Ep. 7~The songs

"Perfect"
Kurt's voice is beautiful, and I love Blaine's rap. Their harmony together is also way awesome. I can definitely picture them singing this song to each other in the car, as they claimed they did. Awesome P!nk cover.

"I'm the Only One"
Okay, now this song made Puck sound sexy. It was pretty obvious that he was directing his affection at Shelby, and not Quinn or Santanna as he would have you think. But in comparison to "Hot for Teacher", this song was more subtle, and more pleasing to the ears, in my opinion.

"Girls Just Want to Have Fun"
I didn't realize this was what Finn was singing until further on in the song. It's such a slow, mellow cover. I like the regular fast-paced version much better. Not his best performance, I'd say, but he made Santanna cry, so it must've done something to some people.

"Jolene"
Ah, I loved hearing Beiste's voice for the first time! She is a very good singer! So she was living out a tragic country song inside herself. Well, I really liked it and very much hope I get to hear more of Dot Marie Jones in the future.

"I Kissed a Girl"
A very interesting intro into this song... what a creepo! Trying to "straighten" Santanna out? Please. I'm thankful that all the other girls came in to back her up. Girl power! Also it's interesting that they sing a song that was from the pilot episode. Remember Tina's first audition? Haha, I noticed Kurt and Blaine taking videos of the performance with their phones. Cute!

"Constant Craving"
I'm not sure I really connected well with this song. For me, it was something forgettable that I could easily be doing something else and not pay attention to it. The song seems to be about Santanna still struggling with herself, Shelby missing Puck for some reason, and Kurt being sad about losing the election, but sending in his NYADA application anyway. (I really hope he can get in anyway!)

Ep. 6~The songs

"Hot for Teacher"

Okay, when I heard this song at first, I thought I wasn't going to like it, because it's loud, and it's about Puck expressing his feelings for his teacher, Shelby Corcoran. (Ew! >,<) But as the song progressed, I couldn't help getting into the groove. When the song moved into the choir room, that was when I enjoyed the song the most, since my two crushes, Blaine and Mike, were back-up dancers. I think the choreography really made the song good for me. ^_^ Also them saying, "Aw, I think the clock is slow, man!" "I don't feel tardy!" Then they fight with the microphone stands and Mike jumps and "stabs" Blaine. (It almost seems symbolic that Harry Shum Jr. has taken over the throne from Darren Criss as my top Glee hotty. O_o) Anyway, I'm glad that there was a song within the first 2 minutes of the episode, to kick it right off, despite it's original intent. Also Finn's drumming and Puck's singing, I'll admit, was pretty awesome.

"You and I" / "You and I"

This mashup was absolutely phenomenal! Will and Shelby did a fantastic job weaving these two songs (which coincidentally have the exact same title) and their voices together to produce something amazing. I was almost convinced that it was just one song, but I've heard Shelby's "You and I" on the radio, and they seemed to have subtly different styles, so it was just a masterfully done mashup. I just loved the harmony between them, how wonderful they sounded, and obviously the kids thought so too.

"Hit Me with Your Best Shot" / "One Way or Another"

This mashup was quite awesome, the perfect backdrop against the vicious dodge-ball game between New Directions and the Trouble Tones. I liked the flips, and the close-up of a ball bouncing off of people's faces, like Kurt. That looked like it really hurt him! (But I saw the behind the scenes video and know it was a fake, softer dodgeball, so he's just being over the top. Lol.)

"I Can't Go for That" / "You Make My Dreams"

One thing I like about this number is the costumes. The musicians have musical ties, half the guys are wearing pink shirts and blazers, and the other half of the guys, including Blaine, have 'fros and thick mustaches for some reason! So hilarious! The group number was just fantastic. I liked Finn's voice. I think I've hardly heard him this season, and he honestly sounded good. Everyone else did too, of course.

"Rumour Has It" / "Someone Like You"

My god, this mashup gives me chills. I don't know either song really well, but Mercedes and Santanna definitely rock the house with their voices. The backup singers and general choreography were really good. Santanna delivered lots of emotion, especially given that she'd just seen a campaign ad that called her a lesbian. Granted, it's true, but it still obviously hurt her.

Ep. 5~The songs

"Tonight"

Blaine and Rachel made this song absolutely beautiful. It was perfect. Perhaps a little too perfect? Who knows? Maybe Artie was right that they needed more emotion behind their singing. They kept looking at their scripts and the audience, not at each other. (Granted, that's because they're not in love and never will be, since they have boyfriends.) As wonderful as the song was and how well they performed it, there still needs to be that emotional element buried in there. But hey, it was still amazing!

"Uptown Girl"

Man, the Warblers sound awesome, even without Blaine Anderson! Of course, Blaine would have made this song all the more classy, but they still rocked the house! I wonder why they had a woman crossing the halls while they were singing. Isn't this supposed to be an all-boy's school? What is she? A teacher, a secretary of sorts? An excuse for the Warblers to sing to someone pretty? Also, I was confused for a while, because what the heck was Blaine doing there?! But then when he said he'd invite everyone to West Side Story, it totally made sense. Whatever, it was fun checking back at Dalton for a scene, and the Billy Joel cover was nailed. I liked the end, especially.

"A Boy Like That"

Santanna was born to sing this song! Of all the West Side Story songs Glee could have used, that one was absolutely perfect for her. Rachel had a great operatic voice too. The only thing that bugged me was that the conversation between Blaine and this Sebastian (hate him!) kept interrupting the song, and then the song would interrupt the conversation. I wish there was a way to separate out the song and the scene, so I could enjoy them individually, and not be distracted by one or the other. (How the heck did Sebastian wheedle another date out of Blaine?! I wanted to shout at him, You have a boyfriend!!!)

"I Have a Love"

Now this song also used a weaving of song and scene together, but I think this one was done the right way. Maybe because of how mellow the song was, and how special what Tina was talking about was. Both subject matters meshed well with each other, neither was distracting. Rachel demonstrated great mastery of the voice with this song. It was beautiful. The only question I had was, is this a rehearsal for the musical, or is it a flash-forward to the actual show? Because Rachel and Santanna show some good emotion for it just to be practice.

"America"

Okay, this was probably the best song in the whole episode. I love this in West Side Story, and the McKinley High kids just rocked it out! Santanna and Puck were absolutely perfectly cast in their roles, and sounded amazing. I love the lyrics, and how beautiful the Spanish accent sounds on top of everything. This song made me want to see the entirety of their West Side Story performance. Why couldn't they do the whole show?! =(

"One Hand, One Heart"

This duet with Blaine and Rachel was much better than their first. It was sweet and romantic, they sang with real emotion, looking into each other's eyes this time, and acted like they were really in love. I was once again disappointed that I couldn't see more of the show, because this was so amazing. Plus I have to mention that the scenes mixed into the song, of Finchel's and Klaine's first times, were really simple, beautiful, and well-done, and the song added to the experience. A part of me wished I could have seen more (*_*), but really, it was perfect.

Ep. 4~The songs

"Bein' Green"
Easily my favorite song in this episode. It was the perfect way to introduce us to the cute new guy, Rory. By covering this classic by Kermit the Frog, Damian McGinty has already charmed his way into my heart, right next to Darren Criss and Harry Shum Jr. (Blaine and Mike). The song choice is great, because yeah, he's Irish and it's about being green, and it's certainly not easy for Rory to be green, seeing how miserable and invisible everyone makes him feel. But somehow, he still manages to put on a brave smile and not let it get him down, because that's who he is. I definitely look forward to Rory singing more in the future.

"Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)"
Okay, this may have been sung by Blaine, so you'd think that I'd love this song by default, but... I don't know. Not so much this time. I'm not a big fan of this song anyway, and there was really no logical excuse for them to cover it, except to have a silly group number where everyone has fun dancing and acting crazy. It did almost nothing to move the plot forward, besides to demonstrate that Santanna was the only one not willing to jump in, which was strange. I have to admit, though, they did a good, decent cover. And seeing those few funny moments, like Kurt shimmying and spinning with Blaine, Will tapping his knees to the rhythm with that goofy grin, and Rachel slapping Blaine's butt, to name a few, was hilarious!

"Waiting for a Girl Like You"
Puck did a good job calming down Beth's crying with this song. It's really weird though... As well as singing the baby a lullaby, it seemed as if he was also trying to serenade Shelby. =/ Didn't leave that big of an impression on me.

"Candyman"
Wow, loved this song by the Trouble Tone Trio, Mercedes, Santanna and Brittany. The costumes are awesome, though it doesn't make sense why they were wearing them, besides for presentation, I guess... And their singing sure seemed to make Will and Finn look nervous. Too bad Sugar Motta was demoted to one of the background dancers... Hey, where did they get all those dancers? Were they part of the club too?

"Take Care of Yourself"
Ahh, another song from Rory, his official audition into New Directions. This guy has definitely got talent, as evidenced by Kurt's jealous expression at his falsetto. I thought it was cute the way Rachel nudged him, and he's rolling his eyes like, "yeah, yeah, so he can hit a few high notes. Big deal." It didn't compare to "Being Green", but I still really liked this song and think Damien's got high potential.

Coming up: Ep. 4~The best lines, IMO

Ep. 2~The songs

I was a little sad that there were only 3 songs in this entire episode, but then again, that makes reviewing them much easier, and makes for a short post.

"Somewhere"

This was a pretty good duet. It was interesting to see this "mother-daughter" team belt out this song together. Lea Michelle and Idina Menzel are so completely similar, in looks and in talent. It wasn't my favorite song though. Not very surprising, since Rachel had to go up against my two favorite people on this show... ^_~

"I'm the Greatest Star"

My goodness, I completely bow down to you, Chris Colfer. You are the greatest star! What with the climbing all over that metal bar structure like a monkey and singing a frigging Barbara Streisand song!!! I have always thought that Rachel reminded me of strongly of Streisand, but I could barely believe how superbly Kurt pulls off a Barbara voice! He was just so charming and witty. (Did anyone else crack up when he says "stick around for the jokes"? LOL!) And of course, the grand finale in the very end, I could never have predicted how awesome that would be!

For those unaware, Chris Colfer can spin sai swords like a ninja pro. Here is the proof:

You can appreciate the thrill I experienced, the first time seeing the episode, when I suddenly saw Kurt pick up a couple of sais and twirl them while continuing to sing at the same time! It made the performance so much more epic! If I was still grading performances, I would absolutely give Chris an A with infinity pluses! Until something else comes to knock it off it's pedestal, this is my all time favorite Kurt song.

"Something's Coming"

Blaine was also utterly fantastic with his audition song. I mean, a number straight from West Side Story. I don't know how he didn't expect to get the part of Tony, since he was singing as Tony. Even if he wasn't singing this song, though, I'm sure he'd still have gotten the role. I mean, look at him! Darren Criss is adorable! He will be the perfect Tony.

Coming up: Ep. 2~The best lines, IMO

Ep. 3~The songs

"Spotlight"
Wow, Mercedes completely blew me away with her first solo of the season. Phenomenal. She sang that song with lots of attitude and power, the kind that gives me chills and makes Rachel Berry quake in her boots, because honestly, Mercedes has got big talent! She has always been one of my favorite singers, someone I always look forward to performing, because she rarely ever disappoints. Brava. (I think I'll stop with the grading system. Just giving my straight opinion is enough for me.)

"Run the World (Girls)"
This was really kind of a random song from Brittany that I'm really not sure why had to be done. It didn't move the plot forward at all and was just very loud. On the plus side, however, the dancing cheerleaders weren't that bad. =P

"Cool"
Mike Chang sings! And he was surprisingly awesome! Such a perfect song for him! I remember when he sang "Sing" slightly off, back in Season 2, and with the performance he gave tonight, acting and singing, he really showed how he has evolved since then. Also, the dance moves with the football players were amazing!

"It's All Over"
This was a very interesting scene, with a whole performance apparently happening all in Mercedes' head, with her and the whole cast. I like the cast numbers a whole lot, and liked that most everyone got a little solo part, but she was kind of the focus. Very well done.

"Out Here On My Own"
Duets on Glee are awesome, especially if it's 2 of my favorite female singers. They were both so fabulous with this song, you hardly know which one of them to root for. On the one hand, Rachel really wants to get the lead role in the play, so it will get her good credits, which will help her get into that New York college she and Kurt want to get into. On the other hand, Mercedes is, understandably, tired of being second best and wants to take charge in her senior year. The editing, going back and forth between Mercedes' and Rachel's auditions, were spot on, and it was just a great scene.

"Fix You"
This started off a bit shaky, I'll admit. I don't really like Will's singing all that much, but I was glad when the whole cast joined in, and when the scene focused on people reading the call-back sheet, so I didn't notice the song all that much. Long story short, I would deem this song forgettable. Not the worst performance ever, but forgettable.

Coming up: Ep. 2~I Am Unicorn.

Ep. 1~The songs

"We Got the Beat": What a fantastic toe-tapper for the first song! I loved the excitement and energy as well as the dancing on the lunch tables. I didn't get why ALL the other students looked so bored or wary. Couldn't have a few people at least shown some interest? I mean Rachel, Britanny And Santanna all rocked! I don't know about you, but I never saw the food fight scene coming. What a shock! Poor Kurt had to duck and use his lunch tray to shield himself. It was so funny to watch, but horribly embarrassing for the glee kids to endure. Don't worry, New Directions. I give this song an A, for your bold effort.

"Big Spender": This was the song that Sugar sang to audition. I already gave my opinion on her performance. It stank. But the reactions from the other characters were pretty funny. Also, I don't even know the song, so that lowers her grade even further. In the end, because she sang so bad, I give her an F.

"Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead": I loved how beautifully Kurt and Rachel sang this duet together. They are absolutely my favorite singers (aside from Mercedes), and it was such a cheerful number. It's a shame they were singing to no one, though... Unless you count the backup musicians. =P Fun song, very well done. A

"It's Not Unusual": Oh, Darren Criss, naturally you blew me away with this song! I loved you covering Tom Jones. ^_^ Especially with all the cheerleaders dancing behind you. The only thing that turned me off was the fact that, on occasion, you sang the word "unusual" in an usual way. At times, it sounded like you were singing un-jews-ual, or something weird like that. O,o Don't believe me? Listen to the song on youtube. You'll hear what I mean. But no matter. You are still a winner talent and totally awesome! (A Very Potter Musical reference. ^_~) A++

"Anything Goes" / "Anything You Can Do": Now this mashup was so extremely well done, it was almost frightening. Only because the people performing it were so darn threatening. Rachel and Kurt went to some sort of college audition, but a bunch of Rachel lookalikes and gay guys needed someone to show off to, I guess. You could see the two McKinley students smiling politely, but in their eyes you could tell they were scared out of their wits of their competition. In fact, they were later reduced to tears in their car by this flawless performance. I liked how loud the song was, and how the red glaring lights tell the audience, "Yes, you should be scared of us! We eat amateurs like you for breakfast!" I liked one of the gay guy's lines before they started. "Like my future husband, Robert Pattinson, says, 'It's great having some fresh blood.'" Lol. A+

"You Can't Stop the Beat": Even though right before this starts, Santanna gets kicked out of the club, I'm glad the episode was able to wrap up with a catchy, feel good song. The slow beginning from Rachel gave it a unique spin, and then all the kids dancing and singing in purple shirts made it full of energy and satisfaction from a well-done episode. Thank you, Mercedes, as usual, for your awesome solos. I wish you could've sang one of those awesome high notes you do that give me chills, but still, it was fine. And the song attracted Quinn from the shadows, so hopefully she won't stay away from glee for too long.

There you have it. 7 great sings to kick the season off with a bang. I'm heartily looking forward to next week's episode and song list! Until then, Gleek out! (Yes, this is going to be my catch-phrase. Don't laugh. It's the title of my blog, after all.)

Coming up: Ep. 1~The best lines, IMO.