The Voice SA: When A Man Loves A Woman (But Not on Singing Shows)
Well, hello there. Welcome to The Voice SA. We’re in the Upside Down where two dynamic female singers are in the bottom three and a wooden nymph with a popular husband is safe.
Tender being in the bottom three and her subsequent elimination isn’t surprising. Well, surprising if you base it on performance, but not surprising when it’s this voting audience who voted for an all-white male Top 4 last season, and a voting audience whose Top 2 this season are two white guys who are trapped in the past.
But when Samantha ended up in the bottom 3, I was shocked. Another very talented, dynamic, fearless girl is going to fall by the wayside on yet another season of a singing show. It’s not just that these two are fantastic singers, but that viewers are voting for the wrong girl.
Luke being in the bottom three – no surprise. It’ll also be no surprise when he’s the one eliminated next week.
But the performances were pretty good, no? Except for Patricia Lewis with the slightly better voice of course.
Caroline Grace – “Rolling in The Deep” by Adele:
R: Wowzer, shrill, shrill, shrill. Adele, predictably, is way too high a hurdle for Caroline. Her voice, especially during the chorus, strained to reach those notes. “We could have had it aaaaaall” was probably the weakest vocal this show has had on its stage. The song highlighted all of the weaknesses in Caroline’s voice. Leaving the vocal performance out of it, it was still a rather soulless, generic performance. A miss in every aspect. D+
J: WTF?? And I will say it again, WTF?? This performance was as dreadful as Caroline is pretty. I can’t even call it karaoke because that would be insulting the favourite pastime of many a wannabe singer. It was shrill. It was flat. It was (sorry Caroline, you really are a sweet girl) one of the worst performances ever on a South African talent show stage. E+
PJ – “Photograph” by Ed Sheeran:
R: This is what I wanted PJ to do from the beginning. This is the direction he needs to go in. It was sensitive, heartfelt, and, for the most parts, beautiful. His falsetto was on fire. His control was impressive, but it wasn’t as effortless as it could have been. He struggled with some notes, but it was a very solid vocal. Good job. B+
J: PJ is such a cute kid and he sports a brilliant falsetto. That said, my ears are still ringing so it is kind of like watching a mime perform at this stage. I will trust Reinhardt on this one and copy his B+
Fatman – “As Die Musiek Begin Speel” by Karen Zoid:
R: This guy is a performer. He could go into a studio tomorrow and make the album he wants to make. He knows who he is and where he fits in and that puts him in good stead. Win or lose, like him or not, he’ll have a career post-Voice. This was again a solid vocal and a very strong performance from Fatman. He delivers consistently solid vocal performances B+
J: Fatman is just a barrel of laughs isn’t he? I would say he is one of the strongest contestants vocally but what he is, is consistent. Fatman is who he is and he is damn proud of it. Win or lose, sink or swim (bom bom bom padia) he will have a career in music after the show. Good performance Kaptein! B+
Luke – “Human” by Rag n Bone Man:
R: Loved this song choice from Luke. Again, this is the music Luke should record if he went into the studio tomorrow. His lower register was dark, powerful and on point. Rocker Luke is the best Luke and this proved that. What would have pushed this over into fantastic territory is Luke letting rip more, which I’m still waiting for him to do. It was a strong vocal and he likely needed that if he wants to stay in the competition next week. A current song choice and a good vocal did wonders. B+
J: I am very glad I have outgrown my rock phase – it has truly opened my eyes to the great, big world of music. Luke is dark. Luke is vocally on-point. Luke is Richard Stirton part deux. It was a strong performance but it had me suffering from severe déjà vu. Haven’t we seen it all before? Luke is going to have to pull a rabbit out of a hat and do something to set himself apart from all the other rockers that have come before him. B-
Tender – “Wrecking ball” by Miley Cyrus:
R: It was pretty obvious that Tender would be the one going home tonight. But yet again, she delivered a performance that proved why she shouldn’t be. It was another very strong vocal from her. She hasn’t had one weak performance thus far, and gets rewarded with an elimination. Good choice to perform a more contemporary female pop song, and she did a good job with it. Her voice is pure and effortless, and she’s fearless. A naturally talented vocalist, unlike Caroline. B+
J: Tender is so comfortable both in her skin and on stage. She has delivered consistently strong performances since day one and this is no exception. She is indeed fearless and I will buy her album in a heartbeat. She did not deserve to go home! B+
Josh – “When A Man Loves a Woman” by Percy Sledge:
R: Eish, I cannot win with this guy. His voice is so huge and so theatrical, yet I’m left utterly cold after each of his performances. He has an objectively fantastic voice, but a voice and performance quality for a stage production. All the vocal tricks in the world cannot give a singer soul. I’d be shocked if any babies were made to Josh’s version of this song. There’s a difference between baring one’s soul to the world and just singing a ballad well. Josh did the latter. B
J: Josh is Barnyard. That is what he does and he is very, very good at it, pity he is so terribly out-dated. He thrives on vocal gymnastics which, to me, belongs at the bottom of the deepest ocean. Could he surprise the sceptic in me and give a relevant, unaffected performance? I honestly don’t know. I think Josh is pretty happy reliving the rock ‘n all ages, it does seem to rake him in the votes after all. B+
Samantha – “I Want It All” by Queen:
R: Yes, Sam! This was a fantastic performance from a fantastic vocalist. The range, the attitude, the rock, it was all on fire. This is the music Sam needs to do to get those votes. And then you’ll get those uneducated people who would call this performance “screaming”. When a guy rocks out, it’s brilliant. When a girl does it, it’s screaming. Hate double standards. This was a fierce performance, one that should keep her out of the bottom three next week! A-
J: Sam is an insanely good vocalist. She is beautiful and fierce and talented… a deadly combination as an artist and a very strong female-vote deterrent. Some of the viewers seemed to think she screamed, no she didn’t. Also, you want to explode from sheer joy when your favourite wannabe rocker boys scream so what exactly is the difference? I pray the voters do the right thing this week and vote for talent - Sam does not deserve another trip down Danger Zone Lane. A-
Craig – “Sign of The Times” by Harry Styles:
R: Again, the type of music Craig would do if he went into the studio tomorrow. His unique voice and that range worked wonderful with this great contemporary rock ballad. The first verse was hair raising. So beautiful and pure. But that ending – powerful and soulful. Craig is fantastic. He’s the most likely to have a pop hit on the radio tomorrow, and that’s what The Voice needs. A-
J: Apart from Josh, Craig has the biggest following in the competition. He is soulful and just oozes charm. It wasn’t perfect but it was vocally on-point. This is the type of song Craig should stick to, it showcases all of his strengths beautifully. A-
Should go home: Caroline, without a doubt.
Will go home: Luke
