How to smoothly plant the idea of karaoke?
Singing while everybody is watching is not an easy thing to do, even if it's your close family. Messing with people's digestion after a lavish meal for a wild karaoke session will undoubtedly surprise some of your incredulous guests as well as scare off the shy ones.
You should try and read the room before dessert so you can prepare your Machiavellian plan.
To increase your chances, don't hesitate to let some of your family members in on your plan—those who seem more inclined to rust off their pipes. The more of you there are to organize a karaoke, the easier it will be to get the skeptics on your side! Of course, you should wait for the right moment to make the announcement. If you want our expert opinion, right after dessert is as good a time as any, it's usually when people let their guard down… You know your stepdad is a fan of Queen?
Go rock his socks off by playing a good old "Don’t Stop Me Now" or "The Show Must Go On" on the living room speakers to put him in the mood.
Prepare your best songs ahead of time
All right, you put your plan into action and everything went smoothly! Now that the entire family is ready to sing, it would be a shame to let all this positive energy go to waste. As a master karaoke singer, you've made sure this would not happen and you've prepared loads of songs for everyone.
Your significant other spent the whole week humming this chorus they heard on a TV commercial? It has not fallen on deaf ears and you can give them the opportunity to exorcise their inner demons by pushing them on the dancefloor to sing a song as spellbinding and heady as "Promises".
Select 2 or 3 songs for each participant by preparing a custom playlist ahead of time. By doing so, you set up a good dynamic and you avoid having too much time-off, that's usually when people start arguing over which song to sing. Smart, right?
Choose timeless songs for the whole family
Organizing a karaoke that will appeal to the whole family is a tall order. To optimize your chances of success, you should really select popular and timeless songs to make sure everybody likes them. You’re not 100% sure of your choices and would not mind a little piece of advice? No problem, KaraFun will give you a short selection of classics for an awesome karaoke party that will bring everyone together:
- Survivor - "Eye of the Tiger"
- Gala - "Freed From Desire"
- Rihanna - "Diamonds"
- ABBA - "Dancing Queen"
- Toto - "Africa"
With hits of this caliber, it will be hard to resist the urge as you'll likely feel like going on stage with the artist to sing a chorus or two... As it happens, it's not just allowed, it's highly encouraged!
Avoid the extremes: gangsta rap and death metal are not for everyone
Although the goal of karaoke is to make everyone happy, it's important to make sure there is something for everyone. The youngest one is an Eminem fan and he really wants to pay tribute to Slim Shady in the family living room? Not sure this is the wisest move to keep grandpa and grandma interested, especially since they made the effort to miss their Sunday show for the occasion.
To achieve a successful family karaoke, it's all about making compromises. Rap, metal, folk or even Country music classics, you're bound to find popular songs that are accessible for everyone!
Mix it up and heat things up with frenzied duos and trios
The first brave souls already took to the stage and their performance ended amid thunderous applause. It turns out your uncle was particularly enthusiastic when he found out you kept his favorite song by AC/DC. Things couldn't have worked out better but, as her turn is getting closer, your sister— a shy one to say the least— doesn't look very motivated and you can sense she's not going to go for it. Don't worry, you were prepared for this: you still have an ace up your sleeve: singing in duet!
Less stressful, singing in duet make things easier as all the eyes are not focused on a single person. Plus, when there are several singers, it brings a little extra fun and will make your karaoke night more relaxing. Among the essential songs, KaraFun recommends:
- Grease - "You’re the One That I Want"
- Aqua - "Barbie Girl"
- Dirty Dancing - "(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life"
- Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper (A Star is Born) - "Shallow"
To shake things up, one option is to have a random draw to select the most improbable duets of the evening!
Prepare the next karaoke!
If you followed all our instructions, we're certain all your family will agree to go for it again the next chance they get. Who knows, it might even become a habit or a key event during the year! Pleasant, fun, and easy to organize, a karaoke is an excellent way to bring the whole family together for one afternoon or one evening and to spend a special moment.
