Olympics of Reality Singing Shows 2015: #20 - I Will Always Love You - Mmatema Moremi / Idols South Africa 11

20. I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU

Mmatema Moremi

Idols South Africa 11

Reality Singing Show Rule #245: Thou shall not sing Whitney Houston. Yes, Mmatema violated that rule, but the panel didn't actually mind. She had the right mix of tone, precise pitch, and modulation to pull off this iconic song, and guess what, she absolutely did. There were no unnecessary runs as pointed out by one jury member and it was just some good old fantastic singing. 

Olympics of Reality Singing Shows 2015: #21 Work It Out - 4th Impact / X Factor UK 12

21. WORK IT OUT

4th Impact

X Factor UK 12

It's hard to pull off an uptempo performance as it is, but to absolutely nail it complete with solid harmonies and a relatively extensive choreography was just stupendous. The ladies were oozing with stage presence, as per our panel, and the vocals were consistently good through and through. 

Olympics of Reality Singing Shows 2015: #22 Nobody's Supposed To Be Here - Mmatema Moremi / Idols South Africa 11

22. NOBOY'S SUPPOSED TO BE HERE
Mmatema Moremi
Idols South Africa 11

Stunning. Mmatema has been on of the most consistent vocalists in her season, and this felt like an intermission number of a star who's back to perform her latest song. Sure, it came off a little old school - given the song choice - but she looked like an absolute pro with her stance, her vocals, and her commitment to the song. It's actually quite compelling to watch her performance build up to something much more bigger with ease and an admirable quiet confidence.

Olympics of Reality Singing Shows 2015: #23 Somebody To Love - Jordan Smith / The Voice US 9

23. SOMEBODY TO LOVE
Jordan Smith
The Voice US 9

Over-the-top? Yes, but that's how you sing a Queen song! Jordan Smith was an instant front runner as soon as he opened his mouth to sing Sia's Chandelier during his blind audition, but sealed the deal with this rousing vocal performance. It was everything you needed to hear on a Somebody To Love track. The grit, the range, the strong falsetto, the solid lower register, the seamless transitions. His vocals were too spectacular that he managed to dethrone Adele from the top of the iTunes chart as soon as this was released. Pretty impressive, no?

Olympics of Reality Singing Shows 2015: #24 Mad World - Joey Cook / American Idol 14

24. MAD WORLD
Joey Cook
American Idol 14

One panel, TJ Roque, said it best, a performance of Mad World especially on American Idol will always be compared to Adam Lambert's showstopper. It's deemed inevitable, but Joey Cook's rendition was just as haunting and lovely. There were some interesting melodic choices thrown in her version, the performance aspect was well thought out, she was very focused and very connected and her vocals were sublime.

Olympics of Reality Singing Shows 2015: #25 Writing's On The Wall - Krzysztof Iwaneczko / The Voice Poland 6

25. WRITING'S ON THE WALL
Krzysztof Iwaneczko
The Voice Poland 6

With a huge standard deviation, Writing's On The Wall was definitely the most polarizing performance this year, but it had enough votes despite ranking the absolute lowest on two [2] panel members to actually push the performance in the Top 25. That's not to take anything away from the performance though as those who ranked him high actually found Krzysztof take on the Sam Smith's song impressive especially given the degree of difficulty of the song. The vocal transitions, control, range, and emotional deft were all spot on.

Olympics of Reality Singing Shows 2015: The Honorable Mentions

On it's third year, the Olympics of Reality Singing Shows is back! Last year, DAM NATION made things a little interactive with an extended help from seven [7] reality singing show aficionados. This year, we made things even grander and bigger. 

1 - The pool of awesome performances expanded not just from the usual suspects - American Idol, The Voice US, and X Factor UK - but from 27 different editions across 14 countries.

2 - The jury now consists of 30 people from different countries. Some were invited and some signed up when DAM NATION opened up the field to more reality singing show fans. 

3 - Results this year will be posted one at a time complete with scoreboards from the jury. Starting today, every performances that have been voted into the Top 25 will have their own post. 

There! 

Just so people know, DAM NATION gave the jury a shortlist of 60 performances and asked them to rank according to their personal preferences. Tallied the scores up, and came up with a definitive list of 25 Best Reality Singing Show Performances of 2015. Sounds fun right?

First, let's get on with the five [5] honorable mentions!

Movie Review: Honor Thy Father

I may be grading Honor Thy Father to a curve, but this has to be one of the better Filipino films I've seen in years. It was not without its flaws - some characters were rather underwritten and a couple of plot devices seemed a little contrived - but it was expertly structured and set up, the sequences were pretty nail-biting and well staged, and the narrative was unexpectedly layered with subtexts relating to our culture. Erik Matti's direction was masterful and the performances were first rate. Meryl Soriano was suitably tentative as Kaye, but it was John Lloyd Cruz' take on the role that had me in awe. The shift in image for him as an actor was jarring but oddly convincing as he managed to entirely remove the gloss of his previous rom-com performances to something grittier. There was an intensity and quiet toughness with genuine sincerity to his portrayal. Honor Thy Father was largely character-driven, but it was far from a quiet, intimate drama. The fear, aggression, thrill and emotions were well represented throughout the film and that made this not only an engaging drama, but a gripping thriller. Something I genuinely didn't expect. 8.5

Movie Review: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Not going to jump on the bandwagon and claim that I'm a big fan of the Star Wars franchise - I'm not - but it's true, Star Wars: The Force Awakens was a downright good film. It delivered on a technical standpoint as it had a plethora of testosterone fueled action sequences and an abundance of mind blowing visual effects, especially the sweeping canvas of different worlds - possibly one of the most visually impressive films I have seen this year. The narrative was pretty much straightforward, but with a good script, stellar direction and a surprisingly well-timed humor scattered throughout the film. The story developed into something very familiar though with some of the plot devices coming off a little uninspired. The pacing was also a tad uneven with the first half perfectly paced and perhaps lingered on longer than it should have at the latter part of the movie. As for the acting, they were mostly good, but it was the captivating Daisy Ridley who stole the show. Adam Driver was quite disappointing though. Star Wars: The Force Awakens, to me, was far from being a perfect film - at times, it felt bloated and clumsy - but it was still one great piece of entertainment. 8

X Factor UK 12 Wrap-Up: 25 Best Performances

To that obligatory DAM NATION count: 28 episodes. 68 live performances. 13 finalists. 4 deadlocks. 0 act from the Overs (thanks Simon). This has been a pretty interesting season. To my ears, one person clearly stood out week in and week out - no single bad performance - but there were actually a pretty good numbers of acts that delivered some compelling numbers.

I've been doing two (2) wrap-ups at the same time: X Factor UK and The Voice US - and I must say that what separated the two are the quality of entertaining performances. The Voice clearly had better vocalists - duh! - but the level of production complete with choreography and riveting arrangements made X Factor UK A LOT more fascinating show. But of course, that's subjective. Ha.

this is VERY subjective and I guarantee that there will probably be some performances that are nowhere to be found on your list that may be as high as 10 or something on here. But please respond maturely, flames don't make me particularly happy.

Without further ado, here are X Factor UK 12: 25 Best Performances!

X Factor UK 12: 25 Best Performances
Watch DAM NATION's List of X Factor UK 12: 25 Best Performances! #XFactorUK #XFactor #SimonCowell #RitaOra #NickGrimshaw #CherylCole #LouisaJohnson #CheChesterman #MasonNoise #RNB #4thImpact #LaurenMurray #MonicaMichaels #AliensUncovered #KieraWeathers #SeannMileyMoore
Posted by THE DAM NATION on Friday, December 18, 2015

DAM NATION: December 2015 Playlist

.. and then we're done for another year! Wow. Unlike the past two months, I actually had a hard time coming up with, at the very least, fifteen (15) songs for the last month of the year. But I digress. Here you have another list of 15 songs that I (personally) fancy, that are already doing good on it's own and maybe some new singles from different artists that will probably - or maybe not - be hits in the next coming weeks in whatever format.

Enjoy! Until next year!

1 Love Yourself Justin Bieber

2 Invincible Joe Moore

3 Stand By You Rachel Platten

4 Adventure of A Lifetime Coldplay

5 Burning House Cam

6 Better When I'm Dancin' Meghan Trainor

7 When We Were Young Adele

8 I Know What You Did.. Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello

9 Roses The Chainsmokers (ft. ROZES)

10 Hula Hoop OMI

11 Used To Love You Gwen Stefani

12 Cake By The Ocean DNCE

13 Hollow Tori Kelly

14 Piece By Piece Kelly Clarkson

15 Stone Cyrus

DAM NATION

Password: Who topped DAM NATION's post of X Factor UK 12: Top 4

The Voice 9: Top 4

I couldn't get myself to care for this Finale. I don't know. There's something about this season that just didn't work. Sure, there were a plenty of talented artists this season, but given how predictable the results will be by tomorrow, the whole thing became completely boring. I'm hoping Emily Ann Roberts will pull an upset - it's a long shot, but I digress.

Oh, and yes, I deliberately didn't include the duets in this review. It's a waste of time on my part, I think. Haha.

On with the show!

X Factor UK 12: Finale

I knew it. The moment Louisa Johnson opened her mouth to audition, I knew she'd be a force to reckon on this show. I admit, I slightly doubted her win last night as Reggie 'N' Bollie shockingly came out strong and fighting, but Louisa had the consistency and momentum on her side. Plus, her overall body of work throughout the season has been incredibly impressive.

As for the entire Season 12? I thought it was interesting. There were NO annoying contestants and other than Reggie 'N' Bollie, I found the elimination order to be just about right. Oh, and Rita Ora and Nick Grimshaw - along with the new hosts - were good additions to the show. No, they weren't particularly crazy like Sharon Osborne or Louis Walsh, but I digress.

Until next season!

For the meantime, wait for the Wrap-Up post, which I will post in the next couple of days!

X Factor UK 12: Top 3

This was a rather odd Finale. Why? Coming into the Finale, I figured Reggie 'N' Bollie was just a fodder to it all and we'll eventually end up with a Louisa-Che Finale. After tonight, I thought the duo made a solid case as to why they deserve to stay in the competition. They will NEVER be the best singers, but they provide that much needed diversity in terms of entertainment value. As for Louisa, she was still fabulous and Che remained, well, as Che. 

I was so sure that Louisa had this in the bag since the day she opened her mouth to audition, but now, I'm having that doubt.

Oh, and I did not include here the duets as I don't think they matter - in general - but just so you know, I enjoyed Reggie 'N' Bollie the most. Shocker. 

On with the show!

Movie Review: The Little Prince

Let me say this right off the bat, I have NOT read The Little Prince - so I can only go by with what I saw since I certainly can't comment and compare this from the actual book - but for the most part, I must say that I was genuinely entertained. Sure, the tone of the film was too low key that some may find it a bit bland and uneventful - especially kids - but there's something refreshing about it. On a technical standpoint, everything was above reproach. The stop-motion animation was a superbly executed, it was visually vibrant, the backdrops were exquisitely rendered, the soundtrack and scoring was sublime, and the voice acting was well done. I thought the characters were nuanced enough for kids to grasp, but not too simplistic for adults. It was a rather poetic narrative as well and while the pacing came off a tad uneven, I really didn't mind. If I have one gripe about the film, it would have to be the forced and flat last act. It could've been a lot better. to say the least. The Little Prince was delightful, different and visually wonderful. I don't think it's for everyone and it wasn't perfect by any means, but I was left with a pleasant feeling inside. 8

The Voice 9: Top 9

If this was last season, I would be annoyed by the idea of cutting nine (9) people to four (4), but tonight, I genuinely don't mind because, at this point, I just want this season of "Religious Voice" to end and crown Jordan Smith already. Look, I have nothing against the him - he seems to be a very good and talented kid - but the constant pimping became incredibly annoying this week. I know. I know. Subtlety was never The Voice's strongest suit, but come on!

On with the show!

Movie Review: A Good Dinosaur

There's very few films that I'd see based solely on a name attached to it. One of these would be a film by Christopher Nolan or David Fincher and another would be a film by Pixar. They have produced some of the best animated films EVER and anyone who has seen classics like Toy Story or Finding Nemo or Up will realize that that is more than enough to make you go and see A Good Dinosaur. So, how did this movie live up to the legacy of Pixar? Quite frankly, it's not my favorite, but it had its moments. The visuals were richly detailed, the landscape was quite lush and sumptuous, and the character designs were awesome. The narrative was a little predictable and the story developed at a slower than expected pace with a relatively dry first half, but the build up was measured and it got better as the story progressed. Oh, and that delivery of the final act made it all worthwhile with Pixar's unique tradition of sending grown men out of the theater pretending that they NEVER shed a tear. Haha. A Good Dinosaur was almost a forgettable film until it ended with that fuzzy feeling that was all too familiar to ignore. A story with a lot of heart. 7.5

X Factor UK 12: Top 4

It's the semi-finals week and we've got a couple of solid performances as they tackle songs that will get them to the Finale next week. Quite honestly, I had a solid Top 3 in mind, but this episode made me think twice. Reggie 'N' Bollie, to be honest, started out as the good 'ole joke contestant, but in hindsight, they've been more than entertaining throughout the season. Does that warrant a spot in the Finale? I'm not sure, but I prefer them over another bland singer in the mix. But we'll see.

On with the show!

The Voice 9: Top 10

I wasn't expecting much from this group - I've been constantly underwhelmed the past few weeks - but they somehow delivered some pretty solid performances this week. It's interesting how messed up and unpredictable my ranking went, but I stand by it and that makes for an interesting final two (2) week for this incredibly bland season full of religious songs. Ha. 

On with the show!

Movie Review: A Second Chance

A Second Chance is very much a personal experience for a viewer and one's like or dislike for the film will rely heavily on their own life experience and the status of the relationships they're currently in. Maybe I'm not in that stage that I needed to be in to appreciate A Second Chance, or maybe I'm still too idealistic, but I genuinely preferred One More Chance more than this one. To me, this film, arguably, lost the magic and charm of its predecessor, although there was still so much to commend about it. Both Bea Alonzo and John Lloyd Cruz remained stellar as Popoy and Basha and their chemistry was still undeniable. The maturity they brought to their characters was pretty spot on and that made for a believable squabbling couple. The script was also incredibly well-written - if a little over-the-top and slightly pretentious - and the supporting cast, once again, provided dimension to the narrative. The fights, while astonishingly realistic, came off as a plot device more than anything though. A Second Chance was intriguing at the very least and provided some interesting insights and arguments. Not my favorite, but good enough. That is all. 7

X Factor UK 12: Top 5

We're almost at the finish line? It was that fast? This was another interesting week. Everyone struggled one way or another during tonight's episode. Someone completely forgot the words, while someone had to fight the sickness and deliver something that will be enough for another week. That being said, there’s still an undeniable magic beneath the surface. I'm curious though who will end up packing this week. Are we in for a shocker?

On with the show!

X Factor Australia 7 Wrap-Up: 25 Best Performances

To that obligatory countdown. 3 new judges. 28 episodes. 9 live shows. 3 judges' smack downs. 1 winner. This has been a pretty fun season. Sure, there were a few who stood out week in and week out, but I'd be lying if I wasn't thrilled with the finalists as a whole. Not only was this group pretty diverse, but they all were incredibly talented. I'm glad I decided to cover the show this year or I would've missed the fascinating talents from this side of the world.

Again, this is VERY subjective and I guarantee that there will probably be some performances that are nowhere to be found on your list that may be as high as 10 or something on here. But please respond maturely, flames don't make me particularly happy.

Without further ado, here are X Factor Australia 7: 25 Best Performances!

Movie Trailer: Captain America: Civil War

I know. I know. A couple of years ago - was it 2012? - I promised to take this segment of DAM NATION seriously and more updated than usual. I'm trying and I'll start with the newly released trailer of Captain America: Civil War.

Synopsis*: An incident leads to the Avengers developing a schism over how to deal with situations, which escalates into an open fight between allies Iron Man and Captain America.

Cast: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Anthony Mackie, Jeremy Renner

Release Date: May 6, 2016



*IMDB

The Voice 9: Top 11

Is it deliberate? For the second live show of the season, the show somehow packed the boring and terrible performances at the top of the show and the good ones at the end. Why? Save for Zach who closed the show (!!!) last week, I thought the first few minutes from both episodes were almost too embarrassing to watch.

Oh, and thank you coaches for giving good song choices this week - although Gwen and Pharrell tripped with a couple of their choies.

On with the show!

X Factor Australia 7: Finale

It's been a fun season! To be honest, I didn't expect to enjoy this as much as the past two seasons, but I found a couple of people who I was willing to root for. In fact, this was possibly one of the strongest groups I've seen on X Factor Australia. Every single one of them managed to deliver strong performances and no joke acts this year - yes, I'm looking at you X Factor UK.

I'm actually thrilled with how this season went and without further ado..

X FACTOR AU 7 WINNER IS..

X Factor Australia 7: Top 3

I stubbornly underestimated this Finale. You see, I always do a Wrap-Up of every show I cover listing the best performances of the season and I must confess, I'm done with that post for X Factor Australia 7 including an edited video of these performances. 

I mean, based on historical trend, save for American Idol Season 13, finalists, more often than not, are already exhausted from all the months and weeks of singing and for them to churn out an outstanding performance at the final stretch of the competition is almost next to impossible.   

So color me surprised when one of the finalists delivered one of the best, if not the best performance of the season. No, I'm certainly not complaing, I'm just in utter shock. 

Oh, and good job, Australia! I just realized earlier that they've been pretty spot on with the elimination order this year. The three best acts actually made it to the Finale. United States and United Kingdom, please take note!

On with the show!

X Factor UK 12: Top 7

Given the song choices this week and the apparent theme of "Love & Heartbreaks", I knew that I was in for an awesome show. The show ended and I was left feeling nothing. Haha. Have I been watching too much reality singing competitions lately that I'm becoming irritatingly overcritical? Don't get me wrong. I saw a couple of good to awesome performances tonight, but only one of them truly made an impression. Hoping for the best next week?

On with the show!

Movie Review: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2

Let me get straight to the point: While The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 was a fairly satisfying conclusion to the franchise, I couldn't help but shake off the feeling that this could've been a lot better. Don't get me wrong. The film was solid on most sides of the spectrum. The direction was sharp, the cinematography was stunning, the visual effects served the story extremely well, and the acting, for the most part, was good. Yet I was still terribly underwhelmed. The main culprit? The uneven pacing, which pulled me out of the film. The last act, for example, was way too rushed and oddly muted that what could've been the most emotionally resonant part of the movie left me cold. Then, of course, there were scenes that extended way beyond their welcome. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 was mostly entertaining, but it never reached the heights it was trying to achieve for its final installment. It never felt important or grand and as a send-off to one of the most hyped franchises of all time, I was genuinely expecting more. 7

DAM NATION: November 2015 Playlist

Here we are again. The second to the last playlist for 2015. It's a bit of a tough last few months as I whittle down the list of songs to just 15. It's actually quite a daunting task, no? Anyway, here you have another list of 15 songs that I (personally) fancy, that are already doing good on it's own and maybe some new singles from different artists that will probably - or maybe not - be hits in the next coming weeks in whatever format.

Enjoy!

1 Hello Adele

2 Perfect One Direction

3 Alive Sia

4 New Thang Redfoo

5 Hands of Love Miley Cyrus

6 Love Me Like You Little Mix

7 Lay It All On Me Rudimental (ft. Ed Sheeran)

8 Focus Ariana Grande

9 One Call Away Charlie Puth

10 Thunder Leona Lewis

11 Next Boyfriend Lauren Alaina

12 Sax Fleur East

13 Heartbeat Carrie Underwood

14 Unbreakable Jena Irene

15 Sorry Justin Bieber

DAM NATION

Password: Who topped The Voice 9: Top 12 post?

The Voice 9: Top 12

While I had reservations with the crop of finalists this year, I genuinely think The Voice 9 has some pretty compelling artists. No, it's not as good and diverse as the past two seasons, but there are potential gems in this lot. If only these coaches know how to pick the right songs for their team, no?

Oh, and let me just say that the serious pandering this season has been off the charts and I feel sick to my stomach. But again, that's just me.

On with the show!

X Factor Australia 7: Top 4

We're at the homestretch of the season and somehow things are becoming a bit stale. Not sure if it's just fatigue from all the singing they've been doing the past couple of months, but while there were a couple of impeccable performances, I couldn't help but be slightly underwhelmed. Was I just expecting to much for the last four acts standing? That's not to take anything away from them because most of them are actually the right people for the spot. It'll be interesting who will end up winning this whole enchalada.

On with the show!

X Factor UK 12: Top 9

It's Movie soundtrack theme and it was a pretty interesting night! Lauren Murray and Monica Michael were supposed to cover Licence to Kill from James Bond and Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) from Kill Bill respectively, but due to what happened in Paris, they decided to change it last minute. Oh, and Celina of 4th Impact almost collapsed on stage after performing. It was uncomfortable to watch, to be honest.

Other than that, the performances were mostly good with a couple of stinkers from the usual suspects. That being said, with another double elimination later tonight, I'm pretty sure I'll lose one of my favorites.

On with the show!

The Voice 9: Live Playoffs #TeamPharrell

#TeamPharrell is pretty stacked up no? Sure, some of them performed below expectations, but I know what these people can do and at this point, I want most of them into the live shows. Can we just have one or two from #TeamBlake and have four or five from #TeamPharrell? Pretty please?

Oh, and the song choices were a lot better this time than yesterday. Thank God!

On with the show!

The Voice 9: Live Playoffs #TeamBlake

If not for #TeamPharrell, I would've been utterly annoyed by the flock of country artists in this episode. No, I have nothing against them, but I'm just not the biggest fan of the genre. That said, I can't deny the fact that while most of them didn't appeal to my personal taste, some of them delivered some decent to good performances and I can't be mad with that.

On with the show!

The Voice 9: Live Playoffs #TeamGwen

Why was there so many meltdowns in this episode? #TeamAdam had a couple of terrible performances and somehow, #TeamGwen wanted to have their own. The one-two punch of Regina Love and Braiden Sunshine, for example, was a total trainwreck. I was expecting things to be the biggest massacre in The Voice US history with talented people being cut left and right, but these artists made deciding easy for the public.

Oh, and the band was the devil may it be the arrangement or for just being plain noisy and loud. Ha.

On with the show!

The Voice 9: Live Playoffs #TeamAdam

Song choices have been abysmal on #TeamAdam and I couldn't understand his thought process while picking these songs for his artists. To Be With You? You're No Good? The Way You Look Tonight? Halo? Sure, they somehow fit the artists, but these choices were terribly lazy and predictable, I wanted to barf.

As for the performances? I expected a lot more from Adam's team - he probably has one of the most diverse artists this year - so I was a bit disappointed with how most of them faltered. I'm crossing my fingers that it was just a simple case of first live show syndrome and things will get better from here on out.

On with the show!

X Factor Australia 7: Top 5

After weeks of great performances, tonight was a bit of a let down. I don't know. One did pretty spectacular, but the rest ranged from good to awful - and we're already at this stage of the competition. To be honest, I'm terrified as to who will be eliminated in the next coming weeks until the Finale. Are we in for a predictable finish or a shocking one?

On with the show!

X Factor UK 12: Top 11

The theme this week was "Reinvention". Not sure if it means mash-ups - since we got a lot of them - or do something with a song and just flip it, but for the most part, I've heard a lot of the arrangements somewhere else. It's not technically reinvention as they already exists, but I digress. A couple of people redeemed themselves after an underwhelming performances last week and some were downright laughable. One thing I'm certain about this season, we'll never be short on theatrics. Ha.

On with the show!

Movie Review: Spectre

Dull. Convoluted. Trite. What a big letdown Spectre was. Not sure if I was just expecting too much from it - given how good Skyfall was - but this film was just downright disappointing. To be completely fair, it started out compelling enough and I found the scenes to be exquisitely shot. However, something happened after the second act that the story became too drawn-out things almost didn't make sense. The action was intense, but hardly memorable and they were few and far between, the pacing was awful, and the villain wasn't particularly interesting - words can't describe how dull the villain was. Daniel Craig was probably the best thing here, but he just couldn't single-handedly keep the film afloat. Spectre wasn't as bad as Quantum of Solace, but this film pretty much dropped all the goodwill the franchise earned from Skyfall. Forgettable with no personality whatsoever. 6

The Voice 9: The Knockouts Part 3

The final Knockouts episode is upon and while there wasn't a clear standout performance, there were still some decent ones worthy of America's attention. The real star though of the Knockouts was Rihanna's impressive ability to mentor. Not only was her critiques and advice spot on, but she said it in a way that makes you believe that she knows what she's talking about. Oh, and her ear for these hopefuls' vocals was stellar. Hands down, my favorite mentor ever on The Voice US.

On with the show!

X Factor Australia 7: Top 6

Not going to lie, but this has to be one of the strongest Top 6 I've seen in X Factor Australia. No, I'm not a big fan of Big T or even Natalie Conway, but they are competent and reliable vocalists and they gave a couple of good performances throughout the season. The rest? They're outstanding!

At this point, I think Australia's voting has been spot on. Don't fail me, mate! Ha.

On with the show!

X Factor UK 12: Top 13

It's the first live shows and I must say that almost all of them delivered decent performances. Yes, there were a couple of lackluster performances here and there - mostly on the song choices - but for the most part, this was a pretty telling week. I'm excited to here more from these crop and from the looks of it, I think we have a much better set of finalists this year than last year.

Oh, and with two people going home this week, I'm pretty sure we're in for a couple of shockers. Or maybe not. 

On with the show!

Movie Review: Goosebumps

Not going to lie, I expected Goosebumps to be very generic and annoying, but while parts of it was just that, I still found the movie to be somewhat entertaining. The story was obviously kept deliberately as simple as possible - maybe to make it perfectly watchable for the more younger kids - but the execution wasn't too cheeky or immature. It still had some semblance of depth and the silliness was brilliantly masked by the manic fun and high energy of the whole film. The pacing was a little inconsistent though, while the acting was mostly fine with Jack Black thankfully not being too obnoxious and the visual effects were actually not bad - I braced for something of a hot mess given the range of monsters, ghouls and whatnot. Ultimately, if you're in the mood for a switch-off-your-brain fantasy romp, then Goosebumps is not a terrible choice. 7

The Voice 9: The Knockouts Part 2

Sad. I was really hoping that the Knockouts will end this week - I know, it started just yesterday, but a man can dream no? - so that we can fast forward to the Playoffs. Tonight, we saw three (3) battles in a course of one hour and I was bored. Yes, there were a couple of good performances, but why am I getting so uninterested with the show this season. Was it the talent? Gwen Stefani? or Adam Levine and his bald head? Haha.

On with the show!