Since we left The Sing-Off in December, a cappella music has had a chance to settle into the American psyche more than ever. The third season debuts following the Glee cast's second broken chart record, surpassing Elvis' 108 singles on Billboard's Hot 100 with 113 in February – proving that theatrically earnest cover songs performed by the youth have momentum. Now, the competition show is ramping up as well, bringing the number of competing groups up to 16 from last season's 10, and ditching their last lady judge (Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls) for three-time Grammy nominee Sara Bareilles, whose music is a sight more a cappella-friendly.
As fellow judge Ben Folds put it, "The first two seasons of the show introduced America to a cappella. Now, the third season [is] pushing the art form into the future." We'll see.
During last night's two-hour premiere, the first of two installments of eight groups – four groups per hour – faced off following the kickoff ensemble number, Pink's "Perfect." Each team introduced themselves, their hometowns, and their heartwrenching sob stories, all in the hopes of winning over judges Bareilles, Folds, and Boyz II Men's Sean Stockman, before the singing had even begun.
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