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!
Natalie Conway
[OVERS]
Week: Top 8
I seriously had reservations with the song choice - I've heard A LOT of covers of this song in my lifetime - but Natalie somehow managed to pull it off. No, it wasn't particularly outstanding, but her vocals rose above the loud band, her pitch for the most part was impressively intact, the staging worked to her advantage, and it was an all around great performance.
Cyrus Villanueva
[BOYS]
Week: Top 4
Despite this being a highly competent karaoke version of the song - save for the last part where he tried to insert some interesting melodic choices - I found Cyrus version of Don't pretty revealing. This proved that Cyrus could actually exist in the real world and not just in a reality singing competition. His charisma was just overwhelming and he handled the rapid fire verses of Ed Sheeran's song pretty well.
Jess & Matt
[GROUPS]
Week: Top 12
Individually, there's nothing incredibly remarkable with their voices, but together, there's something inherently appealing. Their harmonies were pretty spot on, the verses were clean, and that last part sounded divine. I wondered if they could be the next Alex & Sierra?
Natalie Conway
[OVERS]
Week: Top 6
She certainly hit most of her notes with some admirable grasp on pitch, showed some nifty vocal horsepower and the staging was pretty slick and riveting. My only gripe? It felt soulless. Or was that the point?
Louise Adams
[OVERS]
Week: Top 4
To see Louise tackle something as light as this was a pleasant surprise. I thought the song choice managed to accentuate another side of her instrument with aplomb, and somehow ensured that he can handle modern music as deftly as she does with some old-school tunes. Terrific job!
Mahalia Simpson
[GIRLS]
Week: Top 6
Thank God Dannii didn't pick her song during this week!! Mahalia didn't do anything particularly different from Adele's version - in terms of melody - but there was just an effortless beauty to this performance. The sweet and delicate crumble in to her voice breathe new life into the words of the song. Gorgeous.
Cyrus Villanueva
[BOYS]
Week: Top 12
Initially, I wasn't a fan of the arrangement and the groove he infused in the chorus - it sounded a little languid for my taste - but I couldn't deny the fact that he did sound awesome and there was something innately cool about this performance. His transitions were clean, his runs were spot on - although he did a bit too much - and there's a quiet confidence to his delivery that's quite compelling.
Jess & Matt
[GROUPS]
Week: Top 7
Lovely. Not sure why Australia kept putting them in the Bottom 2, but they've been pretty consistent throughout the competition and their version of Dancing In The Dark was no exception. Their harmonies were, as usual, spotless, Jess' tone was beautifully rich and Matt's vocals matched it to perfection. If they get voted off on this one, I'd slap a soul.
Louise Adams
[OVERS]
Week: Top 5
Entrancing! Not going to lie, I kind of groaned with the song choice - it's been covered a million times already - but Louise managed to infuse some much needed freshness to the song. The arrangement was particularly dynamic and her vocals just brought it to another level. That texture to her voice sounded sublime with the number.
The Fisher Boys
[GROUPS]
Week: Top 12
For a first live show performance, this was actually really good. Yes, the harmonies weren't exactly as tight as I would like, but the individual vocals - especially at the beginning - were solid. The staging was pretty neat, the choreography was a nice little touch, and it seemed like they were having fun on that stage. Very nice.
In Stereo
[GROUPS]
Week: Top 10
This was the In Stereo I was looking for! Really. I said it before and I'll say it again, big productions for the boys will never work. Something a little more subdued and understated with a hint of some vocal dynamics are all they need and they're golden. Case in point, Photograph.
Cyrus Villanueva
[BOYS]
Week: Top 10
Another solid performance from Cyrus. He's possibly the most consistent performer this year and that's something he needs to hold on to. I thought the staging of this performance was absolutely brilliant, and his voice especially during the verses were spot on. The transition to his falsetto at the middle of the performance was a bit of an odd choice, but other than that, good job!
Big T
[BOYS]
Week: Top 8
Quite frankly, I was ready to despise this, but Big T worked this song like there's no tomorrow. The grit to his voice worked well with the song, there's attitude to his delivery, and that added effects to his sound was a nice little touch. Hands down, his best performance on the show.
Jess & Matt
[GROUPS]
Week: Top 4
This was seriously something I wouldn't even imagine them covering, but again, they proved to be magnificent enough to deliver something as out of the box as KISS. I thought it had that wicked combination of power, intensity and delicacy backed by an outstanding arrangement and fantastic vocals.
Cyrus Villanueva
[BOYS]
Week: Top 7
Not going to lie, the arrangement was a tad disjointed, but everything else was pretty flawless. His vocals were probably the most faultless to date, it was on a perfect key to highlight a more potent side of his voice, the staging was pretty entertaining, and for something as stylized as this Adele track, he didn't sound shockingly karaoke.
Louise Adams
[OVERS]
Week: Top 8
Dream On isn't an easy song to cover - ask Danny Gokey and countless others who tried but failed - and while she somehow cheated at the song's treacherous high note, the intensity, stage presence, and swagger was all there. Her vocals weren't too shabby as well. She added some interesting texture to her vocals that I didn't know exists.
Cyrus Villanueva
[BOYS]
Week: Finale
Fan-freakin'-tastic! I never questioned Cyrus' charisma, but Earned It was a proof positive that he could actually exist in the real music world right this second - and outsing the Justin Biebers of the world. This was slick, modern and very well-sung. It would've made perfect sense though if he donned some suit to back up the awesome production, but maybe he didn't want to come off as too obvious?
Jess & Matt
[GROUPS]
Week: Top 6
Look, their voices aren't particularly mascular - there's a sense of limit to both their ranges - but I actually found the wispiness to their voices especially from Jess really pleasing to the ear. The masterful harmonies were fantastic and the way they deliver each words with great timing brought every subtle emotion to the performance.
Mahalia Simpson
[GIRLS]
Week: Top 11
Just beautiful. This was exactly what I was hoping she did last week. The understated lovely vocals with some intricate phrasing. Seriously. I've heard so many versions of this song, but I felt like I was hearing it for the first time. The melodic choices she made with it was pretty spectacular.
Jess & Matt
[GROUPS]
Week: Top 5
Interesting offbeat arrangement of the classic song. Quite frankly, I was expecting something acoustic - the mid-tempo synth beat caught me off guard - but Jess & Matt pulled it off quite nicely. The harmonies were tight, their solos sounded strong, and while arguably polarizing, this was a pretty solid effort.
Cyrus Villanueva
[BOYS]
Week: Top 6
I love offbeat arrangements and unexpected melodic choices, and this was what Cyrus did with Knockin' On Heaven's Door. His impressive vocal dexterity was on full display here, his pitch was spot on, and the clarity to his tone was just impeccable. Plus, his voice just soared towards the end.
Louise Adams
[OVERS]
Week: Top 11
The verses sounded lovely and when she hit the chorus, the power she infused into her vocals gave this performance that much needed dynamics. Her tone was front and center, and it was sensational. Undeniably, Louise's best performance on the show.
Jess & Matt
[GROUPS]
Week: Top 10
From the blocking to the staging to the arrangement down to their harmonies. This was, hands down, one of the best performances of the season. There was something gorgeously raw about this that I genuinely couldn't look away. It was purely magic.
Cyrus Villanueva
[BOYS]
Week: Top 11
GORGEOUS. GORGEOUS. GORGEOUS. Wow. Everything about this performance was flawless. The staging was brilliant, the arrangement worked perfectly to his advantage, his vocals were sublime, and those transitions and falsettos were impeccable. YES, SIR! This was, to my ears, the best performance of the entire season, until..
Cyrus Villanueva
[BOYS]
Week: Finale
.. this happened! Damn, Cyrus! Haha. So maybe this cover didn't deviate all that much from the original, but there's something to be said about how he managed to capture the emotional drama of the lyrics and the plaintive flow of the melody. Yes, there were a couple of notes that got compromised by his emotions, but I prefer that kind of slip-up than a note-perfect number void of authentic feeling. This was glorious and somehow messed up the list I created prior to the Finale with the stubborn assumption that the performances for the last live shows will be sloppy at best. Well, this was the last performance of the season, and it ended up being the best one.
2 comments:
Wished you could have included performances from the 5 Seat Challenge, especially Cyrus' Dancing On My Own cover - it was awesome!! Haha. It was the start of recognizing him as the one to beat.
I wish I could, but my rule for all my wrap-up posts since 2006 has been live performances. :) But yes, that was a good version.
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