The Voice South Africa Recap: No, Bobby, Sam IS The Best Female Vocalist This Season

Ah, it wasn’t a great night for Karen Zoid. Both of her acts found themselves standing next to Lungile before he announced this week’s final result, and the right contestant actually stayed.

It was a pretty good night of performances in my opinion, but Josh slipped up once again. The contemporary stuff isn’t working for him because he is not a relevant artist. He’s ancient. He looked invincible two weeks ago, but he’s dropping somewhat, probably still the favourite, though, since Fatman found himself in danger tonight.

Let’s get to it.

Craig Lucas – “Valerie” by Mark Ronson and Amy Winehouse:

J: I’ve got to admit, I am not a fan of this song! It was bludgeoned into a bloody mess years ago on Idols already. That said, Craig did a great job with what he was given. He is a consummate performer with his vocal ability (and somewhat sexy moves) once again reiterating why he would be a great recording and performing artist after the show. He was smooth, like a steaming cappuccino on a cold winter’s day. A-

R: Anything after last week’s version of “Purple Rain” was going to be some kind of let-down, which is unfortunate since this was by no means a let-down of a performance. It was jazzy, soulful, bluesy and his vocal was still so current and stylish. Like Kahn said, Craig has the X Factor. I can’t wait for his post-The Voice career. A-

Craig is declared SAFE and is in the Top 5. Don’t think that’s surprising.

Josh – “Say You Won’t Let Go” by James Arthur:

J: The original version of the song takes to your heart with a butcher’s knife, this rendition just left me cold. Josh is old-school rock and I will repeat what I said last week, he should stick to it. He has an insane range but he lacks emotion and that is what this song needed. It was strong vocally, but the only emotion it evoked it me was indifference. B

R: This was a weird one for me. Josh is not a contemporary pop/rock artist, and he shouldn’t try to be. He doesn’t have the soul of a James Arthur. Last week, I said his lower register was a let-down. This week it was better, but it was his falsetto that didn’t quite hit the mark for me. Vocally, it was pretty solid, but it wasn’t as emotionally baring as the original. Vocally, it wasn’t at all bad, but it lacked the emotional power.

B-

Josh too is declared SAFE and in the Top 5. Also no surprise.

Sam – “The Story” by Brandi Carlisle:

J: Now this is a well- picked song! Sam has arrived people and she is magnificent! This was a showstopper of note – haunting, emotive, beautiful. I had goosies all the way through. Sam can sing anything and has proven why she is one of the best female talent show contestants to ever have graced our screens. A+

R: This song was a no brainer for Sam. Her beautiful, clear angelic tone works wonderfully with a song like this, and I loved every moment of this performance. It was her best vocal of the season, and after last week’s wonderful Afrikaans track, this was a great one-two punch. She’s such a naturally emotive vocalist and this was a stunner. Karen calls her the best female vocalist in the competition. Yeah. A

Sam is in the DANGER ZONE and, although predictable, still pisses me off. No sane person should ever think a singer like Caroline is more talented than Sam, but then again, we have been questioning Bobby’s mental state for a while already. It’s a travesty.

Fatman – “Angels” by Robbie Williams:

J: I didn’t think Fatman would go the karaoke hit route but he did and he did a pretty good job with it. Sure it wasn’t inspired but it vocally (almost) on point. The guyknows what his fans like and he spoon-feeds them the goods week after week. It wasn't his greatest vocal performance but it wasn't bad either. B

R: This is not a surprising or inspired song choice in anyway, but it more than did the trick. His fan base will lap this performance up like a fountain in a desert. Vocally it was solid, but emotionally it was where it hit the mark. Stripped down, emotionally bare, it reminded me of his “Kaptein” number. Sure, he’s getting quite predictable – there’s a clear pattern with regards to song choice. It does the trick, though, very solid job. B+

Fatman is declared to be in the DANGER ZONE.

Okay, that’s a shock. Wowzer. Do I believe this? Don’t think so. And Caroline is going to be safe, right?

Caroline – “Titanium” by Sia:

J: This was probably Caroline's best vocal performance to date and as predicted Bobby gushes like a love-sick puppy. It was strong and it soared in places but its still sounded rather affected. Caroline needs to stop trying so hard to hide her Afrikaans accent. It might actually be endearing. B+

R: Of course Caroline is going to strip the song down, just like she did last week, since singing the original arrangements of big vocalists clearly doesn’t work for her. It was a smart move. It was her best vocal in weeks, probably her strongest thus far? It was powerful, as usual, but there really weren’t any terribly out of tune notes, except that her voice just still isn’t as natural as it needs to be. Much improved vocal, anyway. Bobby rebukes Karen and calls Caroline the best female vocalist in the competition. No. B+

PJ – “Geronimo” by Sheppard:

J: This was a fun performance from PJ but it really didn't showcase his vocals all that much. He has really grown as a performer and it is clear that he feels comfortable on stage. I think he could actually make for a pretty good recording artist. B

R: I didn’t think this was the right song choice for PJ, but then I actually quite enjoyed it. It was lots of fun, and PJ showed that he’s a good performer. It was a solid vocal and a good performance, a stronger showing than last week’s “Imagine”. Good job. B+

Caroline is indeed declared SAFE and PJ is the final contestant in the DANGER ZONE.

The first person SAFE is Fatman. Well, yeah, that was an easy one.

Samantha is SAFE and PJ is sent packing.

R: Whew, Thank God my prediction last week was incorrect (both of us were wrong!)

Samantha gets to sing another week, and so very well deserved, but…

Who should go home:

R: Josh

J: Josh

Who will go home:

R: Samantha

J: Fatman