The Voice SA Recap: Holy Almur!
Last week, the Battle Rounds started off hot. This week, things cooled off considerably.
Weird pairings, questionable song choices, and a complete lack of surprises seemed to haunt the episode, right up until the last battle of the night, which pitted three artists against on other in probably the best and most exhilarating battle of the season thus far.
Almur arguably stole the night, delivering a killer vocal, but it’s fan favourite Gavin who will likely be the MVP of the episode.
Let’s get on with it.
First up.
Team Kahn:
Clemour vs Justin – “Roar” by Katy Perry
Kahn makes the weirdest choices. This time around it’s the song choice, but in rehearsals the guys weren’t sounding too bad. Clemour sounded pretty solid, so imagine what he could achieve with the right song. When the battle came around, Clemour managed to breathe more life into the performance than Justin, and fought harder. I’d put Clemour through based on that, and he can do a lot more in the competition. Justin is a little too generic.
Winner: Clemour
Unlike last week, Kahn not starting us off with a shocking decision.
Team Lira:
Sibulele vs Tshegofatso – “Eternal Flame” by The Bangles
Poor Sibulele, she had to deal with a lower key to accommodate a guy who isn’t in her league. I don’t get the hype surrounding Tshegofatso, and he clearly struggled through his first verse. His voice wasn’t sounding great at all. Sibulele’s voice is warm and beautiful and she did a much better job. Again, I think she can do a lot more as the season progresses. It wasn’t a great battle, but Sibulele is really good.
Winner: Sibulele
Two for two.
Team Kahn:
Francis vs Michelle – “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on me” by Elton John and George Michael
Neither of the two impressed me during their auditions, but this song could lead to a very strong showing for both. Francis did sound stronger during rehearsals, so the contestant Kahn was eyeing was probably obvious. It was a really solid battle with both contestants having good moments. My personal preference is Francis because I’m not completely sold on Michelle’s lower register, doesn’t fall too nicely on my ears.
Winner: Francis
Three from three. It has also become quite clear what Kahn wants. He’ll always pick the voice he thinks is a unique fit, even when he’s wrong about what they can achieve in the competition (Hello, Johan).
Team Bobby:
Nolene vs Sumaré – “Swart Koffie” by Corlea Botha
Bobby decided to pit his two Afrikaans singers against one another. Probably smart – only one spot for an Afrikaans performer, and one Afrikaans singer to gain the support of Bobby’s whole Afrikaans fan base. As an Afrikaans-speaker, I cringed. English, Bobby, English. I’d put through Nolene. She’s more marketable and her voice sounds more versatile. Lira went so over the top with her reaction, it was clear she was trying to make Bobby feel better and give Afrikaans a push.
Winner: Nolene
I was on a roll.
Team Bobby:
Gavin vs Lyle – “Please Forgive Me” by Bryan Adams
Hmm, I wasn’t sure about this pairing. Gavin probably had one of the most memorable auditions, and Lyle was a one-chair turn. The song doesn’t force Gavin out of his comfort zone at all; it’s a pretty expected choice, a Bryan Adams song for a guy with a gravelly tone. The battle went pretty much as expected. The song was perfect for Gavin, but Lyle did his best to keep up. Gavin’s natural rock voice was just too much for Lyle.
Winner: Gavin
Easy.
Team Karen:
Almur vs Alicia-Ann – “Living on the Edge” by Aerosmith
Alicia-Ann wasn’t happy with the initial song – a Celine Dion track – and Karen obliged, chose a rock-heavy song instead. We have a diva in our midst, guys. She thinks she’s Stevie Nicks
And then!
It was revealed Sofaya has had to exit the competition, and her battle partner Marcel, will now be joining this battle. So, it’s basically a three-way battle, a triple threat – two people will go through, one will be sent packing.
So...
Almur vs Alicia-Ann vs Marcel:
Almur surprised me. Really, really surprised me. He sounded fantastic. Marcel did pretty well too, but the song allowed Almur to kick his ass. I expected Alicia-Ann to kill it, but she kinda struggled to keep up with the others. This was probably the best battle so far. Powerful rock performance, all three contestants bringing it. It was a real battle. I would have put Almur and Marcel through.
Winners: Almur (or Stilfontein), and Marcel.
Right decision, Karen. And just like that, I picked all the right winners.
Episode two of Battle Rounds complete.
What did you think of the second episode? Did you have a favourite battle? Any wrong decisions? Tell us.
