Bittersweet Endings

Currently Listening To: Take Care - Drake feat Rihanna

Right, so I'm recapping both The Voice and American Idol in one post since both shows will be coming to an end next week. Let's start off with -

The Voice

The Top 3 will be competing for the title next Tuesday, with the Top 3 being Josh, Christina and...Jake. Of all people! It's the Blake thing again. Poor Kristen and Kat, I think they've both been better and more consistent than Jake so it's such a waste. Especially Kristen since she gave her best performance this week with Jewel's Foolish Games. Kristen, Kat and not too surprisingly, Christina were the bottom three contestants, with Christina being saved via the Twitter Save - which shouldn't have been in play in the first place! Seriously, I don't care who was the third place contestant - but the bottom two should have gone out as voted by the audience instead of through Twitter manipulation.

I'm 100% behind Josh now because I think he is the most deserving based solely on talent and consistency. Christina had quite a few amazing performances but this week she underperformed - partly due to her inexperience and also Adam's unintentional bussing (or was it intentional?!). I mean, why Imogen Heap and fun's Some Nights?? Those were terrible song choices and it was made worse by her inconsistent singing. Based on those two performances alone she should have been eliminated along with Kat, leaving Kristen in third place instead. For the record, Kat sang a Sia song and Let It Go. Like wtf Adam, are you hell bent on killing your team's chances or something? The only bright side was that it was miles better than Majesty Rose's version.

Can't say Jake deserves a spot in the Top 3 either. As consistent as he may have been, his performances thus far neither stood out nor showed any creativity so...to be frank, he has no business in the Top 3. BUT, thanks to the Blake/country factor, it would have been pretty impossible to exclude him from the finale.

Anyways, TEAM JOSH FTW!

American Idol

I'm actually more pleased with the final two in American Idol than I am with the final three in The Voice. If you're still unaware, Jena and Caleb are the remaining contestants and I'm fine with either of them winning, to be honest. In fact, I would have been okay with Alex (the third place finisher) as the winner too.

What I'm worried about is the backlash against Caleb, no thanks to TPTB's manipulations (what is up with both show's determination to display dirty laundry to the American audience? It's so damn obvious with all the intentional/unintentional digs and snubs towards certain contestants). That and also his 'retard' fiasco. It does not bode well for him although I think he still does have loyal supporters. A lot of people think that he's cocky and rude, but I haven't really seen any negative behaviour from Caleb (aside from the lack of filter, which isn't exactly a crime). The odds of winning are higher for Jena, since she has been pretty consistent all this while and appears to have an interesting personality.

So...I can't make up my mind on who to support this time. Jena or Caleb? Leaning more towards Caleb because I find his vocal prowess incredible. His weak point would be marketability though. He hasn't been singing anything current since...Skyfall? That was one of his best, and it was ages ago. He hasn't been taking risks lately and his song choices have been snoozeworthy, so that will probably work against him.

Conclusion - Team Caleb FTW but I think Jena's gonna win.

The Voice - Top 10

Currently Listening To: Kyline Minogue - Silence

I used to love The Voice because of the unusual and interesting song selections made by the contestants. This season however, proves to be the total opposite. As Idol seeks to revamp their old and dated song catalogue, The Voice apparently decided to take a leaf out of theirs. The result of that is rather muted and dull performances from -most- of the contestants.

Rankings this week, starting with the worst of the lot. I present to you -

Bria 
I think this is a unanimous opinion from most people - Bria was, hands down, the worse performer this week. I would equate her version of Avril Lavigne's I'm With You with Majesty Rose's disastrous Let It Go. Yes, it was that bad! She has no place in this Top 12, let alone Top 10. None of the judges could muster a positive comment on her vocal performance, instead opting to sugercoat their commendation of her efforts so far. Usher made a really, really bad decision with this girl.

Kat
Honestly, Kat wasn't much better than Bria this week. Her vocals were not strong at all, even though she claimed that Landslide was an emotional song choice for her. Maybe it was too emotional. She lost the Kat 'essence' in that process. Not a good week for her.

Jake
Jake, oh Jake. Usually he sounds quite steady but for the first time since his audition, I detected shaky vocals. Of course he's the country darling, so he'll be safe for quite a bit. Otherwise, I'd say that his charm is starting to get old and might in fact, backfire on him.

Tess
Nothing wrong with Tess's singing this week, but nothing about her stood out either. By right, that song (Paramore's Ain't It Fun) choice should have made her pop. By right, but it didn't. At this stage I can only feel sorry for her, because I know she won't be getting a lot of votes. Other than her existing fans, I don't think she won anyone over this week.

Josh
Unfortunately for Usher, Josh is the only decent candidate on his team but I have a hunch he isn't going to last for long. He has this really amazing, versatile voice and he is relatable to the audience, but honestly I think he peaked too soon. Right now, his vocally perfect performances are boring me, and I don't think I'm the only one.

Audra
This little dark horse country powerhouse is starting to prove her worth. I've never paid attention to her voice before, until today that is. In spite of the country inclinations, she actually has a really good tone, good range and she rarely misses notes. And although I found the song choice boring, I found myself drawn to her voice. I hope she continues to improve.

Kristen
Well, I've always liked Kristen but what a surprisingly good performance from her. Despite choosing to sing Passenger's Let Her Go (Cole Vosbury's version was one of my favorites last season), I was genuinely impressed by her vocals. She is definitely improving and learning to own the stage as well. It's really nice to see contestants improving as opposed to remaining the same or getting worse .

Delvin
Wow, he really bounced back from last week's yawn inducing performance and finally showed what he's capable of doing. Talk about a 360 degree turn! Excellent song choice which allowed him to demonstrate his vocal prowess and stage presence.

Sissaudra
Right now Sissy is one of the contestants to beat, mostly because she is ever so consistent. Even though she wasn't at her best last week, it was still very true to herself and vocally she was never faltering. And she still didn't falter this week, but the song choice could have been a little bit more interesting. Still, gotta give her props for the excellent vocals and for working the stage like a pro!

And the best performance of the week undoubtedly goes to...

Christina and her lovely rendition of Drake's Hold On, We're Going Home. It may not have been vocally perfect, but this is what contestants are suppose to do - pick a song, put a bit him/herself into the song and sing it well. I love the original, and I really like Christina's version as well. Unlike the other popular teenager on this show *cough*, Christina is actually living up to her earlier hype and performing consistently well every week.

Results

This time the audience got it right - Bria (finally!) and Tess (unfortunately) are gone, while Kat won the Twitter Save and gets another week.

The Voice - Top 12 Live Shows

Currently Listening To: Shakira - Empire

Here's a quick review on last week's Top 12 episode of The Voice - two contestants were eliminated from the competition.

Ranking the top 12 from the worst to the best:

Delvin Choice
Oh boy. Never sing Unchained Melody for a live show. It rarely translates to the big stage. That was a very unimpressive performance, and I'm not quite sure what he was thinking when he agreed to that song. Talk about throwing his contestant under the bus? Isn't that what you were doing, Adam?

Dani Moz
The second half of her rendition of Just Give Me A Reason was a disaster. And she started off so well too! I don't know how to rank her thanks to that horrendous second half. The only bright side was that she was pitch perfect on that high note? Cos the rest of it wasn't. Poor Shakira.

Bria Kelly
To be honest, I can't stand the fact that she is still on the show. Seriously. Her voice gets on my nerves. Even when singing a less shouty version of Rolling in the Deep. I have nothing against the arrangement, in fact I think that's the only good part of the song. That goat bleat however - it's horrible and she can't rid of it. If that's suppose to be her trademark, then I'm gonna pass.

T.J. Wilkins
Waiting for the World to Change is another song I would never select for a Top 12 live show. It's too boring and until now I have yet to hear an inspiring cover of it. C.J. from American Idol sang this for Top 12 too, and frankly speaking he sang it better. It's a good thing that he was more or less in tune for the whole song.

Jake Worthington
I love this dude's voice, but I didn't want Anymore of that performance. It was so boring, and sleepy and I only ranked him higher than T.J because it's slightly more interesting. VERY slightly.

Audra McLaughlin
She sounded promising during the practice sessions, but her actual performance was very insipid and dull. Angel of the Morning made me want to curl up and sleep. It's a good thing her vocals were pretty solid.

Sissaundra Lewis
There was nothing wrong with her performance, but I didn't quite relate to it. Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me is one of those songs that won't really appeal to the public, so with songs like that I don't think Sissaundra's chances of winning this competition is going to be high. I mean, let's be real - women like Sissaundra typically won't last long in a singing contest like this.

Christina Grimmie
She screamed some parts of the song but overall she did a pretty good job with Dark Horse. For sure it sounded better than any of Katy Perry's live performances. Other than that though, why pick that song? Based on previous experience, voters don't usually like this sort of songs. Will she outlast Bria in this competition? I sure hope so, cos I think she's a better singer and has a better personality too.

Kristen Merlin
Poor thing, her mic died about two thirds into the song. She just kept singing! Bravo lady, you have my respect. That and the fact that she sang Sugarland's Stay very well. Just my opinion though, she doesn't seem to be getting much love from other reviewers. That's worrying, cos I actually do like her and I want her to stay.

Tess Boyer
I really liked her version of Bon Jovi's I'll Be There For You. She sounded and looked amazing, and was in tune all the way through. She also sang with a lot of passion. No wooden faces ala Sam/Jess. The only minor complain I have about her performance was the somewhat odd song choice. She doesn't really seem like a Bon Jovi kind of girl.

Kat Perkins
Charismatic. That really is the best word to describe Kat, I think. Her rendition of Heart's Magic Man was by no means perfect, but somehow it stood out to me. She totally belongs on the stage. Her vocals were great, and at least the song choice isn't boring. Seriously, I can't believe she's a nanny! She looks totally bad-ass. I'm ranking her ahead of Tess and Kristen because of her stage presence.

Josh Kaufman
I guess the performance of the night goes to Josh, based solely on his vocal performance AND his stage presence, singing Sam Smith's Stay With Me. Although he was just standing in his place and not exactly prancing around on stage, you could feel his earnestness, his devotion to his craft and his emotions. That's something all of the AI contestants could stand to learn. And that falsetto! Just perfect.

I gotta say though, despite the mostly positive performances from the majority of the Top 12 contestants, there were no wow moments anywhere. Still better than AI's Top 12 I suppose?

With Results:
Unfortunately the bottom 3 were Tess, Dani and T.J, with Tess being saved via #TwitterVote.

I can understand why Dani and T.J were there and then subsequently eliminated, but Tess? She was pretty darn good! I guess she doesn't have a big fanbase? I hope she'll survive to at least Top 6!

And I was way off about Christina. That girl's fanbase alone will win her this damn thing. Or so it would seem at this point of the competition.

Poor Dani as well, she had a bad week and I guess that's all there is to it. Not sure why Delvin was safe though. His performance was more bland and boring than all of the bottom 3.

The Voice - Gateway to the Live Rounds

The Voice continues to be more exciting than American Idol, but I'm not sure if the energy level will be the same moving into the live rounds.

Anyways, let's get right into the remaining 9 contestants who joins Team Blake's contestants in the Top 12 of The Voice Season 6.

Team Shakira

Tess Boyer

Oh yes, I'm so glad Tess is still in the competition! She basically went through the earlier rounds as cannon fodder but prevailed over the so-called frontrunners. Personally I think she is one of the best girls in the competition, seeing as she has the looks, the voice and also charisma. Here's hoping she won't disappoint in the live rounds!

Dani Moz

Dani's audition wasn't shown and she wasn't featured much in the Battle Rounds, so I can't say that I remember her performances. BUT over the last 2 weeks, she has proven to be one hell of a singer and her rendition of Edge of Glory for the play-offs rightfully earned her a spot in the Top 12. Plus, she kinda looks like Daryl Hannah.

Kristen Merlin

I think it's safe enough for me to say that none of Shakira's final contestants were pimped nor overly-hyped, and that is especially true for Kristen. She impressed me during her audition, and then after that she just kinda disappeared. None of her battle rounds were shown, so I had actually forgotten about her until the playoffs. Well, she didn't disappoint! Thank you Shakira for making the correct decisions.

Eliminated from Team Shakira - Deja Hall, Patrick Thompson.

Team Adam

Delvin Choice

Delvin isn't a  bad singer, but he hasn't been very impressive. Not sure about his chances in the live rounds. Then again, the other Team Adam contestants were even worse than him so deserves this more than they do.

Christina Grimmie

The Youtube sensation who didn't quite live up to the hype. Still, she is one of the better singers left in Adam's team and she has that tween/teen appeal. I really don't think Adam is going to be able to replicate his success from the previous season, what with a bland R&B singer and a not-quite-so-interesting pop artist. At most he'll only be able to rely on...

Kat Perkins

Arguably one of the best singers left in the competition, Kat is Adam's only bright hope for the live stage so I think she has a lot to live up to. All of her performances were shown (from her audition right up to the playoffs), and she more or  less nailed all of it. And I don't know if that's going to be a good thing for her since expectations will be VERY high. Best of luck to Kat.

Eliminated from Team Adam - Morgan Waller, Jake Barker

Team Usher

T.J. Wilkins

Okay, T.J. is by no means a bad singer but I don't think he has what it takes to be a star on the big stage. Above average voice yes, stage presence not so great. Honestly, Team Usher is starting to look like it's at a disadvantage.

Bria Kelly

Seriously, I can't stand Bria's voice and tone. In terms of goat bleat, she is actually worse than Jessica Meuse (Jess is bad enough). I wish she'd sing at normal levels all the time because her idea of high notes is 'SCREAM SCREAM SCREAM BLEAT'. Do. Not. Like. Either Usher teaches her to control her voice or she'll be going home VERY soon once she hits the main stage. Talk about overhyped.

Josh Kaufman

I present to you Josh, otherwise known as Usher's only chance at winning The Voice title. A four-chair turn who never failed to disappoint, Josh is probably the only contestant left on Usher's team that has some kind of chance at winning. Good vocals, good song choices, and I hope he'll continue making the right decisions.

Eliminated from Team Usher - Melissa Jimenez, Stevie Jo (a travesty! He should have been Top 3 instead of Bria or T.J.!)

Bad decisions aside, I'm looking forward to the live shows next week.

The Voice - Playoffs (First Round)

Currently Listening To: Paramore - Decode

And so we've reached The Playoff Rounds of The Voice Season 6.

Most of the contestants that caught my attention in the audition rounds are no longer in the competition (Ria, Alaska & Madi, Emily B, etc.). But I'm not particularly upset because those who still remain are mostly amazing and will probably sing circles around the American Idol S13 hopefuls (with the exception of maybe Alex and Caleb).

As of now, only Blake has chosen his top 3 representatives:

Jake Worthington

I'm happy to see Jake still in the competition. He may be the country dude and he's not quite the looker, but I enjoyed his performances and he actually has a really good voice. In fact, he is what Dexter from AI should have been. All the best to Jake.

Sissaundra Lewis

Okay, so Sissaundra may be one of the best singers in the competition, however she tends to oversing plus she's not really the kind of singer audiences would vote for. In other words I have no idea how well she will fare in the live rounds.

Audra McLaughlin

Audra is a bit of a dark horse, I think. I don't remember her audition, and her battle round performances were pretty bleh in my opinion, but what she sang for the Playoffs definitely gave her quite a boost. She has really powerful country voice, with an amazing range. If she (or her coach) chooses good songs, she may be able to stick around the Top 12 for some time.

Contestants eliminated from Team Blake:

Madily Paige

Poor, poor Madilyn. She was paired with Bria Kelly during the Playoffs on Usher's team and naturally Bria won. (Although personally I thought Madilyn sounded more in control than Bria. I guess big pipes trump small pipes. As expected)

So Blake stole her, and was then promptly eliminated when she chose to sing (or was forced to sing) Zedd's Clarity. I mean, come on! Why that song? It's not an easy song to sing, let alone for an important moment like playoffs. What a waste.

Just take a look at this and you'll know why she was eliminated so harshly. That was a performance worthy of American Idol *cough*.

Ryan Whyte Maloney

Granted, Ryan wasn't that bad a singer but in no way was he primed for the Top 12.

His performance, though wasn't horrible, was nothing to shout about. At least he didn't falter as badly as Madilyn?








Now Blake's team has 2 good female singers (and one of them a country singer too) and one cherubic country boy, and usually that's a good thing. But, the other coaches have yet to make their decisions, so I can't say that Blake looks like he is set to win this shindig again.

Stay tuned for more on the other teams!

The Voice (Season 6) - On to the Battlefield

Currently Listening To: Shakira - Did It Again

Well well, this marks the first time I'm blogging about The Voice! It's already been six seasons (wow, how time flies!), but to be honest I only started following it religiously last season, and I must say the talent here is so much better than the freshies from American Idol.

Unfortunately, the only interesting part of The Voice is the Blind Audition rounds, where the judges select (or will be selected by) contestants based solely on their voice and emotions since they can't actually see them perform! A great concept for sure, but once the auditions end it's back to the more or less normal singing competition style.

Then again, they do have the Battlerounds, where 2 members of each team battle each other for a spot on the live shows. And so we're here at this stage of Season 6, where the 12 members each of Team Blake, Team Adam, Team Shakira and Team Usher battle it out for the Top 12/13 live.

Anyway here are the contestants from each team, the italicized contestants are those who had caught my attention. Did I mention that all the contestants that made it through the blinds actually got to record studio versions of their audition songs? How awesome is that?

Team Blake
Alaska & Madi (interesting country duo, their studio version is awesome!)
Audra McLaughlin
Cali Tucker
Jake Worthington (I found his voice interesting...)
Kaleigh Glanton
Megan Rüger
Noah Lis
Ria Eaton (One of the most interesting auditions! It wasn't perfect but she definitely stood out to me)
Ryan Whyte Maloney
Sisaundra Lewis (Girl has amazing pipes! What a strange pick for Team Blake though...)
Biff Gore
Paula DeAnda (sound familiar to you?)

Team Adam
Austin Ellis
Caleb Elder (He came off as a joke contestants but he actually has a good voice. Should be interesting.)
Cary Laine
Christina Grimmie  (Great pop vocals, and she kinda looks like Carly Rae Jepsen)
Dawn and Hawkes (Another interesting country/folk duo)
Delvin Choice
Josh Kaufman
Josh Murley
Joshua Howard
Kat Perkins (She embodies rocker chick with a touch of country! Very promising.)
Sam Behymer
Patrick Thomson

Team Shakira
Cierra Mickens
Clarissa Serna
Dani Moz
Ddendyl (I think she's the only interesting contestant in Shakira's team...)
Deja Hall (She has potential but she seems a bit bland to me)
Music Box
Emily B. (She has a really good voice and made a smart song choice for the audition.)
Jeremy Briggs
Kristen Merlin
Lindsay Bruce
Lindsay Pagano
DeShawn Washington

Team Usher
Bria Kelly (Her voice reminds me of slightly better version of Jacquie from Season 5)
Brittnee Camelle
Brothers Walker (Something about the duos this season. Interesting pair here.)
Madilyn Paige
Melissa Jiménez
Morgan Wallen
Stevie Jo
Tanner James
Tess Boyer
T.J. Wilkins
Biff Gore  (Excellent vocals but he's a bit on the older side so...)
Jake Barker

Have a listen to some of their auditions/studio versions:

Emily B

Kat Perkins

Alaska & Madi

Ria Eaton

The Battle Rounds have already started, but I have yet to watch the episode so I'll be saving my judgment until then.