The Voice SA: Show-Stopper Rockers
Another Sunday, another show.
I wish the format of the show could be altered slightly as there are definitely some teams that are stronger than others and it should ultimately be the best over-all that advance to the next stage.
Vernon, Almur, Jeremy and Francis were all saved by the public vote and join the rest of the Top 16.
Now let’s get down to the performances of the night.
Team Bobby:
Austin Lurring – “Rafael” by Beatenberg
R: Austin makes the most inspired contemporary song choices, and this one is no different. He’s a pop star. There’s no doubt about it. Very solid vocals accompanied by a great performance. It was smooth. Grade: B+
J: Another solid performance from Austin. He has the potential to be a great recording artist. He is yet to have a poor performance. Grade: B+
Xanilee Hammond – “Set Fire to the Rain” by Adele
R: This was not the right choice for Xanilee. A big pop vocal, especially not one by Adele, is a little too much for Xanilee’s voice. I’d much prefer her taking on something with more edge. Still, it wasn’t a bad vocal. I just didn’t love it. Grade: B-
J: I don’t think Xanilee has the pipes to pull off an Adele hit. She has a strong voice perfectly suited to edgy songs. This was a complete miss for me. Grade: C
Gavin Edwards – “Second Hand Heart” by Ben Haenow and Kelly Clarkson
R: Jeez, this was rough – a completely wrong song for Gavin. This song is way too pop. It’s not rock, Bobby. His vocal range isn’t big enough to give this song the life it requires. It was flat. The only similarity between him and Ben is their gravely tones, Ben just has a bigger range. Grade: C+
J: I have liked Gavin since day one and have enjoyed every performance since but I could not wrap my head around this one. It sounded a bit flat throughout and I did not get any Gavin’s usual gruff sexiness during this performance. Grade: C+
Vernon Barnard – “The A Team” by Ed Sheeran
R: Vernon continues to surprise me. It was a very earnest interpretation and a solid vocal. His tone really worked for the song, so it was a smart choice. I liked it. Grade: B
J: Vernon has a good voice and is as endearing as can be. His beautiful tone complimented the song. It wasn’t a showstopper but it was good. Grade: B
Bobby saves: Vernon
R: I did not see that coming. I would have saved Austin since Gavin and Vernon would have received the votes.
J: Oh no…. here comes trouble. The show really can’t afford to lose both Austin & Gavin!
Team Karen:
Jono Grayson – “Feeling Good” by Nina Simone
R: The intro and the first verse sounded pretty pitchy. That, and it’s a terrible song choice, but when the chorus and band kicked in it got a lot better. I still wasn’t a big fan, but the latter half of the song saved him from getting a C. Grade: B-
J: Bad song choice for Jono. Is it just me or does the entire show seem ‘off’ in terms of audio quality? The performance improved towards the end but overall not a great night for Mr Grayson. Grade: C
Thembeka Mnguni – “Edge of Glory” by Lady Gaga
R: The first verse didn’t fall well on the ear. It might have been too low for her voice, but it’s with the chorus that her voice gets the opportunity to kill it every single time. Her voice is huge, we know that, and that’s where every performance of her shines. Her lower register needs work, though. It was a pretty good performance. Grade: B+
J: Thembeka has a HUGE voice and she has pretty good control over it. She sounded a bit pitchy in places but that can be forgiven. Overall a pretty decent performance. Grade: B+
Thapelo Lekoane – “Living on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi
R: This was a much, much better performance from Thapelo. It’s a very surprising song choice completed by a subtle and beautiful vocal interpretation. She was back to being the artist we all knew she was. I don’t know what happened last week, but this was very strong. Well done. Grade: A-
J: Wow, what an improvement from last week! Thapelo took a risk with this song and it paid off. Her artistry shone through in this performance. Way to go girl! Grade: A
Almur Marais – “What He Means” by Just Jinjer
R: This oke just doesn’t know how to pick a song that brings out the rock star that we saw during his battle. That said, this too was a better performance than last week. It’s not there yet, but this vocal was much improved. His voice carried the emotion perfectly, and he was in it all the way. I dug it. Grade: B+
J: I feel like I am going to be singing the same tune every week with regards to Almur. Give him a pop song to sing and he will shine! I know the viewing public are suckers for a cute rocker but Almur is battling with the rock songs. Hopefully he will stick around for another week and get the chance to really showcase his vocals. Grade: B
Karen saves: Thembeka
R: Expected after the massive response her performance received.
Team Kahn:
Clemour – “Hotline Bling” by Drake
R: I gotta give it to Clemour – the song choice was pretty damn good. He took the song and completely made it his own. For the first time, he sounded like a recording artist, someone who could do well on radio. He took a hugely popular Drake song and made it a cool dance record. Grade: A-
J: Ok so I will probably be alone on this one but I did not love it. I think Clemour’s voice is better suited to big, classical songs. He is a likable guy that has a huge appeal but song choice is going to be key in his survival. Grade: B+
Prime Zulu – “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)” by Meatloaf
R: I was very hard on him last week. And this week he came out with a very passionate, beautiful performance that proved, yes, he actually can sing! The song allowed for him to show his emotion, and it wasn’t overwrought. The song called for it, and his vocals were good. He proved me wrong. Grade: B+
J: Reinhardt and I are definitely not on the same page this week. I actually preferred Prime’s performance of last week. This was too much old-school rock ‘n roll for my liking. I’m not saying it was bad because it was far from it but I just didn’t get the typical Prime ‘Danger’ vibes this week. Grade: B
Richard Stirton – “Don’t You Worry Child” by Swedish House Mafia
R: The first verse was shaky. Thankfully, that was the only shaky thing. His rock voice gave the track a whole new sound. He made it his own and delivered a strong performance. It wasn’t perfect, vocally, but he could be on the radio right now. Grade: B+
J: Richard has a great voice and delivers rock songs like a pro. This was another questionable song choice but it turned out better than expected. The viewers seem to love him – I think he is in it for the long haul. Grade: B+
Francis Bowers – “Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley
R: I don’t think Francis will ever give a bad vocal. His voice is on point, and this week was no different. It was a good song choice and he killed it. The last 30 seconds were really damn good. He’s a dark horse. Grade: A-
J: I cringe every time I hear this song but Francis did it well. He improves every week and could prove to be a contender for the title if he keeps the momentum going. Plus – Kahn seems to love him. Grade: B+
Kahn saves: Francis, because he delivered the best performance
Team Lira:
Jono Johansen – “Wake Me Up” by Avicii
R: Like Francis, Jono cannot give a bad vocal performance. His voice is fantastic. He got out of his comfort zone and went EDM, and still delivered a really strong vocal. Was it the right song choice? I’m not sure. But this got him out of his comfort zone and he gave a solid overall performance. Grade: B+
J: I’m still on a high after Jono’s rendition of ‘Hello’ last week. This is not necessarily the song I would have picked for him but he pulled it off. His vocals were on point and the dance moves and stolen glances at the camera showed off his carefree, sexy side. I don’t think Jono is capable of a botched note. Grade: A
Robin Peters – “Listen” by Beyonce
R: Another dude with a really strong voice, and he went big again this week. Queen, and now Queen B. He goes for it. And again – he nailed it. He’s a fantastic performer, and this was a really strong vocal. He nailed it. Grade: A-
J: Robin has a really good voice and has made some really good song choices. I’m not a fan of his particular style of music but credit must be given to his talent. Any guy who takes on a song by a female artist and nails it deserves some credit. Grade: A-
Jeremy Olivier – “Broken Strings” by James Morrison
R: It was a much stronger performance than last week. The song suited him more and his vocals held up well enough. It was far from a slam dunk, though. It seemed like he didn’t try hard enough, or pushed hard enough to deliver a stronger performance. It was solid but uninspired. Grade: B
J: A much-improved performance from last week. I’m still missing the fire Jeremy displayed during his Blind Audition but this was a step in the right direction. Grade: B+
Zoë Modiga – “Teen Spirit” by Nirvana
R: She’s a rock star. She. Is. Incredible. She’s a unique talent and this performance was power. Pure power. This was a star making performance, and my favourite performance of the season thus far. She’s a knockout. Grade: A+
J: I like Zoë a lot but I’m not in favour of ‘making a song your own’ if you completely strip it of its essence. The performance was great but there was just too much dramatics injected into the vocals. I grew up listening to Nirvana and Kurt Cobain put his heart and soul into every lyric of every song. No, I don’t expect Zoë to be Kurt but his music deserves to be handled delicately and with care. Grade: A
Lira saves: Zoë
R: Duh.
J: I don’t even want to think of who might be sent packing next week. The entire team deserves advancing to the next round.
Next Sunday’s show is bound to be a very tearful affair as we say farewell to some amazing talent. Be sure to vote to keep your favorites in the competition but keep the tissues handy just in case!
