By George Loomis
“Glee” fans have yet another reason to get excited, and this one has nothing to do with the series being back on-air. As of last week (April 15), Gleeks can now get their “Glee” on with Smule’s brand spanking new app designed for the iPhone and iPad. The nationwide casting call for season two is underway, but if you find your audition tape isn’t generating the kind of heat you expected, don’t fret. You can star in your own version of the show on your PDA!
The response to Smule’s new application has been favorable. The app already boasts a well-deserved 4+ rating at the iTunes store, which means fans all around the world — including myself, for several hours today — are singing their hearts out. If you think you’re not cut out for karaoke, think again; as long as you can belt out the words, the technology will correct your pitch and enhance your voice to make you sound like Finn, Rachel, Artie, Kurt, Puck, Mercedes, Tina or Quinn!
Drawbacks to the new app are that it’s not as customized for the iPod touch (but still works; you just need to make sure you have a wireless signal), and I felt myself wishing I had a hand held mic. Other hazards to using the application include not finishing one’s work, becoming glued to one’s iPhone/iPad and obsessing over the number of gold stars one is awarded (the better you sing, the more other users will reward you).
Otherwise, fans won’t be disappointed — the game hits what Gleeks have been craving right on the head (the chance to sing with their favorite characters), and iPad users will love that it’s formatted for the device’s spacious screen.
Perhaps the only other significant disadvantage is that once you get sick of singing the hits that come with the app — like “Rehab,” “Somebody to Love” and “You Keep Me Hanging On" — other show staples cost a fee (99 cents per song). But with the whole app priced at a (fairly) reasonable $2.99, Smule’s app satisfies expectations while remaining affordable. And when those who are really confident in their pipes run out of tunes to sing, they can switch modes to a cappella or even blend a three-part harmony to change your voice into a group.
One last note: use the app to take advantage of the opportunity to connect with other “Glee” fans (a world map like the one pictured to the right highlights who is currently online and where they are connecting from), but don’t overdo it. Make time to go outside, and remember: trading songs via this app does not qualify as hanging out with friends.
That being said, good singers will be rewarded if listeners like their renditions — every user who awards you a gold star is added to your own fanbase as a "gleek" — and songs can even be published on Facebook or MySpace. Users can also start their own glee club by inviting friends to join.
Final Grade: B +
Have you played the new app and if so what do you think? Are you willing to throw down $2.99? Does this make you want an iPad even more?
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