The best/worst vocal skating programs: 2014-2015

[demarinis5]

Best: Kozuka FS, Javi SP, Ten SP, Dornbush SP & FS

Worse: To many to mention. lol

 

[Snow63]

Best is Tarasova/Morozov 'Sarabande' FP. It gives me chills.
Worst is Hubbell/Donohue FD. The music selection is just terrible. And yes, I know it's 'Great Gatsby' soundtrack. Still awful.

 

[sequinsgalore]

On top of my head

Best:
- Javier Fernandez SP "Black Betty"
- Denis Ten SP "Caruso"
- Satoko Miyahara FS "Miss Saigon"
- Richard Dornbush FS "Coldplay"
- Denney/Frazier FS "Lion King"
- Sui/Han SP "Stray Cat Strut"

Worst:
- Kanako Murakami FS - incoherent, noisy POTO
- Elena Radionova SP - incoherent, frantic J-Lo
- Anna Pogorilaya SP - schmaltz
- Jeremy Abbott SP - boring
- Sergei Voronov FS - incoherent, too many music cuts
- Stephen Carriere FS - inspired by Twilight?
- Viktoria Helgesson SP - whiny vocals

I'm still not desided on Wagner's "Moulin Rouge", and I have a feeling more POTOs will be added to worst

 

[supsu]

Best: Sui/Han's SP--It's fun, it shows personality for both of them, and the choreography is intricate but well-timed to the music; it never looks too busy.

Worst: Oh gosh, I dunno... It's probably one of the ladies' programs from the one GP with all the lyrics... But what really stuck out to me was Jeremy Abbott's SP. The music--once its recorded through the arena--is borderline unlistenable. Sounds like some annoying person is whispering in my ear while he's skating. And the choreography comes across as too self-consciously "I am an artiste!!"

I love Sui/Han's sp too! I usually don't like pairs a lot because for me it's boring (except the very top pairs) but is got into this program right away. The singing is not overpowering but complimentary to their skating.
I like Jeremy's sp a lot, but I like the song in general so maybe it is because of that.. But of course I don't know how the vocals sound at the arena..

Best for me: Javier's Black Betty, Sarabande Suite (Adian Pitkeev & Tarasova/Morozov)

Worst: Stephen Carriere's FS - the emo song from Twilight, just...yuck! Ashley Wagner's Moulin Rouge. And any POTO program with vocals, especially Music of The Night...I can't think of a song I like less. Oh, wait, I forgot Elena R.'s SP - I detest J.Lo (although to be fair, the non-vocal parts of the music sound no better to my ears)

Yes, Javi's sp is a jackpot
And Elena's sp for me, it's I don't like JLo either but in that.... i love it. It's perfect, just a tiny bit of lyrics and that part, so she can really sell it (which she does anyway of course) and then the rest.. it just clicks for me. And every time the "audience" starts yelling and making the noise in the end I actually think it's the skating audience, lol. And then I realize that of course it's not... silly me.

Actually I think nothing is really bad if the skaters deliver.
Vocal or not. It's just with vocals it's more difficult. And because it's difficult, and the skaters don't deliver or simply that the musics are not suitable, we think of those programs are bad.

My dislike vocals this year: too many. But if I have to remember the most, then Tatsuki's LP.

Well. It's interesting.. Vocals can definitely make it more harder. For example Gracie's lp. I think her choreography is nice to the music, and I love that song. BUT.. with the obvious meaning in the lyrics, Gracie should have a true interpretation and she can't do it (yet). So.. it's even more distracting to hear the lyrics. I hope she could magically bring some inner Carolina out to the ice.. :dance:

My favorites: Javi's "Black Betty", Ricky Dornbush's Coldplay, and Abbott's "Lay Me Down." I have to say the latter grew on me and it's quite exquisite with some of the hardest footwork/edgework you will find in a program right now. I also like the use of the music and narration used in Max Aarons "Gladiator" LP.

Ones I'm not fond of: Wagners Moulin Rouge: Now in saying that it's not that I don't like the concept. I love the concept because it brings out her fight and her diva qualities on the ice, what I do not like is the way they edited the music, it just goes NO WHERE and doesn't properly tell the story. The choreography is also unable to flow and I think that's much of the problem with that program. Others I don't like: Anything POTO, especially Gracies. I'm not fond of Denis Ten or Max Aaron's SP's. There are many more but I can't list them all right now.

Hmm.. interesting.. I like the cuts and they fit to here skating really well, but I think I need to watch the program again to see what u mean.

 

[Alchamei]

POTO with vocals is still okay. I hope I won't hear Carmen with vocals.

 

[yyyskate]

On top of my head

Best:
- Javier Fernandez SP "Black Betty"
- Denis Ten SP "Caruso"
- Satoko Miyahara FS "Miss Saigon"
- Richard Dornbush FS "Coldplay"
- Denney/Frazier FS "Lion King"
- Sui/Han SP "Stray Cat Strut"

I'm still not desided on Wagner's "Moulin Rouge", and I have a feeling more POTOs will be added to worst

agree :yes:

I love Ashley's Moulin Rouge, music cut, it is unconventional but conveyed exactly Ashley's persona, really genius and creative music cut and using of vocal. without vocal it wont be the same, without Ashley it wont be the same, it will be a Ashley's signature piece.
I love Denis' SP, use of vocal and his choreo and his interpretation (100% agree with euroboyz). that unique program worth viewing over and over. And without vocal, its impossible.
Also, I think Kanako's SP, Satoko's Lp. also have clever use of vocal and the way how they were used is creative and clever.
Ricky's coldplay vocal use in the second half is so smooth and so Ricky, perfect for him.
S/H sp and Javi sp are use of vocal in all the correct way and very effective, but I wouldnot say it is un-replaceable.

 

[Sandpiper]

I love Sui/Han's sp too! I usually don't like pairs a lot because for me it's boring (except the very top pairs) but is got into this program right away. The singing is not overpowering but complimentary to their skating.
I like Jeremy's sp a lot, but I like the song in general so maybe it is because of that.. But of course I don't know how the vocals sound at the arena..

Regarding Jeremy: I didn't see/hear it in the arena either. But the sound in pretty much every stream... the song sounds "off"? And I think something went awry due to the arena acoustics, which translated to the stream. I will say, it sounded better in SA than during the ice show he debuted it at. I'm not against that type of song in general, but I thought it was ill-fitting for a skating program.

That being said, after someone reminded me of Anna's Adagio, perhaps that should get my vote instead. Jeremy just made a bigger impact because I saw his SP earlier, and it was the even-worse ice show video.

 

[HarvieKrumpet]

Like: Denis Ten "Caruso" ; Misha Ge " the umbrellas of Cherbourg; Jeremy Abbott "Lay me down"

 

[viennaskater]

POTO, in ANY shape or form, should be BANNED as a music choice! Along with Carmen, I am sick of hearing it! :disagree:

 

[SimplyAFan]

LOVE Denney/Frazier's Lion King LP. The timing of their final lift with the vocals is great and the vocals aren't over done. I like the Moulin Rouge soundtrack and I like it as a program for Ashley Wagner, but the cut of music she's using is much too choppy. Maybe I'd be more favorable to Phantom of the Opera programs if it didn't consume entire events.

 

[karne]

Joshua's "Give Me Love" is magnificent. I had my reservations (I still don't really like the song and did cringe at a certain point in the lyrics which I feel is inappropriate), but the program itself is wonderful.

Or, to use a quote from the SP thread: "his whole body sings".

 

[viennaskater]

I can't stand Christina Aguilera's vocals being used in a programme. Hurts my ears!

 

[creaturelover]

LOVE Denney/Frazier's Lion King LP. The timing of their final lift with the vocals is great and the vocals aren't over done. I like the Moulin Rouge soundtrack and I like it as a program for Ashley Wagner, but the cut of music she's using is much too choppy. Maybe I'd be more favorable to Phantom of the Opera programs if it didn't consume entire events.

Agree! I thought the vocals in Denney/Fraziers LP really added to the climax of that program!

 

[Warwick360]

Best:
-Ashley Wagner LP (For me the best vocal program this season)
-Joshua Farris SP
-Yuzuru Hanyu LP
-Christina Gao (River; although I just wish she would put out a great skate with such a good fitting song)

Worst:
As much as I love Sam Smith's tracks, Jeremy Abott single handedly manages to ruin the songs for me with the way the songs are edited to the program (both SP and ex), or in his case the lack of editing that is done to fit the program.

I would have added Gracie gold's POTO song on this list but funny enough the song's grown on me and so has the program.

 

[SoundtracksOnIce]

I have liked exactly two programs with lyrics - the "I Could Have Danced All Night" ice dancing routine in Sochi (Davis/White?) and Gabby Daleman's routine this year. Everything else has either A) felt jarring and pulled me out of watching, B) felt like I was watching a practice session with music on the loudspeaker, or C) A tour where tey forgot to use the spotlights. Or a combination.

I don't mind vocals used as instruments like in soundtracks. But actual songs I think only belong in pro events.