Sunday, August 19, 2012

X Factor Philippines: Top 10

Well, this week was an improvement from last week. There were a couple of terrible performances from the usual culprits, but we saw possibly the first showstopper of the season. It was so good, I had to lift my jaw after that ridiculously stunning performance.

Also, the judges sounded a little more critical this time. Yes, Pilita Corales didn't bring anything new aside from her hysterical comments - I can live with that - but it was nice to see Gary Valenciano and Martin Nievera stepping up their game. Charice struggled a couple of times in the delivering her comments - get a grip Charice, you can speak in Filipino! - but she also brought a couple of pretty good constructive criticisms on this episode.

So, without further ado, here we go!

DISCLAIMER: I am no expert, but this is my opinion - to each his own - and yours will be in the comments below! Haha.

10. Kedebon Colim
Footloose
I was told before that if I couldn't think of ANYTHING nice to say, I wasn’t allowed to say the bad stuff. Therefore, my critique of this performance is over. Haha. 2/10

09. Gabriel Maturan
Breakeven
On paper, this should've worked, but he just doesn't have the vocal ability to go belting out songs like this without going hopelessly all over the place with his pitch problems. A couple of bad phrases and the lack of range ruined the performance for me. True, it was good in some parts, but it wasn't great overall. Sorry. 4/10

08. Daddy's Home
Superstition
It’s a tragedy that Daddy's Home is the possibly the most forgettable act this season for me. It’s also a mystery. I’m not sure why I can’t remember them! Superstition was a decent effort from the group, but it still sounded oddly karaoke, their vocals were almost uneven and the one singing falsetto stuck out like a sore thumb especially towards the end. Plus, I felt like  there's a lot of people who could do this song at this caliber. Sue me. 4.5/10

07. Allen Sta. Maria
Bitch
To be fair, I thought Allen did the best she could with the song that was given to her. She sounded okay for the most part although the band was incredibly loud that I had trouble hearing her. I also didn't think Bitch was the best song choice for her. Yes Charice, this is the real world and there are bitches everywhere, but do you really need to have her sing this inappropriate song and let her pretend to be someone else? Allen is just sixteen and the performance felt like she was forcing it a bit as the material was too mature for her. 4.5/10

06. Take Off
Makita Kang Muli
While I applaud their effort of going ballad, I still wasn't THAT impressed. I felt like their vocals were still uneven - there were obviously a couple of sharp bits in there towards the end and their harmonies could've been a lot more tighter - but this was certainly miles better than last week's disaster. It definitely felt like they were more connected with this song than they were with their previous performances. Just not a fan of their charmingly corny ways. That is all. 5/10

05. Modesto Taran
To Love Somebody
Eh. This was basically more of the same for Modesto. His vocals, though good, fell flat and I, yet again, got that very annoying bleat in his vibrato. I can't deny Modesto's talent, but I guess he's really just not my cup of tea. It was generic, but serviceable. 5.5/10

04. AKA JAM
Survivor
I love this group and this performance was just as tight as their outfits. Haha. But kidding aside, this was a successful rendition with solid vocals and certainly one of the more dynamic performances of the night. Some girls muffed the tough fast part during the verses that made them a little careless with their pitch, but they all seemed to have the right amount of energy and sass to carry everything convincingly. The first half was actually pretty good as they kept it controlled and clean, and the choreography was kind of fun. 7.5/10

03. Joan Da
You Oughta Know
Surprise! Surprise! Joan really pulled this one off. I seriously got worried at first as this was arguably a tough song to sing with a cadence that's relatively faster for someone like her, but she just strutted confidently around the stage belting out this Alanis Morissette ditty. She struggled in parts, but I actually didn't mind. I also thought her lovely tone worked well with the song. On a very shallow note, her outfit was hideous. 8/10

02. Jeric Medina
Lips Of An Angel
One of his better performances. I thought that this was a great material to begin with and it brought back the smoky quality of his voice that can pretty much make anything sound soulful. Quite frankly, there were a couple of notes early on that were just a touch flat, but when he finally hit his stride, Jeric's vocals soared. It was rich and genuine, and it left a mark. Very nice. 8/10

01. KZ Tandingan
In The End
This literally assaulted every other performance of the season so far. Seriously. It grabbed everything we’ve seen on this show and slapped them into submission. The dynamics she showed on the verses were stunning, the effort she put into tuning the song to compliment her exquisite voice was very well done, the emotional connection was palpable, her phrasing instincts blew me away, and that arrangement was fantastic. Unreal. 9.5/10

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Interesting. My ranking's different from yours, for the very first time! Haha. KZ's the best performance of the night while for the first time, Kedebon's perf is the worst. Pun intended, of course.

Anonymous said...

Yeah... Move Daddy's home to top 1 or top 2 then our list is the same. Also Takeoff can be moved a little lower. I hope Kedebon will leave the competition. The kid can't sing at all! Gab has some great moments but maybe next time if he feels uncomfortable he can choose a different song. There's something in his voice. I hope he improves. If not he will not last in the competition. Same goes with Allen.

Anonymous said...

well,allen sings better than kedebon. KZ was the on the top performers,shes the STAR that shine up there! she makes the songs she sang her own! specially her audition Somewhere Over the Rainbow- there she caught me & now i am a KZeeddicted! i am for KZ since that audition,she left me that impression that sticks! it was like watching Charice b4 on that Little Big Star singing contest-it left a big indention in my brain-that made me Chaddicted ever since. comments fr anita d cruz spring,texas.8/19/2012 sun.

Anonymous said...

Don't get your hopes up yet. The way (stupid and fanatical) people vote, I would not be surprised if KZ gets eliminated and Kedebon becomes the champion. Hahaha!

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