The Voice PH Finale Review

The Voice PH Finale (TOP 4) 

September 30, 2013

REVIEW

The Top 4

1.    Team Sarah – Klarisse

On Saturday, she chose a song (The Climb) to show her strengths: kulot and falsetto. But, the song is a little bit shabby. It was a big hit 3 years ago, but people got tired of that song already. And at the same time, the song was too young to be a classic. But it highlighted her singing technique. Meanwhile, her Sunday’s performance with Sarah and Sena (Your Song) was just superb. Excellent blending among the three. It was such a treat. I even replayed it in my recorder actually. It is something that is not just competition-worthy, but also concert-worthy… something you’d be willing pay to watch. Her next song, Open Arms, is another shabby song, but nevertheless a familiar sound. Her birits were not her best in this song though. But her performance was enough to earn her a spot in the Top 2.

2.    Team Bamboo – Myk

Myk’s traditional formula since the blind is to sing upbeat Jason Mrazish type of song with Bamboo tone. His Saturday’s Give Me Love performance deviated from his formula. And it worked! It’s not upbeat, yet I love it. One can feel his emotions with his number.

                           

His Sunday’s performance was another deviation, with Myk and Bamboo singing Morning Rose. Again, this was such a cool and chill number. Like Paolo’s ELESI, it was really entertaining. Honestly, I never heard that Morning Rose before, but I really enjoyed this number, such that I’m going to download later the original arrangement of this song to compare. Finally, Myk sang a Michael Buble - again another deviation from his signature Myk upbeat sound.

Clearly, Myk was trying to deviate from his proven formula. For the Saturday number, it worked. But I guess for the Sunday’s numbers, it didn’t. The songs were not finale competition songs. Ok, Bamboo is really differentiating his artist from the other 3 birit contestants. But I think people miss the signature Myk sound (that Jason Mrazish vibe) that made him reach the Top 4. Myk should know that this is not the time to experiment on a new formula. Thus he paid the price. He was the last placer among the 4.

Also, note that among the 4, it was only Myk who did not win the public votes in the Top 8 show. So the Paolo votes might not have necessarily translated to Myk votes, I suppose.

3.    Team Apl – Janice

Learning from her past mistakes, Janice sang familiar songs at the finale, starting with The Greatest Love of All last Saturday. Well, it wasn’t her best I think. The kulot wasn’t as good as Klarrise’s. The growl was not too full. But of course, she hit the high notes, as always. And last Sunday, it was a surprise. An unexpected mash up on an OPM and an Apl dance hit Time of Your Life with Apl and Lolita. She danced and “beat boxed.” This really came as a surprise, with Janice deviating from her usual high pitch competition songs. And due to this surprise factor, the public liked it… so much! Janice's song and dance number gave a magnitude 7 earthquake at the RWM.  

Finally, yet another indication of Janice’s learning, her unexpected final song was another pop dance hit, We Found Love in a Hopeless Place, which I also like. Janice’s surprises paid off. She gambled and she won. From being the iTunes consistent last placer, she managed to rank higher than Myk.  She should have done this earlier because at this point, no matter how well she sings, she will not gain significant number of new followers. The public already have their favorites which are cast in stone. The artists were just singing for the undecided, or for the followers of those who were evicted last week (if they don’t remain in their teams).

4.    Team Lea - Mitoy

Don’t forget, this guy is a club performer, and as such he surely knows what it takes to get a standing ovation from the crowd: singing high birit karaoke songs that we are all familiar of. He started with a rock version of Anak. Sunday was a fun performance. That Total Eclipse of the Heart, which is the King of Karaoke Songs, was just totally fun and entertaining, due to Vice Ganda. And that surprising kiss was a climax to the comedic act.

Total Eclipse of the Heart - The King of Karaoke Songs
such that people even managed to map its lyrics into a flowchart

Finally, he sang Leaving on a Jet Plane. Mitoy was consistent with his formula since Day 1. Karaoke birit songs. He never deviated from it. Among the Top 4 or even Top 8, he’s the one that showed least variety. He knows his formula will win him votes. And that just happened.  

And of course, the Vice Ganda appearance helped him get even more votes. But the biggest question is why did Team Lea choose Vice Ganda? I understand Sarah’s Sena and Apl’s Lolita. But why Vice Ganda? He’s not a singer and this is The Voice (as emphasized by Mitoy). Oh I forgot, Vice is a singer. He even had a concert which just happens to be the record holder for the highest ticket sales at Araneta. He did a movie as well, which happens to be Philippines' top grosser of all time. Got it? Case closed!

Well, the four coaches did very well also. Their performances clearly show why they were chosen as the coaches of The Voice PH. Just watch the replay to see for yourself.

The Voice PH Top 2

And the Top 2 are… Mitoy and Klarisse!

Janice was third and Myk was fourth.

1.    Klarisse

For the final song, Klarisse sang an OPM song that I wasn’t familiar of. Well, it’s a traditional singing contest song.  

2.    Mitoy

Keeping his tried and tested formula since day 1, Mitoy sang Help Me (is this the correct title?). Told you, this is the guy who showed the least variety. Well, he has a point. If his formula worked in the past, why change?  If that has won him an Eat Bulaga title, why change? If that has earned him followers in the clubs, why change?

Well the final 2 already had a solid following at this point. They were just singing to get the votes of Myk and Janice. Unfortunately, votes were reset to 0, thus iTunes downloads no longer counted. Klarisse was the biggest loser for this news, as she is iTunes' Number 2.  

And then Toni announced the winner… and it is MITOY!

So what happened?

Sabi sa Twitter, Kakao Talk daw kasi gamit pang vote ng mga popsters! Haha.

Myk and Klarisse were consistently in iTunes' Top 2. Yet Myk placed last, and Klarisse did not beat Mitoy. Well, I guess my earlier theory is right. The voting public is excited and fully supportive of Mitoy. They will spend to vote him. But they will not spend to download his music. As for Myk’s followers, they don’t care about the competition. They will download Myk’s song because they want to hear him over and over again in their playlists. As for Klarisse, votes were reset to 0, thus no iTunes downloads were counted. OR this is another theory… the iTunes download might just really be a neglibible number, as people would rather download their songs on Piratebay or buy them at Metrowalk and Makati Cinema Square. Only ABS-CBN knows as we don't have the absolute numbers.

I asked my Mom who she was rooting for. She said she’s for Mitoy. If she had 1 vote to spare, she would have surely given it to Mitoy. But note that although my mom watches The Voice regularly, I never saw her buy a CD nor saw her watch a concert. I guess this applied to the rest of the voters. Pinoys are just so in love with biriteros, to see them do their stunt in a contest such as this. Thus they win big. Review your history: Erik Santos, Jovit Baldevino, Roel Manlangit, Jonalyn Viray, Frenchy Dy, Angeline Quinto, and of course Regine V.   Season 2 wannabes, you know what it takes to win the crown, ok?  Random thought: If Lea Salonga were not a part of TVOP, Radha’s and Paolo’s songs will probably end up in her playlist. BUT I’m wondering if Mitoy’s Bulag will get there as well?

Anyway, I may not be a Mitoy fan. But with the sound of his BULAG single, his songs are not really marketed for me. I'm sure he will be the next April Boy Regino. And, I am also sure that TVOP is making history. The artists (like Myk, Paolo, Klarisse, and maybe Darryl, Morissette and Radha) will be the face of the music industry. As I mentioned in my previous blog, the winner gets an MCA-Universal contract due to its global partnership with The Voice, while Star Records is not contractually prohibited to make a profit out of the rest. The Voice Season 1 is such an overwhelming success. The TVOP artists will surely be dominating the airwaves and ASAP stage soon enough, most specially Team Bamboo's artists due to their uniqueness and musicality. Season 1 of any contest is always the most successful. Can’t wait to get copies of the albums of Paolo, Myk and Klarisse. And maybe some are also just as excited for the albums of Darryl, Morissette and maybe Radha. 

Another thing, I said before that The Voice PH should be renamed to The Voice of Sarah G, because this show will crown the artist from the most popular coach. Luckily I was wrong. Team Sarah was just a second placer. The masa votes prevailed. At least it's about the artist, not the coach. 

So, that's all folks. Till Season 2... 

TheVoicePH - Top 8 Review

The Voice of the Philippines

Top 8 Live Show, September 22, 2013

REVIEW

If last week’s theme was 3Cs (Calm, Cool, Chill), guess what’s the theme last night? Well… it’s MMK NIGHT! Too much drama from all of the contestants. Oh well, this is semi-finals, and everyone wants to stay in the final 4 badly!  

With my predictions, I only got 2 out of 4. Let’s now break this down…

1.    Team Lea

Mitoy

Mitoy sang Power of Love, with his usual TENORish super high notes birits. What’s new? Nothing, it’s the same old banana. It was boring. Rearrangement on the original song was very minimal. Listening to him was like listening to a typical karaoke session in your neighborhood, except of course he birits those high notes well. Again, since his forte is the high notes, his number was really not pleasing to the ears at the beginning of the song, in those low notes.  Well, all he’s got to do is to make the high birits, to win the pinoys’ hearts. Thus, he won the public votes.

Radha

Classy version of Let It Be, showcasing her technical skills in high- and low-notes, as well as her kulot-ability. But, you’re up against the masa-favorite Mitoy. Even if Lea gave Radha a 55% score, Radha is not as popular as Mitoy to secure the final spot of TeamLea. Hence, she’s out. Ouch, too bad, I started to like Radha last week, when she sang a slow version of Time After Time. And Radha is starting to break my iTunes Data Analytics Pattern.

  

So, I predicted Mitoy will win, and MITOY WON. This was an easy prediction! Why? Well, pinoys get easily impressed with high birits. And, maybe, just maybe, he won the masa hearts when he was saying in the Saturday broadcast that he was even poorer than that person they visited in Payatas. Plus, he had that MMK moment with her wife on stage, with Lea validating what Mitoy was going through.

Ok, Radha was out, it’s an ouch. But let’s move on.

2.    Team Bamboo

Myk

Myk’s signature beat and voice were again heard in his version of “Oh baby I love your way.” Well, he’s consistent. It’s in the same sound as the songs he’s been performing since the Blinds. Hope his formula flies until the finals. The difference this time is he was guitar-less. He was dancing. But, I think his moves looked too awkward. It even seemed like he was in a demonic possession. And his shirt looked too fitted for him. Was it two sizes smaller? Good thing, this is THE VOICE, not YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE, so the coaches just let it pass. Finally, toward the end of the song, Myk inserted that “Oooh, Sarah I love your way”. Well, this could have earned him some popsters’ kilig votes as well, which I briefly mentioned in my last blog. 

By the way, Myk is such a little Bamboo. I downloaded some of his soundcloud.com songs, and shuffled it with Bamboo in my iPod. Now, I dont know which one is Myk and which one is Bamboo. 

Paolo

Paolo sang a jazzy version of ELESI. Well, Bamboo asked for a total performance from Paolo, and he gave it in ELESI. The performance was really entertaining, to be objectively honest, especially with the colorful backup dancers. Unfortunately, the song was not a The Voice Semi-finals material. It didn’t have the high notes that Pinoys are looking for. And at some point, it seemed like Paolo was losing his breath to power his notes. But again, it was really entertaining. This costed him his coaches’ vote. Bamboo gave Paolo 45%. His 3-percentage lead in the public votes over Myk was just not enough to reverse his coaches’ score. Thus, he lost.  Some Zamboanguenos are saying they couldn’t vote because there’s a curfew and stores were closed, hence they couldn’t buy loads to vote. Oh… how unfortunate.

Result

I correctly predicted that Bamboo will give 55% to Myk, but my predicted public votes for Paolo fell short. It was not enough to reverse Bamboo’s score. He was 6% deficient. Hence MYK WON instead.

A second OUCH for the night. But, I’m glad he didn’t win, and most especially he didn’t get the leading score from Bamboo. If he did, his haters will just multiply exponentially, at ma-LEE-LEE GRANE na rin si Paolo, thus ruining his just took off career. Anyway, iTunes top notchers are Paolo and Myk. Paolo’s votes > Myk. Clearly, this is not the end for you. With his gwapong voice (as mentioned by Lea), we will see you on ASAP for sure. And I think his ELESI performance is his way of saying, “My voice might not be a match to Mitoy, but I’m ready to entertain on the ASAP stage.” 

Oh, to credit TeamBamboo, even if it was MMK night, the little Bamboos were consistent with their team’s motto. Just cool and chill music. No drama, except of course that Saturday tears from Myk. And isn’t their numbers a welcome break to the biritans of the other camps? They added a different flavor to the show, pampaalis umay.

Interesting tweet from Lea: At one point there were so many girls in #KampKawayan... remember those days? Then that team's top 2 were guys. Funny!

3.    Team Sarah

Morissette Vs. Klarisse

Well, Team Sarah is like the traditional singing contest performers. Vocal power, vocal quality, kulot, birit… etc. etc. Morissette’s performance was impactful, though not all viewers are familiar with her song. And Klarisse, she just showed how versatile she is. She sounded well in low notes, in mid notes, in high notes. She did kulot. She did birits. And that falsetto thing was a climax to her performance. Since day 1, she has been doing different genres, and she passed each test with flying colors. Her coach cannot help but notice this, thus the score from Sarah.

I correctly predicted Sarah’s 55% score for Klarisse, and that Klarisse will win this round. What I failed to predict was Klarisse had a significantly higher public votes than Morissette. Since I prefer Klarisse over Mori, this was a pleasant surprise! KLARISSE WON!

And, to stay true to the night’s theme, Mori and Klarisse also gave their MMK stories as well. But Karisse’s story was more touching. Oh by the way, you two, your names are difficult to spell. Some votes might have been misspelled.

4.    Team Apl

Thor 

Thor sang that competition song CLIMB EVERY MOUNTAIN. Is it just me? Why does it seem like whatever song Thor sings, it ends up sounding like a telenovela theme song. Thor was my early favorite. I started losing interest in him due to his telenovlish delivery of every song. Well, guess what, he gave another telenovela performance again last Sunday. And I saw that signature Thor litid-tearing birit at the end of the song again. Nothing new!!! He was not reading my blog. Hehe. Maybe we'll hear his voice on Primetime Bida soon enough, singing telenova theme songs. 

Janice 

As for Janice, it was a different Janice I saw in the Saturday’s show (with their Umagang Kay Ganda song). She showed her sweet 16 voice, which surprisingly, was beautiful. And in her Sunday’s performance, she sounded great in her low and high-notes, for the IMAGINE performance. Good job! I like it. No wonder, you are a star in Bangkok. From a Thor fan, I instantly shifted to Janice last Saturday.

 I predicted a 55-45% score from Apl. And that’s what Apl gave. But I incorrectly predicted the public votes. Janice surprisingly surpassed the votes of Thor. Again, this was a pleasant surprise! I think it’s the Umagang Kay Ganda song that shifted the public’s votes from the strong Thor to the big Janice. Thor is showing the same thing since day 1. Hence naumay na talaga ang tao! JANICE WON!

Of course, staying true to the MMK theme, Thor gave his MMK flavor as well (but it looked kinda forced to me). And Janice, as the last performance, gave hers as well. Truly, it’s an MMK night at The Voice PH.

Bamboo, your team was not following the theme, huh!!!

NOTE FOR THE LOSERS

For the non-winners of the night, don’t be sad. One of the grand prizes is a 4-year MCA Universal recording contract. Why not Star Records? It’s because The Voice has a global contract with the Universal group. So, losers with great talents, don’t be sad. It might actually be better not to win the grand title, as Star Records is not contractually prohibited to contract you. We know the muscle that ABS-CBN and Star Records have in developing stars. So, the main winner for the eviction of iTunes top-notchers might actually be Star Records, don’t you think?

SIDELIGHTS

What happens when you have 2 siblings hosting a show? Last Saturday, it was just amusing when Alex said:

The coaches are very generous in giving donations to the Payatas choir. Toni, as the main host of the show, what are you giving? Thus, the impromptu talent fee donation from Toni. Haha.  

On Sunday, Alex did it again. Picking it up from Twitter, Alex called Toni, the BANGS OF THE PHILIPPINES! Haha. The MMK's title for the show should be BANGS!

Bangs of the Philippines

It also looks like some of them came for a First Communion last night.

And a number of them from a funeral?

PREDICTIONS FOR NEXT WEEK

So, who will win? Since my favorites are out, I’d go for any of them, except Mitoy. I just don’t like the sound of his vocal tone. Yes, he belts really well. But, I’m not a fan of his vocal tone in low- and mid-notes. With his original song Bulag, I now get it. ABS-CBN plans to market him along with the market of Jovit, Renz Verano and April Boys. 

Anyway, if I have to choose one, I'd go for Klarisse. I also predict KLARISSE WILL WIN! Going back to my review after the 2^nd Live Show, I already predicted then that the winner will come from Team Sarah, for sure. Why? Here’s what I’ve written in that blog.

"Sarah has got tons of loyal followers. They will vote whoever is left with Team Sarah (even if they don’t like that artist). I hate this, but this is what will happen. I’m already seeing comments from popsters in social networks encouraging fellow popsters to get ready to vote, as they want the first TheVoicePH winner to come from Team Sarah. It totally defeats the purpose. The Voice of the Philippines will not be the best vocal talent, but will be the artist from the most popular coach. If your bet if not from Team Sarah, accept this now and you won’t be disappointed. With this, I just hope it’s Klarisse from Team Sarah. Klarisse has the qualities of a Bamboo talent. Unique quality tone and original. Remember, Bamboo and Sarah were fighting for Klarisse during the blinds."  

So there, I’m just glad and fortunate that Klarisse is the last-man standing of

Team Sarah.

Also, it’s a pleasant surprise that an iTunes download is now considered as 5 votes. Using my iTunes analytics which I established in my previous blog:

•             Team Young tops iTunes
•             Team Old is at the bottom of iTunes
•             Chill songs top iTunes
•             Birit songs are at the bottom of iTunes

It would seem like Myk and Klarisse are the main beneficiaries of the new voting system. And Mitoy is at the main disadvantage. Let's wait and see! I just don't get it. If Mitoy has a lot of fans who are ready to spend to vote, why aren't they buying his song on iTunes? Don't they want to listen to their idol over and over again in their iPods? 

Predictions for Top 4 - The Voice of the Philippines

Predictions for Top 4 (Sept. 20, 2013 Live Show) 

The Voice of the Philippines

September 18, 2013

Last week, results were very predictable. I got 4 out of 4. This week, it’s the exact opposite. This is because the characteristics of the remaining two team artists of each coach are very much alike… actually somehow mirroring their coaches’ characteristics. Team Bamboo: soulful, unique voice quality and original, plus makulit. Team Sarah: Young talented singers, fresh, vocal calisthenics expert. Tea Lea: High notes, professional, technically competent. Team Apl: High notes, professional, world-class.

The format: Saturday is ala battles, while Sunday is solo performances. Voting starts on Saturday and ends on Sunday.

1.    Team Bamboo

 Paolo Vs Myk

Two very similar artists. Paolo has a better vocal tone but lower range. Myk has a higher range, good voice quality and musicality. Both are iTunes top notchers. For the battle, it will depend on the song, on which singer would fit the song better. But generally, Myk will have an edge, since he has a louder voice and a higher range. As for Paolo, he stands out more when he sings soulful solo songs. But Myk is also a fun performer. Thus, I predict Bamboo will give a 55-45 score, with Myk getting the 55%. But, public votes will be higher for Paolo, due to his numerous Paollo-wers. But the race is so tight, as Myk has loyal followers as well… not to mention some of Sarah’s fans might get kilig with Myk’s admiration of Sarah. So, the final score will be very close. But I predict Paolo will snatch this one, in a very tight match. Just a thought Myk, why is your name spelled that way? Uso na ba txt spelling when you were born? :)

I WANT: Paolo

WHO WILL WIN: Paolo

                                   

Paolo Vs Myk

                  

2.    Team Sarah

Klarisse Vs Morissette

This is another very difficult battle. They’re both good, and their styles are quite different. Anyway, Sarah will give Klarisse 55% and the remaniing 45% to Morissette. Morissette will get slightly more public votes (at most 55%), but not enough to reverse Sarah's choice. Like Team Bamboo, the final scores of the two will not be far from one another, but I predict Klarisse will have a narrow lead over Morissette. This is a crucial battle, because remember my previous post (Live Show 1), this contest is The Voice of Sarah G, not The Voice of the Philippines. Whoever wins this battle wins The Voice 

I WANT: Klarisse

WHO WILL WIN: Klarisse 

Klarisse Vs Morissette

3.    Team Lea

Radha Vs Mitoy

Battle of the two halimaws. Vocally, the coaches won’t have any negative comments on the two. But Radha is not very popular with the public. She would not win if she ends up in the final 4. Lea, being a strategist will give between 55-60% to Mitoy. Mitoy will also have higher public votes.

I WANT: Radha

WHO WILL WIN: Mitoy

Halimaw A VS Halimaw B

4.    Team Apl

Janice Vs Thor

Same as above (refer to Team Lea). Haha.  Janice = Radha. Thor = Mitoy. Therefore Thor will win. Apl will give one artist 55% and the other 45%. Who will get 55%? I don't know. I can't read Apl. But this is irrelevant. Thor will significantly have more public votes than Janice, easily reserving whoever Apl chooses to give his 55% score to. If Apl's vote is unpredictable, Apl's comment for the loser will surely be predictable: I can't wait to tell my foreign peers how ready you are in the international stage. hehe... 

I WANT: Either of the two

WHO WILL WIN: Thor

Thor Vs Janice

            
I also predict that most coaches (if not all) will give 55%-45% scores this time. Why? They want the more popular artist to win, as he/she will have higher chances in the final 4. 

So it’s gonna be 3 males, and 1 female in the final 4.

            

iTUNES PREDICTIONS (to be checked on Monday):

Based on the (scientific... lol) data pattern I've established in my previous blog, here are my initial iTunes chart predictions for Sunday's performances. 

No. 1                   Top spot will go to whoever wins in Team Bamboo
No. 2-3                Nos. 2 and 3 will be shared between the loser of Team Bamboo 
                           and the winner of Team Sarah
No. 8                   No. 8 will go to team Apl  
No. 7-8                Whether Janice wins or not, she'll take the 7th-8th spot. 
No. 6-7                Mitoy will take the 6th-7th spots. 

 I'll revise this prediction tomorrow, when they reveal their song choices.  

TheVoicePH 4th Live Show Review

The Voice of the Philippines

4^th Live Show, September 15, 2013

REVIEW

BINGO! I got 4 out of 4. My predictions last Saturday all came true. Well, as I’ve said, it was very much predictable.

I enjoyed the 4^th Live Show. It was just 3Cs (Calm, Cool, and Chill), very far from the typical noisy biritan. Great show!

Now my review…

1.    Team Sarah

Eva Vs Klarisse

·         For a change, Eva made less birit in her IKAW LANG MAMAHALIN, as advised by Sarah. And she became too emotional with her song that it affected her vocals. Well, as I’ve said before, Eva just seems like any ordinary singer when she doesn’t belt and whistle. Nothing special with her voice. Thus, her performance did not stand out. Now, you guys know she doesn’t practice “It doesn’t mean if you could, you should.”

·         Klarisse showed that she’s a powerhouse. She sang a soft song I CANT MAKE YOU LOVE ME. Oh, didn’t Lee sing this song as well during the Lives?  Anyway she was just awesome. Technical aspect, she won. Emotional aspect, she had it, though Eva’s emotions were deeper. But Klarisse is just too good. Lea's expressions below show perfect way to describe Klarisse’s performance.

·         Coach Sarah and the public both voted for Klarisse. Thank God!

Here's Klarisse's performance.

  

2.    Team Bamboo

Isabella Vs Myk

·         Isa sang NO ONE with a surprise mash up with WHERE IS THE LOVE. It was good. It showcased her soulful and husky voice. But, pinoys are never impressed with singers singing mid-range songs beautifully. Thus, she didn’t get the votes. But still, you are iTunes’ No. 4 Isa! Not bad at all…

·         Myk sang a fun and Bamboo-style of CHASING PAVEMENTS of Adele. Adele seems to be the favorite of TeamBamboo, huh? As you would expect in every performance of Myk, it was fun. The arrangement was original, unique hyet tasteful. It has that signature Myk sound that made the audience groove with him. The audience liked it. It’s iTunes No. 1. Myk and Chasing Pavements were trending until Monday.

·          Bamboo and the public voted for Myk, and Isa was out.

·         Oh... did you see how proud Bamboo was with his two artists, standing up and grooving with every beat of their songs? He’s like a proud dad to KampKawayan. And I agree, your artists are all ready for their albums. The iTunes chart is a proof.

3.    Team Lea

Kimpoy Vs Radha

·         Kimpoy sang WEAK. Well, the song choice was as weak as the song title. It was a bit boring, though her unique tone still stood out.

·         Radha surprisingly sang a softer version of TIME AFTER TIME (Eva Cassidy’s version?), highlighting both her low notes and high notes. I’m not a fan of Radha, but I love her performance last night. I’m actually gonna download it on iTunes later.

·         Clearly, Radha stood out. What do you expect? Besides, Kimpoy will never be a match to Mitoy in the next Live Show.

·         Lea and the public voted for Radha.

4.    Team Apl

Janice Vs Jessica

·         Janice as always was a pro in her CHAINS OF FOOL. And as always, she sings big songs with big birits, matching her big figure. And her notes are always perfect. BUT… what’s new? I’ve seen that already in your past performances?

·         Jessica opted for the softer version of IKAW with less birits. She’s good, but still needs to practice more on the control, to perfect a soft rendition of a ballad. Some notes seemed flat (but upon replay, parang hindi naman). Since she’s only 16, expect this lady to be a Jaya in 5 years. She’s gorgeous though. She can join Bb. Pilipinas as well.  

·         That night, Janice was bigger than Jessica, literally and figuratively!

·         Apl gave Janice 65%, and Jessica a mere 35%. Ironically, the public gave Janice 40% and Jessica 60%. Since Apl was having a hard time reading his cue cards containing his scores, and Lea even had to help him out, the public thought it was cooked by ABS-CBN from the start. Thus, FB and twitter were on FIRE… again!

·         Here are some hate tweets for Apl from Twitter:

  

Reylags ‏@reylags26m

I think the viewing public deserves an explanation...65/35 score is something fishy!!! @apldeap @reynosojess #VoicePhLive4 @TheVoiceABSCBN

Expand

Marko Zimmermann ‏@revikon27m

@geloben Looks like it right? And Lea had to point out which one is the correct one. How would she have known which is which?

Makki Lopez ‏@Makkinatics28m

Bakit pinili ni APL si Jessica Soho? Este Janice? Di naman nya nabigyan ng justice yung Chain of Fools. #VoicePHLive4

christopher_diang ‏@ChrisDiang28m

Lutang c #CoachApple #VoicePHLive4

Marko Zimmermann ‏@revikon29m

To think that Apl was the only coach who gave a 55-45 score last week, his 70-30 score this week is very curious. Rigged?

Angel ‏@angelsvoice831m

At the end of the day, THAT'S BUSINESS! Whether we like it or not, management has the power to choose! #VoicePHLive4

Marko Zimmermann ‏@revikon33m

Really wondering why Apl had two scorecards. Maybe they changed it last minute to Janice's favor. Maybe, just maybe. #VoicePHLive4

jjoosseepphh. :) ‏@xijseph36m

Gusto talaga nila si janice ang makapasok sa semifinals kaya 35% lang ang binigay nila kay jessica. #VoicePHLive4

Raquel P. Cabauatan ‏@rpcabauatan37m

@TheVoiceABSCBN Windang si Coach Apl, after nya pumili between Janice and Jessica, :p #VoicePHLive4

  

buddy marcelo ‏@sharemybuddy42m

Best in math si Apl. Obvious pa na emitional (read: nakonsensya) #VoicePHLive4

Clariza P. Malandac ‏@atty_zang43m

@Dani_mee @TheVoiceABSCBN Apl (or ABS) had to adjust scores i think dahil tanggal si janice based on viewers' votes pag hndi. #VoicePHLive4

Reylags ‏@reylags44m

the show loses its credibility.. 65/35 score of a coach is too far beyond the public voice.. U are fooling us @TheVoiceABSCBN #VoicePhLive4

Mikay D. ‏@MikayD48m

Best in Math = Coach Apl! But I agree with his choice. Mas may laban si Janice kung ibabangga na sa ibang teams. #VoicePHLive4

Toppei Kid ♪♯ ‏@kurisu_sama49m

kainis ang baba ng bnigay ni Coach Apl kay Jessica! de sana nakapasok sya,kaso gling din ni Janice, gonna miss her performing! #VoicePHLive4

Re Fugoso ‏@ReFugoso9m

The #VoicePHLive4 Cooking Show: only 35% for Jessica given by her very own coach.. that means mahina ang pag coach ni Apl sa kanya tsk tsk..

thomas roble ‏@1722thomas13m

kailan kaya kakanta si napoles? sana nxtweek na sa #VoicePHLive4 hahaha #porkbarrelscan

Tresha R. Finianos ‏@unodosTRESHH17m

#VoicePHLive4 kumusta yung 65-35 votes? :/ not fair. it was a great performance then 35%? UNFAIR!

During the battles, the Twitter victim was Bamboo. Then it was Lea. Now it’s Apl. Whos next… Sarah? Well, this makes The Voice of the Philippines very interesting, and one factor that made it the most successful singing contest in Philippine history (to the point that I made my own blog J).  And I think, Pinoys are this passionate because we are just simply music lovers. We have our own bets based on our individual musical tastes, and we fight to death to defend our bets. That’s how much love we have for music. Oh, maybe I’m just exaggerating. Hehe.

Anyway, I don’t think there’s some cheating going on. You know, the coaches are so well established not just locally, but internationally. I’m sure, their talent fees from ABS-CBN are not worth their reputation. And, weren’t you guys watching TVOP’s earlier episodes. Toni explained that Apl has an eyesight problem, thus he has a monitor beside his chair during the blinds. That’s why Lea had to help her out. And if he was reading his cue cards this week, he was also reading his cue cards (mobile phone) last week. He’s consistent. That’s just how he does it to make sure he announces the right scores.

For those who say that the coaches should leave the judging to the public, this is just not going to happen. This is the format of The Voice, and this makes it different from American Idol. It gives weight on the coaches’ judgments. It assumes that they have high caliber coaches to judge a good voice as against a popular voice (at least until before the finale). So if you want purely public votes, stop watching The Voice, and wait for GMA to air Philippine Idol again. By the way, who won GMA’s Philippine Idol again? Is she still active? Well… I honestly don’t know.

CALM, COOL AND CHILL 

So, it was a different THE VOICE LIVE SHOW yesterday, with all singers singing calmer songs (except one): the usual power belter Radha opting for a soft version of Time After Time, Jessica singing a more controlled version of Ikaw, and Eva not using her signature glass-breaking Eva whistle. It was only Janice that showed nothing new. Could the change be because of the Mitoy brouhaha last week? Could it be that the artists saw the iTunes chart last week? For whatever reason, I just love it. Isn’t that just pleasing to our ears, a welcome break for our eardrums, huh! With this break, we would appreciate their birits again next time.

And the highlight of the night was… Bamboo’s WONDERWALL. Another calming and cool rendition to end the night’s 3C’s theme. My god, it was an orgasm watching that performance. With those flute, unconventional string instruments, + soft voices, & emotions, it was like a calming yoga music that takes you to nirvana. Unfortunately, Wonderwall is not available on iTunes. All coaches’ performances thus far are proving the public why the 4 were chosen as the coaches. They’re all indeed institutions.  

Now, the casualties of the night: Janice showed nothing new… again showcasing her jaw-dropping birits. What happened to her? She only got 40% of public votes. If only Apl did not give him a 65% score, she wouldn’t have been out of the contest. Next casualty is Eva. The show revealed that without her whistles and super high notes, she won’t stand out, hence lacks versatility. Similarly, Jessica’s Ikaw showed us that there’s still a lot she needs to improve on. Radha showing her other side, gave her public acceptance. She got 65% public votes, and her song is iTunes’ No. 2. Hope that the other biriteros could also show that they could sing well even in low- and mid-range tones… Attention: Mitoy, Thor, and Janice.

iTUNES & DATA ANALYTICS 

Click to enlarge

The iTunes ranks for last week’s performers are (as of Sept 16, Monday, 9:30 PM):

1.    Paolo (Bamboo)

2.    Darryl (Lea)

3.    Morissette (Sarah)

4.    Thor (Apl)

5.    Maki (Sarah)

6.    Penelope (Apl)

7.    Mitoy (Lea)

8.    Lee Grane (Bamboo)

The iTunes ranks of this week’s performers are (as of Sept 16, 9:30 PM):

1.    Myk (Bamboo)

2.    Radha (Lea)

3.    Klarisse (Sarah)

4.    Isa  (Bamboo)

5.    Kimpoy (Lea)

6.    Jessica (Apl)

7.    Eva (Sarah)

8.    Janice (Apl)

To make my review unique, let’s do some data analyses here:

·         For the previous and current week, the top 2 spots are non-birit songs. Just chill and cool.

·         Both weeks’ top-most spots belong to Bamboo… whom we know as the only coach who put more weight on musicality, uniqueness and vocal quality than belting capability.

·         Last week’s and this week’s iTunes No. 1, 2, 3 belong to Bamboo, Lea and Sarah, respectively (in the same order).

·         This week’s bottom 3 includes the 2 Apl artists.

·         Apl’s artists do not seem to be doing well on iTunes. The highest spot of an Apl artist (current and previous week) is No. 4. Apl, you have a lot to work on. I think it’s because Apl artists don’t show new stuff every week, with Thor and Janice singing the same type of song every time. Eating too much rib eye steak is nakakaumay, as well as deadly.

·         Last week’s winners: 3 male + 1 female. This week’s winners: 3 females + 1 male. Wow, incidentally perfectly balanced.

·         Last week’s first and last spots belong to Bamboo. Most liked and most hated.

·         With the exception of Lee Grane (we all know she’s the most hated artists this season, thus she’s statistically a data distortion or a freak point), the last spots for both weeks belong to power belters (Mitoy and Janice). Ironically, these two belters are getting thunderous applause and standing ovations in every performance. Quite inconsistent, huh? Could it be that those giving them applause at RWM are just confined at RWM? Or probably these fans are not buying their songs on iTunes after all.    

·         Sarah’s artists are in the mid-ranks in both weeks.

·         Among this week's losers' club, Bamboo's artist (Isa) has the highest iTunes rank. Needless to say, Bamboo's artists also got the highest ranks among the winners' clubs this week and last week. Wow, Bamboo is lording the iTunes world. This guy surely knows how to make hit songs. 

·         Sarah’s remaining team members is Team Estrogen, while Bamboo’s team is Team Testosterone (I read this from Twitter).

·         Team Sarah + Team Bamboo = Team Young (<25 yo). Most (if not all) members are doing their music only on the side.

·         Team Lea + Team Apl = Team Old (>30 yo). All members are professional singers, with music as their primary source of living. Good thing Lee is out since she neither belongs to Team Young and Team Old.

·         Both weeks’ top spots belong to Team Testosterone, which is a subset of Team Young.

·         Both weeks’ last spots belong to Team Old (>30 yo, professional singers).  

·         All OPM songs (from Mitoy, Eva, Jessica) are in the bottom 3 for both weeks. 

·         This is just overly simple data analytics (or Business Intelligence for the IT world, hehe), based on factual data. Nothing biased here. Hope the teams use this to strategize their next performance(s). Asa pa… Hehe. And please feel free to add more data interpretations.

NEXT WEEK’S FORECAST

·         The result for next week’s show is very difficult to predict. But let me try:

o    Team Sarah

§  I want: Klarisse

§  Who will win: Klarisse

o    Team Lea:

§  I want: Radha

§  Who will win: Mitoy

o    Team Apl:

§  I want: Neither. I’m not a Thor fan anymore. I’ve eaten too much rib eye already

§  Who will win: Thor

o    Team Bamboo:

§  I want: Either of the two

§  Who will win: I don’t know. Let me toss a coin… it’s Paolo.

§  Team Bamboo is one lucky team. They need not win The Voice. The final 2 are ready for their own albums. In contrast, some others (with a few exemptions) have to sing  their hearts out  to win TVOP, because if they don’t they’d would end up as having the same fates as the runners up of other singing contests (like Star for a Night, Philippine Idol, Protégé, Dream Academy).

UPDATE FROM LEA SALONGA

Lea Salonga ‏@MsLeaSalonga2m

#VoicePHLive5 is LIVE this Saturday!!! Remaining two artists on each team will sing together a la Battles.

---> Interesting! Need to revise my forecast then... :)