Tuesday, May 21, 2013

The Voice 4: Top 10

This was, yet again, another strong week for The Voice. Some perceived frontrunners faltered, which somehow gave way for a couple of dark horses to shine this week. At this rate, it's almost impossible to predict with such a strong group of finalists. There were no legit duds this season and things will get more predictable as we whittle down the batch into a small group.

On with the rankings!

10. Holly Tucker
How Great Art Thou
TEAM BLAKE
I can't deny the fact that she has an insane vocal range, and while she did hit a couple of wonky notes during the verses, this was still another competent vocal performance from Holly. So why did I rank her dead last this week? I just didn't care for this and it seriously bored me to tears and I wasn't sure if it was the song or her performance itself. 5

09. Josiah Hawley
Clocks
TEAM USHER
Unlike Holly, Josiah's performance, at the very least, elicited some reaction from me - utter confusion! Haha. I seriously question Usher's thought process in choosing this song for Josiah. Why saddle him with a song that's melodically complicated especially for someone who's obviously a limited vocalist? The Man Who Can't Be Moved worked impressively well for him last week because it sat perfectly with his range. and tone. This felt like he was struggling for the most part. Josiah's been improving week to week and it's such a shame that he took a step backward with this. 5

08. Kris Thomas
Adorn
TEAM SHAKIRA
Yes, Kris' singing style may not be everybody's cup of tea, but he arguably has one of the most distinctive tone in this bunch. He has a beautiful falsetto with a lovely tone and this Miguel ditty actually highlighted the strengths of his voice. If ONLY he had enough swagger, this whole performance would've been believable. 6

07. Amber Carrington
Breakaway
TEAM ADAM
I've always been a fan of Amber since her blind audition, but this performance was just flat and almost borderline bland. She started with a key that was way too low for her range and when she tried to transition to her higher register, her vocals oddly didn't soar. There was still power in her voice and she was still able to connect to the song pretty well, but this was probably her weakest performance to date. 6.5

06. Judith Hill
The Way You Make Me Feel
TEAM ADAM
At this point, I'm seriously not sure what to make of Judith Hill. True, she has good technical singing voice and has a spectacular wardrobe, but she's WAY too polished for me to take her seriously. I want to see growth in these contestants musically and I don't think I'll ever see that in her. Her rendition of The Way You Make Me Feel had a couple of nice moments including the slowed down intro, but the arrangement was a mess especially when she tried to do too much, yet again, with her vocal adlibs. 7

05. Sarah Simmons
Mama Knows Best
TEAM ADAM
On paper, this should've been a trainwreck waiting to happen, but she somehow made it work. Yes, the grit in her voice eventually sounded a bit jarring towards the end - I admit, I somehow enjoyed more of the softer side of her voice - but this actually showed her versatility as an artist and a certain presence that I've never seen from her before. 7.5

04. Danielle Bradbery
Heads Carolina, Tails California
TEAM BLAKE
I just can't get enough of her! Sure, Danielle's vocals in Heads Carolina, Tails California weren't flawless - she was straining in parts - but her clear, pure and beautiful tone was a perfect fit in delivering the lyrics of this uptempo country tune with discernibility. I liked that she finally looked her age and performed something that's fun and youthful and this just proved why she's possibly the most marketable contestant this season. Very nice. 8

03. The Swon Brothers
How Country Feels
TEAM BLAKE
Ok. Ok. I admit, I've been rough with the duo since their blind auditions and I know that I didn't take them seriously as a legitimate contender on this show, but they've been improving every single week! This was actually pretty good. They sounded solid individually, their harmonies were tight, and while I didn't know the song, they sold it to me with great energy and enthusiasm. The Swon Brothers maybe a dime a dozen, but I'm beginning to think that there's actually room for them in country music. 8

02. Sasha Allen
Next To Me
TEAM SHAKIRA
She's like Olivia Pope's twin no? Haha. I think I've heard this song a lot recently, but I actually liked Sasha's take on this Emeli Sande track. It was refreshing to see her do something uptempo and I appreciated her spin, which felt more joyous, but still passionate. Her vocals were also pretty strong. It's not perfect, by any means, but I actually didn't mind. 8

01. Michelle Chamuel
Just Give Me A Reason
TEAM USHER
Vocally, Michelle isn't the strongest and powerful in the lot, but I really felt like she pulled this Pink song quite nicely. There was something so inherently cool about Michelle and it oddly continued with her charisma-fueled interpretation of this song. I loved some of the choices in phrasing that were made in the second half of the song and to me, this was the only performance that had some real resonance. 8.5


PREDICTION
Josiah Hawley
Amber Carrington

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