The Voice SA: Craig and Samantha Dominate, Josh Brings No Sex
Another week, another show! I am expecting at least one WTF moment with regards to the voting results but what's new, it is South African talent show after all.
Let's get down to the performances right away!
Team Karen
Samantha – “Brave” by Sara Bareilles:
J: This song!!! Samantha is on fire! Her range is absolutely insane and she owns that stage each and every time. She is just so effortless! This is what the South African music industry has been lacking for years – a feisty pop princess with her feet planted firmly on the ground. Superb! A
R: Oh, Samantha is looking and sounding so good. It was another effortless vocal performance from Sam. She’s ready to make albums, people. That pure falsetto near the end was beautiful, and her range is fantastic. She’s a naturally gifted female pop vocalist, and this performance shined a big light on that. I’m a fan. A-
PJ – “Sweet Disposition” by The Temper Trap
J: I sometimes think Karen picks a song she likes and assigns it to the nearest contestant whether it is in their best interest or not. PJ is not a rocker but despite that, how many viewers are actually familiar with an Australian Indie Rock Band? It was a solid performance overall but both PJ and his coach are going to have to remember a vital piece of information: Song choice is key! B
R: Oh, and Karen is again coaching a male talent on her team in the wrong direction. Sure, vocally, it was a solid performance, but PJ, in my opinion, isn’t a rocker, or edgy. It was solid, but he’s at his best when he’s heartfelt and intimate. He did surprise me by how well his voice sounded, and he’ll make a killer album. It was good, but I’m still yearning for him to find his sweet spot vocally. B
Team Lira
R: Ah, predictably, the viewers saved Luke Lovemore. That means we say goodbye to Bubbles and Marissa.
J: Who exactly is doing the voting?
Tender – “I’m Every Woman” by Chaka Khan:
J: I feel for poor Tender. It seems like the haters will hate regardless of how well she performs. She is soulful and powerful and delivered a near-flawless vocal performance. This was her best performance to date and I hope she receives the votes to survive another week! A-
R: Believe it or not, the average viewer isn’t well versed in Chaka Khan. That’s sad. Because this performance deserves the cred. Vocally, Tender was killer, from the lower register to the higher register, Tender showed all of the soul. She really was every woman. It’s just a pity that she probably won’t be a big vote getter, the viewers won’t know soul if Aretha or Stevie Wonder took them to church on a Sunday morning. A-
Luke – “Home” by Phillip Phillips:
J: I’m not the biggest fan of Mr Phillips but I do really enjoy a couple of his songs. This is not one of them. Luke is still very middle-of-the-road for me. Vocally he was strong enough but I just don’t any vibe from him. This was OK. Yeah, just OK. C+
R: This is a tough one for me. I’m a huge fan of Phillip Phillips, and this song always brings back those warm, inspiring memories of Phillip’s coronation. This performance did not quite reach those highs for me. I wasn’t particularly moved. It was a solid vocal performance, it really was. I just expect a lot more from this song. B
Team Kahn
Craig – “Death of a Bachelor” by Panic! At the Disco:
J: Kahn, are you trying to screw Craig over? OK so I know the song but I have also spent many nights dancing to obscure rock tracks in poorly lit night clubs. Apparently Craig has been suffering with a severe cold for a while, I never would have known because his vocals were killer! This guy is ready to record an album and have his tracks played on radio. A-
R: This is too much of an obscure song choice for this audience, I’m afraid. Come on, Kahn, man. Craig is excellence! Give him a song the viewers know and love. That said, Craig knocked it out of the park. His vocals didn’t falter one bit during this challenging track, his range went up there and it was fantastic to hear. It was a killer vocal. Craig deserves to be on the radio, his unique voice would be instantly recognizable, and with the right material he’ll all over the charts. A-
Fatman – “I’d Do Anything For Love” by Meatloaf:
J: I knew this was coming. What I didn’t know expect was that he would actually pull it off. Fatman is a great entertainer and I would pay good money to see him perform. I wouldn’t buy his album though. The guy is funny and he can sing and that will attract the votes. Well done Meneer! B+
R: And for Fatman Kahn picks all the songs that the viewers would know and love. Predictably, he did a very solid job with this very theatrical rock song. He was really good if not too theatrical. He’s not a recording star in my opinion, but an entertainer, and a great one at that. I’d prefer Fatman doing to songs what he did with ‘Kaptein’. This was not unique, but a very solid vocal.B
Team Bobby
Viewers, or a famous rugby player and his supporters, saved Caroline Brussouw. You just know this season will end up with a winner who won’t be burning up the radio airwaves. We say goodbye to Marco and John James, two artists whom you’d be able to hear on the radio tomorrow. Marco was probably the most interesting artist on Team Bobby.
Josh – “Sex on Fire” by Kings of Leon:
J: This is such a sexy, sultry song… or should I say ‘was’ until now. Josh has one of the strongest voices in the competition but this performance was a fail. Where was the sex appeal? You are supposed to be left feeling dirty and panting after listening to this song but none of that happened. His fans are raving, of course. They are clearly fans of 80’s rock ‘n roll. Me, not so much. B-
R: This was everything but sex on fire. Sure, vocally, it’s great. Vocal aerobatics at its best, maybe, but this is not at all what this song is about. There was none of that dirty, gravelly, edgy sex that Kings of Leon’s original represents. There was no sex appeal, no dirt, nothing. A fantastic voice does not make a fantastic performance, and this completely missed the mark for me. Josh took a break from being one of Danny’s leather wrapped friends in Grease and brought us this. No. C+
Caroline – “Unconditionally” by Katy Perry:
J: Caroline has a beautiful voice but so do thousands of other generic female artists. Where’s the sass? Where’s the passion? I can already see her being dressed up in a blue dress singing ‘Let It Go’ in weeks to come. Pretty girl. Pretty voice. Not much else. B
R: This was Caroline’s best performance thus far. It’s still very generic, but she killed this vocally. That final glory note was fantastic. You cannot fault this vocal. It was great. It’s power and precision and clarity, but I still don’t see any dynamics coming from Caroline, or proof that she would be able to sustain a recording career. Still, fantastic vocal performance. B+
Should Go Home:
R: Josh
J: Luke
Will Go Home:
R: Tender
J: Tender
Who delivered your favourite performance of the night? Do you agree with our scoring? Tune in next week to see who survives another day in The Voice South Africa.
