What is your karaoke song of choice?
This is one of my favourite questions to ask people. There are a lot of factors that go into this question: what’s your experience with karaoke? Are you thinking of karaoke in a public bar, or in a box? What’s your singing range? Do you want to show off your whistle tone, scream-sing with friends, or get in your feelings with a ballad?
At the heart of it, however, I think what I really want to know it: what song do you have to sing aloud when you’re alone?
It’s a pretty vulnerable question! Kind of hard to ask that of a complete stranger! But then again, karaoke is also pretty vulnerable.
I love karaoke, and have many opinions about it. If you’ve never been to karaoke, or if you are simply looking to better your karaoke experience, here are my Expert1 Opinions. They might seem silly2, but that is because you haven’t realised how Important3 and Correct4 they are.
1.) It is okay if there are people with differing singing abilities in the room because you all have a part to play.
Karaoke is for everyone who can sing, no matter how well or poorly you can sing. Someone needs to take the mic. Someone needs to sing along off-mic to support the shy singer (or because they ARE the shy singer). Someone needs to be the screamer, a thing that only requires enthusiasm and working vocal chords. We all have to maintain the vibe, whatever it is at the time.
I have heard people say that when there’s an actually good singer in the room that it ruins the mood, and that’s not true! Because the other thing you need is someone who makes song requests, and the person who fulfils said song requests.
I love singing to Mariah and Whitney, but if there’s an actual good singer in the room, guess who I’m giving the mic to?
2.) You don’t need alcohol for karaoke.
Certainly alcohol can help, especially if you’re a shyer person- but enthusiasm and friendship doesn’t require alcohol! If you need the social lubrication, nostalgia is a great way to get people loose. Break out a 90’s pop hit or some Disney songs - people get SO AMPED to sing Make a Man Out Of You.
What you definitely do require is hydration, whether or not anyone is drinking alcohol. Make sure you have water! Take care of your vocal chords.
3.) Different people have different expectations of what songs you must sing at karaoke.
This is something that pains me to admit. I am a firm believer that all karaoke sessions must involve at least some Mariah Carey because I have taste.
Not everyone feels that way. For some people, their must-haves are different pop divas: Whitney, Madonna, Ariana, Tina5. (All correct).
Some people MUST sing Bohemian Rhapsody at some point. (Also correct, though I am of the firm belief that this is best either as an ending song, or as a way to perk up flagging energy during a session).
Other people might need Teenage Dirtbag or The Carpenters or Creep. Know your audience, and be mindful if you’re queuing songs for the crowd.
4.) You gotta save the emotions for a little later in the session.
My favourite karaoke songs are emotional. I love a love song. I love a break-up song. My go-to is in fact Boys II Men’s End of the Road.
I also know that that is NOT the first song you queue up at karaoke.
Karaoke is a great way to release all the pent up emotion and energy you might have that you might not want to talk about. Screaming along to Olivia Rodrigo’s Good 4 U is a fabulous release, and can really make you feel connected to everyone else scream-singing along.
Singing it before anyone else is ready to get in their feelings however…
Consider starting people off with some feel-good songs everyone knows before you start breaking folks’ hearts with Adele.
5.) Your favourite song is maybe not a good karaoke song.
So many people choose bad songs for karaoke, and it’s not because of the song quality. It’s because it’s a bad song for karaoke.
Usually the problem is that people choose a dance track for karaoke. I love dance, I love dance music; what the fuck am I supposed to? The bass line?
Girls may run the world, but I know Beyonce has SO MANY OTHER SONGS you can sing at karaoke instead.
Listen, your mileage may vary, everyone has different songs they like for karaoke, it’s fun to dance in a karaoke booth with your friends - I get it. You can have fun however you want. I am still right.
I feel so strongly about this that I actually made an over 200-song playlist on Spotify called FUCK YEAH KARAOKE because I was so frustrated by the state of other Spotify playlists.
Is it perfect? No. Is it complete? Never. Is it a good? Definitely.
Did I write this email just so I could show it off? Maybe.
Now everyone, sing along!
Thanks for reading! Have a treat.
I’m not a singer, or a karaoke expert; I’m just Filipino.
Because they are
Completely inane
It is factually impossible for an opinion to be ‘correct’ otherwise it wouldn’t be an opinion.
Truly entering my tita/tito era by just referring to celebrities by their first names, as if they were friends I know.