The Voice SA: Tears Aplenty (Again)
Going into tonight’s show I had an appalling feeling that the Bobster was going to act foolish and boy did he do just that! I will reserve my full rant till after the show feedback though.
Here goes!
Team Lira
Spha vs Bubbles
R: I gotta hand it to Lira, she is pretty good at pairing these contestants. A coach who uses common sense? Gimme.
Spha: "It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over" by Lenny Kravitz
R: Spha has a really killer voice, actually! Lovely tone, soulful, smooth, unique. One could instantly hear the album she would make, and that's one of the strongest attributes of a new artist - knowing exactly who you are. I'm liking what she's selling.B+
J: Watching this performance I can’t quite remember her Blind Audition nor her Battle. The girl has a pretty awesome voice though and she is a natural on stage. I definitely has radio potential. B
Bubbles: “Ngaziyafela” by Lira:
R: Another "wow" right here. Bubbles is a very commercial artist, we know that, very contemporary, but tonight she showed a different side of Bubbles. It was big, powerful, and jazzy. I love scatting, and she did a really good job with it. She's incredibly versatile and has the personality to boot. A-
J: Bubbles is well, just bubbly. Her personality is infectious and she has killer vocals to boot. This was a great. She commanded the performance and showed just how commercial and versatile she can be. A-
Winner: Bubbles
R: Right choice, but Spha is so good as well, though. Tough.
Marissa vs Dylan
Dylan - "Smooth" by Santana:
R: I love this song, but Dylan's interpretation missed the mark for me. It's not purely a rock song. I missed the attitude, jazz, and funk of the original. His lower register was very shaky from the get go - nerves? - but as it progressed, and the power kicked in, he delivered a really solid vocal. Weak start, missed the mark with his interpretation, but ended strongly. B-
J: Like Reinhardt, I also love this song and like Reinhardt I too feel it missed the mark, completely. Yes he ended strongly but that kind of loses its appeal if the rest of the performance is terribly askew. Song interpretation is key Dylan and you completely got it wrong on this one. C
Marissa - "Bring Me Back to Life" by Evanescense:
R: I'm laughing at Karen right now. She gon' messed up! She started off hauntingly, beautifully, and it quickly progressed to the rock classic we know. She was powerful. It wasn't perfect, the chorus wasn't as strong as it should be, but other than that, she was in it every step. A-
J: Marissa pretty much blew everyone away since the get-go and this performance just proved once again why she is a contender for the title. It wasn’t a pitch perfect performance but it was pretty damn good. Her hauntingly beautiful voice suited the song perfectly. That was a job well done. A-
Winner: Marissa
R: So Lira came out of nowhere to field a very strong team, right?
J: I’m still not happy at Lira for letting Bryce go and subjecting him to Bobby’s shortsightedness
Team Bobby
Bryce vs Caroline:
Bryce - "Turn You On" by MiCasa:
R: Bryce's best performance without a doubt. Again, this is the type of music he will make. He knows what's up. It was cool, with just the right amount of 'dirty' if I may call it that. Vocally, it was soulful and right on the money. He was right in the pocket. He's a pop star waiting for his shot, and with the right people by his side, he will only get better. A-
J: Ha! Let me start by saying I so got his outfit right! Wow. This is his best performance to date. Bryce is all sorts of cool and delivered with just enough swag to make me feel dirty (sorry Reinhardt). On a serious note, this is exactly what our music industry needs - a hot young guy pumping out killer tunes. Well done dude, this was stellar! A
Caroline - "Stronger" by Kelly Clarkson:
R: I wasn't a fan of this. Kelly is a huge vocalist, one of the best in the industry. This, however, picked at Caroline's vocal weaknesses. She struggled. The climax of the song, the culmination, showed that her voice isn't big enough to tackle this song. She struggled to reach the notes, leaving her voice sounding shrill. C+
J: I quite like the pretty blonde from Bloemfontein but this was not her best performance by a long shot. To nail a Kelly song you need a killer voice and Caroline unfortunately struggled her way through this performance. C+
If Bryce does not win this Knockout I am going to burn all my bras in protest!
Winner: Caroline
R: She'll be singing at Afrikaans music festivals in no time.
J: WTF. Well I guess I am going to have to let my tatas hang free from now on!
John James vs Dawie:
John - "I Took A Pill in Ibiza" by Mike Posner:
R: What a surprising song choice! Never would have suspected that from him. And I liked it! He has a beautiful, warm, soulful tone, and paired with this song, it opened a whole new path for him. He, too, knows what's up. It wasn't perfect vocally, but that he took the risk and mostly nailed it, proves that he could be something great. B+
J: Here’s the thing with JJ. He is a really talented youngster but it kind of feel like he is being used to recreate the Vernon spectacular from last year. JJ took a big risk with this song and it actually paid off. It was heartfelt and beautiful. B +
Dawie - "Because of You" by Kelly Clarkson:
R: Oh no, another Kelly Clarkson track getting butchered. Butchered is the right word. It was pitchy to say the least. Completely the wrong song choice. His pitch was off for a lot of it, and in parts it sounded like he was mumbling the words. Some may like it, but I don't. D+
J: Yep, there had to be a WTF moment with regards to song choice didn’t there? I think, generally speaking, that Dawie has a better voice than JJ but he solidly screw up his chances of making the Live shows here. It was pitchy and rather painful to endure. Not good Dawie, not good! C-
Winner: John James
Armand vs Josh
Armand: “Make Me Love You” by TiMO ODV featuring Ryki
R: Armand really has it all. He's a South African Lambert. His voice is great, be it his lower register, falsetto, or glory notes. More than that, he has the package to along with it. I can see him having a good career after the show. The song, however, was not his best choice. He needed to pick a more familiar song, but that said, vocally, he was very solid. B+
J: I actually thought this was one of Armand’s better performances. I won’t call myself a fan as such but he did well. His falsetto is indeed spectacular and he seems to possess the all-allusive ‘X Factor’. I’m not convinced if this was the best song choice but the performance was solid regardless. B+
Josh - "What's Up" By 4 Non Blondes:
R: Josh has a great voice. Really, he does. He hits every single note. His falsetto was beautiful, his higher register is soaring, and so very old school rock. But I can't help having doubts about him. He's 80's, showy, theatrical, but none of that translates to being a contemporary recording artist for me. He has a fantastic voice, though, just not sure about his career after this show. A-
J: Josh has a really good voice for old school rock n roll but I think that boat has sailed as far as commercial viability is concerned. Josh was born to be on stage but I am not so sure if the same applies to the radio. He is a hit amongst viewers though (especially the middle-aged group) so he could end up taking it all.It was a solid performance but not as memorable as Armand’s. B+
Winner: Josh
Alex vs Marco:
Alex: “Father and Father” by Just Jinger
R: He's great at what he does, and this was by far his best performance on this show. He showed off his dynamics, in the quieter, restrained moments, as well as the more bluesy, gruff moments. He did a very good job. B+
J: It is hard not to like Alex. He has really blossomed into quite the consummate performer. This was a great song choice. Bluesy, genuine, beautiful! I really wish he didn't have to go up against Marco becaus ethey are both worthy of a spot in the Lives. B+
Marco: "Light em Up" by Fall Out Boy:
R: Another surprising song choice, and another one I loved. He took a huge risk, stepping out of his comfort zone, and it paid off. Never judge a book by its cover, hey? He delivered a surprisingly killer performance, and vocally, he got up there. I didn't know his range was that big. All around, I really dug it. He's great. A-
J: Marco is full of surprises. This guy;s got big balls when it comes to song choice. He took yet another risk and of course it paid off. This was really good. I think Marco could be heading to the Top 5 if not further. A-
Winner: Marco
What a night! Who would have thunk that Bobby's choices would be as controversial as Karen's?
Did the judges get it right tonight? Let us know!
