X Factor Philippines: Top 12

DAM Nation has covered American Idol since Season 7, X Factor UK for two seasons, and even The Voice and X Factor US. So, why not give X Factor Philippines a shot and dive down the proverbial rabbit hole in the quest to find a new recording superstar capable of taking the Philippine music industry by storm.

How did everyone do last night? I thought that this was a pretty solid first live show. Sure, there were some missteps here and there, but we finally had a chance to see which contestants were smart and which ones believed in their own hype. The stage looked great - not at par with it's international counterparts, but good enough - and the production of the performances looked sharp.

Well, it's about time. I’ve been waiting to get to my traditional ratings for weeks now since the show started. Here's a quick reminder on what I look for: strong vocals, unique qualities, artistic merit, strategic decisions, appearance and stage presence. Which contestant last night got to bolster their case of why he should win X Factor Philippines? It's nothing scientific, of course, but whatever.

Here we go!

DISCLAIMER: I am no expert, but this is my opinion - to each his own - and yours will be in the comments below! Haha.  

TAKE OFF

Jailhouse Rock

This wasn't a terrible song choice to start the show with.. if they had the diction and were able to open their mouths wider than two inches. Haha. But seriously, they needed to have that full sound to pull off this Elvis classic because their vocal placements got lodged that at some point they sounded sharp and nasally. I also got distracted by their annoying bopping and predictable staging. The arrangement was different, but it just didn't add anything to whatever they're trying to accomplish. In my book, they're still a bunch of cute boys with ordinary voices. Sad. 4/10

ALLEN STA. MARIA

Keep Holding On

Where was the swag Charice mentioned prior to the performance? To be fair, Allen showcased a side of her vocals that I didn't think was there to begin with. Yes, I was actually impressed with her range and this was vocally really good . That being said, I felt like she brought no emotional heft to the song whatsoever. Despite the fact that she looked like she was really trying to feel the material, there was just something that's not entirely connecting with me. 6/10

GABRIEL MATURAN

It Will Rain

Yeah. This happened. While I did appreciate the fact that they took the song and did something new to it to fit Gabriel's vibe, I felt like the lyrics and soul of the song just didn't support what they created. I'm not going to take Celebration and turn it into a portrayal of pain and suffering. It Will Rain is NOT a bright, happy, dance track that celebrates light and energy. Sigh. I enjoyed his interesting vocal quality though and while he fell off pitch a couple of times towards the end, the he was mostly on point and the vocal dynamics were pretty good. One thing that's working for him: There's something raw about him.. something undeniably authentic. 6.5/10

MODESTO TARAN

Johnny B. Goode

Umm, No? He's got the suit, the girls and the whole 9 yards and it was still a big fail. Like a bad parody. Sorry, I'm not being mean, but this seemed like a recreational performance at best. The song doesn't suit Modesto because his voice doesn't handle these up tempos that well. Did you notice how he was trying to catch on with the melody? The whole act was wildly unconvincing. Sorry. 4/10

DADDY'S HOME

Till My Heartaches End

This was the right kind of song for the group, but the rendition was oh so boring that vocally it was heading toward karaoke. The liberties they took with the melody were interesting and they were spot on vocally, so there's that. But overall, nothing extraordinary other than them being a group of daddies. Ha! 5.5/10

KZ TANDINGAN

The Show

Admittedly, I'm a fan of KZ since her audition as I find her refreshingly different. However, this somehow felt a little lightweight for me. I liked that Charice chose a fun, quirky and contemporary song for her, but the song or the arrangement went nowhere. Where was the vocal strength? No, I'm not talking about those unnecessary high notes, but when she didn't jump up the octave once in the song to add some vocal energy or dynamics, it felt a little stale. The scatting was a nice touch, but it went a little too long for my liking. Her phrasing was brilliant though and her beautiful tone complemented the song perfectly. 7/10

JERIC MEDINA

Unchained Melody

When I heard that Martin gave this song for him to sing, I thought that it was a bad song choice. But, guess what? Jeric actually pulled it off! Yes, his voice sounded strained once or twice with some slip ups in the opening verse, but for the most part this was a very solid and strong vocal performance. His transitions were also pretty good. Unchained Melody was actually perfect for his voice and that smoky tone, and if he can manage to find a personality, he might be able to do some damage in this competition.7.5/10

MARK MABASA

Kiss From A Rose

Mark doesn’t have the best voice in the competition, but he managed to pull off this tough and dangerous song choice surprisingly well. Was it unique or original? No, not really. Will I want to watch it over and over again? Unlikely. But this was a very strong and consistent vocal performance coupled with some dramatic flare to his delivery that might be all he needed to get into next week. Not a fan of his phrasing though, but that's just me nitpicking. 7.5/10

AKA JAM

Got To Be Real

WOW.  I didn't see this one coming? AKA JAM's version of the song, though nothing particularly groundbreaking, was a rousing success! It was fun, infectious and it got me moving in my seat. Everything just worked mighty fine - the staging, the choreography, their harmonies, and even their solo bit. You know how I know this was a good one? I couldn’t stop smiling for two minutes straight, and towards the end of the number, I had to reach down and lift my jaw off the floor. Very nice. 9/10

JOAN DA

Sunday Morning

The guitar was a clever way to reintroduce herself to the audience because while she's a good vocalist, Joan is also, arguably, forgettable. I thought her version of Sunday Morning was decent, although the changes she made were subtle and respectful enough to interest me. I liked the breakdown she added towards the end and I appreciated the fact that she's not totally dependent on her vocal tone alone. Vocally though, this just wasn't the strongest as I've seen from her. 7/10

JERRIANE MAE TEMPLO

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

This song is so played out already! Why? Haha. Well, Jerrian's version was a "by the book" performance, but I guess that's exactly what she needed at this point. She needed to sing something relatively simple and connect. I liked that the song was made to feel less epic, musically, so that her voice could be the focal point. True, the performance almost went to the boring side and her vocals weren't as flawless as I hoped - the song started to devour her towards the end - but this was still a pretty rendition. 7.5/10

KEDEBON COLIM

First Day High

X Factor UK has Wagner. X Factor US has Dexter Heygood. I guess, X Factor Philippines has Kedebon? Sure, this was not quite the train wreck I was expecting, but this was just pointless. The performance was full of energy - I'd give him that - but everything else was ridiculously frantic and he moved spastically around the stage like a crazy man. There was nothing interesting about his tone, he was unable to support his breath, he enunciated words like a kid, and the band was too loud that it ate him alive. Was this a joke? Because I didn't get it, and if I did, it's not funny. AT ALL. Thank you very much. 3/10