Well, guys, we made it - our final Glee recap post. Season 6 doesn't quite get the credit I think it deserves, with introducing new, talented characters and FINALLY putting Rachel Berry in her place, but I do feel it was a fitting ending for this phenomenon. The music isn't quite as strong this season, but there's still a good amount of fun to go around.
Glee's sixth and final season premiered on Fox on January 9th, 2015 with the finale airing on March 20th, 2015. This season sees a couple of time jumps, but nothing too complicated to follow as we see Rachel try to rebuild her life and New Directions at the same time. As always, this season sees plenty of pressures and problems for our characters to navigate, including but not limited to adulthood, divorce, gender identity, homophobia, marriage, and sexism.
As with the previous seasons, I have chosen what, in my opinion, is the best song from each episode of the season. I'll be comparing the Glee cover with the original song, talking about which one I personally prefer, and a little bit about the context of why the song was used in the show as well as shoutouts to the cast members who sang the songs. Let's dive in!
S6E1: Loser Like Me (January 9th, 2015)
Spotlight Song: Uninvited (written by A. Morissette)
Original Artist: Alanis Morissette
Uninvited was originally featured on the soundtrack for the 1998 film City of Angels (starring Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan). It won Best Female Rock Vocal Performance and Best Rock Song at the 1999 Grammys as well as Best Original Song - Motion Picture at the 1999 Golden Globes. This song is really beautiful, with incredible vocals from Morissette that both do and don't have her signature 90's alt rock sound. The sweeping vocals paired with the dramatic instrumentation create a haunting melody that'll definitely get stuck in your head.
Glee Artist: Rachel Berry (Lea Michele)
Ya'll know by now how I feel about Rachel Berry, so watching Michele sing this as the season opener and realizing she'd finally been knocked off her pedestal was absolutely thrilling to me. She does knocking this song completely out of the park, I will say, but boy was it satisfying to see her stupid decision to abandon Funny Girl for a trash TV pilot crash and burn around her. I'm going to give the original song the win here purely because it's a little longer than the Glee version, which has always ended a little too abruptly for me. Both versions are great, though, so you can't go wrong checking out either one.
S6E2: Homecoming (January 9th, 2015)
Spotlight Song: Home (written by J. Casinos, A. Ebert)
Original Artist: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes
Home was originally featured on Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes' 2009 album Up from Below. It has since been certified Platinum by the RIAA. This upbeat anthem is a lot of fun with a great beat and sweet lyrics. It's fun to dance to and sing along to.
Glee Artist: McKinley Alumni, New Directions, & Marshall Williams
This cover, performed at McKinley's Homecoming football game to help recruit new members for New Directions, was an absolute blast both to watch and to listen to. The marching band accompaniment really adds something special to the number, and the individual solos by original cast members and new faces alike are all top notch. Glee gets the win for me here for the above listed reasons and admittedly the lack of spoken verse section from the original (a lot of times those don't bother me at all, but this one just didn't hit for me).
S6E3: Jagged Little Tapestry (January 16th, 2015)
Spotlight Song: Hand in My Pocket/I Feel the Earth Move (written by A. Morissette, G. Ballard, C. King)
Original Artist(s): Alanis Morissette/Carole King
Hand in My Pocket was originally featured on Morissette's 1995 album Jagged Little Pill. I Feel the Earth Move was originally featured on King's 1971 album Tapestry and peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at #25. Both of these songs by these two powerhouses of music are great in their own right. What would happen if Glee did what Glee does best and mashed them together?
Glee Artist: Brittany Pearce (Heather Morris) & Santana Lopez (Naya Rivera)
Brittany/Santana duets are always so much fun, and this one being a mashup just upped the ante even more. These two songs, turns out, mash up great together into a fun, upbeat number that you can't help but smile through. I never would've thought to pair Alanis and Carole together, but just like the theme for this episode, that's kind of the point - it doesn't always have to make sense to create something new and beautiful that really, really works.
S6E4: The Hurt Locker, Part One (January 23rd, 2015)
Spotlight Song: Bitch (written by M. Brooks, S. Peiken)
Original Artist: Meredith Brooks
Bitch was originally featured on Brooks's 1997 album Blurring the Edges. It peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at #2 and has been certified Gold by the RIAA. This song is so undeniably from the 90s that there could never be any question, but in the best way. It's a great song to vibe to while you're getting ready for your day or while you're driving somewhere to hype yourself up.
Glee Artist: Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch)
If ever there were to be a perfect theme song for Sue Sylvester, this song is absolutely it. This episode is definitely Sue at her most nefarious and over-the-top, from hypnotizing people into doing her evil bidding to revealing her obsessive shipping of Kurt and Blaine. Lynch absolutely knocked this song out of the park, really selling it on the emotions and sounding like she was having the time of her life singing it. I'm actually going to call a tie here because I think Lynch's cover is every bit as good as the original.
S6E5: The Hurt Locker, Part Two (January 30th, 2015)
Spotlight Song: Father Figure (written by G. Michael)
Original Artist: George Michael
Father Figure was originally featured on Michael's 1987 album Faith. It peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at #1. This is a classic George Michael song, and one I've really enjoyed ever since Ace Young covered it on American Idol's fifth season. It's got some stereotypical 80s ballad lyrics in it, but the groove is catchy and the vocals are great.
Glee Artist: New Directions
Part 2 of The Hurt Locker is, if possible, even more unhinged than Part 1. From the end of Rachel and Will's weird feud to Sue literally trapping Kurt and Blaine in a Saw-style elevator trap (complete with a Jigsaw-esque puppet on a tricycle), the plot is so ridiculous you can't help but laugh the entire way through. However, I absolutely loved New Directions getting their comeuppance on Sue by putting together an invitational set of her all-time favorite songs to emotionally manipulate her. Noah Guthrie, who solos this song as the character Roderick, has an incredible voice and is my favorite of the new additions to this season (check out his Mustang Sally from S6E2), and I'm giving him the win on this round because he did such a great job.
S6E6: What the World Needs Now (February 6th, 2015)
Spotlight Song: Wishin' and Hoping (written by B. Bacharach, H. David)
Original Artist: Dionne Warwick
Wishin' and Hoping was originally featured on Warwick's 1963 album Presenting Dionne Warwick. It peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at #6. Glee doing a Burt Bacharach tribute episode makes more sense than almost anything else they've ever done; I'm just sorry it took until the final season for it to happen. This song is so catchy that it gets stuck in my head all the time, and like most of Bacharach's catalogue it makes you feel all warm and toasty inside when listening to it.
Glee Artist: Artie Abrams (Kevin McHale), Blaine Anderson (Darren Criss), Brittany Pearce (Heather Morris), & Sam Evans (Chord Overstreet)
Brittany's storyline went totally of the rails years ago, but the only thing I liked less than her absurd discovery that she's a genius and the biological daughter of Stephen Hawking was her engagement and wedding with Santana - not that I didn't like them as a couple, it's just that the entire thing felt completely forced unlike other couples on the show. I do like the Sam/Rachel couple thing they tried out here though, and I loved these four fan-favorites singing this song together. They all blend really well together, and ya'll know Darren Criss and Kevin McHale are two of my favorite singers on the show. I'm giving Glee the win again here just because this cover is the main reason this song has lived rent-free in my head as a perpetual ear worm since 2015.
S6E7: Transitioning (February 13th, 2015)
Spotlight Song: I Know Where I've Been (written by S. Wittman, M. Shaiman)
Original Artist: Hairspray Cast
I Know Where I've Been was originally featured in Act II of the 2002 musical Hairspray and is performed by the character Motormouth Maybelle. The most serious song in an otherwise bright and happy musical, it's an absolute showstopper with deep lyrics and incredible vocals. The original Motormouth, Mary Bond Davis, does a fabulous job to be sure, but for me nothing can top Queen Latifah's take on the song in the 2007 film adaptation. It's beautiful, emotional, and really brings you back down to earth in this show about what was going on in the world at the time.
Glee Artist: Unique Adams (Alex Newell) & The Transpersons Choir
While the storyline of Coach Beiste transitioning was, to say it lightly, messy af, the performance of this song absolutely was not. As much as I would've loved to hear Amber Riley belt this one out, Alex Newell did a jaw-droppingly incredible job on this number. They got it right adding in a very talented choir on this as well because this song just isn't the same without it, and performance wise there's not much else to say. Out of the choice between the 2002 Original Cast vs Glee, I give Glee the win, but like I said earlier, really no one beats Queen Latifah in my mind.
S6E8: A Wedding (February 20th, 2015)
Spotlight Song: At Last (written by M. Gordon, H. Warren)
Original Artist: Etta James
At Last was originally in the 1941 film Sun Valley Serenade before achieving more widespread fame on James's 1960 album At Last!. James's version peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at #47 and has been certified Gold by the RIAA. A musical standard and one of the most well-known love songs out there, this song has been a favorite of mine since I heard it performed in the early days of American Idol. Etta James has one of those voices that just makes you say "Wow," and the song is so well written it's honestly no wonder it's still as popular as it is to this very day.
Glee Artist: Artie Abrams (Kevin McHale) & Mercedes Jones (Amber Riley)
Again, the wedding arc of this season was very weak and shoehorned for me, but damn if I didn't get emotional watching Santana make up with both her grandmother and with Sue. Then they convinced Blaine & Kurt to have a double wedding with Santana & Brittany and I was out again, sorry not sorry, that was just dumb. What wasn't dumb, though, was the incredible duet version of At Last performed by Artie & Mercedes for the wedding. McHale and Riley blend perfectly together, and they make this cover of this classic song every bit as good as anyone else's. I am giving Etta's original the win just because I think the little vocalizations at the very end of the Glee version to be unnecessary frill, but it's a very near miss.
S6E9: Child Star (February 27th, 2015)
Spotlight Song: Cool Kids (written by J. David, J. Dzwonek, S. Sierota, N. Sierota, G. Sierota, J. Sierota)
Original Artist: Echosmith
Cool Kids was originally featured on Echosmith's 2013 album Talking Dreams. It peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at #13 and has been certified 3x Platinum by the RIAA. I wasn't super crazy about this song when it first hit the radio, but as time has gone on it's grown on me a little bit more. It's a fun little bop with a cool beat and a catchy chorus that can easily get stuck in your head.
Glee Artist: New Directions
This was a really cringey episode for me with (yet another) forced aspect in the form of Myron, a thirteen-year-old who briefly joins New Directions and is way too cartoonish and over the top. Overall, the performance of Cool Kids is pretty good, but I do wish Madison (played by Laura Dreyfuss) got to sing a little bit more than Kitty, just because Dreyfuss's voice fits this genre of music better than Becca Tobin's does. It's a classic New Directions performance, with fairly basic matching t-shirt costumes, added vocalizations to enhance the instrumentals, and plenty of popcorning the solos around. It's a little lackluster compared to other group numbers, but it's definitely not bad. I'm giving the original Echosmith the win this time, largely because of my comment earlier in this paragraph.
S6E10: The Rise and Fall of Sue Sylvester (March 6th, 2015)
Spotlight Song: The Trolley Song (written by H. Martin, R. Blane)
Original Artist: Meet Me in St. Louis Cast
The Trolley Song was originally featured on the soundtrack for the 1944 film Meet Me in St. Louis (starring Judy Garland & Margaret O'Brien). While not quite as universally known as its track mate Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, it's still become a musical standard thanks to the one and only Judy Garland. It's a really fun, upbeat song that feels right at home with the other classic movie musicals I grew up watching.
Glee Artist: Doris Sylvester (Carol Burnett) & Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch)
Sue and Doris's mother-daughter relationship is, to say the least, extremely complicated but always made for great musical numbers. Watching the two of them attempt to reconcile in this scene starts off insane but ends up heartwarming, and all of that credit goes to the incredible talent and chemistry that Carol Burnett and Jane Lynch have. I'm actually going to give the Glee version the win this time purely because of Burnett & Lynch. It's really hard to beat Judy Garland, but these ladies absolutely gave her a run for her money.
S6E11: We Built This Glee Club (March 13th, 2015)
Spotlight Song: Listen to Your Heart (written by P. Gessle, M. Persson)
Original Artist: Roxette
Listen to Your Heart was originally featured on Roxette's 1988 album Look Sharp!. It peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at #8 and has been certified Gold by the RIAA. A classic 80s bop, you can almost smell the hairspray that went into this song and its music video. This is a song I've always liked quite a bit, so it was really fun to be able to see it done on the show.
Glee Artist: Jesse St. James (Jonathan Groff) & Rachel Berry (Lea Michele)
While it's still heartbreaking to think of Rachel ending up with anyone but Finn, Jesse has always made perfect sense for her; they're practically the same person, he's just slightly more cutthroat than she is. A Groff/Michele duet is a certified stamp of greatness on this show, and this one is no exception. Their real life friendship adds so much to their on-screen chemistry, and they sing like they were born to do it together. I'm giving Glee the win again, I just really love when these two get to collaborate.
S6E12: 2009 (March 20th, 2015)
Spotlight Song: Popular (written by S. Schwartz)
Original Artist: Wicked Cast
Popular was originally featured in Act I of the 2003 hit Broadway musical Wicked and is performed by the character of Galinda (before she changes it to Glinda, iykyk). Popular is one of my all-time favorite musical theatre numbers - it's fun to sing, enough of a challenge that it's never boring, and it's just so much fun to channel my inner Kristin Chenoweth. The song, show, character, and original actress have all become incredibly iconic over the last twenty years, and honestly, rightly so.
Glee Artist: Kurt Hummel (Chris Colfer) & Rachel Berry (Lea Michele)
I was worried this flashback episode would be weird or just feel wrong, what with everyone being six years older and with a distinct lack of Cory Monteith, but it ended up being really lovely and a fitting beginning to the series finale. Colfer and Michele are one of this show's vocal dream teams, and the characters' mutual love of Wicked is so well established that this was a perfect goodbye for them. I, obviously, will be giving the original the win here, but Colfer & Michele do a great job even if they made the song a little too pretty and not quite goofy enough. It's a fine line with this song, but it's an achievable balance.
S6E12: Dreams Come True (March 20th, 2015)
Spotlight Song: The Winner Takes It All (written by B. Andersson, B. Ulvaeus)
Original Artist: ABBA
The Winner Takes It All was originally featured on ABBA's 1980 album Super Trouper. It peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at #8 and was iconically featured in both the stage and film adaptations of ABBA's jukebox musical Mamma Mia!. I think this song belongs up in the ranks with the band's other incredible hits like Mamma Mia and Dancing Queen. Even with its somber lyrics and sadder undertone, it's a total banger and is a lot of fun to sing.
Glee Artist: Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) & Will Schuster (Matthew Morrison)
This is the most perfect song to end Sue and Will's storyline. Their rivalry is a huge part of the backbone of this series, and this weird truce between them fits so well with this song. Lynch and Morrison are a pair that didn't get to sing together nearly enough, but they sound great together, and they always bring the energy to the scene, whether it's awkward or aggressive. I am giving the original the win (actually if I could, I'd give the win to Meryl Streep in the Mamma Mia movie), but I still really enjoy this cover.
There you have it! I hope you've had as much fun as I have revisiting the music from this wild rollercoaster of a show. Happy listening, and see ya'll next week!
Comments