Wednesday, April 23, 2014

The Voice 6: Top 12

The first live show of The Voice Season 6 was an absolute mixed bag. Most of the song choices were either predictable and boring, and yet, this episode also showcased a couple of outstanding performances - probably one of the best this season. So yes, it could go either way if you're watching, but for what it was worth, I kind of enjoyed it.

So who did the best? On with the ranking!

12. Delvin Choice
Unchained Melody
[TEAM ADAM]
I, for the love of God, didn't understand why Adam would saddle Delvin with this song choice. Yes, the guy has that almost throwback sound that fits the genre of the song, but I didn't think it was the best choice for him. I felt like he did the best he could with the material, but his vocals were really rough especially during the first half. There were way too many runs and his vibrato was too much. Plus, the arrangement didn't go anywhere. I'm not a fan, but this was unfortunate. 4

11. Bria Kelly
Rolling In The Deep
[TEAM USHER]
Not sure if I'm just hating on her, but the way she navigated Rolling In The Deep with her harsh tone sounded awful. If she toned it down with the rasp and delivered something more dynamic than what she actually showcased, I would've liked it, but when she transitioned to the edgier side of her vocals, things just went downhill. Oh, and why bring a guitar when you barely used it? Props? 5

10. TJ Wilkins
Waiting On The World To Change
[TEAM USHER]
Hmm. His vocals were fine and I thought he hit most of his notes quite precisely, but what bothered me about this performance was the thin quality to TJ's voice that was almost grating to some effect. Add to that the jaunty arrangement that was a bit polarizing and you'll end up with a mixed bag kind of number. 6

09. Jake Worthington
Anymore
[TEAM BLAKE]
Eh. Jake, arguably, has one of the most radio ready voices this season, but he has to be a lot less predictable than this. I mean, we've heard this from Jake a couple of times already and he needs to have a game changer to actually set himself away from the pack. I admit, I don't see him being in trouble of leaving tomorrow, but come on! 6

08. Sisaundra Lewis
Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me
[TEAM BLAKE]
I've said this before in my previous reviews; if you sing Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me - regardless if you're fantastic on it - you're dead to me. Seriously. This has to be the most overdone song in the entire reality singing competition universe and Sisaundra did NOTHING to differentiate her version from the others. Technically, it was good, but again, I just can't! And to be totally honest, I'm starting to get bored with her. Can't she do something else other than belt high notes? 6.5

07. Dani Moz
Just Give Me A Reason
[TEAM SHAKIRA]
Dani started off terrific. The way she took her time to deliver the lyrics with good pitch and a palpable connection to the song was quite impressive. Sadly, when she hits the chorus, everything got a little messy. Her vocals started to wobble as I thought she was dropping some of her notes at the end of a line. She tried to recover with a nicely placed glory note, but it somehow didn't help. I enjoyed her Edge of Glory last week, so this was a bit underwhelming. 6.5

06. Audra McLaughlin
Angel Of The Morning
[TEAM BLAKE]
I love her tone and I thought her voice soared effortlessly on this song. Unfortunately, her diction was so bad, I almost wanted to punch someone in the face. I genuinely didn't understand any single word during the verses as she just mumbled her way throughout the performance. It was unfortunate because her intonation was spot on. What happened? 6.5

05. Kristen Merlin
Stay
[TEAM SHAKIRA]
Well, that was a reality singing competition first! Or at least, since I started blogging since American Idol Season 7. Kristen was doing SO good with the way she's delivering her vocals with fantastic connection, and then.. her mic shuts down. Like, for the rest of her performance. That sucked, and it's not Kristen's fault. Ugh. Maybe it's time for The Voice to invest on their microphones no? 7

04. Tess Boyer
I'll Be There For You
[TEAM SHAKIRA]
Ok. I'll Be There For You may not be the most interesting song choice for Tess - shame on you, Shakira! - but she somehow worked it out. I thought her pitch was flawless and her overall vocals were, as usual, pretty impressive. Also, I always appreciate singers who's voice never gets overpowered by the loud band and Tess managed to do that. Good job! 7.5

03. Kat Perkins
Magic Man
[TEAM ADAM]
Kat gets the award for picking the most difficult song of the night and somehow managed to pull it off. True, her version wasn't particularly original as her vocals colored the same line as Ann Wilson, but the way she kept the rhythm, timing and cadence in tact was pretty impressive. There's also enough edge to her voice that somehow sold the whole performance convincingly. 7.5

02. Christina Grimmie
Dark Horse
[TEAM ADAM]
The dark intro arrangement was BRILLIANT! I've been pretty disappointed with a couple of Christina's recent performances, but she bounced back with a riveting version of Katy Perry's Dark Horse. Her vocals were fantastic - despite the almost nasal tone - and while she did a bit too much towards the end, I actually didn't mind. This was probably Christina proving that she could very well be a legitimate pop star in the making. 9

01. Josh Kaufman
Stay With Me
[TEAM USHER]
Did this just happen? Wow. I've been a fan of Josh, but I never really figured him capable of delivering a water cooler performance at this early in the competition. Stay With Me was the perfect song choice for his voice, he sounded phenomenal, his transition were spot on, the dynamics he infused were impeccable, and he delivered it with so much intensity it's quite compelling to watch. FANTASTIC! 9.5


PREDICTION
TJ Wilkins
Bria Kelly

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...