The Voice Philippines: Top 24 Live Show Part 1

This was the first live show on The Voice Philippines and I was prepared for an underwhelming episode. So, while some of the performances were filled with tiny mistakes, there were a few gems that shouldn’t be ignored. We will get to the rankings in a second.

But, before we jump right into the review I need to have a moment to comment on the stage and the judges. Everyone looked amazing and I thought the opening was great! Oh, and the design crew deserves a serious raise for making the stage look fantastic. In fact, everything looked really sharp and new tonight, clearly there is a concentrated effort afoot to make the show an improved version of The X Factor Philippines.

Anyway, here we go!

TEAM LEA

3. RJ Dela Fuente
I'll Stand By You
RJ, to me, was completely flavorless. It felt like he's seen singer after singer tackle this song and receive praise, so he set out to deliver a nice enough vocal and nothing else attached. It's not that the vocals were particularly bad because he sounded fine for the most part, but they were just fake. Everything felt forced and there was no soul involved. I don't know. This just left me cold. 5

2. Darryl Shy
Danny's Song
His take on Danny's Song was one of the more restrained performances tonight and actually served him quite well. Was it the best of the night? No, not even close, but Darryl delivered a decent, confident performance that I personally didn’t realize he was capable of and seemed to connect well with the audience. If he can manage to shore up enough votes over the next few weeks, he could easily spoil someone else’s chances - maybe Radha's? 6.5

1. Radha
River Deep, Mountain High
This was an absolutely perfect, if not safe, song choice for Radha. This shouldn’t be that much of a surprise to anybody because she was one of maybe three performers who didn’t show any trace of nerves. This is what she does for a living and it’s what she was born to do. Everything about this was completely natural and organic. She's really good, but the question now is what else can she bring to the table? 8

TEAM APL

3. Cora Dela Cruz
Nosi Balasi
This was an interesting and daring song choice and I will cheer any contestant who takes chances, but unfortunately, this was also a vocal mess. There were cracks, sharp notes, flat notes, dynamic issues and a complete lack of support on some of her lower verses. I have no idea why the coaches weren't able to pick this up. Sure, there were a couple of shining moments in her performance, but they were vastly overshadowed by some of her vocals flaws. 3

2. Jessica Reynoso
I Believe
Strange arrangement. It's weird how this song, especially the middle section, showcased the weaknesses in Jessica's higher end. It stretched her too far and once she went off she slightly struggled to find the key. I guess, she'll need to stay away from some of these notes that cast a bright light on her inefficiencies as a singer. That said, the beginning was pretty strong and that slight break down at the last note of her song showed some real emotion, which I didn't expect. 5.5

1. Thor
Narito
Ok. Let me say that this was a solid Thor performance, but I'm left wondering if the excitement is dying and if Narito was more forgettable than purposeful. What did this song add to his strategy of winning this competition? What’s his game plan? Everything is just becoming a little too predictable for my tastes, and I’m thinking that he might have peaked way too early in the competition. Yes, this was quite an impressive vocal, but I don't think it was enough to put him out in front of the pack again. 7

TEAM BAMBOO

3. Talia Reyes
You Oughtta Know
I was thrilled to see this Alanis song done on the show because it's a great song, but Talia got eaten up by the verses and her phrasing was odd. Somehow, this just allowed us to see her flaws peeking out from behind her guitar. Vocally, it was decent and unoffending, but remarkably underwhelming. 5.5

2. Lee Grane
To Make You Feel My Love
The tone of Lee Grane's voice is fantastic, I'm not even afraid to admit it. I thought she was very focused and very connected with the material and that somehow gave me hope that she can still be that once promising talent. However, this was just a good middle of the road performance and I did have one major issue. Diction. Diction. Diction. It was very difficult to hear 90% of the lyrics in this number and it became frustrating because she seemed to be very well connected with the song that I wanted to join her. Haha. Also, while the song is a great, it didn't really go anywhere. It just.. ends. 6.5

1. Myk Perez
California Gurls/Isn't She Lovely
The beginning started a little weird for me - I can't figure out the melody, to be honest - but then everything fell into place and this was pretty much a strong performance from Myk. Vocally, the passion was palpable and the audience clearly ate it up. To me, Myk can evolve into a better performer over the coming weeks, and if he does, well then watch out. 7.5 

TEAM SARAH

3. Junji Arias
I Don't Want To Miss A Thing
Junji decided that the first 100 people who have sung a cover of I Don't Want To Miss A Thing didn't quite cover the majesty of the song, so, in his infinite wisdom, he delivered us one more. Haha. Kidding aside, this one was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I thought the first half was fine, but when he decided that it was in his best interest to scream at us, I totally lost it. Not a fan. 4.5

2. Eva Delos Santos
So Far Away
I knew Eva had enough vocal power, but I didn’t realize how much technique she holds as a vocalist. This was actually pretty impressive. Yes, there were some disjointed moments, but the placement of some of her falsetto notes were spot on and I liked that she actually played piano on stage. It was an unexpected yet pleasant surprise. 7

1. Morissette Amon
Jar Of Hearts
She had a beautiful moment with her performance of Jar Of Hearts. Her voice was pitch perfect, the phrasing just oozed natural ability, and there was fierceness to her delivery that urges you to root for her. I think she's a very dependable vocalist and if she can keep up this momentum and gets better as the weeks go on, that’s a really ominous sign for the rest of the contestants. Morissette will be like a snowball rolling down a hill and the other contestants are just harmless twigs in her way. Haha. Move over. 9

RESULTS

TEAM LEA

Saved by Votes: Darryl Shy (51.41%)

Saved by Coach: Radha

Eliminated: RJ Dela Fuente

TEAM APL

Saved by Votes: Thor (43.63%)

Saved by Coach: Jessica Reynoso

Eliminated: Cora Dela Cruz

TEAM BAMBOO

Saved by Votes: Myk Perez (54.8%)

Saved by Coach: Lee Grane

Eliminated: Talia Reyes

TEAM SARAH

Saved by Votes: Morissette Amon (57.16%)

Saved by Coach: Eva Delos Santos

Eliminated: Junji Arias