Vox show
The secret of the success of “Sing my song”
The participants of the 11th season of “Sing meine Song”: Sammy Amara, Eva Briegel, Eko Fresh, guest star Peter Maffey, Johannes Oerding, Joy Denalane, Tim Bendzko and Emilio (from left)
© Markus Hertrich / RTL
There is no competition in “Sing my song”. No winners and no losers, no one to cheer for. Plus artists that many people don’t like. How could the Vox show become so successful?
No heroes are born here, there are no tragic losers. The viewer can’t get excited anywhere. You just make music for the sake of music. Similar to the jungle camp – the second most successful format of our time next to the casting shows – a bunch of celebrities gather here and have themselves filmed while hanging out together. “Sing my song” leaves out the most defining characteristics of the jungle camp: disgust and glee.
There is another element that makes the success of this show unlikely: whether Andreas Gabalier or Sarah Connor, Xavier Naidoo or Hartmut Engler, the princes or Lena Meyer-Landrut – many of the stars are not for everyone. There are even viewers who don’t like any of the artists involved, and even deeply loathe some of them – and yet turn on the TV on Tuesdays to watch them sing. What exactly makes this show so attractive?
“Sing my song”: thoroughbred musicians at the microphone
On the one hand, you notice – in contrast to most casting shows – that there are actually experts at work here. Unlike the many talented amateurs or semi-professionals on “The Voice” and Co., here full-blooded musicians take the microphone, steeled by years of concert experience. The group at “Sing my Song” is perfectly selected: singers from different backgrounds come together here. This makes the musical performances extremely diverse. Songs that everyone knows from the radio are heard here in a completely new way – it’s both entertaining and exciting.
Another factor comes into play: We see a bunch of celebrities hanging out together, chatting relaxed and giving insights into their private lives. Unlike the jungle camp, we don’t see any celebrities who have reached the bottom. Who seize their last chance by filming themselves around the clock and allowing themselves to be tortured by rationed food and disgust tests until they bring out the worst in themselves. In “Sing my Song” no one is tortured. On the contrary: Here we see successful people spending time together under optimal conditions under the blue South African sky.
Little secrets
In front of the fantastic backdrop of the sun setting in the sea, you sit together, chat with each other, and everyone takes turns singing a song. Who wouldn’t want to take part? The viewer gets the suggestion of looking through the keyhole. Small indiscretions are deliberately spread again and again. Never evil. And of course, every week the artists open the treasure chest of their soul and offer a tiny glimpse into it. Sometimes Christina Sturmer reveals that the ballad “Mitten unterm Jahr” is about the unexpected death of her grandmother, another time Lena Meyer-Landrut sings a song about her father – and sheds tears.
In fact, at least one participant per show has to cry – because what better way to demonstrate authenticity than with your own tears? This way the viewer feels even closer to his star – and sympathizes with him even more strongly. Above all, he will definitely be tuning in again next week.
Fake congratulations
Not everything always comes from the innermost heart of the stars, but the editorial team is happy to help create such emotional moments. In the second season, the musicians toasted together with Christina Sturmer. It was actually her birthday on the day it aired. However, the program was filmed many weeks earlier: the congratulations were therefore pure theater.
But most viewers don’t notice anything about it. In the end everyone benefits. The television station Vox, which is happy about great ratings. The artists whose albums populate the charts in the weeks surrounding the broadcast. And the fans also benefit from it: they can intensify the relationship with their favorite – and not just on Tuesday evenings.
The new season of “Sing my Song” starts on April 23, 2024 at 8:15 p.m. on Vox.
Transparency note: Like Vox, stern is part of RTL Deutschland.