For the first time since 2013, No Comment A Cappella will be competing in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA) finals on April 27 in New York City.
Yes — these are the same ICCAs featured in the “Pitch Perfect” franchise. And yes, No Comment has gone just as far as the Barden Bellas in the first movie.
After placing second in the semifinal round and initially not advancing, the a cappella group was named this season’s Wild Card champion two weeks later.
The Wild Card takes place after nine regional semifinal rounds, allowing all second and third-place groups to apply. The top group across the board wins the title of Wild Card champion and advances to the ICCA finals.
No Comment won this title, promising them a spot on the finals stage this upcoming weekend.
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No Comment will be one of 10 competing a cappella groups, up against seven other American groups, a group from the United Kingdom and one from Toronto.
Hillary Collins, No Comment’s president and choreography chair, appreciates the group’s ability to be both light-hearted in their friendships and serious about the music they create.
“We do try and lock in as much as we can, and we’re very intensive,” Collins said. “But it honestly just makes us better. It makes us all want to push each other to sound better as a whole group.”
No Comment has performed four songs at each round of the competition, making minor musical and choreographic adjustments with each round they advance.
The group will sing “Meeting the Master” by Greta Van Fleet, “Knights of Cydonia” by Muse, “Snow Angel” by Renée Rapp and “First Light” by Hozier for their final performance of the competition season.
“‘Knights of Cydonia’ by Muse is my favorite by far,” Collins said. “Mitchell (group member) completely just reimagined and brought to life a new form of the original song.”
Riya Sudana, junior in Business, is excited to take the stage with her music family and show the group around New York City, where she spent a large portion of her childhood.
“New York is like a second Chicago to me,” Sudana said. “I’m pretty well versed in the city, and I’m just really excited to see everyone experience Times Square for the first time.”
No Comment has plans to spend time with Michigan State University’s Capital Green A Cappella, the other Great Lakes group taking the stage for the finals.
“One thing I love about not only U of I a cappella, but all of a cappella, is everybody is so kind and just loves to make music,” Sudana said. “Capital Green was so genuine and kind to us. They were rooting for us to make it to New York as it was, and when we finally did, we immediately started making plans.”
Collins described the group’s rehearsal process as they prepared to take the stage on Saturday, focusing on cleaning the piece and working on the intention behind the performance.
“More than anything, we’ve just been cleaning the music and kind of flipping it back to its bare, naked self,” Collins said. “We all kind of just agreed we wanted to leave something we were proud of on the stage in New York.”
Sudana echoed similar remarks, saying she focuses on living in the moment and ensuring her hard work pays off.
“I think we’re prioritizing soaking up this moment and having fun, and just reminding ourselves that we are so lucky to be going to the finals,” Sudana said. “We’ve earned it.”
More information about the upcoming ICCA finals and other No Comment performances can be found on the group’s Instagram.
“We always say in the group that you’re not just doing it but that we get to do it,” Sudana said. “We get to make music all the time with our best friends. It’s a privilege and a gift, and it’s really exciting.”
