The Voice SA: We Go Old School
Team Lira
Marissa – “Pink” by Aerosmith:
R: Great start to the show from Marissa. Confident, electric, edgy, and the attitude of a superstar. Her voice sounded probably the best it has so far, so fluid and alive, effortlessly going from the sultry lower register to the searing highs, and the highs were really good. She’s a rock star, in voice and performance. To nail an Aerosmith song takes some metal, and she has that. Very good. A-
J: Marissa is delightful to watch as she just comes alive on stage. That said, I don’t think this was the right song for her. At this stage of the competition it is imperative to sing popular songs the viewers can relate to. I can’t fault her on her vocals because she sure knows to hit the notes every single time. She is edgy and sultry and something the South African music industry is in desperate need of! B+
Bubbles – “That’s What I Like” by Bruno Mars:
R: I love Bubbles, and she took a big risk with this song, but it just didn’t pay off. It didn’t work. She had some pitch issues, and the energy the song required wasn’t there for me. It was stagnant all the way through. I was disappointed. It was more karaoke than it was her own Bubbles interpretation. C+
J: This was not the Bubbles we know and love! For the first time in the competition she had severe pitch problems. The entire performance was devoid of any energy. I too was terribly disappointed. C+
Luke – “Million Reasons” by Lady Gaga:
R: I love that Luke chooses these female pop songs and makes it his own. I can’t fault him vocally at all. It was beautiful, his lower register surprisingly good, and when he infused the song with his full rock voice, it was really good. It was a strong vocal, but I would just have liked it to be a bit more emotional, since the original is so heartfelt. That said, he did a very solid job. B+
J: Dare I say I’m not really a Lady Gaga fan? Yes it’s true and perhaps it’s for that reason that I was not overly impressed with this performance. Luke has a very cool rock voice but we have heard it all before. He seems popular though so the fan vote could save him. B
Tender – “Proud Mary” by Tina Turner:
R: This song is pretty much a staple on every singing show, it’s predictable, but it’s a crowd favourite, and hey, I thought, based on song choice, Tender would get Lira’s save. The crowd loved it, predictably. It’s just one of those songs. But big ups, Tender did a great job with it. It was effortless, soulful, and bluesy. It was great. A-
J: Whooooooo Mama! Tender was on fire! She is such a natural. The song choice might have been predictable but she sang the hell out of it! It took her a long time to reach her full potential but now that she is back with a bang I am definitely buying what she’s selling. I will be damned if Lira doesn’t save her. A
Lira saves: Tender
R: The least surprising safe this far.
Finally, last week’s results! And the viewers saved Craig. Hallelujah! So, we say goodbye to Freddy and Zee this week.
And from Team Karen, viewers saved PJ. Amanda and, thank Lord, Lindo, are not going any further.
Team Bobby
Josh – “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor:
R: I’ve always been vocal about my reservations with Josh. He’s so 80’s and throwback rock that I just don’t see him as a recording star, but rather a stage performer, which he is. Then he goes ahead and picks a song that basically just proves it. I’m not winning here. He did a great job. Vocally, impressive. The crowd was, predictably, entertained. Objectively, you cannot fault it. But please don’t tell me that the world needs to hear his voice and that he’s the only performer who can pull off a performance like that. Hint: American Idol winner. Hint: he didn’t sell any albums. A-
J: I don’t even have to watch Josh perform to know Bobby will save him. It is just so obvious that the Bobster thinks that an old-school rocker will earn him the win in the end. Josh is undoubtedly great at what he does and deserves to be on the stages of the world. I don’t however see him as relevant enough to be a commercial success. The crowd loved his performance and he seems to be the most popular contestant at this stage. I have to agree with Reinhardt, he is a carbon copy of American Idol ‘Winner’, Caleb Johnson. B+
John James – “Treat You Better” by Shawn Mendes:
R: John is a smart kid, and in the scope of South Africa, he could be our Shawn Mendes. His lower register was strong, and his beautiful tone was just as strong during the chorus, but I wanted a bit more from him during the climax of the song. It didn’t build up to that explosion that’s in the original. He doesn’t have that power, but all in all, solid performance. B
J: JJ is such a cool, likable kid. He has a beautiful tone but his upper register always seems a bit wonky. Overall it was a solid performance. Does he have potential? Sure! Is he South Africa’s own Shawn Mendes? Nope not just yet. B
Caroline – “Elastic Heart” by Sia:
R: She clearly loves these big voiced female pop stars, she wants to be one of them. She failed with Kelly Clarkson during her knockout, but did a better job with this Sia track. It was power, pure power. This time around, her voice got there, it wasn’t as strained. It’s still not as effortless as it needs to be but it was a solid job. B
J: I am scared to rate this girl as our ranking of the Top 16 saw both Reinhardt and myself being blocked on Facebook by the Bloemfontein beauty. This was one of Caroline’s stronger performances of the season. She did Sia a heck of a lot better than she did Kelly Clarkson. B
Marco – “Castle on the Hill” by Ed Sheeran:
R: I wasn’t sure about this being the right song for Marco. I want to hear that falsetto a little more, just a tad. He struggled with the verse, but once the chorus came, he came alive. It was strong and on point, and he made room for the falsetto! The falsetto was, as usual, so good, and it did wonders for this performance. It was very strong. I just like Marco’s whole vibe. Gotta admit. B+
J: I am a huge Ed Sheeran fan and got all giddy with excitement when I saw that Marco was going to perform this particular song. The verse was not as strong as it should have been but the chorus was sublime. That falsetto is going to give me eargasms all day long! It was good. Very very good! A-
Bobby saves: Josh
R: Of course.
J: Told you so!
Who gave the performance of the night? Do you agree with the judges’ saves? Let us know!
