Favorite Duets to Sing

I am a karaoke fiend, but even a spotlight-hog like me knows that often, two is better than one.

After all, no matter how good of a singer you may be (and I’m just an okay singer), you can’t really harmonize with yourself (in real time).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGaxbH2t9Ik

So, as I say goodbye to one of my favorite karaoke buddies as he heads off to medical school, I thought I’d round up some of my favorite duets.

Is it weird to sing duets with people I am platonic with?

Eh… sometimes. Especially when a lot of my local duet partners are close friends of my boyfriend’s, primarily because we are more intense about karaoke than my boyfriend is. ^^;

Some duets are more romantic than others, and those can be dangerous.

But saying no to karaoke is difficult enough. Saying no to the rare opportunity of having someone singing the harmonies that I can’t? Nearly impossible to deny.

Sometimes when I’m lonely (slash can’t get anyone to come to do karaoke with me), I’ll record one part and sing duets with myself. I’m not totally crazy for this, am I?

As you can see, this list is all over the place. Contemporary, oldies, musicals… duets are everywhere and I am so glad.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FmGtCIOwB4
(I can’t find a live performance of this, but this is my favorite version.)

And don’t think I forgot about this one! You know how much I love my holiday music.

Also I may or may not have learned to sing in Korean for this one.

For those of you who can’t/don’t want to load the videos, here’s a list, kind of sorted by how often I get to sing them and/or how much I like singing them (there is a weak correlation between the two, but you’ll have to guess whether a song is up on the top of the list because I like it or my duet partners like it)

  1. “Lucky” – Jason Mraz & Colbie Caillat
  2. “My Boo” – Usher & Alicia Keys
  3.  “Endless Love” – Lionel Richie & Diana Ross
  4. “No Air” – Jordin Sparks ft. Chris Brown
  5. “Falling Slowly” – Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová
  6. “Baby It’s Cold Outside” – Margaret Whiting & Johnny Mercer (not the version I posted)
  7. “Love is an Open Door” – Kristen Bell & Santino Fontana
  8. “Phantom of the Opera” – Sarah Brightman & Michael Crawford
  9. “Say Something” – A Great Big World & Christina Aguilera
  10. “Two is Better Than One” – Boys Like Girls ft. Taylor Swift
  11. “Timeless” – Jang Ri In & Xiah Junsu (original by Justin Guarini & Kelly Clarkson)

*Honorable mention: “Love the Way You Lie” – Eminem ft. Rihanna

This is an honorable mention, not because I don’t like singing it but because I usually end up singing both parts alone. People are amused by me getting angry and rapping Eminem’s verses. Who am I to deny them and not make a fool of myself?

Which duets am I missing?
Do you like singing duets? (Wanna sing one with me?)
Am I crazy for trying to sing them alone in my room or is this something you’d want to hear?

Best of Wale [playlist]

I’m seeing Wale and Big Sean live today and I’m so excited.

It’s difficult to say when, but I became a pretty big Wale fan about 2 years ago? I definitely remember listening to Ambition frequently when I was interning in North Carolina the summer of 2012. I think the fact that he’s local, reppin’ DC and frequently making shout-outs to PG and Montgomery counties has something to do with it.

In any case, I was really obsessed with “Lotus Flower Bomb” (one of my songs to stay on), and I loved Ambition a lot.


This mix is mostly stuff that wasn’t played on the radio, but there is really good stuff.

I’m not really as big a fan of Big Sean.
HOWEVER.
His verse in “Mercy” is one of my favorite things ever. I love when “hard” rappers make ridiculous puns in their verses because it just reveals how dorky they are, essentially. (I see you, Luda. Don’t think that making puns out of the word “ho” means you aren’t a huge dork.) So shout-out to that verse that makes the entire song for me (and I may or may not have memorized whoops):

Do you like Wale or Big Sean?
Do you have any favorite musicians that are from your area?

“ғʀɪᴄᴋɪɴ’ sᴛᴀʀ-ʟᴏʀᴅ” [playlist]

On the very likely chance that I won’t be able to put out original stuff today, I found this fun playlist in preparation of Marvel’s upcoming film, Guardians of the Galaxy. Here’s a trailer if you haven’t seen it yet:

 

❝They call themselves the Guardians of the Galaxy.❞

❝… What a bunch of a-holes.❞

A mix for the assholiest rebel rousers in the entire galaxy, forever hooked on a feeling and jammin’ to the eternal classics.

I mean, what the hell kind of name is Star-Lord, anyways?

[ not a serious fanmix. you’ve been warned. ]

 It’s a fun, feel-good playlist that is a throw-back to the same era as the first song on the mix, which is featured in the trailer.

Track listing:

i. hooked on a feeling ii. escape (pina colada song) iii. mony mony iv. apache (jump on it) v. love shack vi. i will survive vii. long cool woman in a black dress viii. december, 1963 ix. magic carpet ride x. tambourine xi. fell in love with a girl xii. another one bites the dust xiii. more than a woman xiv. tush xv. i’m gonna (500 miles) xvi. total eclipse of the heart xvii. you make my dreams come true xviii. kill the lights