Beat Shazam

"Beat Shazam" is a game show in which three teams of two try to identify popular songs the fastest. (In the first episode, the teams consisted of a father-son team, a sisters team, and a brothers team.) They compete for cash prizes that start at $1,000. Early rounds are multiple choice.

As they go through the rounds, teams are eliminated and the cash prizes increase. In the final round, the winning team competes against the song identification application Shazam. The amount of money at stake is significant. And if the team can identify six consecutive songs faster than Shazam, they win the maximum prize of $1 million.

The songs cover all genres. Sometimes they are grouped by artist. Don't expect to hear "Chattanooga Choo Choo", because most songs are from the 1970s on.

This is a fast moving show. Host Jamie Foxx (aided by DJ October Gonzalez) is there to keep things energetic and interesting. Other than when he resorts to race-based humor, he does a good job.

In the first episode, guest Terrence Howard chose the titles for one round. This was the best part of the show, because he obviously loves music and his passion elevated the proceedings. I missed this feature in the second episode. Future guests should have similarly diverse tastes.

Although I could not identify many of the songs and (unlike "Jeopardy", for example) I was not taught much, the quick pace and the unabashed joy for music made the show very enjoyable.

"It's not just a game show. It's a celebration of music, memory, and adrenaline."

Beat Shazam is one of the most exhilarating game shows on TV. Hosted with infectious energy by Jamie Foxx (and occasionally co-hosted by his daughter, Corinne), the show thrives on the raw power of music and the thrill of instant recall. It's a perfect blend of high-stakes competition, family fun, and pure love for all things music.

Why It Works

At its core, Beat Shazam is simple-but genius. Three teams go head-to-head trying to identify songs faster than their opponents. And in the final round? They try to beat Shazam itself-the app known for identifying songs in seconds.

The format creates instant tension. You're shouting answers at the screen. You're cheering for strangers. You're reliving moments in your own life through the songs.

It's interactive, nostalgic, and universally appealing.

Jamie Foxx: The Ultimate Host

Let's be real-Jamie Foxx is the secret sauce. His energy, humor, and charisma elevate every episode. He's not phoning it in-he's jamming with contestants, cracking jokes, and hyping every single moment. His love for music is obvious, and it makes the whole experience feel bigger than the screen.

The Music: A Living Time Capsule

The biggest strength of Beat Shazam is its song selection. From classic rock and golden-era hip-hop to pop bangers and deep-cut R&B, the library covers decades of genres and emotions.

But-here's the honest critique-it's time to expand the library even further.

Give us more international hits, more indie gems, more genre fusion, more 2020s tracks, and even some underground legends. Keep pushing the boundaries. The music world is endless-let the show reflect that.

If they do that? This already-awesome show becomes a masterpiece.

Final Verdict

Beat Shazam is the rare show that bridges generations. It reminds us how powerful music is-not just as entertainment, but as a shared memory, a cultural landmark, a way to connect.

It's thrilling. It's joyful. It's competitive.

And with just a little more diversity in its song choices, it'll be unstoppable.

10 out of 10.

The beat goes on-and it's damn good.

The show is a lot of fun to watch, especially the first season. The second and epsecially the third seasons have felt more stereotypical. Jamie Foxx is entertaining as you would expect but comes off as not necessarily racist (doubt it with how many people he's acted with) but a little too pro African-American on a show based on an App and the biggest hits in music. They tend to play Rap, R&B, Disco and Mowtown quite a bit. They tend to be directed towards African-Americans and even Pop Divas genre does sometimes. I like some of the music in those genres but some more rock and country music would be welcome and I only like country music from the 90's and early 2000's. Just a better variety I'm saying. The categories are similar on most of the episodes this current season. Jamie tends to play around, dance and have fun with any R&B or similar songs but quickly goes through any occasional songs of other genres, either seeming like he doesn't know the song or even makes fun of it. Not sure if it's him or if it's forced. There's also always an African-American or Gay couple on the show. There's only 3 teams of 2 so I mean it obviously has to be picked that way. I'm all for diversity but it feels forced on this show which in my opinion is a slap in the face to certain races and gays because it's almost like it has to intentionally be televised on certain shows. Rather than it happening naturally and being accepted as normal. That just bothers me but rant over. Regardless there is still good music on the show. It can be pretty funny at times. Jamie Foxx's daughter plays the songs on the show for the last 2 seasons now and she's great, also great chemistry on the show with her father. You can even play along in the app for a chance to win $10,000 although it was kind of tough to beat the contestants, more due to them being there and having the large buttons in front of them. Give the show a try if you love music and if you're a Jamie Foxx fan. There were a few celebrity appearances as well but they seem to have stopped that on season 3.

Did Jamie Foxx take this job just to get his daughter a job? Calling her a DJ is a stretch. She literally just presses the "play" button. I would rather see guest DJ's that are actually DJs. Corrine ruins this otherwise fun show.

Back in the '50s, '70s and '80s, there was a game show called "Name That Tune", which the objective of the show was to name the song that's currently playing.

In 2017, to cash in with the success of Shazam, Fox decided on doing a 21st century version of NTT with Shazam in play.

There were 4 rounds in play (5 in S1), with the first few songs and a FastTrack Value at the end, and then the final round "Beat Shazam", to get a chance to win $1,000,000.

The Foxxman himself Jamie Foxx is the main host and does a great job of keeping the energy flowing throughout each and every episode.

Then, it's the DJ/Sidekick role.

October Gonzalez was the sidekick for the 1st season before she was replaced at the start of S2 by Jamie's daughter Corinne Foxx, who has a great father-daughter relationship with Jamie, and it shows.

A decent show for Fox, and hopes it goes on for at least a few more years.