The Voice Philippines: Top 16 Live Show Part 2

This week is very important because it marks the halfway point of the Live Shows. It’s time for these remaining contestants to take it to another level and prove to us that they have what it takes to win. I fully expect to see that next week, because tonight was like a good warm up for them. Every single one of them left that stage knowing that next week, if they survived, would have to be out of this world.

Oh, and I have to say, the stage lighting was still a mess. Fix that! Ugh. Other rants with the format are on my last week's post, but can I just say one thing? The manipulation from last night's results - yes, I'm talking about TEAM APL - was pretty obvious. Apl messed up when he forgot, which card to look for his "scores". Was it because the other card he was holding was the actual tally of the public votes?

It's pretty interesting how Apl "scored" Janice a 65 and Jessica 35, which was enough to trump Jessica's 60% public vote. Was that the reason why Apl was so confused on what to give since giving a 60-40 split in favor of Janice would still mean her elimination. This is why I HATE the fact that at this round, the coaches still have so much CONTROL over who goes home. ENOUGH! With Janice - and Mitoy for that matter - moving on to the next round means that this show just wasted the people's votes (and money!). Such a shame!

TEAM APL

Janice Javier
Chain of Fools
Sure, Janice sang this with amazing control and the connection was there, but this was very one dimensional. I felt like I've seen this performance before from her that there was nothing else to write because I think we've seen all she can do. Such a shame that this performance just kind of sat like a complacent pool of water. Sorry. 6

Jessica Reynoso
Ikaw
This was actually a pleasant surprise. After shouting at us for two consecutive performance, Jessica decided to do something more subtle and nuanced and it seriously worked for her. Her vocals had great control, she was able to connect with the material surprisingly well, and she made it look so effortless. Sure, there were a couple of pitch issues, but I somehow didn't care. 7

VERDICT

(Public Vote + Apl's Score)

Janice Javier

(Note: Jessica got most of the public votes!)

TEAM SARAH

Eva Delos Santos
Ikaw Lang Ang Mamahalin
Do you want to know how boring Eva singing Ikaw Lang Ang Mamahalin is? It's so boring I wasn't even able to take any notes or make any jokes. Except this one: Why did she give us the finger while performing? I know, I know, that's not great. But it's all I could muster with such an uninspired showing from her. I don't know. 5

Klarisse De Guzman
I Can't Make You Love Me
I love this song, and I love singers who can interpret it, and Klarisse did just that. This was beautiful. She realized how inappropriate it was to attack the song like a bulldog, so she instead caressed the melody with impeccable phrasing giving us a pretty sublime version of the song. It wasn't perfect, but she just proved to all the shouty people out there that you can still sing without singing in a freaking double forte. 7.5

VERDICT

(Public Vote + Sarah's Score)

Klarisse De Guzman

TEAM BAMBOO

Isa Fabregas
No One
A cheesy, gooey mash-up sung with practically no emotion, but good enough to confuse everyone out there into thinking it was something special. True, it sounded nice, but in no way am I going to be eager to hear it again tomorrow. 4.5

Myk Perez
Chasing Pavements
Myk has something special. His voice is definitive and interesting. He'd sound great on a recorded album and could make a killing in the music industry. Plus, he also has the chance to bloom in the weeks to come. So yes, Chasing Pavements was a brilliant choice for his voice, and the whole performance was restrained yet powerful and emotional. He needs to work on his diction though, but I digress. 7.5

VERDICT

(Public Vote + Bamboo's Score)

Myk Perez

TEAM LEA

Kimpoy
Weak
Kimpoy sang Weak, but you probably couldn't tell or didn't care. I’m starting to feel lukewarm towards him. I think his voice is sweet and has an interesting tone to it, but the singing this week just felt sloppy. He became so miserably mundane tonight that I had to look back at clips from the past few weeks to convince myself that he is actually quite special. That should be terrifying for this once-contender. 5.5

Radha
Time After Time
This was a bit of a stroke of genius. It was serene, haunting, perfectly rehearsed, and technically astounding from a pure vocal point. It was so good, I'm almost positive Lea had an orgasm. Haha. But really, Radha put her own stamp on this number and I can only hope that she’s connecting with the people back at home. 8

VERDICT

(Public Vote + Lea's Score)

Radha