Silly Love Songs (Glee)
Encyclopedia
"Silly Love Songs" is the twelfth episode of the second season
of the American musical television series Glee
, and the 34th overall. The Valentine's Day
-themed episode was written by series creator Ryan Murphy, directed by Tate Donovan
, and premiered on Fox on February 8, 2011. In this episode, Director Will Schuester
(Matthew Morrison
) assigns the McKinley High School glee club to perform love songs
in honor of Valentine's Day. Club member Finn Hudson
(Cory Monteith
) sets up a kissing booth
for the occasion, to take advantage of his rising popularity and raise money for the club. At the Dalton Academy, Blaine Anderson
(Darren Criss
) and the Dalton Academy Warblers make plans to perform a musical number outside of the campus, and Kurt Hummel
(Chris Colfer
) confesses his love for Blaine.
"Silly Love Songs" was met with critical acclaim, with much of the praise stemming from the character development and the musical performances. Melissa Maerz of the Los Angeles Times
, Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club
, and Lisa de Moraes of The Washington Post
all deemed the storyline as entertaining, while Joel Keller of the TV Squad went on to call the episode "the best episode of the season." The episode features cover versions of six songs, including a cover of "P.Y.T.
" by Michael Jackson
and "My Funny Valentine
" from the musical Babes in Arms
. Many of the covers and performances were met with positive reception from critics and fans alike, with much of the praise going to the Glee covers of "Fat Bottomed Girls
" by Queen
and "Silly Love Songs
" by Paul McCartney
, respectively. All songs with the exception of "My Funny Valentine" were released as singles and made available for digital download
.
Upon its initial airing, the episode was watched by just under 11.58 million American viewers, and it garnered a 4.6/13 Nielsen rating/share in the 18–49 demographic. Both the total viewership and ratings were significantly down from the previous episode, "The Sue Sylvester Shuffle
", which aired immediately after the Super Bowl
.
(Matthew Morrison
) gives New Directions a love song assignment. Having fallen for the group's newest member Lauren Zizes
(Ashley Fink
), Puck
(Mark Salling) serenades her with Queen
's "Fat Bottomed Girls
". Lauren finds his song choice insulting and stands him up on a pre-Valentine's date, but eventually agrees to spend Valentine's Day with him as friends.
Artie Abrams
(Kevin McHale) and Mike Chang
(Harry Shum, Jr.
) celebrate their respective relationships by performing Michael Jackson
's "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)
" for their girlfriends, Brittany Pierce
(Heather Morris) and Tina Cohen-Chang
(Jenna Ushkowitz). Tina later begins to sing "My Funny Valentine
" to Mike, but is too overcome with emotion, and begins to cry while continuing to sing.
Finn Hudson
(Cory Monteith
) sets up a kissing booth, to take advantage of his popularity in the hope of kissing his ex-girlfriend Quinn Fabray
(Dianna Agron
). He also wants to donate the proceeds to the glee club. Quinn initially refuses to buy a kiss from Finn, but does so at the insistence of her boyfriend Sam Evans
(Chord Overstreet
), who is suspicious of their relationship. The kiss further re-ignites Finn and Quinn's feelings for one another, and they begin an affair. Santana Lopez
(Naya Rivera
), angry for having recently had her bad behavior highlighted by the other club members, conspires to give them mono
and reveal Quinn's infidelity. Finn's most recent ex-girlfriend Rachel (Lea Michele
) is dismayed by his renewed feelings for Quinn, but resolves to concentrate on her career instead of romance, and leads the female New Directions members in a performance of Katy Perry
's "Firework
".
At Dalton Academy, a private school attended by former New Directions member Kurt Hummel
(Chris Colfer
), the object of his affection Blaine Anderson (Darren Criss
) announces his intention to sing a love song to his crush. Kurt believes that Blaine has feelings for him, so is disappointed when his crush turns out to be Jeremiah (Alexander Nifong), the assistant manager at a local Gap
store. The Dalton Academy Warblers accompany Blaine as he serenades Jeremiah with Robin Thicke
's "When I Get You Alone
". Jeremiah is subsequently fired and rebuffs Blaine. Kurt confesses his feelings to Blaine, who tells Kurt that he cares for him but is terrible at romance, and does not want to risk damaging their friendship. The episode ends with New Directions assembled at Breadstix, a local restaurant, where the Warblers perform the titular "Silly Love Songs
".
. Inspiration for the episode may be partially related to a lobbying effort by Paul McCartney
to have covers of songs by The Beatles
incorporated into Glee. In an interview with various reporters at the 2010 Teen Choice Awards
, Murphy revealed that he received a mixtape
that was sent from McCartney, who is reportedly a fan of the series. Recurring characters who appear in this episode include glee club members Mike Chang
(Harry Shum, Jr.
), Sam Evans
(Chord Overstreet
), and Lauren Zizes
(Ashley Fink
), football coach Shannon Beiste (Dot-Marie Jones
), and Blaine Anderson (Darren Criss
) the lead singer of the Dalton Academy Warblers. This would be the fourth time a song by Katy Perry
would be used in a Glee episode, with the previous covers being "I Kissed a Girl" in the pilot, "Teenage Dream
" on the episode "Never Been Kissed
" and "California Gurls
" on the previous episode "The Sue Sylvester Shuffle
".
"Silly Love Songs" features cover version
s of six songs: Katy Perry
's "Firework
", Queen
's "Fat Bottomed Girls
", Michael Jackson
's "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)
", "My Funny Valentine
" from the musical Babes in Arms
, "When I Get You Alone
" by Robin Thicke
, and "Silly Love Songs
" by Paul McCartney
and his band Wings
. All songs with the exception of "My Funny Valentine" were released as singles and made available for digital download
. All five singles were included on Glee soundtrack album
s: "Firework", "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)", and "Fat Bottomed Girls" were featured in the sixth soundtrack album, Glee: The Music, Volume 5
, while "Silly Love Songs" and "When I Get You Alone" were featured on the seventh, Glee: The Music Presents the Warblers
.
on February 8, 2011. It received just under 11.58 million American viewers upon its initial airing, despite airing simultaneously with NCIS
on CBS
, The Biggest Loser
on NBC
, No Ordinary Family
on ABC
, and One Tree Hill
on The CW. It garnered a 4.6/13 Nielsen rating/share in the 18–49 demographic, the highest rating of the night. This episode's total viewership and ratings were significantly down from the previous episode, "The Sue Sylvester Shuffle
", which was watched by over 26.8 million American viewers and received a 11.1/29 rating/share in the 18–49 demographic.
In Canada, where it also aired on February 8, 2011, the episode was watched by over 2.08 million viewers. It ranked number ten in the most-watched television programs of the week. The total viewership slightly declined from the previous episode, which attained 2.16 million viewers, as well as being the ninth most-watched television program of the week. In Australia, where the episode aired on February 21, 2011, it was viewed by 921,000 viewers upon its initial airing. It was the eleventh most-watched program on the night. The episode's total viewership declined at a marginal rate from the previous episode, which drew 1.13 million viewers, and was the fourth most-watched program of the night and the most-watched in the 18–49 demographic. It placed tenth in the weekly viewership rankings. In the UK, the episode was watched by 2.629 million viewers (2.233 million on E4, and 396,000 on E4+1), becoming the most-watched show on E4 and E4 +1 for the week, and the most-watched show on cable for the week.
enjoyed the episode, going on to write, "I thought it was a strong showing, if a little disjointed. Well, at least it was honest. If this show is one thing, it's disjointed. It's part of its spazzy appeal." Melissa Maerz of the Los Angeles Times
gave the episode a positive review: "On Tuesday night, Glee wasn’t only back at its usual time, it was back to doing what it does best: giving us entertaining [...] storylines involving characters we care about who sing songs that emerge organically and advance the story. It was like a perfect heart-shaped bubble of an episode reminding the show’s fans about all the things we’ve missed about the show these last couple of months."
Robert Canning of IGN
also gave the episode a positive review, and opined, "With the dissing of glee club temporarily put on hold, Glee the series was able to have a little fun with Tuesday night's episode. And fun it was, with the gang of New Directions taking on Valentine's Day
, with flirting, kissing and, of course, singing. Without the bullying, this was a much lighter episode of Glee, and the results gave way to a lot more laughs and story development." He went on to praise Ashley Fink's performance as Lauren Zizes
, and said of Puck's falling in love with Lauren, "I can't decide if I want to root for this couple, but I certainly know I'm going to be rooting for Lauren." Canning ultimately gave the episode an 8.5 out of 10. Wyndham Wyeth of Paste
went on to praise the episode for its depiction of relationships in high school, as well as the backing vocals for Salling's performance of "Fat Bottomed Girls
" by Queen
. Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club
gave the episode a positive review and a grade of "A-": Silly Love Songs' is a fine example of the show at what's very nearly its absolute best. There’s nothing too heady here, but if the show has one tone that it's nailed almost completely consistently, it’s the feeling of teenage romance, the sense that the person you're in love with is the only person you will ever be in love with [...] followed almost immediately by the crippling feeling of heartbreak, of losing that person too soon. Teenage life moves fast and is filled with heightened emotions. And like most musicals, Glee has always been at its best when it embraces those two sides of its characters' lives. As such, 'Silly Love Songs', which is pretty much just an excuse to play around with the show's many romantic pairings among its glee club
characters, is a lot of fun without trying all that hard." In conclusion of his review, he wrote, "The best episodes play that elation and devastation off of each other. The worst episodes flounder about for some sort of emotional foothold. But when Glee just tells small, sweet stories about these kids and the ways they're trying to cope with being in high school when they know they're meant for bigger things, it can be terrific. Tonight was one of those episodes, and tonight's episode was terrific. Here's to a good February sweeps."
Matt Richenthal of TV Fanatic gave the episode a 4.6 out of 5 stars, and went on to describe the episode as "A funny, touching, entertaining Glee episode that didn't feature a single line from Sue Sylvester? I never thought I'd see the day. But that's exactly what transpired on 'Silly Love Songs', as the show stopped feeling like a Public Service Announcement for a week and actually focused on well-paced, well-written relationship developments among its core characters." Joel Keller of TV Squad gave the episode a positive review, and wrote, Silly Love Songs' strikes an interesting contrast to Sunday night's post-Super Bowl
episode in that tonight was more about the kids and where they are in their stories than about big production numbers and Sue's cartoon evilness. It was also the funniest episode of the season, in no small part because we got some insight into the lives of two New Directions members we rarely get to hang out with for any length of time: Santana and Lauren." James Poniewozik of Time Magazine
praised the storyline and the musical performances of the episode. However, Soraya Roberts of the Daily News gave the episode a negative review: "This show sometimes sounds like it was written by a PIT, prime idiot TV writer. It's almost as bad as Tina breaking down into tears for no reason while singing 'My Funny Valentine' to Mike and Blaine attempting to channel Frank Sinatra
while singing Paul McCartney's 'Silly Love Songs' in the middle of Breadsticks." Lisa de Moraes of The Washington Post
praised the storyline, calling it cohesive.
stated that her favorite was "Silly Love Songs" by Paul McCartney, performed by the Warblers. In a review of the performance, she wrote, "This is much more Warbler-esque than 'When I Get You Alone'. I had also been worried we wouldn't get our weekly dose of dorky Warbler dance moves. Plus, major points for the blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment when Blaine sang the love 'won't come at all' line to Santana. It was probably my personal biggest laugh-out-loud moment of the episode." She gave the performance an "A". She also praised Puck's performance of "Fat Bottomed Girls", and opined, "In general, I'm in love with Mark Salling's voice. He's right up there with Artie [...] in my book. And this song was smothered in awesome sauce. Bonus points for Puck's sort-of-feminine head bob, Brittany's background groovin', the club's reactions to him singing to Lauren, and Mr. Schu's mild eye-roll." She went on to give the performance an "A-". Kristin Coachman of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
was a bit more critical of Puck's cover of the song: "This week Mark Salling [...] is singing Queen's 'Fat Bottomed Girls'. I know this song fits in with Puck's storyline for the episode, but I feel like the song was in the wrong key for him. At times it sounded like he was straining to hit the higher notes. Because of this, I have to wonder if the backing vocals are purposely drowning his voice out. It seems depending on the song selection for him, Salling's vocal performances continue to be very hit or miss this season."
Tina's cover of "My Funny Valentine" stirred mixed emotions in Gonzalez. She criticized the ending: "When she started sobbing, it got weird. Then weirder. Then downright uncomfortable." However, she liked the earlier part of the performance, and wrote, "It was übersweet when Tina started getting choked up during her song, because let's face it, it happens. You can love someone so much it hurts. If she would have continued the song with a mild lump in her throat, I think I might have gotten choked up with her."
Rachel's cover of "Firework" by Katy Perry was reviewed negatively by Coachman. She wrote, "I'm not loving Michele’s vocals on this track. It was like they wanted to purposely make her sound like Katy Perry. As much as I really like Katy Perry, Michele has more of a tremendous voice. There are parts where I thought she sounded really great, but for the most part this song just wasn't my cup of tea. Michele has such a beautiful voice; I wish she was given songs that would allow her to showcase it to her advantage." Katie Morgan of Billboard
gave a positive review of the Warblers' performance of "Silly Love Songs", writing, "Not only do they sound great [...], but the song brings a sugary sweet end to a super-saccharine episode." The Marquee Blog at CNN
gave the music numbers a positive review. A notable segment reads: "I just loved seeing The Warblers get their groove on amidst the jeans and cotton T-shirts. And Kurt was super gracious trying to be supportive of Blaine, in spite of his own feelings. I also totally loved the music [...] and overall this was one of my favorite episodes this season. Brett Berk of Vanity Fair
praised Salling's performance of "Fat Bottomed Girls", as well as the casts' performances of "P.Y.T." by Michael Jackson and "When I get You Alone" by Robin Thicke. Erica Futterman of Rolling Stone gave Salling's performance a positive review. She wrote, "We were thoroughly entertained by Puck's attempt to win newbie Lauren Zizes over with his tribute to her larger figure. Only in Puck's world would Queen's raucous song qualify as a serenade—and our horror-turned-amusement was mirrored on his fellow New Directions' faces. Puck is no Freddie Mercury, but he handles the melody well and makes up for lack of range with swagger."
, and appeared on other musical charts. With these new Hot 100 debuts, plus the debut the same week of "She's Not There" from the prior episode "The Sue Sylvester Shuffle", which had aired two days before "Silly Love Songs", the Glee Cast passed Elvis Presley's record of 108 singles on the Hot 100, reaching 113 singles. The cast had nine songs on the Hot 100 that week, a new record for them. The show's rendition of "Firework" debuted at number thirty-four; it was at number thirty-five on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100. The other four songs from this episode on the Hot 100 were "Silly Love Songs" at number forty-five, which also made number fifty-four on the Canadian Hot 100, "When I Get You Alone" at number forty-seven, which also made number sixty-one on the Canadian Hot 100, "Fat Bottomed Girls" at number fifty-six, which also made number fifty on the Canadian Hot 100, and "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" at number fifty-eight, which also made number sixty-nine 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 musical 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 34th overall. The Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day
Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496...
-themed episode was written by series creator Ryan Murphy, directed by Tate Donovan
Tate Donovan
Tate Buckley Donovan is an American actor. He is known for his role in the FX drama Damages, as Tom Shayes, and for his role as Jimmy Cooper in the American teen drama television series The O.C....
, and premiered on Fox on February 8, 2011. In this episode, 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 McKinley High School glee club to perform love songs
Love Songs
Love Songs, Lovesongs or The Love Songs may refer to:*Love song, a song about love-Albums:*Love Songs *Love Songs *Love Songs *Love Songs...
in honor of Valentine's Day. Club member 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:...
) sets up a kissing booth
Kissing booth
A kissing booth is a carnival attraction where the person running the booth kisses customers for money, often to raise funds for charity. Animals may also be used.-External links:* http://www.sptimes.com/2006/08/28/Pasco/A_fundraiser_in_the_b.shtml...
for the occasion, to take advantage of his rising popularity and raise money for the club. At the Dalton Academy, Blaine Anderson
Blaine Anderson
Blaine Anderson is a fictional character from the American musical comedy-drama television series Glee. Played by Darren Criss, Blaine was introduced in the sixth episode of the second season as the openly gay lead singer of the Dalton Academy Warblers, a rival show choir to New Directions, the...
(Darren Criss
Darren Criss
Darren Everett Criss is an American actor, singer-songwriter, musician, composer, and a founding member and co-owner of the theater company StarKid Productions. He currently portrays Blaine Anderson, an openly gay high school student, on the FOX television series Glee...
) and the Dalton Academy Warblers make plans to perform a musical number outside of the campus, and 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...
) confesses his love for Blaine.
"Silly Love Songs" was met with critical acclaim, with much of the praise stemming from the character development and the musical performances. Melissa Maerz of 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....
, 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...
, and Lisa de Moraes of The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
all deemed the storyline as entertaining, while Joel Keller of the TV Squad went on to call the episode "the best episode of the season." The episode features cover versions of six songs, including a cover of "P.Y.T.
P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)
"P.Y.T. " is a song by American recording artist Michael Jackson. The original demo version of the song was written by Jackson and Greg Phillinganes. It is the sixth single from Jackson's sixth solo album, Thriller . Quincy Jones passed on the song itself but liked the title and, with James Ingram,...
" by Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
and "My Funny Valentine
My Funny Valentine
"My Funny Valentine" is a show tune from the 1937 Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart musical Babes in Arms in which it was introduced by former child star Mitzi Green...
" from the musical Babes in Arms
Babes in Arms
Babes in Arms is a 1937 musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Lorenz Hart and book by Rodgers and Hart. It concerns a teen-age boy who puts on a show with his friends to avoid being sent to a work farm.- Production history:...
. Many of the covers and performances were met with positive reception from critics and fans alike, with much of the praise going to the Glee covers of "Fat Bottomed Girls
Fat Bottomed Girls
"Fat Bottomed Girls" is a song by the English rock band Queen. Written by guitarist Brian May, the track featured on their 1978 album Jazz, and also appears on the band's compilation album, Greatest Hits...
" by Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
and "Silly Love Songs
Silly Love Songs
Silly Love Songs is a song written by Paul and Linda McCartney and performed by Wings. The song appeared on the 1976 album, Wings at the Speed of Sound. It was also released as a single in 1976. The US single was released on 1 April 1976 and reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The UK single was...
" by Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
, respectively. All songs with the exception of "My Funny Valentine" were released as singles and made available for digital 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...
.
Upon its initial airing, the episode was watched by just under 11.58 million American viewers, and it garnered a 4.6/13 Nielsen rating/share in the 18–49 demographic. Both the total viewership and ratings were significantly down from the previous episode, "The Sue Sylvester Shuffle
The Sue Sylvester Shuffle
"The Sue Sylvester Shuffle" is the eleventh episode of the second season of the American musical television series Glee, and the 33rd episode overall. It was written by Ian Brennan, directed by Brad Falchuk, and was broadcast immediately following Super Bowl XLV on February 6, 2011...
", which aired immediately after the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
.
Plot
Glee club director Will SchuesterWill 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...
) gives New Directions a love song assignment. Having fallen for the group's newest member Lauren Zizes
Lauren Zizes
Lauren Zizes is a recurring fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series, Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Ashley Fink, and has appeared in Glee since the season one episode "Wheels", first broadcast on November 11, 2009. Lauren was developed by Glee creators Ryan...
(Ashley Fink
Ashley Fink
Ashley Rae Fink is an American actress, known for her role as Lauren Zizes in the television series Glee, and also as Carter McMahon in Huge.-Personal life:...
), Puck
Puck (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) serenades her with Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
's "Fat Bottomed Girls
Fat Bottomed Girls
"Fat Bottomed Girls" is a song by the English rock band Queen. Written by guitarist Brian May, the track featured on their 1978 album Jazz, and also appears on the band's compilation album, Greatest Hits...
". Lauren finds his song choice insulting and stands him up on a pre-Valentine's date, but eventually agrees to spend Valentine's Day with him as friends.
Artie Abrams
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 Mike Chang
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...
) celebrate their respective relationships by performing Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)
P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)
"P.Y.T. " is a song by American recording artist Michael Jackson. The original demo version of the song was written by Jackson and Greg Phillinganes. It is the sixth single from Jackson's sixth solo album, Thriller . Quincy Jones passed on the song itself but liked the title and, with James Ingram,...
" for their girlfriends, Brittany Pierce
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) and Tina Cohen-Chang
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). Tina later begins to sing "My Funny Valentine
My Funny Valentine
"My Funny Valentine" is a show tune from the 1937 Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart musical Babes in Arms in which it was introduced by former child star Mitzi Green...
" to Mike, but is too overcome with emotion, and begins to cry while continuing to sing.
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:...
) sets up a kissing booth, to take advantage of his popularity in the hope of kissing his ex-girlfriend 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...
). He also wants to donate the proceeds to the glee club. Quinn initially refuses to buy a kiss from Finn, but does so at the insistence of her boyfriend 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:...
), who is suspicious of their relationship. The kiss further re-ignites Finn and Quinn's feelings for one another, and they begin an affair. Santana Lopez
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:...
), angry for having recently had her bad behavior highlighted by the other club members, conspires to give them mono
Infectious mononucleosis
Infectious mononucleosis is an infectious, widespread viral...
and reveal Quinn's infidelity. Finn's most recent ex-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...
) is dismayed by his renewed feelings for Quinn, but resolves to concentrate on her career instead of romance, and leads the female New Directions members in a performance of Katy Perry
Katy Perry
Katy Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a...
's "Firework
Firework (song)
"Firework" is a song by American recording artist Katy Perry. The song was written by Katy Perry, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Sandy Wilhelm, Ester Dean, and produced by Stargate and Sandy Vee for Perry's third studio album, Teenage Dream...
".
At Dalton Academy, a private school attended by former New Directions member 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...
), the object of his affection Blaine Anderson (Darren Criss
Darren Criss
Darren Everett Criss is an American actor, singer-songwriter, musician, composer, and a founding member and co-owner of the theater company StarKid Productions. He currently portrays Blaine Anderson, an openly gay high school student, on the FOX television series Glee...
) announces his intention to sing a love song to his crush. Kurt believes that Blaine has feelings for him, so is disappointed when his crush turns out to be Jeremiah (Alexander Nifong), the assistant manager at a local Gap
Gap (clothing retailer)
The Gap, Inc. is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in San Francisco, California, and founded in 1969 by Donald G. Fisher and Doris F. Fisher. The company has five primary brands: the namesake Gap banner, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta. As of September 2008,...
store. The Dalton Academy Warblers accompany Blaine as he serenades Jeremiah with Robin Thicke
Robin Thicke
Robin Charles Thicke is an Award-winning American R&B singer-songwriter, musician, composer, and actor. Thicke's albums, which he previously released under the moniker Thicke, are noted for their feature of a predominantly R&B sound. Robin Thicke has penned hits for popular artists such as...
's "When I Get You Alone
When I Get You Alone
"When I Get You Alone" is the first single by American singer Robin Thicke, released in 2002. It was originally to be featured on his debut album Cherry Blue Skies, before being placed on a revamped version of the album and his first released studio album A Beautiful World.-Writing and...
". Jeremiah is subsequently fired and rebuffs Blaine. Kurt confesses his feelings to Blaine, who tells Kurt that he cares for him but is terrible at romance, and does not want to risk damaging their friendship. The episode ends with New Directions assembled at Breadstix, a local restaurant, where the Warblers perform the titular "Silly Love Songs
Silly Love Songs
Silly Love Songs is a song written by Paul and Linda McCartney and performed by Wings. The song appeared on the 1976 album, Wings at the Speed of Sound. It was also released as a single in 1976. The US single was released on 1 April 1976 and reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The UK single was...
".
Production
"Silly Love Songs" was first announced by Glee co-creator Ryan Murphy in an interview with a German journalist. The name of the episode and its airdate were announced shortly after the announcement of the show getting a short-term hiatus due to various cast members contracting the fluInfluenza
Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...
. Inspiration for the episode may be partially related to a lobbying effort by Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
to have covers of songs by The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
incorporated into Glee. In an interview with various reporters at the 2010 Teen Choice Awards
Teen Choice Awards
The Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with...
, Murphy revealed that he received a mixtape
Mixtape
A Mix Tape or Mixed Tape is a compilation of songs recorded in a specific order, traditionally onto an audio Compact Cassette.A Mix Tape, which usually reflects the musical tastes of its compiler, can range from a casually selected list of favorite songs, to a conceptual mix of songs linked by a...
that was sent from McCartney, who is reportedly a fan of the series. Recurring characters who appear in this episode include glee club members Mike Chang
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...
), 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:...
), and Lauren Zizes
Lauren Zizes
Lauren Zizes is a recurring fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series, Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Ashley Fink, and has appeared in Glee since the season one episode "Wheels", first broadcast on November 11, 2009. Lauren was developed by Glee creators Ryan...
(Ashley Fink
Ashley Fink
Ashley Rae Fink is an American actress, known for her role as Lauren Zizes in the television series Glee, and also as Carter McMahon in Huge.-Personal life:...
), football coach Shannon Beiste (Dot-Marie Jones
Dot Jones
Dorothy-Marie "Dot" Jones is an athlete and actress who has had multiple roles in television. She attended California State University, Fresno, where she set records for shot put. Jones is also a 15-time world arm wrestling champion...
), and Blaine Anderson (Darren Criss
Darren Criss
Darren Everett Criss is an American actor, singer-songwriter, musician, composer, and a founding member and co-owner of the theater company StarKid Productions. He currently portrays Blaine Anderson, an openly gay high school student, on the FOX television series Glee...
) the lead singer of the Dalton Academy Warblers. This would be the fourth time a song by Katy Perry
Katy Perry
Katy Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a...
would be used in a Glee episode, with the previous covers being "I Kissed a Girl" in the pilot, "Teenage Dream
Teenage Dream (Katy Perry song)
"Teenage Dream" is a song by American recording artist Katy Perry. It was released as the second single from her third studio album of the same name on July 23, 2010 through digital distribution. Perry and Bonnie McKee wrote many songs with a youthful theme in mind, but they were rejected by...
" on the episode "Never Been Kissed
Never Been Kissed (Glee)
"Never Been Kissed" is the sixth episode of the second season of the American television series Glee, and the 28th episode overall. It was written by Brad Falchuk, directed by Bradley Buecker and premiered on Fox on November 9, 2010. In "Never Been Kissed", the glee club members are assigned a boys...
" and "California Gurls
California Gurls
"California Gurls" is an electropop song by American singer-songwriter Katy Perry and is the lead single of her third studio album, Teenage Dream. The song features rapper Snoop Dogg, and was produced by Dr. Luke, Max Martin, and Benny Blanco. According to Perry, the song is an answer song to...
" on the previous episode "The Sue Sylvester Shuffle
The Sue Sylvester Shuffle
"The Sue Sylvester Shuffle" is the eleventh episode of the second season of the American musical television series Glee, and the 33rd episode overall. It was written by Ian Brennan, directed by Brad Falchuk, and was broadcast immediately following Super Bowl XLV on February 6, 2011...
".
"Silly Love Songs" features 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 of six songs: Katy Perry
Katy Perry
Katy Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a...
's "Firework
Firework (song)
"Firework" is a song by American recording artist Katy Perry. The song was written by Katy Perry, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Sandy Wilhelm, Ester Dean, and produced by Stargate and Sandy Vee for Perry's third studio album, Teenage Dream...
", Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
's "Fat Bottomed Girls
Fat Bottomed Girls
"Fat Bottomed Girls" is a song by the English rock band Queen. Written by guitarist Brian May, the track featured on their 1978 album Jazz, and also appears on the band's compilation album, Greatest Hits...
", Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)
P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)
"P.Y.T. " is a song by American recording artist Michael Jackson. The original demo version of the song was written by Jackson and Greg Phillinganes. It is the sixth single from Jackson's sixth solo album, Thriller . Quincy Jones passed on the song itself but liked the title and, with James Ingram,...
", "My Funny Valentine
My Funny Valentine
"My Funny Valentine" is a show tune from the 1937 Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart musical Babes in Arms in which it was introduced by former child star Mitzi Green...
" from the musical Babes in Arms
Babes in Arms
Babes in Arms is a 1937 musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Lorenz Hart and book by Rodgers and Hart. It concerns a teen-age boy who puts on a show with his friends to avoid being sent to a work farm.- Production history:...
, "When I Get You Alone
When I Get You Alone
"When I Get You Alone" is the first single by American singer Robin Thicke, released in 2002. It was originally to be featured on his debut album Cherry Blue Skies, before being placed on a revamped version of the album and his first released studio album A Beautiful World.-Writing and...
" by Robin Thicke
Robin Thicke
Robin Charles Thicke is an Award-winning American R&B singer-songwriter, musician, composer, and actor. Thicke's albums, which he previously released under the moniker Thicke, are noted for their feature of a predominantly R&B sound. Robin Thicke has penned hits for popular artists such as...
, and "Silly Love Songs
Silly Love Songs
Silly Love Songs is a song written by Paul and Linda McCartney and performed by Wings. The song appeared on the 1976 album, Wings at the Speed of Sound. It was also released as a single in 1976. The US single was released on 1 April 1976 and reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The UK single was...
" by Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
and his band Wings
Wings (band)
Wings were a British-American rock group formed in 1971 by Paul McCartney, Denny Laine and Linda McCartney that remained active until 1981....
. All songs with the exception of "My Funny Valentine" were released as singles and made available for digital 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...
. All five singles were included on Glee 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...
s: "Firework", "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)", and "Fat Bottomed Girls" were featured in the sixth soundtrack album, Glee: The Music, Volume 5
Glee: The Music, Volume 5
Glee: The Music, Volume 5 is the sixth soundtrack album by the cast of the musical television series Glee. Released on March 8, 2011 through Columbia Records, it was produced executively by Dante Di Loreto and Brad Falchuk. In addition to fourteen cover versions from its second season,...
, while "Silly Love Songs" and "When I Get You Alone" were featured on the seventh, Glee: The Music Presents the Warblers
Glee: The Music Presents the Warblers
Glee: The Music Presents the Warblers is the seventh soundtrack album by the cast of Glee, a musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States. Released through Columbia Records on April 19, 2011, it contains thirteen covers: eleven accompanying performances from the...
.
Ratings
"Silly Love Songs" was originally broadcast in the United States on FoxFox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
on February 8, 2011. It received just under 11.58 million American viewers upon its initial airing, despite airing simultaneously with NCIS
NCIS (TV series)
NCIS, formerly known as NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, is an American police procedural drama television series revolving around a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which conducts criminal investigations involving the U.S...
on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, The Biggest Loser
The Biggest Loser: Couples 4
The Biggest Loser: Couples 4 is the eleventh season of the NBC reality television series entitled The Biggest Loser. The contestants competed to win a $250,000 prize, which was awarded to Olivia Ward, the contestant with the highest percentage of weight loss. It premiered on January 4, 2011...
on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, No Ordinary Family
No Ordinary Family
No Ordinary Family is an American television series on ABC. The 45-minute science fiction comedy-drama was produced by ABC Studios for the 2010–11 television season. The series ran from September 28, 2010 to April 5, 2011, on Tuesdays at 8 pm ET/PT...
on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, and One Tree Hill
One Tree Hill (TV series)
One Tree Hill is an American television drama created by Mark Schwahn, which premiered on September 23, 2003, on The WB Television Network. After its third season, The WB merged with UPN to form The CW Television Network, and, since September 27, 2006, the network has been the official broadcaster...
on The CW. It garnered a 4.6/13 Nielsen rating/share in the 18–49 demographic, the highest rating of the night. This episode's total viewership and ratings were significantly down from the previous episode, "The Sue Sylvester Shuffle
The Sue Sylvester Shuffle
"The Sue Sylvester Shuffle" is the eleventh episode of the second season of the American musical television series Glee, and the 33rd episode overall. It was written by Ian Brennan, directed by Brad Falchuk, and was broadcast immediately following Super Bowl XLV on February 6, 2011...
", which was watched by over 26.8 million American viewers and received a 11.1/29 rating/share in the 18–49 demographic.
In Canada, where it also aired on February 8, 2011, the episode was watched by over 2.08 million viewers. It ranked number ten in the most-watched television programs of the week. The total viewership slightly declined from the previous episode, which attained 2.16 million viewers, as well as being the ninth most-watched television program of the week. In Australia, where the episode aired on February 21, 2011, it was viewed by 921,000 viewers upon its initial airing. It was the eleventh most-watched program on the night. The episode's total viewership declined at a marginal rate from the previous episode, which drew 1.13 million viewers, and was the fourth most-watched program of the night and the most-watched in the 18–49 demographic. It placed tenth in the weekly viewership rankings. In the UK, the episode was watched by 2.629 million viewers (2.233 million on E4, and 396,000 on E4+1), becoming the most-watched show on E4 and E4 +1 for the week, and the most-watched show on cable for the week.
Critical response
"Silly Love Songs" was met with critical acclaim from many television critics upon its initial airing. Erica Futterman of Rolling Stone gave a very positive review of the episode, and wrote, "This was our favorite type of Glee episode. Though we enjoy over-the-top spectacles [...], the show's real cleverness shines when they take songs from across the board and fit them into a cohesive storyline. Sue Sylvester didn't make an appearance and—dare we say it—we didn't even miss her." Bobby Hankinson of the Houston ChronicleHouston 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...
enjoyed the episode, going on to write, "I thought it was a strong showing, if a little disjointed. Well, at least it was honest. If this show is one thing, it's disjointed. It's part of its spazzy appeal." Melissa Maerz of 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....
gave the episode a positive review: "On Tuesday night, Glee wasn’t only back at its usual time, it was back to doing what it does best: giving us entertaining [...] storylines involving characters we care about who sing songs that emerge organically and advance the story. It was like a perfect heart-shaped bubble of an episode reminding the show’s fans about all the things we’ve missed about the show these last couple of months."
Robert Canning of 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...
also gave the episode a positive review, and opined, "With the dissing of glee club temporarily put on hold, Glee the series was able to have a little fun with Tuesday night's episode. And fun it was, with the gang of New Directions taking on Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day
Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496...
, with flirting, kissing and, of course, singing. Without the bullying, this was a much lighter episode of Glee, and the results gave way to a lot more laughs and story development." He went on to praise Ashley Fink's performance as Lauren Zizes
Lauren Zizes
Lauren Zizes is a recurring fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series, Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Ashley Fink, and has appeared in Glee since the season one episode "Wheels", first broadcast on November 11, 2009. Lauren was developed by Glee creators Ryan...
, and said of Puck's falling in love with Lauren, "I can't decide if I want to root for this couple, but I certainly know I'm going to be rooting for Lauren." Canning ultimately gave the episode an 8.5 out of 10. Wyndham Wyeth of Paste
Paste (magazine)
Paste is a monthly music and entertainment digital magazine published in the United States by Wolfgang's Vault. Its tagline is "Signs of Life in Music, Film and Culture."-History:...
went on to praise the episode for its depiction of relationships in high school, as well as the backing vocals for Salling's performance of "Fat Bottomed Girls
Fat Bottomed Girls
"Fat Bottomed Girls" is a song by the English rock band Queen. Written by guitarist Brian May, the track featured on their 1978 album Jazz, and also appears on the band's compilation album, Greatest Hits...
" by Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
. 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...
gave the episode a positive review and a grade of "A-": Silly Love Songs' is a fine example of the show at what's very nearly its absolute best. There’s nothing too heady here, but if the show has one tone that it's nailed almost completely consistently, it’s the feeling of teenage romance, the sense that the person you're in love with is the only person you will ever be in love with [...] followed almost immediately by the crippling feeling of heartbreak, of losing that person too soon. Teenage life moves fast and is filled with heightened emotions. And like most musicals, Glee has always been at its best when it embraces those two sides of its characters' lives. As such, 'Silly Love Songs', which is pretty much just an excuse to play around with the show's many romantic pairings among its glee club
Glee club
A glee club is a musical group or choir group, historically of male voices but also of female or mixed voices, which traditionally specializes in the singing of short songs—glees—by trios or quartets. In the late 19th Century it was very popular in most schools and was made a tradition...
characters, is a lot of fun without trying all that hard." In conclusion of his review, he wrote, "The best episodes play that elation and devastation off of each other. The worst episodes flounder about for some sort of emotional foothold. But when Glee just tells small, sweet stories about these kids and the ways they're trying to cope with being in high school when they know they're meant for bigger things, it can be terrific. Tonight was one of those episodes, and tonight's episode was terrific. Here's to a good February sweeps."
Matt Richenthal of TV Fanatic gave the episode a 4.6 out of 5 stars, and went on to describe the episode as "A funny, touching, entertaining Glee episode that didn't feature a single line from Sue Sylvester? I never thought I'd see the day. But that's exactly what transpired on 'Silly Love Songs', as the show stopped feeling like a Public Service Announcement for a week and actually focused on well-paced, well-written relationship developments among its core characters." Joel Keller of TV Squad gave the episode a positive review, and wrote, Silly Love Songs' strikes an interesting contrast to Sunday night's post-Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
episode in that tonight was more about the kids and where they are in their stories than about big production numbers and Sue's cartoon evilness. It was also the funniest episode of the season, in no small part because we got some insight into the lives of two New Directions members we rarely get to hang out with for any length of time: Santana and Lauren." James Poniewozik of Time Magazine
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...
praised the storyline and the musical performances of the episode. However, Soraya Roberts of the Daily News gave the episode a negative review: "This show sometimes sounds like it was written by a PIT, prime idiot TV writer. It's almost as bad as Tina breaking down into tears for no reason while singing 'My Funny Valentine' to Mike and Blaine attempting to channel Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
while singing Paul McCartney's 'Silly Love Songs' in the middle of Breadsticks." Lisa de Moraes of The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
praised the storyline, calling it cohesive.
Musical performances
The musical covers and performances for the episode were mostly well-received by critics and fans alike. Sandra Gonzalez of Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment 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...
stated that her favorite was "Silly Love Songs" by Paul McCartney, performed by the Warblers. In a review of the performance, she wrote, "This is much more Warbler-esque than 'When I Get You Alone'. I had also been worried we wouldn't get our weekly dose of dorky Warbler dance moves. Plus, major points for the blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment when Blaine sang the love 'won't come at all' line to Santana. It was probably my personal biggest laugh-out-loud moment of the episode." She gave the performance an "A". She also praised Puck's performance of "Fat Bottomed Girls", and opined, "In general, I'm in love with Mark Salling's voice. He's right up there with Artie [...] in my book. And this song was smothered in awesome sauce. Bonus points for Puck's sort-of-feminine head bob, Brittany's background groovin', the club's reactions to him singing to Lauren, and Mr. Schu's mild eye-roll." She went on to give the performance an "A-". Kristin Coachman of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is an online newspaper and former print newspaper covering Seattle, Washington, United States, and the surrounding metropolitan area...
was a bit more critical of Puck's cover of the song: "This week Mark Salling [...] is singing Queen's 'Fat Bottomed Girls'. I know this song fits in with Puck's storyline for the episode, but I feel like the song was in the wrong key for him. At times it sounded like he was straining to hit the higher notes. Because of this, I have to wonder if the backing vocals are purposely drowning his voice out. It seems depending on the song selection for him, Salling's vocal performances continue to be very hit or miss this season."
Tina's cover of "My Funny Valentine" stirred mixed emotions in Gonzalez. She criticized the ending: "When she started sobbing, it got weird. Then weirder. Then downright uncomfortable." However, she liked the earlier part of the performance, and wrote, "It was übersweet when Tina started getting choked up during her song, because let's face it, it happens. You can love someone so much it hurts. If she would have continued the song with a mild lump in her throat, I think I might have gotten choked up with her."
Rachel's cover of "Firework" by Katy Perry was reviewed negatively by Coachman. She wrote, "I'm not loving Michele’s vocals on this track. It was like they wanted to purposely make her sound like Katy Perry. As much as I really like Katy Perry, Michele has more of a tremendous voice. There are parts where I thought she sounded really great, but for the most part this song just wasn't my cup of tea. Michele has such a beautiful voice; I wish she was given songs that would allow her to showcase it to her advantage." Katie Morgan of Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
gave a positive review of the Warblers' performance of "Silly Love Songs", writing, "Not only do they sound great [...], but the song brings a sugary sweet end to a super-saccharine episode." The Marquee Blog at CNN
CNN
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...
gave the music numbers a positive review. A notable segment reads: "I just loved seeing The Warblers get their groove on amidst the jeans and cotton T-shirts. And Kurt was super gracious trying to be supportive of Blaine, in spite of his own feelings. I also totally loved the music [...] and overall this was one of my favorite episodes this season. 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...
praised Salling's performance of "Fat Bottomed Girls", as well as the casts' performances of "P.Y.T." by Michael Jackson and "When I get You Alone" by Robin Thicke. Erica Futterman of Rolling Stone gave Salling's performance a positive review. She wrote, "We were thoroughly entertained by Puck's attempt to win newbie Lauren Zizes over with his tribute to her larger figure. Only in Puck's world would Queen's raucous song qualify as a serenade—and our horror-turned-amusement was mirrored on his fellow New Directions' faces. Puck is no Freddie Mercury, but he handles the melody well and makes up for lack of range with swagger."
Chart history
All five 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. With these new Hot 100 debuts, plus the debut the same week of "She's Not There" from the prior episode "The Sue Sylvester Shuffle", which had aired two days before "Silly Love Songs", the Glee Cast passed Elvis Presley's record of 108 singles on the Hot 100, reaching 113 singles. The cast had nine songs on the Hot 100 that week, a new record for them. The show's rendition of "Firework" debuted at number thirty-four; it was at number thirty-five on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100. The other four songs from this episode on the Hot 100 were "Silly Love Songs" at number forty-five, which also made number fifty-four on the Canadian Hot 100, "When I Get You Alone" at number forty-seven, which also made number sixty-one on the Canadian Hot 100, "Fat Bottomed Girls" at number fifty-six, which also made number fifty on the Canadian Hot 100, and "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" at number fifty-eight, which also made number sixty-nine on the Canadian Hot 100.
External links
- "Silly Love Songs" at Fox.com