Flawlessly singing a duet is no easy work. Due to the wide range and variations of singing voices out there, the odds of finding someone whose voice pairs up perfectly with yours are relatively rare. It’s not just about the type of singing voice someone has but the pitch and other unique elements of a person’s voice that need to be considered went selecting a duet partner.
But every now and then, we come across a duet online or on the radio that leaves us speechless. Jennifer Neetles’s duet with Josh Groban to his song, “99 Years,” from his album Bridges is one of those performances, no doubt.
Since Groban’s career launched in the late ’90s at the young age of 17, the American singer and songwriter has sold over 22.3 million records. In 2007, the baritone was honored when he was titled the number-one best selling artist in the United States.
While there are many great voices out there, what makes Groban stand out from the rest is the fact that he has been classically trained and is able to sing in three of the most commonly-spoken romance languages: Italian, French, and Spanish. Groban also has the expertise to perform opera.
Enter Jennifer Nettles, another talent with an impeccable voice of her own. Her singing career has had nearly the same trajectory as Groban’s. A solo singer as well as the lead vocalist of the duo Sugarland, Nettles has earned over a dozen general music and country music awards.
But the question is, can a classically-trained, Los Angeles-born opera singer and a country star from Georgia perform a good duet together? The answer is a big fat yes! Singing live from Madison Square Garden, Groban and Nettles put on the duet of a lifetime singing to Groban’s hit song, earning close to a million views so far since being posted in March of 2019.
Groban starts off his song solo, but the second the country singer joins, the performance goes above and beyond what anyone would expect! Each time the duo sings a high note together, I get instant chills. It’s apparent just how beautifully the two voices complement one another in harmony.
More important than the performance itself, however, is just how much Nettles and Groban seem to enjoy performing together. The way they look at each other throughout most of the song on stage made the duet seem more personal, authentic, and natural. Their union isn’t staged or forced. Forget the special stage lighting and effects. These two singers have the voices and passion to put on a performance without all the extras!
Listen to Josh Groban and Jennifer Nettles sing “99 Years” in the video below. Once Nettles chimes in, it’s apparent that these two voices make a perfect pairing.
