Season Four of Vocal Edge launched on 2nd May 2016 and auditions for the season reached a fantastic high of 1935 unique auditions.
This season, we changed it up a little, with some originality.
Vocal Edge offered a test of creativity with direct Round 1 bonus points,
with customized scores based on the concepts included in the entry.
We also offered a bonus to any returning competitor from previous seaasons...
Listen to the entries on smule
Perform a song including as much of the following as possible:
Sing a song representing your personality and explain your reason in the description
Insert spoken (or sung) words “Vocal Edge: Season 4”
Hum for 20 seconds
Use a layer of noticeable Pop/Super Pop FX
Sing using an operatic style for 30 seconds
Sing one chorus of falsetto/head voice
Perform at least 30 seconds of rap
Use 30 seconds of any language other than English
Sing at least 30 seconds of 3 part harmony
Do all of the above using only 3 layers or less (original layer plus two joins)
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Round One
The Official Smule Songbook
The first challenge of the season was to sing a song from the official songbook on Smule.
These veified tracks give pitch guidelines and verified lyrics, and were a fine way to celebrate and begin our first season with Smule's official support.
Listen to the entries on smule
Featured Track:
Round Two
Happy Birthday Brett!
In celebration of Brett's birthday (creator of Vocal Edge), contestants were challenged to sing a chart-topping song from his birthday on each year since his birth... May 19th from each year 1981-2015.
The lists were from the UK, USA, Canada and Australia.
Click the cover art below to see the song choices they had...
Listen to the entries on smule
Featured Track:
Round Three
Amazon's Opinion
The contestants were challenged to sing any song, by any vocalist named on Amazon's own list of the 50 Greatest Male, and 50 Greatest Female vocalists.
You can click the cover art below to see the list they got to choose from.
Moving on from here, the coaching stages began...
Listen to the entries on smule
Featured Track:
Round Four - RnB (Groups)
Split into groups of 4-5 people, the coaching stages began with our toughest challenge to date...
RnB music, co-ordinated with collaborators from all over the world, in a defined time period...
The entries were stellar - talent undeniable!
Listen to the entries on smule
Featured Track:
Round Five - Pop Rock
Defined as the upbeat variety of 'radio rock', teams were given a list of allowed artists, and had to perform a pop rock track...
How many fell into the trap of acoustic ballads for this upbeat variety of rock music?
Listen to the entries on smule
Featured Track:
Round Six - 80s Dance
We wanted the contestants to make us dance.
With a restricted song choice, and only two people allowed to perform each song, this threw some of them for a loop and caused a few shock eliminations.
Listen to the entries on smule
Featured Track:
Round Seven - Live!
(Movie Soundtracks)
For the first time in a Smule competition, we simulated conditions of singing Live.
A solo layer, and just one shot (a ten minute time limit) - and the song had to be from a movie soundtrack.
Listen to the entries on smule
Featured Track:
Round Eight - Down Under
And now for something a little different...
We sent the VE contestants to the land of kangaroos and the Sydney Opera House, thats right - Australia.
Artists performed MUST be Australian born, current nationality was not the deciding factor of the theme, creating a few red herrings to navigate - but we still ended up with some amazing entries, from amazingly talented people.
Listen to the entries on smule
Featured Track:
Round Nine - Tears & Hits
The first double song round was upon us...
Contestants were challenged to make the judges feel something, with a solo layer, emotional, tear-jerker.
They also had to fully produce a multi layered One-Hit Wonder (from any region of the world), with harmony.
Listen to the entries on smule
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Listen to the entries on smule
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Round Ten
Disney, But Not Disney
Contestants were challenged to create a mashup of Disney lyrics and melodies against a track which had no assosciation to Disney, a highly technical, complex and daunting task...
Listen to the entries on smule
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Semi-Finals
One Song, Two Ways
Same song, but performed in two formats (Standard/Acoustic).
The catch???
Both songs had to have IDENTICAL vocal arrangements.
Listen to the entries on smule
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Finals
Face The Music
First the finalists had to sing a song chosen for them by the judges.
The score of this first song decided our 3rd place contestant.
Original songs were then scored, in which contestants had to arrange and write lyrics and vocal arrangement over one of Brett's original instrumental tracks.
(NOTE: The person in 3rd place was not eligible to win but their song WAS recorded and scored)
Listen to the entries on smule
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ORIGINAL TRACKS:
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