Monday, September 2, 2013

The Voice Philippines: Top 24 Live Show Part 2

Here's the second set of The Voice Philippines Top 24! This is always a fantastic night for any reality singing competition because we finally get to see what these people can do in a "live" setting. We’ve seen them audition for weeks and weeks and now they get to sit there and compose a performance for the whole country to see.

So, the verdict? Well, tonight showed us why the first couple of live shows are always so uncomfortable. To me, this was a lackluster night for the most part, but I’m not worried. I mean, they usually pick up their game when they start to feel more comfortable with the machine that’s slowly eating away at their souls. Haha. But I digress.

Anyway, let’s talk about some performances, shall we?

 TEAM BAMBOO

3. Isa Fabregas
You've Got A Friend
Yes, Isa's vocals had some great moments and she was really nailing some of those dynamic cues, but she was trying so hard that it felt like her connection was sorely lacking. Also, the song was just so overplayed that there's practically nothing she could have done to the song that another singer hadn't already achieved. It was decent, but totally forgettable. 6

2. Angelique
Nobela
I would've preferred a number that was a bit more dynamic, given the fact that she looked like she had more edge than most of the contestants, but the fact that she went soft and subdued for the most part was brilliant. No shouting or screaming or any over-the-top runs. The band kept on drowning her out in spots, but this was still a lovely and restrained vocal performance. 7

1. Paolo Onesa
You Give Me Something
Let me just clear my throat here so I can scream something from the rafters.. Ahem.. I told you, Paolo could be a potential dark horse!! The tone he displayed in this James Morrison ditty reminded me why I was such a fan of his since the blind auditions. There's something inherently soulful about his voice and while he still needs further work on his vocal control, he deserved the praise and accolades - aside from his good looks and charm. Yes, the redemption arc has begun for Paolo. 8

TEAM SARAH

3. Yuki Ito
A Song For You
Ok. A Song For You was sung well enough, but I'm not sure I see an iota of musical creativity in Yuki. I don't know. His presentation was too vanilla, whole style and sound was too dated for my taste and it all sounded too bland to make a difference. Something just felt vacant, which left me shrugging my shoulders. 6.5

2. Klarisse De Guzman
Begging
Klarisse seemed like a smart girl, and I really do have to applaud her for picking Begging, which was one of the few uptempo songs of the evening, but somehow this wasn't the right song for her. There were very few places wherein her voice could take the song, but just like a teen on prom night, it just sort of laid there until she finished doing her thing. I'm a fan, but this came off as a very impressive karaoke performance. It added nothing for her to actually make a lasting impression. 7

1. Maki Ricafort
Without You
This was actually a pretty brilliant strategic song choice. Without You allowed Maki to sing to the best of his ability and do what he does best: connect with the audience. Sure, he didn't hit perfectly all his notes comfortably and I had a problem with some of the higher placement and the lazy diction, but he has a serious instrument and an outstanding vocal tone. 8

TEAM APL

3. Stan Perfecto
When I Was Your Man
Stan does get the award for picking When I Was Your Man, a great current song choice, but his voice, as it stand now, is fairly weak and his upper register was practically struggling, which makes this Bruno Mars cover unbearable. I thought his tone was a bit whiny and he could never quite rest on one single note before flitting off to another one. Oh, and that arrangement was awful. 4

2. Penelope Matanguihan
Ordinary People
The nasal tone of her voice makes me want to scratch a chalkboard until my nails bleed. It's a personal preference though, as technically, she wasn't in bad shape as there were some impressive points in this performance, but her thin and reedy voice just wasn't for me. Plus, her take on Ordinary People was full of so many unnecessary vocal acrobatics that I felt dizzy by the end of it all. I mean, some notes are simply meant to be held no? 6

1. Janice Javier
I Believe I Can Fly
Despite the awfully overdone song choice, and technically it was the same ole same ole, but Janice certainly delivered one of the more dynamic and solid vocal performances of the evening. She had a very controlled performance and the connection was dead on. Plus, she commanded the stage and looked great doing it. Very nice. 8

TEAM LEA

3. Diday Garcilliano
Rumor Has It
This was a perfect example of situation when it's often smarter to be terrible but memorable than good but boring. That's what this was. Diday's performance was decent. The vocals were fine note to note, but the song goes nowhere and gives her very few opportunities to shine. There was no star potential there. I was pretty sure this was an easy cut for Lea to make. 6.5

2. Kimpoy 
Hallelujah
Hallelujah is an incredibly powerful song that it's almost impossible not to do well with it, but with a key change that came out of nowhere, Kimpoy seemed to struggle, which somehow ruined the vocal momentum as he was actually doing fine with the song. This wasn't my favorite performance from him and this wasn't as magnetic as his previous performances. So yes, I was disappointed, to say the least. 6.5

1. Mitoy
Don't Stop Me Now
This was a harmless fun and good performance from Mitoy, and he was certainly trying to up his game, but the weak points - the verses where his lower register sounded muddled and a few of the "screams" trending sharp -  were quite obvious. And even though he seemed to be stuck in another decade, Mitoy is a dangerous contestant. I actually believe that he is more dangerous than Radha because we expect her to be amazing every week; there's no growth. Mitoy somehow doesn't give off that "I'm already a pro" vibe - even though he really is - and that will allow him to progress in the competition. I maybe wrong, but we'll see.


RESULTS

TEAM BAMBOO
Saved by Votes: Paolo Onesa (46.37%)
Saved by Coach: Isa Fabregas
Eliminated: Angelique
TEAM SARAH
Saved by Votes: Maki Ricafort (36.75%)
Saved by Coach: Klarisse De Guzman
Eliminated: Yuki Ito
TEAM APL
Saved by Votes: Janice Javier (42.82%)
Saved by Coach: Penelope Matanguihan
Eliminated: Stan Perfecto
TEAM LEA
Saved by Votes: Mitoy (82.29%)
Saved by Coach: Kimpoy
Eliminated: Diday Garcialliano

1 comments:

Anonymous said...

What I don't like about this Sunday's show is that almost if not all of the performances start off with the singer's face in the dark for the ballad singers. It really ticked me off because I can't even see who the performer is. Someone should really fix the lighting of the stage, they should have placed like a couple of lights in front so at last we get to have a glimpse of who the singer is. And didn't the director know that they'd be recycling the same beginning lighting technique over and over again? I'm like really? Again?

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