love the judges) for us to get a voice.
Guyver38 4 months ago
@Guyver38 I thought I was the only one who noticed that! The second bracket was super stacked!!! I knew as soon as they announced the order that the Deltones were going home because of the arrangement. I think it may have come out differently if the brackets were different. That being said, Afro Blue should NOT have been in the bottom two because they were definitely better than most in bracket 1
christinjames 4 months ago
I Love how the guys say, "Awwwwww Dance," in the beginning and the end!!! it sounds nice!!!
Heavenlydancer10 4 months ago 2
Penatonix is betterrrr
tttbbaoz131 4 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
They should jazzify it as much as they possibly can!
superultramegamighty 4 months ago
loop 5:25 - 5:45 for endless lols
alittlebitR4nD0m 4 months ago
So funny Shawn just had to step in and stop Sara Bareilles from embarrassing herself by calling it a wedding march??? Rofl she must be referring to that viral video of the white people's wedding, lol so clueless
chrisl84pia 4 months ago 3
Mariah is sexy!!! But Christie is still my girl. And for a fact, BF is talking about the 3rd girl solo at 1:55 when it comes to diction. The first time I watched. I was confused too. But everything else is perfect. They criticize cuz they have to give the illusion of a fair playing field for dramatic suspense. V
vaeugene 4 months ago 2
Ben is full of hot air, and the Sarah lady where is she from, soul train for sure..get up to date... bLues all the way.
tengayi 4 months ago
Eliza was like "huh what you want Shaun??" Then he compliments her and she's like "Oh thanks Shaun you so sweet!!!!" LOL. GO TEAM AFRO BLUE!
purpleprin 4 months ago 3
fwiw... i think the judges are very honest and sincere. they are there to give feedback and judge ! They can't reveal their biases (which I'm sure they have)... but I absolutely believed BF when he said, "I cant' believe I"m even lecturing you..." He loves them and he gets that he has a job to do and he also gets that AB is outstanding. As a singer, myself, I absolutely appreciate the feedback I get to make my performances better. Nit picking is what makes it amazing vs great.
cannuckistanians 4 months ago
They were in the bottom two bc of strategy and suspense on the part of the network. period. manufactured drama.
these guys are going all the way
cannuckistanians 4 months ago
2:40 is incredible!!! I LOVE this group.
JediJonas007 4 months ago
Also, did anyone else notice that nobody was singing the lead refrain line at 3:03? I wonder if that was intentional, or if the lady that was supposed to cover it forgot...
wbradley1372 4 months ago
Continued ..
But know this, what Afro Blue is doing is as natural to Americans as mom and apple pie, it is quintessential American and we love it, and no matter how far removed we are from Jazz or Classic Soul, no matter how hard the record companies force feed rap and hip hop, those traditional art forms are in America's collective DNA and we will ALWAYS love it when someone (like AB) does it well and reminds us why we love it, from the Great Jazz singers to Motown and onward, its in our DNA
Dobermite 4 months ago
This is a fabulous performance!! I thought the weak group was so obvious and the other 4 were so strong. They had to put someone in the bottom. Ben did spend a while explaining things they didn't do well, but I don't they were huge issues. Even he said he shouldn't have been lecturing them.
JDMertMomma 4 months ago
They were great! BF is a tard and Sara is a wench.
johhnnww 4 months ago
@ mrduckbear11 - A grade of B? Clearly you need to stop the subjective grading if you are not in soul touch with this kind of singing.
princessbrandan 4 months ago 3
I understood EVERY WORD sung! Don't let them discourage you Afro Blue. Critique yourselves, then make adjustment! For me, you perfect! I would buy your records right now!!!! Go with yo bad selves!!!!
princessbrandan 4 months ago
that white girl was madd racist
balotelli456 4 months ago
@balotelli456 she is FAR from racist! (or else she wouldn't be in the group; great job, Eliza!)
regonkeyz 4 months ago
@regonkeyz it was the soul train line created and originated by black people and she's acting like a typical ignorant white girl saying shit like it was from weddings and see how she is trying to neglect what the black judge was saying about the soul train line
balotelli456 4 months ago
@balotelli456
Very easy to confuse if you haven't seen a soul train line before and saw that dancing down the wedding aisle you tube video like 70 million hits.. Sometimes pointing the racist finger gets a little ridiculous dont you think? Best to just sit back and listen to this insane good music imho.
Guyver38 4 months ago
White girl didn't 'march' in the end :(
trepid23 4 months ago
@trepid23 cause white girl can never be in the soul train line
balotelli456 4 months ago
@trepid23 Watch all their videos, and you'll see that Eliza (white girl) just doesn't move like the others. :(
Color has nothing to do with it--she moves like she's wearing a back brace.
wbradley1372 4 months ago
It sucks that they want them to become something else. Go over their heads!!!! I'm a musician and I love it. Give US something to work towards!
silkaem 4 months ago
these judges are freaking annoying.
KaelaMackenzie 4 months ago 2
I wanted to hit Sarah Bareilles for saying it was a wedding march -____- that was the Soul Train line girl
Lyssahunn 4 months ago 35
@Lyssahunn Remember..she a stupid white girl!
PowersJonny 4 months ago
@Lyssahunn LMAO I know DId she really say wedding line? She lost points with me for that one!
majixone77 4 months ago 2
@majixone77 she lost points with me too that day lol she still coo tho
Lyssahunn 4 months ago
I liked hearing each of the ladies do their solos at the beginning. Way to go guys backin' them up. I loved it.
stratocaptain 4 months ago
OMG i loved the SOUL TRAIN line at the end as well. This is like my 20th time watching this video. They are definitely in my top 3 groups, if not my top one!
rons026 4 months ago 18
From 2:24 to 2:58 I fell in love yet agian with Afro Blue!!!
rons026 4 months ago
Comment removed
webbec 4 months ago
i didn't have a problem with them being in the bottom 2 of this group...but i did have a problem with all 5 of this group being a lot better than Delilah and still having to have someone sent home...this wasn't their best performance by a lot cause there were a lot of balance issues through the beginning...they just need to stop trying to be "commercial" and just do their thing...this was going to be a questionable week for their style cause they are so serious
bob89797 4 months ago
the Chord at 2:47 Oooooo! I LOVE IT!!!!
BIGGUYLILHORN 4 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
You can tell Nick loves this group and he doesn't even try to hide it. This is the second time he praised their performance before he threw it to the judges.
When they did American Boy he said, "I don't mind saying that was ridiculous"
Dobermite 4 months ago
Comment removed
Dobermite 4 months ago
lol that was a soul train baby they was gettin it in! XD
6TDoT6 4 months ago
Hahaha wedding march
bkkid100234 4 months ago
@ElvinD15 I think Ben Folds was just talking about diction because of course this isn't choir or anything, but diction and overpronounciation is still really important. For people who have NEVER heard this song, diction is important. It did upset me too though that they were in the bottom two :/ this was one of the better performances of the night! They have amazing harmonies, and on top of that they had complex dance moves. They did fantastic! :)
ThreeNails3 4 months ago
I'm glad that Mariah and Eliza got solos!!! Sing y'all!
hubound11 4 months ago
@hubound11 poooost bro! lol
regonkeyz 4 months ago
One of the better performances of the night and of Afro-Blue!
ThreeNails3 4 months ago
Even if this group doesn't win the competition I REALLY hope this gets them enough notice to make an album. I think they deserve it and lord knows I'd buy it.
Lol to Sara B for not knowing what a soul train line is. She's too cute.
Hellhound86 4 months ago 4
this might be rasict but i want them to sing a "white" song. to be fair Vocal Point should do a "black" or "female" song.
sabattisLG 4 months ago
@sabattisLG They did Beiber. That's close enough to "female" =P
But I do disagree. Groups should sing whatever style works best for them, rather than trying to force a different style in order to be more all-inclusive.
carlotta4th 4 months ago
I really don't know what Ben Folds has against this group. First it was over thought. Next you couldn't hear the middle voices. What next, BF? But this group excites me every time they perform. I have repeated this song at least 20 times, along with their rendition of "American Boy". Afro-Blue, please win this....
hhsgdp2004 4 months ago 9
@hhsgdp2004 Ben has nothing against this group. He thinks they are fantastic, he is just giving minor critique to make them that much closer to being perfect. And he was right. You could not hear the middle voices in the first chorus. refer to my previous post. Regardless they will go far.
jnchin89 4 months ago
Continued ...
Bottom line, I know hip hop is popular and Urban Method can make records and lots of young folks will buy it, but that doesn't mean I think they are talented, I DON'T, if you want to BRING BACK TALENT then Afro Blue wins this competition.
Dobermite 4 months ago
@Dobermite Agreed. The Hip Hop actually turns me off from that group. Afro Blue is so talented. They can execute so many styles and that's what needs to be showcased. Frankly, it doesn't take much talent to rap.
silkaem 4 months ago
@silkaem I'll guarantee you this, silk, if the judges allow America to cast its vote on AB, meaning if AB gets through to the finals, they will win in a rout. I almost wish they square off with Urban Method in the finals just to prove what I've always said, its not that people prefer hip hop to the more traditional forms of music that highlights great vocals, its just that the record execs are force feeding them rap, hip hop, auto-tune, digital, etc., which is all dirt cheap to produce.
TBC ...
Dobermite 4 months ago
Again...I keep coming back. Goosebumps. I love you, Afro-Blue.
ElvinD15 4 months ago
Can you understand them? Yes Were they sharp? No Can you hear first and second tenor? Of course. But this record was sung by Whitney Houston in a high soprano. It is going to top heavy. Last week Ben says that the harmony is too complicated and overthought. This week, he says that he doesn't hear enough of the other voices. Give me a break BF.
musicteachjw 4 months ago 7
@musicteachjw Whitney's a Mezzo Soprano but yes the top will stick out more than the other parts.
Platinum400 4 months ago
@musicteachjw as Ben said the second chorus was perfect which it was. it had the few girls on low ooohs which made it a lot fuller. and the first chorus had these sparce daaa da's that didn't really add much, which gave that part its sort of emptiness. I agree with where he was coming from. that is why i would give them a 96 on this song. They were near perfect and they take jazz to a new level of amazing. Come on, Ben still loved it.
jnchin89 4 months ago
2:24 loved ittttttt!! samba!!!
Rbxlm 4 months ago
WOW just WOW! LOve the dance steps, the vocals, everything! i'm a FAN! :DD
iAMnicey 4 months ago in playlist More videos from mrduckbear11
2:33 - the start of some amazing moments ...
jabudhi207 4 months ago
Afro-Blue has done everything flawless this season & Ben Folds seems to be on a mission to destroy them. LMAO! They have chosen the best songs, they have the best sound musically, & they are unique. Pentatonix has been great a couple times, but their first couple of song choices were stupid. The male generic college groups get praised but all 3 of them are exactly the same & they sound like show tunes. Afro-Blue sounds like a group that could actually make an album.
raymondjackso25 4 months ago
@raymondjackso25 I don't think Ben is "on a mission to destroy them." It's not like he's said, "oh, I hated it." He's usually pretty spot on, although I don't agree with the diction comment, I felt Afro-Blue was perfectly understandable. And please don't say that the 3 male college groups are the same: they aren't. I feel that Vocal Point has more musicality than Yellow Jackets and Dartmouth Aires while still being high energy.
TravelByTARDIS11 4 months ago
@raymondjackso25 "The male generic college groups get praised but all 3 of them are exactly the same & they sound like show tunes. Afro-Blue sounds like a group that could actually make an album."
DEAD ON THE MONEY, the male choirs are good in a Glee/Show Tunes sort of way, but IMO only two groups have a shot to make hit records, Urban Method & Afro Blue, and AB is a million times better than Urban. It would be a crime if they lose to that dime-a-dozen rap nonsense, thats whats killing music.
Dobermite 4 months ago 2
I loved this performance personally. I loved that they let go a bit and had some fun. I'm not very familiar with the original version, but this one definitely made me want to dance!
TravelByTARDIS11 4 months ago
For not "jazz-ifying" it up too much, I thought the jazzy part (2:39 through 2:59) was the strongest part of their song. However, if they had a whole performance in that style, I think it would be too much of a good thing. The variety really worked here. (For that matter, so did the dancing--they cut loose and had fun, and it really showed.)
(And for irrelevance, I agree with webcomix...go Eliza! :)
wbradley1372 4 months ago
continued from below...
was the only time I've ever heard "what a feeling" and felt nothing. The Collective's "I will survive" was the only memorable performance from the first group.
Feeze2 4 months ago
"Afro Blue" and "Tentatonic" were the best of the night--not just in their group. As for the performances in their group,"Urban Method" was good but they should've been in the bottom 2. Clearly the fact that they chose a song that had meaning to one of the judges helped. "Focal Point" was ok, but they weren't better than "Afro Blue" by any stretch of the imagination. "Delilah" should've gone home in the first group. Their performance...continued next post
Feeze2 4 months ago
@Feeze2 I really hope you meant to write "Pentatonix" and "Vocal Point" and not tentatonic and focal point :p
elysiumx2 4 months ago
@elysiumx2 No.They are Pentatonic and Focal Point, as far as I'm concerned. LOL!
Feeze2 4 months ago
I love Afro to death and want to really like this performance, but it left me confused and lost in the arrangement. Maybe I'm used to hearing the Whitney version but they really picked a hard song to rearrange. I'm still rooting for them in the finals though. I just think the judges critiques are creeping up on them just like what they do to all jazz contestants on this show.
trepid23 4 months ago
I usually appreciate what Ben Folds has to say, but he was way off on this!!! Afro Blue was so smooth. They added so much to the performance, the singing, choreography, I loved how they made it their own without making the song unrecognizable. Way to go Afro Blue!!!
webbec 4 months ago
"missing the meat" ??? Last week they were told to not "overthink" their arrangements and this week it was missing something then Folds says the second chorus kicked in well, maybe it was because they put in chords they were told to avoid last week -- love the Judges music but they were picking at straws, Dartmouth Aires deserved bottom 2 -- AND ms. bareilles loses major points for "wedding march" - LOL
estv49 4 months ago