Latest news with #karaoke
CBS News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Gospel karaoke brings community and praise to Camden, New Jersey streets
It's not your typical karaoke night—there's no pop hits or rock ballads. Instead, the sound is all praise and worship, and the spirit is just as electric as any concert. In Camden, New Jersey, the growing monthly event is reimagining karaoke with a faith-filled twist, and people are taking notice. What started as a social media post is now a movement. The "Voices of Hope Open Mic" has grown to more than 10,000 followers in under a year. At the heart of it all is youth leader Charles Giddins III, who launched the event with one mission in mind: to create a safe space for Christians to gather, worship, and express themselves outside of church walls. "There's obviously a need in this space," Giddins said. Held at Victory Temple Community Church, where his father pastors and his mother serves as first lady, Giddins grew up surrounded by ministry and music. In fact, he was holding a microphone before he could even walk. Now, every fourth Friday, he channels that same early passion into hosting Voices of Hope Open Mic—an event that invites creatives to recite poetry, share testimony, and pass the mic for gospel classics. From seasoned vocalists to first-time singers, everyone is welcome. "It's no judgment," said Giddins. "You can get up there and sing—we're going to clap for you, say 'God bless you,' and we might even help you sing as a group." But it doesn't stop at the church doors. As interest grew, Giddins started taking the event outside—literally. He began shutting down a corner of North 2nd Street to bring gospel karaoke to the streets of Camden. "Going into local neighborhoods and showing what it is to be righteous in Christ—and still relatable," he said. Whether you're a believer or just looking for community, the open mic is a place where spirit meets soul and voices rise in unity. "See what God is doing in our communities… and in our lives," Giddins shared. Voices of Hope Open Mic is held on the last Friday of every month in Camden. It's a ticketed event, and seats go fast—proof that this unique blend of music and ministry is something the community didn't even know it needed.
Fox News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Justin Timberlake leaves fans fuming after barely singing during festival concert
Fans called out Justin Timberlake for not singing during a concert in Romania. Timberlake performed at the Electric Castle festival, but many weren't pleased with his performance. In one video, the pop singer can be heard continuously telling the audience to sing while walking around the stage and occasionally dancing. "When you pay for a concert but get a mute singer," a fan wrote while sharing the video on TikTok. "Dude took a day off on stage…" Users flooded the comments with jokes about the performance. "So y'all went to karaoke?" one wrote, while another added: "This performance could've been an email." "It looks like he doesn't even care," one user said. And another wrote: "So basically u paid ur ticket to listen to urself." "I would 100% request a refund," another chimed in. Fox News Digital has reached out to representatives for Timberlake for comment. Timberlake was in Romania as part of the European Leg of his Forget Tomorrow World Tour. The "Cry Me a River" singer will head to Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey next. Timberlake's tour was almost derailed after the singer was arrested for DWI in June 2024. The former *NSYNC member pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of "driving while ability impaired" and was given community service. Timberlake addressed reporters after his hearing. The musician made a public apology and gave a drunk-driving PSA as required in his plea agreement. "So I don't, I don't know how many of you were in the courtroom and heard what I had to say in the courtroom, but I'll reiterate that and say this to you. Many of you have probably been covering me for a lot of my life. And as you may know, I try to hold myself to a very high standard for myself. And this was not that. I found myself in a position where I could have made a different decision, but I've had some time to reflect on that." "And I also understand by, you know, the fact that all of you are here, that I have a platform, you have a platform, we share that platform. And so what I like to say to everyone watching and listening, even if you've had one drink, don't get behind the wheel of a car. There's so many alternatives. Call a friend. Take an Uber. There's many travel apps … take a taxi."
Daily Mail
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
The ultimate karaoke songs, according to science - so, is YOUR favourite on the list?
When it comes to karaoke, picking the right song can either make or break your night. Now, an expert has revealed the scientifically-backed singalong tunes to guarantee a good evening. Oxford University mathematician Dr Tom Crawford has devised a formula that combines the number of verses, repetition of chorus, beats per minute (BPM) and the year the song was released. The equation generates a score out of 100 and, from this, Dr Crawford has come up with the top 10 mood-boosting classics of all time. So, whether you're a Mariah-in-the-making or simply can't hold a tune, these will help you find joy, he says. 'There's some serious maths behind a karaoke belter,' he explained. Coming in first place is Bon Jovi's 'Livin' On a Prayer', which generated a score of 91. Released in 1986, it is mathematically proven to increase dopamine levels, Dr Crawford said. Close behind are Whitney Houston's 'I Wanna Dance with Somebody', which scored 90, and 'Don't Look Back in Anger' by Oasis, which reached an impressive 89. In joint fourth place is 'Queen of country pop' Shania Twain with her iconic 'Man! I Feel Like a Woman' and - pivoting to a completely different category - '500 Miles' by Scottish rock duo The Proclaimers. Both of these tracks scored 88, according to the formula. ABBA comes in sixth place with their song 'Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!', which scored 85, while the 2004 hit 'Unwritten' by Natasha Beddingfield came in joint seventh with a score of 84. Adele, known for her power ballads, also placed seventh with her melancholy 'Someone Like You' alongside the catchy pop single 'Wannabe' by the Spice Girls. Finally Mario's signature song 'Let Me Love You' - which was released in 2004 - took tenth spot with 83 points. Dr Crawford's method is based on data collected from 2,000 karaoke lovers across the UK. 'People love a fast-paced song with an average 126 BPM and three repeated chorus' for every two verses, just like most pop songs - hence why common favourites are scoring highly in the research,' he said. 'With ABBA dominating the 70's, through to Adele in the 2010's, the average release year of a karaoke classic is 1995. The top 10 karaoke songs, according to science Livin' On a Prayer - Bon Jovi (91) I Wanna Dance with Somebody - Whitney Houston (90) Don't Look Back in Anger - Oasis (89) Man! I Feel Like a Woman - Shania Twain (88) 500 Miles - The Proclaimers (88) Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) - ABBA (85) Unwritten - Natasha Bedingfield (84) Someone Like You - Adele (84) Wannabe - Spice Girls (84) Let Me Love You - Mario (83) Scores in brackets are out of 100 'This captures the boyband craze, as well as Brit pop with Oasis, and girl power like the Spice Girls, showing there's some serious maths behind a karaoke belter!' The research, carried out on behalf of Three UK and Samaritans, also found that nine out of 10 people say singing gives them an 'emotional uplift' while 70 per cent said it was cathartic. While a third of people surveyed said pop music was their favourite karaoke genre, a fifth said they prefer rock songs to let rip. The majority of participants revealed they have a 'go-to' karaoke tune with ABBA, Adele and Taylor Swift being the most popular artists to turn to. The top 10 endorphin-boosting belters will be available for music fans to sing their hearts out to in new 'Kathartic Karaoke' booths, launching at festivals this summer. The booth will launch this week at Latitude Festival in Suffolk, before being moved to The Mound at Edinburgh Fringe. Sonya Trivedy, Executive Director of External Engagement at Samaritans, said: 'Music has a unique power to have a positive impact on our mental health. 'Singing, in particular, can help people process emotions, ease stress and boost mood.' The news comes shortly after a study into the origins of blushing, which required teenagers to sing karaoke and then watch the videos back. As part of research, carried out by researchers from the University of Amsterdam, 40 16-20-year-olds first took part in a karaoke session. Participants sang four songs: 'Hello' by Adele, 'Let it go' from Frozen, 'All I want for Christmas is you' by Mariah Carey and 'All the things she said' by tATu. These songs were chosen because several music experts judged these songs to be very difficult to sing – ensuring that participants would be embarrassed watching themselves singing them. As they were shown the videos of themselves and others singing their cheek temperature – an indicator of blushing – and brain activity were measured. The results revealed that blushing was stronger when participants watched themselves sing. Listening to melancholy music can improve a person's emotional well-being in times of loneliness and distress. Sad songs, in particular, can stir up a mixture of complex and 'partially positive' emotions, including nostalgia, peacefulness, tenderness, transcendence and wonder. Upbeat music that you're not consciously aware that you're listening to typically have no affect on how you feel. But actively seeking out happiness through music can sometimes improve your health and relationship satisfaction.
The Sun
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Only a true karaoke champion can name all 10 of these songs from just a single image
FANCY yourself as a karaoke connoisseur? If your idea of a perfect Saturday night is singing your heart out in front of a crowd of strangers down the pub, then why not challenge yourself to this tricky brainteaser. Betboo has revealed the 10 most popular karaoke songs in the UK, and has created a single image to describe each song. So can you guess which is which? 1. This is Brits' favourite song to sing at karaoke, but can you name it? 2. This classic karaoke song has been a staple for 50 years, can you name it? 3. This 90s hit always gets people dancing. Can you figure out what it is? 4. This karaoke favourite is from a 2018 film. Have you ever sung it? 5. 11 This 70s track has been a karaoke go-to for decades. 6. This 70s track is always a crowd pleaser. 7. This tune dates back to the 60s, but it's still popular with karaoke lovers. 8. This legendary 80s hit is guaranteed to get everyone on their feet. 9. Everyone knows all the words to this 60s classic hit. 10. Have you ever performed this 2010s hit? Answers.
The Sun
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
You have a sky high IQ if you can name all 10 karaoke songs in this picture quiz – how many can you master?
EVERYONE has their go-to song they choose at karaoke, but how many of the most popular belters are you familiar with. For International Karaoke Day on 19th July, Betboo has analysed popular karaoke songs and created a brainteaser for you to guess which songs are which - can you figure it out? 2 There are ten songs in total to figure out each with a cryptic clue to the title of the hit. While some images recreate the music video for the song, others give visual hints to help you on your way. Some are trickier than others so take your time mulling these over. Still struggling to work some out? Don't worry, scroll down to find the answers. Certain brainteasers and optical illusions, particularly those that involve patterns or sequences, can help strengthen both short-term and long-term memory. By working through puzzles on a regular basis, you will actively engage the brain's memory systems and directly improve your future attempts at visual challenges. Many brainteasers, like this one, require challengers thinking outside the box. This improves creative problem-solving skills by encouraging the brain to come up with innovative solutions. It also translates to real-life situations where you might need to approach challenges in new and inventive ways. If you're after another brainteaser to challenge yourself, try this one - as apparently only those with a high IQ are able to find the heart hidden among the spring flowers. How can optical illusions and brainteasers help me? Engaging in activities like solving optical illusions and brainteasers can have many cognitive benefits as it can stimulate various brain regions. Some benefits include: Cognitive stimulation: Engaging in these activities challenges the brain, promoting mental agility and flexibility. Problem-solving skills: Regular practice enhances analytical thinking and problem-solving abilities. Memory improvement: These challenges often require memory recall and can contribute to better memory function. Creativity: They encourage thinking outside the box, fostering creativity and innovative thought processes. Focus and attention: Working on optical illusions and brainteasers requires concentration, contributing to improved focus. Stress relief: The enjoyable nature of these puzzles can act as a form of relaxation and stress relief. Or you can have a go at figuring out the hidden message in this band's cover art that has confused fans for years. Lastly, puzzle fanatics have been left scratching their heads trying to find the lost feather in just 12 seconds. 2
