Monday, September 7, 2015

The Voice Australia 4 Wrap-Up: 25 Best Performances

To the obligatory count: 18 episodes. 80 blind auditions. 24 battle competitions. 8 super battles. 52 live performances. 1 winner. Yes, this has to be possibly one of the more interesting The Voice edition in recent memory. I mean, I've been following a lot of The Voice editions in several parts of the world, but Australia managed to build a pretty impressive roster this year.

So yes, there were a good amount of outstanding performances throughout the entire season, and this is where this definitive list is for. 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's The Voice Australia Season 4 25 Best Performances:

25. Lay Me Down
Stewart Winchester
Blind Auditions

Such a shame that he didn't go far as Stewart has an identifiable sound that's pretty incredible. He sounded really good during the opening verse of the song with a tone that's unique and the power he infused as the song progressed was pretty good. He almost sounded like Sam Smith, but not really - if you know what I mean.

24. Bring Me Some Water
Peta Evans-Taylor
Top 16

This was really strong. There's a fierceness and confidence in her delivery that's impressive, her vocals were fantastic, and her pitch was on point. This was an all around great performance.

23. Shut Up And Dance
Caleb Jago-Ward
Top 12

I've never been a huge fan of Caleb, but this was possibly his best performance to date. His manic and quirky facial expressions worked perfectly well with the song choice and there's something inherently cool with this number. Plus, his voice sounded awesome! I now get the appeal. He actually reminds me of Nate Ruess.

22. Beggin'
Rik-E-Ragga & Aviida
Battles

Individually, I've never been a fan of Rik-E-Ragga and Aviida. Yes, they brought a different kind of vibe to the whole proceedings, but they just doesn't excite me. However, their version of Beggin' was a totally different story. The almost rap take of Rik-E-Ragga complemented gloriously the soulful sound of Aviida. Together, they've created one of the best Battle performances this season.

21. Budapest
Liam Maihi
Blind Auditions

Right from the start, Liam proved that his rich quality of his voice was a force to be reckoned with. There was a smooth tone during the verses and when he stretched his vocals to a higher register, a different texture of his voice was front and center and it sounded just as riveting.

20. Only Love
Nathan Hawes
Top 12

His laidback quality and the tenderness of his voice was front and center in this performance. Sure, I would've enjoyed it had I understood some of his words, but this understated acoustic vocals was just awesome.

19. Believe
Joe Moore
Top 12

The build up on this performance was perfect. The verses sounded delicate, but then it progressed into something a lot more powerful than I expected. Plus, he hit a couple of notes that were pretty difficult and yet pulled it off quite nicely. I'm a fan.

18. Lean On
Ellie Drennan
Top 12

Who knew Lean On could actually work in a reality singing competition? Of course I had reservations with the song choice, but it shockingly worked to her advantage. Her lower register was stellar, her phrasing sounded exquisite, the transitions were clean, and her timing was impeccable.

17. Boom Clap
Grace Pitts
Super Battles

The understated beauty of her Boom Clap version was something I didn't expect. I had problems with her prior performances, but this made me change my mind of her. It was subtle, connected, and just lovely. Plus, the arrangement worked to her advantage. Very smart.

16. Marry The Night
Naomi Price
Top 8

She, arguably, has the best voice in the competition this season and her version of Marry The Night was just pristine. No, it wasn't the most exciting, but the clarity alone of her voice made things a riveting and the runs she made as her voice soared higher towards the end sounded absolutely divine.

15. Last Request
Joe Moore
Top 6

Lovely. Just lovely. The unique tone of his voice was front and center here, the vocal dynamics was just about right, and the connection was palpable. Without a doubt, the most consistent and reliable competitor this year.

14. Like I'm Gonna Love You
Lyndall Wennekes
Top 12

While this sounded like Meghan Trainor's version from the riffs down to the phrasing, Lyndall actually sounded lovely, her vocal control was surprisingly solid, and a totally superior cover of the song. Hands down, her best performance on the show.

13. Mama Knows Best
Cath Adams & Fem Belling
Battles

While understand that Cath had a more consistent sound and possibly a reliable belter, I just couldn't get my eyes off Fem who slayed her version of the song. The scatting was brilliant, and some of her melodic choices blew my mind. Cath was technically better, but Fem just brought it to something a lot more interesting than a purely karaoke version of the song.

12. Team
Ellie Drennan
Top 16

For a stylized song like Team, I feared that she wouldn't have enough space to put her own liberties to the song, but she was clever enough to put some interesting melodic choices throughout the performance. Her voice sounded amazing with no hint of bad notes and she was glowing. Good stuff.

11. Empire
Nicolas Duquemin & Nina Baumer
Battles

This was destined to be a fodder performance from two relatively uninteresting artists, but as soon as both Nicolas and Nina opened their mouth, I was sold. Nicolas' tone was pure and uniquely compelling and he managed to match Nina's booming voice. And yes, Nina was just a vocal powerhouse. Her dynamics was astounding and how her voice soared when it needed to was shockingly superb. Hands down, the best battle this season.

10. Red
Scott Newnham
Blind Auditions

Other than his classic good looks, Scott's soulful vocals on Red was a total standout. It sounded effortless, but with a touch of sexiness that's oddly riveting. He also has a quiet confidence to him that's charming.

09. A House Is Not A Home
Naomi Price
Top 6

I would've been very critical with the song choice, but Naomi just proved how vocally superior she is with this performance. This was outstanding. The clarity to her voice was sublime, she sang it straight without those unnecessary runs, there's a quiet confidence to her delivery, and how she connected to the material was just sensational. Wow.

08. I See Fire
Joe Moore
Blind Auditions

From the first note down to that final stretch of the song, Joe completely immersed himself with the music. His voice was strong from start to finish, there's a good amount of dynamics, and he was able to connect to the song impeccably.

07. Let It Go
Liam Maihi
Top 16

Understated. Subtle. Lovely. His vocal tone sounded rich and there's a hitch to his voice that gave his interpretation a some personality. Plus, the added grit somewhere towards the end was a pleasant surprise.

06. Unaware
Ethan Conway
Blind Auditions

This still bugs me. How on earth did Ethan not even reach the live rounds? His take on Unaware was a perfect example of his abilities as a vocalist. His transitions were clean and precise, his lower register and runs were unreal, his falsetto was solid, and he has a voice that's ultimately marketable - other than the fact that he looked like a potential popstar. He should've lasted a lot longer.

05. Strong
Amber Nichols
Blind Auditions

But then again, Ethan was eliminated because Amber beat him to the punch. To be honest, she went downhill since her blind auditions delivering good to decent performances. Good thing, she managed to churn out something as fantastic as Strong. This was just flawless. Her tone was a perfect fit for the song, how she handled those difficult high notes were masterful, and I felt her in the song.

04. Hold On, We're Going Home
Nathan Hawes
Blind Auditions

Ultimately, the best blind audition this year. Yes, I've heard a couple of good acoustic versions of Hold On, We're Going Home from Christina Grimmie to Sheena McHugh, but there's something special with Nathan's take on the song. The "oohs" at the beginning of the song was an interesting set-up for the rest of the performance, his voice was sounded great, and it was just a charming performance.

03. The Blower's Daughter
Joe Moore
Top 16

It started breathy and choppy, but as the song progressed, his voice opened up and soared. Yes, his pitch wasn't flawless, but there's a vulnerability to his voice that gave the performance some much needed depth

02. I Kissed A Girl
Ellie Drennan
Top 6

It took a while before I got the arrangement of the song, but Ellie just brought a different vibe to this Katy Perry hit. The quality of her voice was distinct, her vocal transitions were fantastic, and that final run was superb. Fan-freakin'-tastic! To be perfectly honest, this got her the win.

01. Shake It Off
Nathan Hawes
Top 16

Absolutely mesmerizing. At first, the arrangement felt too languid, but it went on to become a very lovely version of Taylor Swift's hit and the best performance of the season. The middle section was particularly phenomenal. Words can't explain how beautiful this was. You have to watch it.

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