Duets (Glee)
Encyclopedia
"Duets" is the fourth episode of the second season
of the American television series Glee
, and the 26th episode overall. It was written by series creator Ian Brennan
, directed by Eric Stoltz
, and premiered on Fox
on October 12, 2010. The episode featured seven cover version
s, including a mash-up
of "Happy Days Are Here Again
" and "Get Happy
" by Barbra Streisand
and Judy Garland
, respectively.
In the episode, transfer student Sam Evans
(Chord Overstreet
) joins the glee club. Director Will Schuester
(Matthew Morrison
) assigns the members to perform a duet with another classmate, and offers a prize for the best performance. The students form their duos and begin practicing, testing several relationships and initiating others; after first being recruited by Kurt Hummel
(Chris Colfer
), Sam ultimately finds himself partnered with Quinn Fabray
(Dianna Agron
).
"Duets" received generally positive reviews from critics, and many praised the show for its character development and varied song choices. The episode also featured a kiss between Santana
(Naya Rivera
) and Brittany
(Heather Morris), which was a subject of interest to many critics and led Christie Keith of AfterEllen.com to refer to the episode as "queerest episode of any series that's ever been on television". In its original broadcast, "Duets" was watched by 11.36 million American viewers. It was the top-rated program of the night in the 18–49 demographic, attaining a 4.7/13 Nielsen rating/share. Both viewership and ratings rose from the previous episode, "Grilled Cheesus
".
(Mark Salling) has been sent to juvenile detention for stealing an ATM
, and introduces a new member, Sam Evans. Kurt suspects that Sam is gay and asks him to be his duet partner; Sam agrees. Club co-captain Finn Hudson
(Cory Monteith
) separately attempts to convince them not to be partners, as he fears that Sam will be bullied to the point of quitting if he sings a duet with another guy, but Sam insists on honoring his given word to Kurt, and Kurt is still angry at Finn for some homophobic comments he made when they were roommates. After his father Burt
(Mike O'Malley
) points out that just as Kurt had a crush on Finn the year before, he may now be taking advantage of Sam, Kurt releases Sam from their partnership, and as his competition entry sings "Le Jazz Hot!" from Victor Victoria in a "duet" with himself.
Cheerleaders Santana and Brittany make out, but when Brittany suggests they sing Melissa Etheridge
's "Come to My Window
" together, Santana refuses and trivializes their relationship. Santana believes her best chance of winning is by partnering with Mercedes
(Amber Riley
), and together they sing "River Deep – Mountain High". Brittany pairs up with Artie
(Kevin McHale), and they start dating. Artie loses his virginity to Brittany, but before they compete Santana tells him that Brittany only wanted him for his voice so she could win the competition. He is deeply upset that his first sexual experience was the consequence of such petty, mercenary motivations, so he breaks up with Brittany and dissolves their partnership. Tina
(Jenna Ushkowitz) and her boyfriend Mike
(Harry Shum, Jr.
) argue about whether they should duet at all, but he ultimately agrees to join her on "Sing!" from A Chorus Line
, his first solo performance for glee club; their duet draws praise from Will.
Finn and his girlfriend Rachel (Lea Michele
) initially practice singing "Don't Go Breaking My Heart", but Rachel suggests they should throw the competition so Sam can win, to make him more likely to stay in the glee club. When Sam has a slushee
thrown in his face by bullies, Quinn helps him to clean up. They subsequently become duet partners, and during a rehearsal he attempts to kiss her. Quinn is upset and tells him they cannot sing together, but she is later convinced to reconsider by Rachel. Rachel and Finn, dressed as a schoolgirl and a priest in an intentionally offensive move to damage their chances of victory, perform "With You I'm Born Again
" by Billy Preston
and Syreeta Wright
. Sam and Quinn sing "Lucky
" by Jason Mraz
and Colbie Caillat
. The club members all vote for themselves except Finn and Rachel, who vote for the winners, Sam and Quinn. Over the victory dinner at Breadstix they form a rapport, and Quinn tells Sam that she considers the meal their first date.
Noticing that Kurt is lonely, Rachel tells him how much the club members value him and asks him to duet with her for fun now that the competition is over. The episode ends with them singing the Judy Garland
/Barbra Streisand
mash-up
of "Happy Days Are Here Again
" and "Get Happy
" for the glee club.
episode "Sectionals
". Rivera sought clarification on the nature of their relationship from "Sectionals" director Brad Falchuk
, who informed her that the two characters had been intimate in the past. Series creator Ryan Murphy told Morris that as Glee is a primetime series, he did not want to show them making out. Interviewed by Brett Berk of Vanity Fair
in May 2010, Morris stated that Brittany and Santana were simply best friends, and the show would not be taking them in a "friends with benefits" direction. However, at the Television Critics Association
Summer Press Tour in August 2010, Murphy stated that the characters would in fact kiss on screen in an upcoming episode. Falchuk later explained that the Brittany/Santana storyline had begun "almost as a goof at first", however "then we realised this show is so inclusive, and then there were people we weren't representative of. This whole lesbian-bisexual female community. We're fortunate the network wasn't resistant of it and let us try it out, then it became something much deeper." In "Duets", Brittany also had a brief relationship with Artie. Morris told Jarett Wieselman of the New York Post
that she is a fan of McHale's, and had been pressing Murphy to give their characters a storyline together since the beginning of the season.
Series regular Mark Salling did not appear in "Duets", which prompted media speculation that he would not return to the show due to a breach of contract. However, his absence was for creative reasons, as it allowed Sam to establish himself within the glee club and begin a relationship with Puck's ex-girlfriend Quinn. Overstreet stated that Sam was initially created as a romantic interest for Kurt, but his storyline was adjusted to pair him with Quinn as a result of the chemistry the producers detected between himself and Agron.
The episode featured cover versions of seven songs: Ike & Tina Turner
's "River Deep – Mountain High", Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat's "Lucky", Elton John
and Kiki Dee
's "Don't Go Breaking My Heart", "Le Jazz Hot!" from Victor Victoria, "Sing!" from A Chorus Line—which was Shum, Jr.'s first lead vocal performance on the series, Billy Preston and Syreeta Wright's "With You I'm Born Again", and a mash-up of "Happy Days Are Here Again" and "Get Happy" as performed by Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand. Colfer and Michele's costumes and positions in the latter number matched those in the Garland and Streisand original. Although it was not performed, Melissa Etheridge's "Come to My Window" was suggested as a performance piece by Brittany; five months prior to the episode's broadcast, Etheridge had jested that her songs were not "gay enough" for use on Glee. All of the songs except "With You I'm Born Again" were released as singles, available for download
. "River Deep – Mountain High" and "Lucky" were also featured on the fifth soundtrack album
of the series, Glee: The Music, Volume 4, while "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" was included on the fourth extended play
, Glee: The Music, Love Songs.
", which was watched by 11.20 million viewers and attained a 4.6/13 rating/share among adults 18–49. In the weekly program rankings, Glee was the fourth most-viewed show among adults 18–49, and the second scripted show behind only Modern Family
. In overall viewers, it placed nineteenth for the week. In Canada, the episode was watched by 2.25 million viewers, which placed it at seventh for the week. Viewership again rose from the previous episode, which was watched by 1.99 million viewers and ranked eleventh. In Australia, "Duets" drew 1.04 million viewers, making Glee the ninth most-viewed show of the night and twenty-eighth of the week. It was also up from "Grilled Cheesus", which attracted 1.02 million viewers and ranked eleventh on the night, and thirty-second for the week. In the UK, the episode was watched by 2.51 million viewers (2.11 million on E4, and 397,000 on E4+1), which made it the most-watched show on E4 and E4+1 for the week, and the second most-watched show on cable for the week.
and Jarett Wieselman of the New York Post
found it a reminder of why they originally loved the show. Raymund Flandez of The Wall Street Journal
summarized: "This was a return to that honeymoon feeling, when Glee first surprised, scandalized and satisfied you." TV Guide
Damian Holbrook and the Houston Chronicle
Bobby Hankinson appreciated the lack of gimmicks; the former explained "No Britney
numbers. No forced guest stars. No reasons to check out. It's amazing how satisfying a show can be when the characters we invested in a year ago get to do something more than set-dress a stunt." James Poniewozik of Time
labelled it "easily the strongest character episode so far this season". While The Atlantic Kevin Fallon opined that the series finally achieved the correct "tonal balance of comedy and drama", his colleague Meghan Brown provided one of few dissenting reviews; she called it a lazy, nonsensical episode which contributed to a building "sophomore slump". MTV
's Aly Semigran found it lackluster after "Grilled Cheesus", and although Anthony Benigno of the Daily News deemed it an improvement on the previous episode, he concluded that it was not one of the season's best.
Several themes ran through the reviews, one of which was the lack of focus on adult characters. IGN
's Robert Canning—who rated "Duets" 8.5/10, signifying a great episode—felt that this contributed to its success, as it "allowed for small but interesting character development to take place, even with some of the minor characters." Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club
was surprised that he did not miss the presence of cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester
, but Hankinson, Semigran and Rolling Stone
Erica Futterman all lamented her absence. The gay-centered storylines also attracted much commentary. Christie Keith of lesbian and bisexual media website AfterEllen.com suggested that "Duets" was "the queerest episode of any series that's ever been on television". Entertainment Weekly
Tim Stack wrote that Kurt "stole the show in terms of pure emotional power" and called him "the most important character on television right now". USA Today
Ann Oldenburg questioned whether Glee had gone "too far" by depicting a physical relationship between Santana and Brittany. Several reviewers appreciated the resultant development of Brittany's character: Poniewozik enjoyed the exploration of her "basic loneliness", E! Online's Jenna Mullins was pleased to see more than her usual "deadpanning and one-liners", and Wieselman called it a "wonderful moment" when she and Artie broke up, which led to the depiction of "real feelings" in Brittany for the first time. Canning found Brittany and Artie's coupling "uneven" and preferred her with Santana, as their development made them "uniquely interesting and a blast to watch." VanDerWerff conversely deemed Brittany's pairing with Artie "one of the most resonant things the show's ever done".
The storylines that involved Rachel received mixed commentary. Both Poniewozik and Stack appreciated the pairing of Rachel and Kurt: the former called them "probably the strongest pairing" of the episode due to similarities in their characterization, and the latter lauded Rachel's line "I know you're lonely...but you're not alone" as "an incredibly powerful statement coming in the midst of all these gay youth suicides[, which] further illuminates the relevance and importance of a show like Glee." Fallon said that the episode "added some flavor" to the relationship between Rachel and Finn, which was "in danger of going stale", and Vanity Fair
Brett Berk noted that "Duets" was the first time he had ever been "marginally compelled" by a storyline which involved the pair. Benigno was far less favorable: he called Rachel a lunatic, and a "self-absorbed crazy woman who will do anything short of black-ops assassination to secure the [Nationals] trophy."
Sam and Quinn's burgeoning relationship met with a fairly positive response. Canning would have preferred for them to become friends first, and Benigno deemed their sexual tension unrealistic, based on Sam's success at charming Quinn in Na'vi, the fictional language of Avatar. However, while Berk declared himself "fully exhausted with the flimsy cheerleader/quarterback paradigm", Sam's Na'vi and Matthew McConaughey
impression led him to concede that they are "cute together". Stack and Mullins shared this sentiment, and VanDerWerff called their flirtation "exceptionally well-handled".
sales potential rather than how well they served the plot, Holbrook was pleased that the songs "drove the story instead of drowning out the characters", and both Hankinson and Dave Itzkoff of the New York Times welcomed the contextually appropriate song selection. Opinions were divided over the best performance. Both Futterman and VanDerWerff felt that Mercedes and Santana should have won the duet competition with their performance of "River Deep – Mountain High". The former called it "one of the series' best" duets, and the latter further praised it as potentially "the best musical number the show's ever done from a pure performance standpoint." Wieselman wrote that it was the best song of the episode, and that he "didn't want it to ever end". However, Hankinson highlighted its lack of "emotional punch", and Semigran deemed it her least favorite performance. She and Benigno named "Sing!" as their favorite routine, though Benigno gave it only a "B" grade, as its appeal hinged on Mike's dancing, rather than his vocal performance. Berk gave it four stars out of five, his highest rating of the episode, tied with "River Deep – Mountain High". Though Flandez and Hankinson also commented positively on the song, the former thought that Tina's sung interjections became annoying and the latter called it "far from the best of the evening".
Burns chose "Lucky" as "the most impressive number of the evening", and Respers France called it the most adorable. Semigran and the Los Angeles Times
Amy Reiter agreed that it was cute, and Flandez praised its "charm and simplicity". Stack and Benigno gave it an "A"; Stack eagerly anticipated more duets between Quinn and Sam, and Benigno called it "absolutely fantastic", with particular praise for Agron, who he opined is often overlooked. Though Futterman also noted its charm, she did not think it was a worthy winner of the duets competition. Berk gave it just two stars out of five, as he found it "kind of boring". The mash-up of "Happy Days Are Here Again" and "Get Happy" was widely acclaimed. Respers France, Reiter and Hankinson named it the musical highlight of the episode; Fallon and Stack went further and hailed it as a highlight of the entire series. Poniewozik commented that the number was "so appropriate that, had it not existed, Glee probably would have had to invent it". Wieselman suggested that Colfer and Michele "redefined show-stopper" with their performance, and Itzkoff lauded it as "a powerful reminder of why it's worth sticking with Glee through what has quickly proved a polarizing season."
Of the remaining songs, Rachel and Finn's performance of "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" attracted praise for Monteith's vocals, which Stack and Yahr commented "sounded better than ever". "Le Jazz Hot!" received a split response. Burns wrote that Kurt "pulled it off flawlessly", and Fallon called the performance "far more moving and rousing" than any of the songs in "Grilled Cheesus". Stack and Benigno both graded it "B+"; the latter deemed it "very good" but "not transcendent". Reiter felt that the costumes and choreography overpowered the emotion of the piece, and Futterman found the number "too self-indulgent and reminiscent of previous performances like 'Rose's Turn'." Berk rated it two stars out of five, and commented, "I get the idea, and the execution is commendable, but it still kind of sucked." Rachel and Finn's deliberately offensive version of "With You I'm Born Again" received a "C" and "C+" from Benigno and Stack respectively. Both conceded that it was acceptable vocally, but as Stack acknowledged, "the point of this song was to hate it, and I gotta say, Glee: you played me like a fiddle." Regardless of being a send-up, Respers France found the number "oddly endearing".
, and appeared on other musical charts. On the Hot 100, the show's rendition of "Lucky" debuted at number twenty-seven; it was at number seventeen on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100. The other five songs on the Hot 100 were "River Deep – Mountain High" at number forty-one, which also made number thirty-six on the Canadian Hot 100; "Happy Days Are Here Again / Get Happy" at number forty-eight, which also made number fifty-five on the Canadian Hot 100; "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" at number fifty, which also made number thirty-one on the Canadian Hot 100; "Sing!" at number eighty-seven, which also made number sixty-seven on the Canadian Hot 100; and "Le Jazz Hot!" at number ninety-four, which also made number eighty-eight on the Canadian Hot 100.
Glee (season 2)
The second season of the musical comedy-drama television series Glee originally aired between September 21, 2010 and May 24, 2011 on Fox in the United States...
of the American television series Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
, and the 26th episode overall. It was written by series creator Ian Brennan
Ian Brennan (writer)
Ian Brennan is a television writer, actor and producer. He is best known for his work on the television show Glee.-Early life:Brennan is the son of John and Charman Brennan. His sister, Sarah Brennan, is one of the founders of in Chicago...
, directed by Eric Stoltz
Eric Stoltz
Eric Hamilton Stoltz is an American actor, director and producer. He is widely known for playing the role of Rocky Dennis in the biographical drama film Mask, which earned him the nomination for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture...
, and premiered on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
on October 12, 2010. The episode featured seven cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
s, including a mash-up
Mashup (music)
A mashup or bootleg is a song or composition created by blending two or more pre-recorded songs, usually by overlaying the vocal track of one song seamlessly over the instrumental track of another...
of "Happy Days Are Here Again
Happy Days Are Here Again
"Happy Days Are Here Again" is a song copyrighted in 1929 by Milton Ager and Jack Yellen and published by EMI Robbins Catalog, Inc./Advanced Music Corp...
" and "Get Happy
Get Happy (song)
"Get Happy" is a song composed by Harold Arlen, with lyrics written by Ted Koehler.It was the first song they wrote together, and was introduced by Ruth Etting in The Nine-Fifteen Revue in 1930....
" by Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...
and Judy Garland
Judy Garland
Judy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...
, respectively.
In the episode, transfer student Sam Evans
Sam Evans
Sam Evans is a recurring fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Chord Overstreet, and appeared on Glee starting with the second season premiere episode entitled "Audition", first broadcast on September 21, 2010, and ending with that...
(Chord Overstreet
Chord Overstreet
Chord Overstreet is an American actor, singer and musician, best known for his role as Sam Evans on the television series Glee.-Early life:...
) joins the glee club. Director Will Schuester
Will Schuester
William "Will" Schuester, often referred to as Mr. Schue, is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Matthew Morrison and has appeared in Glee since its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Will was developed by Glee...
(Matthew Morrison
Matthew Morrison
Matthew James "Matt" Morrison is an American actor, director, musician, and singer-songwriter. He is best known for starring in multiple Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, including his portrayal of Link Larkin in Hairspray on Broadway, and most notably for his Emmy and Golden Globe nominated...
) assigns the members to perform a duet with another classmate, and offers a prize for the best performance. The students form their duos and begin practicing, testing several relationships and initiating others; after first being recruited by Kurt Hummel
Kurt Hummel
Kurt Hummel is a fictional character and one of the male leads in the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. Series creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan initially conceived of him as a fashionable gay countertenor who is routinely bullied at school...
(Chris Colfer
Chris Colfer
Christopher Paul "Chris" Colfer is an American actor and singer known for his portrayal of Kurt Hummel on the television series Glee, for which he won a 2011 Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and was also nominated twice for an Emmy...
), Sam ultimately finds himself partnered with Quinn Fabray
Quinn Fabray
Quinn Fabray is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Dianna Agron, and has appeared in Glee since its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. She is a former cheerleader at the fictional William McKinley High School in...
(Dianna Agron
Dianna Agron
Dianna Agron is an American actress, best known for her portrayal of Quinn Fabray on the television series Glee.-Early life:Dianna Agron was born in Savannah, Georgia, and raised in San Antonio, Texas and San Francisco, California. She is the daughter of Mary and Ronald S. Agron, a general...
).
"Duets" received generally positive reviews from critics, and many praised the show for its character development and varied song choices. The episode also featured a kiss between Santana
Santana Lopez
Santana Lopez is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Naya Rivera, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Santana was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...
(Naya Rivera
Naya Rivera
Naya Marie Rivera is an American actress and singer known for her role in the musical comedy television series Glee, as cheerleader Santana Lopez.-Early life:...
) and Brittany
Brittany Pierce
Brittany Susan Pierce is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Heather Morris, and has appeared in Glee from its second episode, "Showmance", first broadcast on September 9, 2009. Brittany was developed by Glee creators Ryan...
(Heather Morris), which was a subject of interest to many critics and led Christie Keith of AfterEllen.com to refer to the episode as "queerest episode of any series that's ever been on television". In its original broadcast, "Duets" was watched by 11.36 million American viewers. It was the top-rated program of the night in the 18–49 demographic, attaining a 4.7/13 Nielsen rating/share. Both viewership and ratings rose from the previous episode, "Grilled Cheesus
Grilled Cheesus
"Grilled Cheesus" is the third episode of the second season of the American television series Glee, and the 25th episode overall. It was written by Brad Falchuk, directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, and premiered on the Fox network on October 5, 2010...
".
Plot
New Directions glee club director Will Schuester announces a duets assignment and competition; the prize for the winning duo is dinner at Breadstix. He tells them that club member PuckPuck (Glee)
Noah "Puck" Puckerman is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Mark Salling, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Puck was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian...
(Mark Salling) has been sent to juvenile detention for stealing an ATM
Automated teller machine
An automated teller machine or automatic teller machine, also known as a Cashpoint , cash machine or sometimes a hole in the wall in British English, is a computerised telecommunications device that provides the clients of a financial institution with access to financial transactions in a public...
, and introduces a new member, Sam Evans. Kurt suspects that Sam is gay and asks him to be his duet partner; Sam agrees. Club co-captain Finn Hudson
Finn Hudson
Finn Hudson is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Cory Monteith, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Finn was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...
(Cory Monteith
Cory Monteith
Cory Allan Monteith is a Canadian actor and musician, best known for his role of Finn Hudson on the Fox television series Glee.-Early life:...
) separately attempts to convince them not to be partners, as he fears that Sam will be bullied to the point of quitting if he sings a duet with another guy, but Sam insists on honoring his given word to Kurt, and Kurt is still angry at Finn for some homophobic comments he made when they were roommates. After his father Burt
Burt Hummel
Burt Hummel is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Mike O'Malley, and first appeared on Glee in the fourth episode of the first season, "Preggers". Burt was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...
(Mike O'Malley
Mike O'Malley
Michael Edward "Mike" O'Malley is an American actor and playwright who has appeared in films and television series. He hosted Nickelodeon GUTS, and he starred in the CBS comedy Yes, Dear...
) points out that just as Kurt had a crush on Finn the year before, he may now be taking advantage of Sam, Kurt releases Sam from their partnership, and as his competition entry sings "Le Jazz Hot!" from Victor Victoria in a "duet" with himself.
Cheerleaders Santana and Brittany make out, but when Brittany suggests they sing Melissa Etheridge
Melissa Etheridge
Melissa Lou Etheridge is an American rock singer-songwriter and musician.Etheridge is known for her mixture of confessional lyrics, pop-based folk-rock, and raspy, smoky vocals...
's "Come to My Window
Come to My Window
"Come to My Window" is a Grammy Award-winning song by Melissa Etheridge released in 1994 on her 1993 album Yes I Am. This was the first song to be released after Etheridge publicly announced her sexual orientation of being a lesbian. With the driving force of gay rights, the song gained a lot of...
" together, Santana refuses and trivializes their relationship. Santana believes her best chance of winning is by partnering with Mercedes
Mercedes Jones
Mercedes Jones is a fictional character from the Fox popular musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Amber Riley, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Mercedes was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and...
(Amber Riley
Amber Riley
Amber Patrice Riley is an American actress and singer best known for her role on the series Glee as Mercedes Jones.-Early life and career:...
), and together they sing "River Deep – Mountain High". Brittany pairs up with Artie
Artie Abrams
Artie Abrams is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Kevin McHale, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Artie was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...
(Kevin McHale), and they start dating. Artie loses his virginity to Brittany, but before they compete Santana tells him that Brittany only wanted him for his voice so she could win the competition. He is deeply upset that his first sexual experience was the consequence of such petty, mercenary motivations, so he breaks up with Brittany and dissolves their partnership. Tina
Tina Cohen-Chang
Tina Cohen-Chang is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Jenna Ushkowitz, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Tina was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian...
(Jenna Ushkowitz) and her boyfriend Mike
Mike Chang
Michael "Mike" Chang, Jr. is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor and dancer Harry Shum, Jr., and has appeared on Glee since the fourth episode in the first season, "Preggers", first broadcast on September 23, 2009...
(Harry Shum, Jr.
Harry Shum, Jr.
Harry Shum, Jr. is an American dancer, actor, and choreographer. He is best known for his role as Mike Chang on the FOX television show Glee. He has appeared in dance films such as Stomp the Yard, You Got Served, Step Up 2: The Streets and Step Up 3D...
) argue about whether they should duet at all, but he ultimately agrees to join her on "Sing!" from A Chorus Line
A Chorus Line
A Chorus Line is a 1975 musical about Broadway dancers auditioning for spots on a chorus line. The book was authored by James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante, lyrics were written by Edward Kleban, and music was composed by Marvin Hamlisch....
, his first solo performance for glee club; their duet draws praise from Will.
Finn and his girlfriend Rachel (Lea Michele
Lea Michele
Lea Michele Sarfati , known professionally as Lea Michele, is an American actress and singer. Michele began working professionally as a child actress on Broadway in productions such as Ragtime and Les Misérables. She originated the role of Wendla in the musical Spring Awakening and currently plays...
) initially practice singing "Don't Go Breaking My Heart", but Rachel suggests they should throw the competition so Sam can win, to make him more likely to stay in the glee club. When Sam has a slushee
Slush (beverage)
A slush is a flavored frozen drink.There are a number of different kinds of slush drinks:* Frozen carbonated beverages, typified by the Slurpee or ICEE, are made by freezing a carbonated drink. These machines are complicated and expensive, and notably require a carbon dioxide supply...
thrown in his face by bullies, Quinn helps him to clean up. They subsequently become duet partners, and during a rehearsal he attempts to kiss her. Quinn is upset and tells him they cannot sing together, but she is later convinced to reconsider by Rachel. Rachel and Finn, dressed as a schoolgirl and a priest in an intentionally offensive move to damage their chances of victory, perform "With You I'm Born Again
With You I'm Born Again
"With You I'm Born Again" is a 1979 duet single by Motown recording artists Billy Preston and Syreeta Wright, released as a single from the soundtrack of the motion picture, Fast Break. The song was credited as "Billy Preston and Syreeta" and written by Carol Connors & David Shire...
" by Billy Preston
Billy Preston
William Everett "Billy" Preston was a musician who gained notoriety and fame, first as a session musician for the likes of Sam Cooke, Ray Charles and The Beatles, and later finding fame as a solo artist with hits such as "Space Race", "Will It Go Round in Circles" and "Nothing from...
and Syreeta Wright
Syreeta Wright
Syreeta Wright , who recorded professionally under the single name Syreeta, was a Grammy-nominated American singer-songwriter most notably known for her work with Stevie Wonder and Billy Preston.-Early life and career:...
. Sam and Quinn sing "Lucky
Lucky (Jason Mraz song)
"Lucky" is a song by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat. It is the third single from Mraz's third studio album We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. The song has been on the Billboard charts as well as on the other music charts worldwide....
" by Jason Mraz
Jason Mraz
Jason Thomas Mraz , also known as Mr. AZ and Mr. Raz, is an American singer-songwriter. Mraz released his debut album, Waiting for My Rocket to Come, which contained the hit single "The Remedy ", in 2002, but it was not until the release of his second album, "Mr. A-Z", in 2005, that Mraz achieved...
and Colbie Caillat
Colbie Caillat
Colbie Marie Caillat is an American pop singer-songwriter and guitarist from Malibu, California. She debuted in 2007 with Coco, which included hit singles "Bubbly", "Realize", and "The Little Things". In 2008, she recorded a duet with Jason Mraz, "Lucky", which won a Grammy. Caillat released her...
. The club members all vote for themselves except Finn and Rachel, who vote for the winners, Sam and Quinn. Over the victory dinner at Breadstix they form a rapport, and Quinn tells Sam that she considers the meal their first date.
Noticing that Kurt is lonely, Rachel tells him how much the club members value him and asks him to duet with her for fun now that the competition is over. The episode ends with them singing the Judy Garland
Judy Garland
Judy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...
/Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...
mash-up
Mashup (music)
A mashup or bootleg is a song or composition created by blending two or more pre-recorded songs, usually by overlaying the vocal track of one song seamlessly over the instrumental track of another...
of "Happy Days Are Here Again
Happy Days Are Here Again
"Happy Days Are Here Again" is a song copyrighted in 1929 by Milton Ager and Jack Yellen and published by EMI Robbins Catalog, Inc./Advanced Music Corp...
" and "Get Happy
Get Happy (song)
"Get Happy" is a song composed by Harold Arlen, with lyrics written by Ted Koehler.It was the first song they wrote together, and was introduced by Ruth Etting in The Nine-Fifteen Revue in 1930....
" for the glee club.
Production
In "Duets", Brittany and Santana kiss on screen for the first time. A physical relationship between the two was first alluded to in the season oneGlee (season 1)
The first season of the musical comedy-drama television series Glee originally aired on Fox in the United States. The pilot episode was broadcast as an advanced preview of the series on May 19, 2009, with the remainder of the season airing between September 9, 2009 and June 8, 2010...
episode "Sectionals
Sectionals
"Sectionals" is the 13th episode of the American television series Glee. It premiered on the Fox network on December 9, 2009. The episode was written and directed by series co-creator Brad Falchuk, and serves as the mid-season finale for the show's first season. "Sectionals" sees the glee club win...
". Rivera sought clarification on the nature of their relationship from "Sectionals" director Brad Falchuk
Brad Falchuk
Brad Falchuk is a television writer, director and producer. He is best known for his work on the television series Nip/Tuck, Glee, and American Horror Story.-Early life:...
, who informed her that the two characters had been intimate in the past. Series creator Ryan Murphy told Morris that as Glee is a primetime series, he did not want to show them making out. Interviewed by Brett Berk of Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
in May 2010, Morris stated that Brittany and Santana were simply best friends, and the show would not be taking them in a "friends with benefits" direction. However, at the Television Critics Association
Television Critics Association
The Television Critics Association is a group of approximately 200 United States and Canadian journalists and columnists who cover television programming...
Summer Press Tour in August 2010, Murphy stated that the characters would in fact kiss on screen in an upcoming episode. Falchuk later explained that the Brittany/Santana storyline had begun "almost as a goof at first", however "then we realised this show is so inclusive, and then there were people we weren't representative of. This whole lesbian-bisexual female community. We're fortunate the network wasn't resistant of it and let us try it out, then it became something much deeper." In "Duets", Brittany also had a brief relationship with Artie. Morris told Jarett Wieselman of the New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
that she is a fan of McHale's, and had been pressing Murphy to give their characters a storyline together since the beginning of the season.
Series regular Mark Salling did not appear in "Duets", which prompted media speculation that he would not return to the show due to a breach of contract. However, his absence was for creative reasons, as it allowed Sam to establish himself within the glee club and begin a relationship with Puck's ex-girlfriend Quinn. Overstreet stated that Sam was initially created as a romantic interest for Kurt, but his storyline was adjusted to pair him with Quinn as a result of the chemistry the producers detected between himself and Agron.
The episode featured cover versions of seven songs: Ike & Tina Turner
Ike & Tina Turner
Ike & Tina Turner were an American rock & roll and soul duo, made of the husband-and-wife team of Ike Turner and Tina Turner in the 1960s and 1970s. Spanning sixteen years together as a recording group, the duo's repertoire included rock & roll, soul, blues and funk...
's "River Deep – Mountain High", Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat's "Lucky", Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
and Kiki Dee
Kiki Dee
Kiki Dee is an English singer with a career spanning more than 40 years....
's "Don't Go Breaking My Heart", "Le Jazz Hot!" from Victor Victoria, "Sing!" from A Chorus Line—which was Shum, Jr.'s first lead vocal performance on the series, Billy Preston and Syreeta Wright's "With You I'm Born Again", and a mash-up of "Happy Days Are Here Again" and "Get Happy" as performed by Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand. Colfer and Michele's costumes and positions in the latter number matched those in the Garland and Streisand original. Although it was not performed, Melissa Etheridge's "Come to My Window" was suggested as a performance piece by Brittany; five months prior to the episode's broadcast, Etheridge had jested that her songs were not "gay enough" for use on Glee. All of the songs except "With You I'm Born Again" were released as singles, available for download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
. "River Deep – Mountain High" and "Lucky" were also featured on the fifth soundtrack album
Soundtrack album
A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television program. In some cases, not all the tracks from the movie are included in the album; however there are rare cases of songs in the trailers that do not appear in...
of the series, Glee: The Music, Volume 4, while "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" was included on the fourth extended play
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, Glee: The Music, Love Songs.
Ratings
In its original broadcast, "Duets" was watched by 11.36 million American viewers. It was the top-rated program of the night in the 18–49 demographic, as it attained a 4.7/13 Nielsen rating/share. Both viewership and ratings rose from the previous episode, "Grilled CheesusGrilled Cheesus
"Grilled Cheesus" is the third episode of the second season of the American television series Glee, and the 25th episode overall. It was written by Brad Falchuk, directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, and premiered on the Fox network on October 5, 2010...
", which was watched by 11.20 million viewers and attained a 4.6/13 rating/share among adults 18–49. In the weekly program rankings, Glee was the fourth most-viewed show among adults 18–49, and the second scripted show behind only Modern Family
Modern Family
Modern Family is an American television comedy series created by Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan, which debuted on ABC on September 23, 2009. Lloyd and Levitan serve as showrunner and executive producers, under their Levitan-Lloyd Productions label...
. In overall viewers, it placed nineteenth for the week. In Canada, the episode was watched by 2.25 million viewers, which placed it at seventh for the week. Viewership again rose from the previous episode, which was watched by 1.99 million viewers and ranked eleventh. In Australia, "Duets" drew 1.04 million viewers, making Glee the ninth most-viewed show of the night and twenty-eighth of the week. It was also up from "Grilled Cheesus", which attracted 1.02 million viewers and ranked eleventh on the night, and thirty-second for the week. In the UK, the episode was watched by 2.51 million viewers (2.11 million on E4, and 397,000 on E4+1), which made it the most-watched show on E4 and E4+1 for the week, and the second most-watched show on cable for the week.
Critical response
"Duets" was generally well-received by critics, many of whom contrasted it favorably with the preceding season two episodes. The New York Times Rebecca Milzoff called it the best of the season to that point "in terms of old-school Glee", and indeed, both Lisa Respers France of CNNCNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
and Jarett Wieselman of the New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
found it a reminder of why they originally loved the show. Raymund Flandez of The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
summarized: "This was a return to that honeymoon feeling, when Glee first surprised, scandalized and satisfied you." TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
Damian Holbrook and the Houston Chronicle
Houston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
Bobby Hankinson appreciated the lack of gimmicks; the former explained "No Britney
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
numbers. No forced guest stars. No reasons to check out. It's amazing how satisfying a show can be when the characters we invested in a year ago get to do something more than set-dress a stunt." James Poniewozik of Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
labelled it "easily the strongest character episode so far this season". While The Atlantic Kevin Fallon opined that the series finally achieved the correct "tonal balance of comedy and drama", his colleague Meghan Brown provided one of few dissenting reviews; she called it a lazy, nonsensical episode which contributed to a building "sophomore slump". MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's Aly Semigran found it lackluster after "Grilled Cheesus", and although Anthony Benigno of the Daily News deemed it an improvement on the previous episode, he concluded that it was not one of the season's best.
Several themes ran through the reviews, one of which was the lack of focus on adult characters. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
's Robert Canning—who rated "Duets" 8.5/10, signifying a great episode—felt that this contributed to its success, as it "allowed for small but interesting character development to take place, even with some of the minor characters." Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
was surprised that he did not miss the presence of cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester
Sue Sylvester
Susan "Sue" Sylvester is a fictional character of the Fox musical comedy-drama series, Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Jane Lynch, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Sue was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian...
, but Hankinson, Semigran and Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
Erica Futterman all lamented her absence. The gay-centered storylines also attracted much commentary. Christie Keith of lesbian and bisexual media website AfterEllen.com suggested that "Duets" was "the queerest episode of any series that's ever been on television". Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
Tim Stack wrote that Kurt "stole the show in terms of pure emotional power" and called him "the most important character on television right now". USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
Ann Oldenburg questioned whether Glee had gone "too far" by depicting a physical relationship between Santana and Brittany. Several reviewers appreciated the resultant development of Brittany's character: Poniewozik enjoyed the exploration of her "basic loneliness", E! Online's Jenna Mullins was pleased to see more than her usual "deadpanning and one-liners", and Wieselman called it a "wonderful moment" when she and Artie broke up, which led to the depiction of "real feelings" in Brittany for the first time. Canning found Brittany and Artie's coupling "uneven" and preferred her with Santana, as their development made them "uniquely interesting and a blast to watch." VanDerWerff conversely deemed Brittany's pairing with Artie "one of the most resonant things the show's ever done".
The storylines that involved Rachel received mixed commentary. Both Poniewozik and Stack appreciated the pairing of Rachel and Kurt: the former called them "probably the strongest pairing" of the episode due to similarities in their characterization, and the latter lauded Rachel's line "I know you're lonely...but you're not alone" as "an incredibly powerful statement coming in the midst of all these gay youth suicides[, which] further illuminates the relevance and importance of a show like Glee." Fallon said that the episode "added some flavor" to the relationship between Rachel and Finn, which was "in danger of going stale", and Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
Brett Berk noted that "Duets" was the first time he had ever been "marginally compelled" by a storyline which involved the pair. Benigno was far less favorable: he called Rachel a lunatic, and a "self-absorbed crazy woman who will do anything short of black-ops assassination to secure the [Nationals] trophy."
Sam and Quinn's burgeoning relationship met with a fairly positive response. Canning would have preferred for them to become friends first, and Benigno deemed their sexual tension unrealistic, based on Sam's success at charming Quinn in Na'vi, the fictional language of Avatar. However, while Berk declared himself "fully exhausted with the flimsy cheerleader/quarterback paradigm", Sam's Na'vi and Matthew McConaughey
Matthew McConaughey
Matthew David McConaughey is an American actor.After a series of minor roles in the early 1990s, McConaughey gained notice for his breakout role in Dazed and Confused . He then appeared in films such as A Time to Kill, Contact, U-571, Tiptoes, Sahara, and We Are Marshall...
impression led him to concede that they are "cute together". Stack and Mullins shared this sentiment, and VanDerWerff called their flirtation "exceptionally well-handled".
Music and performances
The episode's musical performances—deemed "among the most varied and terrific in the show's history" by VanDerWerff—were also generally well-received. Futterman found it refreshing for the main characters to receive equal performance time. Although Poniewozik opined that some numbers were included based on iTunesITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
sales potential rather than how well they served the plot, Holbrook was pleased that the songs "drove the story instead of drowning out the characters", and both Hankinson and Dave Itzkoff of the New York Times welcomed the contextually appropriate song selection. Opinions were divided over the best performance. Both Futterman and VanDerWerff felt that Mercedes and Santana should have won the duet competition with their performance of "River Deep – Mountain High". The former called it "one of the series' best" duets, and the latter further praised it as potentially "the best musical number the show's ever done from a pure performance standpoint." Wieselman wrote that it was the best song of the episode, and that he "didn't want it to ever end". However, Hankinson highlighted its lack of "emotional punch", and Semigran deemed it her least favorite performance. She and Benigno named "Sing!" as their favorite routine, though Benigno gave it only a "B" grade, as its appeal hinged on Mike's dancing, rather than his vocal performance. Berk gave it four stars out of five, his highest rating of the episode, tied with "River Deep – Mountain High". Though Flandez and Hankinson also commented positively on the song, the former thought that Tina's sung interjections became annoying and the latter called it "far from the best of the evening".
Burns chose "Lucky" as "the most impressive number of the evening", and Respers France called it the most adorable. Semigran and the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
Amy Reiter agreed that it was cute, and Flandez praised its "charm and simplicity". Stack and Benigno gave it an "A"; Stack eagerly anticipated more duets between Quinn and Sam, and Benigno called it "absolutely fantastic", with particular praise for Agron, who he opined is often overlooked. Though Futterman also noted its charm, she did not think it was a worthy winner of the duets competition. Berk gave it just two stars out of five, as he found it "kind of boring". The mash-up of "Happy Days Are Here Again" and "Get Happy" was widely acclaimed. Respers France, Reiter and Hankinson named it the musical highlight of the episode; Fallon and Stack went further and hailed it as a highlight of the entire series. Poniewozik commented that the number was "so appropriate that, had it not existed, Glee probably would have had to invent it". Wieselman suggested that Colfer and Michele "redefined show-stopper" with their performance, and Itzkoff lauded it as "a powerful reminder of why it's worth sticking with Glee through what has quickly proved a polarizing season."
Of the remaining songs, Rachel and Finn's performance of "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" attracted praise for Monteith's vocals, which Stack and Yahr commented "sounded better than ever". "Le Jazz Hot!" received a split response. Burns wrote that Kurt "pulled it off flawlessly", and Fallon called the performance "far more moving and rousing" than any of the songs in "Grilled Cheesus". Stack and Benigno both graded it "B+"; the latter deemed it "very good" but "not transcendent". Reiter felt that the costumes and choreography overpowered the emotion of the piece, and Futterman found the number "too self-indulgent and reminiscent of previous performances like 'Rose's Turn'." Berk rated it two stars out of five, and commented, "I get the idea, and the execution is commendable, but it still kind of sucked." Rachel and Finn's deliberately offensive version of "With You I'm Born Again" received a "C" and "C+" from Benigno and Stack respectively. Both conceded that it was acceptable vocally, but as Stack acknowledged, "the point of this song was to hate it, and I gotta say, Glee: you played me like a fiddle." Regardless of being a send-up, Respers France found the number "oddly endearing".
Chart history
All six of the cover versions released as singles debuted on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, and appeared on other musical charts. On the Hot 100, the show's rendition of "Lucky" debuted at number twenty-seven; it was at number seventeen on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100. The other five songs on the Hot 100 were "River Deep – Mountain High" at number forty-one, which also made number thirty-six on the Canadian Hot 100; "Happy Days Are Here Again / Get Happy" at number forty-eight, which also made number fifty-five on the Canadian Hot 100; "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" at number fifty, which also made number thirty-one on the Canadian Hot 100; "Sing!" at number eighty-seven, which also made number sixty-seven on the Canadian Hot 100; and "Le Jazz Hot!" at number ninety-four, which also made number eighty-eight on the Canadian Hot 100.
External links
- "Duets" at Fox.com