In As You Like It, Shakespeare wrote that “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.”
How right Will was …
The recent upgrade of MySpace Music has been received with phenomenal praise, and is helping launch MySpace well beyond the realm of “social networking” and into something even bigger. But today, I took to exploring the new MySpace Karaoke, and I have to admit that this feature is entertaining, fun, and, frankly, brilliant.
American Idol, egocentrism, YouTube, and the entire Web 2.0 realm have all had incredible impacts on our culture, and I think MySpace karaoke is sort of the meeting place of all of the those phenomena. There are literally thousands of videos of random people sitting in their bedrooms (or kitchens, or bathrooms, or living rooms, or front porchs) singing, rapping, squealing, dancing, and otherwise busting loose in front of their cameras – and in front of the world.
Now I love karaoke. Seriously. I can’t sing to save my life, but I have gotten brave enough (translation: intoxicated enough) to get up with friends to sing a few times. My songs of choice in past endeavors have included “The Real Slim Shady” (a complete disaster); “If I Could Turn Back Time” (which led to a HILARIOUS video); “Bohemian Rhapsody” (disastrous, but so much fun); “Joy to the World” (Three Dog Night, not the Christmas song); and a couple of others. Normally, though, I go to watch, listen, laugh, and sing along from the safety of my table.
With MySpace Karaoke, I don’t even have to leave my apartment. (Although the karaoke bar is quite literally about 120 feet from my front door, so I BARELY have to leave anyway). But I can now enjoy karaoke on a Tuesday evening without ever having to put on my clothes. (Not that I sit around on Tuesday evenings naked …).
If you haven’t looked around on MySpace Karaoke yet, please allow me to provide you with this brief sampling:
“So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday” – Chris
This guy did it all right. All black room w/ no light, so we can’t see his kids playing in the background and his family pictures up on the wall. It also helps give a cool Kissish / Sinead O’Connerish feel. Bonus: You can read along with the lyrics in his glasses! Score!
“Hallelujah” – Jerry G.
I absolutely love Jeff Buckley’s version of this song, and this kid actually did a really good job with it … try to stick it out through the awkward long instrumental intro, and it’ll be enjoyable.
“How Blue” – Renee
Seeing Renee sing Reba McEntire reminded me, for some reason, of my mom, who has an incredible voice. She has old recordings of my grandparents singing together, and I would give anything to have something similar with my mom (and my dad, though it’s pretty clear where my inability to sing a lick came from). So thanks to Renee & Reba, I’m going to do my darndest to get my momma to record a couple of these just for me!! (We’ll see if that ever happens!)
Say what you will about any of these people’s singing talent or otherwise. They have more nerve than I ever would, and they’re all clearly enjoying themselves themselves. We’re enjoying their performances.
And that’s what music – and karaoke – is all about!
Through the Peephole 