Elon girls (and some boys) love watching Glee on Tuesday nights. When a song from the show comes up on shuffle, my entire suite starts singing along. The show is a way to live out your rock star fantasies. Let’s be honest; everyone at Elon is a secret superstar. So get out your hairbrush microphones Elon, their new Volume 5 CD was just released on Tuesday and here’s what you can expect.
Among the strongest vocal tracks on the album is Katy Perry’s “Firework”, an extremely popular song that not many people other than Perry can pull off. Skeptical at first, I was pleasantly surprised at Lea Michele’s fantastic tribute. My Chemical Romance’s “Sing” was very well done; the original song has resurfaced on the radio and gained exposure from its Glee cover. The almost always upbeat Glee Cast manages to dominate this strong, power ballad, capturing the desperation and tone of the original. “Take Me or Leave Me” from RENT sung by powerhouses Amber Riley and Lea Michele was truly impressive; Broadway is definitely a strong suit for both women.  Their version was just as amazing as the song sung at Elon’s RENT, and that is saying something for both parties. Songs like this remind listeners how easily Riley can blow her competition away.
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Volume 5 also features two Beiber songs, “Baby” and “Somebody to Love.” Those who aren’t a fan of the teenybopper sensation will be pleasantly surprised to discover that without the Bieb attached to the songs, the lyrics are more of a focus, and the songs, sung by an older Chord Overstreet, become more accessible. Those that have the Beiber Fever will love the songs and the tribute to their man.
A track better left off Volume 5 would be Prince’s “Kiss”. One of the tracks Paltrow is featured on, “Kiss” is a horrifying medley of too high notes and sung screeches. Disturbingly, there is no discernable difference between the male and female vocalists. Only the most die-hard Prince fan will be able to halfway enjoy Glee’s rendition, and the demographic of Glee has probably never heard of Prince, let alone will seek out the original song.
The rest of the tracks are wonderfully bubbly, upbeat and catchy. “Don’t You Want Me,” originally by The Human League, was instantly stuck in my head and stayed there for two days, only to be replaced by “Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah),” originally by Gary Glitter, remade by Joan Jett and The Blackhearts.
A pleasant surprise are the last two tracks, “Get it Right” and “Loser Like Me,” which are the first original Glee songs actually written for the show. The former is a power ballad reminiscent of Heart, and the latter, a summer hit deemed the “Gleek anthem” sung by the entire ensemble. Both original songs will premiere in the episode airing next week, March 15, so make sure you make some time and watch it!
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Glee
Justin Bieber