NO GROUP SONG, JUDGES?
Obviously that was mortifying. Moving on to tonight’s shitfest of glorious mediocrity, let’s assess the lay of the land.
Up first was everyone’s favourite sob story, Toni Warne. I hoped this would be the week that we would learn to love Toni’s voice and not have to hear about her baldness (the same baldness she seems to cover in VTs yet style out in performances). Unfortunately, Toni’s vocal was worthy of her early placing – that is to say it was terrible. Will it be good-bye to Toni tomorrow? I’m not so sure but her voice didn’t do her any favours tonight. It was positively karaoke.
Max, who has historically looked good with most bookmakers, didn’t receive the boosting he would have needed to become a front-runner tonight. His performance was solid and certainly more reminiscent of his excellent audition than the ridiculous thrusting he’s been responsible for in recent weeks. If he were to have an advantage it would be his looks and charm but he has a clear challenger on Danny’s team – more on that later.
This really was Ruth-Ann’s last chance and she blew it. It really isn’t acceptable for a singer to miss so many notes at this stage in the competition and the only thing that might carry Ruth-Ann through is sympathy. Is it possible that she did badly enough to rally support out of pity? Danny “Pitch Perfect” O’Donoghue didn’t seem to think so.
Hannah Berney didn’t exactly make the greatest impression either. Taking a song as simple and, for want of a better word, sexy as Justin Timberlake’s Cry Me A River and turning it into a number from We Will Rock You is a dire achievement. The distracting comments from coaches was reminiscent of classic X Factor sabotage but Hannah’s voice was impressive so it would be nice to think she has a chance of making it through. Jessie did reiterate the show’s ethos in pointing out the arbitrary nature of big production on a show called The Voice.
I think if Vince Kidd was on X Factor (which to be accurate, he was) I would find his spiel very annoying. On a show like The Voice, however, with all its very dull contestants, Vince is the standout artist, stylistically. Vince seems safe in general but Danny’s comment about him succeeding to the next round “without a shadow of a doubt” could be meant to dampen support.
Next up was Aleks Josh, for whom I predicted a breakout performance tonight. I think, to some extent, that did happen with Aleks’ rendition of Dream A Little Dream Of Me – a number aimed perfectly at both horny teenagers and Buble-crazed housewives. His journey took its next step, his voice improved and I will eat my hat if Aleks doesn’t make it through this week. I could well see him in the semi-finals.
Cassius was underwhelming next. The references to risk taking were a bit silly, bearing in mind the fact that Cassius’ arrangement was 100% R’n’B and he didn’t face the challenge of arranging the song. I’m still turned off by Cassius. I feel like he must be in the bottom two tomorrow.
My first big shock of the night came as David Julien did not receive the pimp slot. Having said that, I think his appeal is great enough that he will be safe as houses with the voting public and a positioning of 8th leaves the floor open for David to get pimped at a later stage. It was all a bit like a poor man’s Matt Cardle wailing in falsetto but I don’t doubt David’s chances of connecting with the public.
ONCE AGAIN: I worked for over a year as a shelf-stacker in a supermarket. It’s not hard and Sundays pay really well.
I’m definitely into Becky Hill. Even with her ridiculously unnecessary wire and poor song choice, Becky’s voice stood out and her appeal to the audience is obvious. She’s young, a bit all over the place but with an undeniably distinctive vocal tone (i.e. she needs to cough but it sounds nice). Are we confident that Becky is safe? I think so.
So that left the pimp slot to everyone’s favourite aristocrat, Frankie Cocozza.
Sorry, I meant Alex Parks.
Sorry, Katie Waissel.
Nope, it was Bo Bruce. Now, where are The Beeb going with this one? Her only dance move is bending at the knees and, whilst her tone is nice, she can only really do one thing and it’s quite boring. That all aside, her ill mum did not trump Ruth Brown’s dead dad (I’m sorry, but the VTs are cynical so I will be too).
So how do we rate Bo’s chances? Is it time to take her seriously in the win market? Surely her aristocratic backstory and moody demeanour are too huge a hurdle to overcome? Then again, they said a girlband would never win X Factor. Still, Little Mix found a niche and stuck to it, pandering for better or worse to a certain demographic. Bo just doesn’t feel like someone who can inspire a huge section of The Voice’s audience to vote. Equally, to become Danny’s top placed contestant, she still has a way to keep running up that hill. The other four all have an easier job in connecting with the people at home.
David and Becky still seem well on track. By my estimations, Max’s chances have slipped somewhat whilst Aleks’ have risen in their place. Bo is obviously favoured somewhat. Vince seems too strong to go without at least some votes.
I see Ruth-Ann, Cassius, Hannah and Toni as the four most likely to hit the danger zone. Having said that, I was way off last week.
Let us know what you think. And let us know the minute you catch wind of any leaks. That’s why we love you.
Ruth-Ann, Cassius and Toni are in the same team, so you are a little off 🙂
Good point, Boki. But I said that those four all look likely to hit the danger zone – not that they would be there together.
I maintain that those contestants look least likely to win votes
Spoilers just talk about shock result but nothing revealed yet. My hope is Hannah and Max bot2 with Max leaving but that was a little 5leaves type speculation bet.
Ruth-Ann has to be in bot2, for the rest anything can happen.
Well by now I think the Beeb have certainly shown their interest in Bo and her VT definitely helped people connect with Bo to some level as she has been trending on twitter the past couple hours. Ruth-Ann is a cert to go I think. For Danny’s team it’s difficult but I think possibly Hannah could be toast but if Max falls into bottom 2 I think Danny would eliminate him.
Broadly agree with all of this. The best tonight were Max, Becky and Bo, worst obviously Ruth-Ann (I feel bad for her but she shouldn’t be there, totally out of her depth, poor lass). Toni was also poor, I thought, she oversang, hollered and shouted her song with no subtlety or emotion whatsoever – it was “listen to how much I can scream” instead of “I’m going to sing this song like I mean it”. The Hannah performance was a bit ropey too and everyone else (Vince, Cassius, David, Aleks) was fine. Predict Ruth-Ann and Hannah to go. I doubt Danny will want to jettison any of Max, Aleks, David or Bo at this stage.
It’s Ruth and Hannah. http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1656861&page=18
Spoiler says Ruth and Hannah.
Ruth was a cert. Hannah was the one I thought but Danny would have had a tough choice
(SPOILERS) There was a bit of a shock.
Danny’s Bottom 2: Hannah and Max(!)
Jessie’s Bottom 2: Ruth and Toni (as expected).
Damn, I was close with Max, 1st two slots are deadly again anyway. My reasoning was that Danny would keep the team balanced and Hannah has a good voice so no problem to keep her…
Bo deserves the final as much as Aleks – none thus, both are 1 dimensional and shouldn’t be there but who knows…
If the spoilers are true, it seems that performing in the “death slot(s)” is even more damaging on The Voice than on the X-Factor. The limited amount of time people have to vote probably doesn’t help the early performers. I’m not surprised about Hannah. The performance was messy and apart from Ruth-Ann she probably received the most criticism from the coaches. Also the VT of her her performing for the Queen might have made viewers think she doesn’t need the show.
Also the old classic Louis line on Janet Devlin from Danny – ‘Everyone in WALES must vote’
The current leak consensus seems to be:
Team Danny: Hannah vs Max (Hannah leaves)
Team Jessie: Ruth Anne vs Toni (Ruth Anne leaves)
I guess Cassius is not B2 because he’s in the same team as Ruth Anne & Toni.
Ruth was the worst by a distance tonight & Toni was just annoying.
I was impressed with David Julien but was wondering if he had any technical/ digital enhancements at the start of the song. I think he was given second best this week. I liked Bo in previous weeks but she grated with me this week – although it may have been the sympathy VT that put me off.
Of the 2, I think David, as an ok looking white male with a bland voice, could challenge Ruth Brown & Jazz if he’s given enough pimping.
If Max is B2 this week, he could get a sympathy next time around.
The thing I don’t get with Becky is that her VT always starts with the “I’m a brat and have loads of tantrums”. Rather than being about her growing, I feel that it will put a lot of voters off.
It looks likes only the top act as voted by the public & one act selected by the judges will go through from each team next week.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00k96j4/features/terms-and-conditions
Will there be a BGT post later? I’ll mention my two fav bits anyway.
1.The magic act where they put a girl called Janet in a guillotine before the judges buzzed to stop the act.
2. Ryan O’Shaughnessey saying be went on BGT despite being contracted to The Voice Ireland because BGT allowed him to express who he really was & the other show didn’t…and then Cowell kicked him off.
Hey
You must be interested to learn for the next two weeks it’s a double elimination. (Top Public Vote and Judge Saves One).
It seems odd to me to disclose who is topping the votes for each group at this stage, it takes away suspense for the final 8..
Then Top 8 perform and the BBC haven’t decided how that part will work, it will hopefull be like US where they Judge votes out of 100 and so do the Public. Lets hope all the judges have some balls and don’t go 50-50!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00k96j4/features/terms-and-conditions
Grand, that’s the format as I said it would be in the prediction piece, not realising that the UK version had slotted in this weird two week stage of eliminating one person. Next week’s format is, I think, where the U.S. and Dutch versions went straight from battle rounds.
I agree, Oli, it’s odd.
Just had a look at how it played out in the US. In season 1, all four of the ones who won the public vote went on to beat the judges’ save in the semi-final.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Voice_(U.S._season_1)
In season 2, three out of four did, and the exception was helped by the pimp slot.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Voice_(U.S._season_2)
It does seem to risk making the semi-final into a bit of a foregone conclusion.
Should say might not must above
Ruth-Ann Cut Luce.
Bo Bruce’s poor old mum is getting flogged at least as egregiously as any dead or ill relative on the X Factor, isn’t she? I agree with you, Dug, hard to figure out what’s going on here. I mean, she seems pleasant enough and she’s a competent vocalist and all, but the judges’ reactions felt like listening to John Torode and Gregg Wallace sitting in Pizza Express and enthusing as if they were in Noma. (Actually, much of The Voice feels like that.) Bo’s odds barely contracted having had the pimp slot, which speaks volumes (compare and contrast Ruth last week).
Could it possibly be that the Beeb have lined up Bo for some kind of presenting role and are using The Voice to build her public profile?
What a PUNdit you are, Andrew!
Bo Bruce wailing some ethereal ballad on Eurovision next year? I think she’d probably think of that as beneath her.
Perhaps The Voice was short on ethereal Florence types and she agreed to do it with some assurance that she wouldn’t fall by the wayside embarrassingly early.
Is Bo warm/likeable enough to present? The only smile I’ve seen her emit looks like a grimace of pain mixed with a sense of “Oh God, I’ve sold out”
One way or another it seems they have a plan for Bo which requires her to make the later rounds.
So true about the grimace! But then, I suppose it is possible that all footage of Bo looking happy is consigned to the cutting room floor so as not to dilute the impact of the sob story narrative they’ve chosen for her?
I could imagine her presenting worthy cultural documentaries on BBC2. “Bo Bruce’s Musical Heroes: Bo meets the artists who have shaped her musical identity”. She wouldn’t need to smile much for that.