I’m trying to sing along with karaoke music, but they have backup vocals in at some points of the song and it always throws me off. How do I tune them out, or concentrate on my notes better?
The obvious answer is that you really need to know the melody in the first place, and have some actual singing ability. Some karaoke tracks come with an alternative vocal demonstration version that you can practice and sing along with. This will have a melody and be more like the original recording. Depending on your equipment these lead voices can be turned on and off, leaving the background vocals intact. Many professional karaoke tracks used in bars will often have "helper" voices that you can sing along with until you become more confident to go it alone, and the DJ will always be happy sing in your ear to help you stay on pitch.