The Voice Of The Philippines: Top 8 Performance&Results Night

I am sorry for the late post for this review. I needed some time to rest and really get all my bearings back. It's been a hard for me(If you know what I mean). 

There will be only one artist from each team that will represent his/her coach in the finale next week. Did we really see great battles? Who represented each team? If we will be basing in on the poll that I posted on my past article, with 312 votes, here are the winners for each team: Team Apl - Thor, Team Lea - Radha, Team Sarah - Morissette and Myk for Team Bamboo. Were they right? Let us all find out.

I was blessed enough to watch the show live again. Thanks to the Thorifficallies for the ticket. :) They're really nice! The show started with Coach Apl performing his new single Balikbayan. His performance really pumped up the crowd and prepared them for much awaited battles.

It was Team Lea who got to perform first. If you weren't really following the show, you might thought that it was Radha and Mitoy who are fighting in the finale. Haha. Two of the most seasoned, experienced and best singers we have in the competition are fighting for that one last spot. 

Mitoy Yonting was the first to perform and he chose the song Power Of Love. My reaction after knowing that he'd be singing this one? HOLY S#IT. Perfect song choice at the perfect time! He will shine more because of this song! This song requires a lot of control and power but we all know Mitoy have them! He really gave a very good performance, in my opinion this is one of his best performances. We might always hear him really belt out the high notes but for me, although its still the same high hitting notes for Mitoy, this one is more precise and really well prepared. It sounded really good and smooth!

 

Mitoy Yonting - Power Of Love

If I was really amazed with Mitoy, I was at first really disappointed with the song choice of Radha, Let It Be? Really? I thought the song won't be the perfect choice and I was almost sure Mitoy will get it if she will just do the same version of the original song. I WAS 1000000% WRONG. That was probably one of the best versions I've ever heard!!! People on the Newport Theater gave her a standing ovation! Who knew that a simple song like Let It Be can have a version where you can feel empowered and really blessed? It was powerful, amazing and the things that she can do with her vocals are just really outstanding! She killed it. She nailed the song. Her performance for me was WORLD CLASS! I totally forgot Mitoy's performance after she sang! 

 

Radha Cuadrado - Let It Be

RESULTS: *I predicted Radha to win this battle.

Coach Lea gave Radha 55% and 45% for Mitoy. But it was the public votes who really spelled the difference. Mitoy really has the support of the voting public. He dominated Radha by getting 63.78% of the votes and 36.22% for Radha. 

I hope we get to see Radha on TV again and probably hear her release a new album again. My only concern for Mitoy is, I know he has like 60% chance of winning among the other finalists but I am still looking on what genre Mitoy's music apply. Will be he the new Jukebox King? :)

I think from this point on, we all know who will be the person to beat come the finale. :]

TEAM LEA's Finalist: Mitoy Yonting performing "BULAG"

Kamp Kawayan's up next. People tend to say that its the talent vs looks scenario on Team Bamboo but I beg to disagree. They are both extremely talented BUT Filipino voters really look for the Face first before the Voice. Myk is miles better than Paolo. Paolo's good, but for me it's really Myk who is the better among the two.

Myk Perez chose the song "Baby I Love Your Way" and it was surprisingly good since he did not have his guitar with him. Might not be the perfect Top 8 song choice for him but he gave the song justice. What I like about Myk is we know what kind of artist he is. He has his own style, any song that he performs, you know that it's Myk who's singing. It's quite impressive that he knows what he wants on a young age. The girls might love Paolo more than Myk, but I think Coach Sarah likes Myk more than Paolo. Haha. :)

This was a case of wrong song choice for Paolo. He could have beaten Myk if he chose a much more competitive song. Elesi is a great song but it's not a top 8 song in my opinion. The song choice caused his elimination. I knew he will need to double his effort in order to beat Myk but sadly he failed and I think Coach Bamboo knew that Myk was really the guy for him.

RESULTS: *I predicted Myk Perez to win this battle.

Coach Bamboo gave 55% to Myk and 45% to Paolo. It was expected that Paolo Onesa will win the public votes by a mile but it was very surprising that Paolo only beat Myk by 3%. Paolo got a 51.92% and 48.98% for Myk. Finally, 1/2. Myk moves to the finale!

I am sure Paolo Onesa will be on ASAP. He made the Zamboagenos really proud and and we really wish that the war will soon end there. Heads up, Paolo! (from Paolo. Haha) 

Myk's original song Fix You is my favorite. Great lyrics. Great music. He is really talented!

TEAM BAMBOO's Finalist: Myk Perez performing "Fix You"

Probably the most talked about battle are the singers from Team Sarah. Coach Sarah will really have a hard time on picking who she wants to represent her team. Will it be her younger version Morissette or her former competitor Klarisse? Morissette performed the song "Who You Are" and I really think she killed it. She was the first artist to give me chills last Sunday. My only comment from her performance was it lacked emotion for me. She has no problem with her voice, she clearly has the advantage with Klarisse but it just felt that something was missing even though it was already that great.

Klarisse was the biggest surprise of the night. She blew me away! I wasn't expect that at all. This is how you do it! She clearly knew when is the right time to pull a surprise! I am lost for words. Klarisse won the night. In my opinion, experience spelled the difference between Klarisse and Morissette.

RESULTS: *I predicted Morissette to win. 1/3. :\ haha.

Coach Sarah did the right thing by giving Klarisse 55% and 45% to Morissette. This was also one of the biggest surprise of the night. We all thought they will have a very close fight in the public votes but the performance of Klarisse really gave the edge. She got a very high 63.39% while Morissette got 36.61%. 

Morissette might have failed to win it again, first on Star Factor and now on TVOP  but I believe she made her mark in the industry already. She is now famous and making it big will just be a matter of time. She will be a big artist. :) Another artist who deserves to be on ABS-CBN. She is also very beautiful. :) Hoping for the best for Morissette.

Last but definitely not the least.... My team.. Team Apl. If Team Lea has Mitoy and Radha, Coach Apl have Mighty Thor and Great Janice. Two of the most soulful and equally experienced singers battling it out for that one last spot. If you're a frequent reader of my blog, you know who I'm rooting for. I am for Mighty Thor from Day1. I will be forever a Thor fan. Thor chose the song "Climb Every Mountain". After knowing that he will be singing that song the words I came out from my mouth was, "IT'S OVER". Hands down, best song choice among the eight of them. It's just a matter of delivery.

(Others might not agree but this is how I really feel) I felt his performance. BUT. I hated the arrangement of the song. I thought he could have been better if he somehow went with Guy Sebastian's version of that song. See his version on Australian Idol. I think the simple arrangement could have worked for him. He has the voice, and he really deserved to be in the finale!

This is his song. I knew it from the start. But I knew he gave his all. I'm contented with that. He gave his best. 

I thought of the same thing with Janice when I thought her song choice was boring. Imagine is a very simple song but after I heard Joshua Ledet's on American Idol, I suddenly got nervous. She will kill this one. And I was right, it sounded like a worship song. Janice's song clearly has the better song arrangement. She made sure she will get everything she can on that song and she was successful on doing it. I will give their battle a 51-49 score. with Janice having the higher score.

RESULTS: *Predicted Thor to win.

Coach Apl was honest enough to admit that both are really good singers. It's really a matter of who did better tonight. He gave Janice - 55% and 45% for Thor. I just realized the judges gave the same scorecards tonight. This is where I was really caught by a surprise, with Janice losing a lot to Jessica last time, I actually thought Thor will don't have any problem winning this one but I think the public seemed to agree with Coach Apl. Janice got 57.85& while Thor got 42.15%. 

I am sad that my idol Thor won't make it but I am happy that he lost to a worthy opponent. Janice is really great. She is really talented as well. :) I wish her the best. I am rooting for her and Myk to win this season!:) For my Idol Thor, might not be the happy ending that we would have wanted but I believe God has a reason for everything. This is your time. This is your time. :)

TEAM APL's final artist: Janice Javier performing "Coming Home"

I can't wait for next week! Clearly Mitoy has the upper hand among all of them but I hope the remaining three will give him a very good fight. I am very blessed to have seen the show live twice and the chance to meet my idol. Dream come true. :) Thank you again to Rizza of Thorifficallies, Ms. Mai Dulay, the very nice and beautiful wife of my idol and especially to my idol Thor :D :D :D

I will never forget this time. :) Early gift for me! Turning 23 this September 30. :)

I am bad on predicting winners. Haha. Got only 1/4. :(

Who are you rooting for? Team Apl? Team Lea? Team Bamboo? or Team Sarah? :)

surveys & polls

Credits to  TheVoiceABSCBN for the videos. 

Keep the Faith.
Paolo

The Voice Of The Philippines: Top 8

surveys & polls

Can't believe we only have two weeks left for the first season! It feels just like yesterday when the show started! From thousands of people who tried and gave their best, it all boils down to 8. Eight singers proved to be the best of the best. Who will be the sole bearer for each team? Who will be the first Voice Of The Philippines Grand Winner?

I did this so that we can somehow know the contestants more, and I can give my insights regarding their strengths and weaknesses and somehow predict if what will be their chances of winning. Again, this is just me. If you don't agree, I have a comment box below and let's discuss. :)

Let's start with #TeamAPL. My team. Haha.

Coach Apl De Ap have the soulful singer Thor Dulay and the very passionate Janice Javier.

Thor Dulay had his time back in 2004, where he released his self titled debut album: Thor, but things didn't went to his favor. And now, thru this competition, he hopes to relieve his fame once again and believes that this is the right time for him to re-introduce himself to the world.

How cool would it be to see Thor at the end of the competition knowing he was the one of those who performed on the pilot episode? 

Advantages:

- Vocal expertise. He is also a voice coach. 

- Experience. He's been here. He knows what went wrong at that time, and I'm pretty sure he will definitely not let go of this chance given to him.

- Celebrity connections. Having Vice Ganda as one of his supporters will really help his campaign since people's vote will also play a big part if he wants to win in this competition.

- 4 Chair Turner. Enough said.

Disadvantages:

- When will we see his other side? From I Have Nothing - I'll Make Love to You - Narito - Lately, we still haven't heard him sing a fast and upbeat song. Not a reason for concern but people might get bored and think that that's all he has to offer. It would be very good to give a mix-up every now and then.

- Complacency. His fans might think that since Jessica murdered Janice on the public voting means that this will be a walk in the park for him but I disagree. Fans need to know that Janice is a very good and strong competitor.

Janice Javier for me is the underdog in this match up. They might be somehow equal in experience but the fans of Janice need to do much much better to let Janice be in the finale for Team Apl.

Advantages:

- Stage presence. Commanding performance level.
- Probably one of the most powerful voices in the competition.

- Coach Apl's favorite on his team? He gave a 65% score vs Jessica.

- Experience. She's been traveling to share her music to others.
- 4 Chair Turner too.

Disadvantage:

- Public vote. She might get a high score from Coach Apl but she still needs a lot of support from her fans.

PREDICTION: 70%-30% THOR WILL REPRESENT TEAM APL IN THE END.

#TeamLea's up next! I am 100% sure, everyone expected this to happen. Radha Cuadrado and Mitoy Yonting battling it out for the last spot. After we saw Radha and Mitoy picked Coach Lea, we knew they will be here for a long time. And they delivered, providing us quality and world-class performances every week. Who has the upper hand? Let's see.

Radha Cuadrado

The former Kulay member wants to get another shot in the music industry. She had three albums under her band's name and this will be a very good chance for her to redeem what was once her world.

Advantages:

- She has been singing since she was 15. Talk about all the experiences she have under her belt. 

- People still recognize her. Hence, resulting to a sure people's choice come text votes.

- She doesn't need to do anything extra-special. Her voice does all the magic.

Disadvantages:

- People might think, she had her time to shine. Give chance to others.

- She is way too good in this competition. (I know this is a compliment but I still decided to put it in the disadvantage part)

Mitoy Yonting. People might recognize Mitoy since he was also performing as a comedian and people noticed him thru his video on Bulagaan where he surprisingly belted out Alone effortlessly. 

Advantages:

- Wide wide voice range. His range is limitless!

- Comedic approach. Filipinos love that.

- True blue performer.
- We missed this kind of performers. They are the perfect combination of attitude + talent.

Disadvantages:

- Will people buy his music? That's the question that I have. Radha's voice is more marketable in my opinion. I am still trying to figure out what kind of album can Mitoy give us.

PREDICTION: 52%-48% Too close to call but I think: RADHA TINSAY WILL REPRESENT TEAM LEA IN THE FINALE.

Coach Sarah team is up next and I think the Popsters wanted this battle to happen. Two different artists but both have connections with their Idol. Morrisette Amon will be going up against Klarisse De Guzman. This will be very interesting for Team Sarah.

Morissette Amon

She looks like Coach Sarah, but in my opinion she sounds better than Coach Sarah when Sarah was on the same age with her. Morissette sings like a pro even if she is still young. She was also a former contestant of Talentadong Pinoy and finished runner up on Star Factor. Both shows aired on TV5.

Advantages:

- Ka-look-alike charm. She will definitely have the votes from Sarah's millions of fanbase!

- Impeccable voice range and quality.

- She knows the best songs for her. 

- The next Sarah Geronimo?

Disadvantages:

- Can she handle the pressure of this competition? Or her youth will get the best of her?

- People might always compare her to Sarah.

Klarisse De Guzman

Sarah's former competitor on Star For A Night. She might not have the widest and highest range but her soulful voice and deep connection to every song she sings will be her main weapons.

Advantages:

- Coach Sarah's vote. 

- The voting public seems to be in her favor. I don't know why but Klarisse really has a strong following even just after her blind audition. :)
- 4 Chair Turner.

Disadvantage:

- We need to see more personality from her. Morissette shines even if she's not singing. Klarisse needs to step it up more.

- People are somehow questioning Coach Sarah's decision in keeping her around. Although I think Klarisse deserves it.

PREDICTION: 60%-40% MORISSETTE AMON WILL REPRESENT TEAM SARAH IN THE FINALE.

Last but definitely not the least, Coach Bamboo's Kamp Kawayan! Acoustic heartthrob Myk Perez will be battling against the soulful heartthrob Paolo Onesa. Who will be the last man standing for Team Bamboo?

I honestly had doubts with his team at first but after the Live Shows, I was contented on his picks. He did the right decisions at the right time! Kudos Coach!

Myk Perez

Myk's the guy for Coach Bamboo. Myk picked the right coach for him. Bamboo brought out the best in him. I am 100% sure this guy will soon provide countless hits! His version of Chasing Pavements has been getting crazy good reviews and even stayed at the #1 spot on iTunes!

Advantages:

- Better musicality than Paolo. Much more options for him to play.

- Confidence

- Stage presence.
- 4 chair turner

Disadvantages:

- His style is too comparable to his coach. He should be able to do his own style.

Paolo Onesa

Who knew this very shy guy from Mindanao will capture the hearts of everyone? After people criticized Coach Bamboo for picking him instead of the Cordovales duo, he proved to us why he deserved to stay. Week after week he continues to improve but will it be enough for him to win?

Advantages:

- Girls love him. Girls = Vote

- Marketable. His song was the first song to reach the #1 spot on iTunes!

Disadvantages:

- Nerves still shows. Pressure might bug him in the end.

- He needs to do a fast song. We want to see the other side of Paolo.

PREDICTION: 55%-45%. MYK PEREZ WILL BE THE LAST MAN STANDING FOR TEAM BAMBOO.

There you have it! That's my take on our Voice PH Top 8!

Credits to Google for the photos and also to voicePH

Keep the Faith.

Paolo

The Voice Of The Philippines: Top16 Part1

And so the real battle begins. The quest for the very first The Voice Of The Philippines winner will come from this very talented 16 artists. It is very good to see a wide variety of music styles being showcased for this season. Last night was no exception, who made it to the top8? Did the public and the coaches gave the right score? Let's find out.

TVOP divided the group of 16 into 2 groups, with the first one performing first last night. Two members from each team will battle it out for one slot on their respective teams, but this time, the public and coaches have the equal scoring. 50% for the public votes and 50% for the coaches decision.

First to perform was Team Sarah's Morissette Amon and she will be up against the soulful Maki Ricafort. I am honestly disappointed with this pairing because I saw this coming up but not this early, I predicted them to fight for that final slot for Team Sarah. Both are very talented and it's really sad to see them go at this time of the competition. 

Morissette performed the song What About Love. Not the song I would have picked for her, but that's good since she showed her versatility as a singer. She did really well on the song and she really chose her moments very well. She knows where to hit the high notes and just let her voice do the magic.

Coach Sarah's decision: 60%
Public's decision: 50.41%

I think Morissette really brought her A game last night. She deserved that win. The public got it right too.

If only Maki performed One Last Cry last night instead of last Saturday, this will be a different battle in my opinion. Maki wasn't able to maximize his talent on this song. He sounded great, but the viewers are always waiting for that one big moment where they can say, "Yes, I will be voting for this guy!". It lacked that wow factor.

Coach Sarah's decision: 40%

Public's decision: 49.59%

Note: I wouldn't be surprised if it will be a Klarisse vs Morissette fighting for the last spot on team Sarah. But in my opinion, Morissette's the best on Sarah's team by far. 

This is my favorite battle last night. Team Lea's Darryl Shy and Mitoy Yonting. Two different artists but have one thing in common. Pure musicality. Musicians at its finest. They bleed music. It's evident. I was more impressed with Sir Darryl Shy (I tend to call him Sir because I really like his music and he is really one of the most underrated singers in the competition).

Majority of the people predicted that this will be a walk in the park win for Mitoy but Sir Darryl proved them wrong. He sang last night to win. He did a magnificent job singing "Balita" and I really liked it. This Noel Cabangon type of music is what our industry misses. We've had enough of the party songs and digitalized music. We need this somehow folk music back on our radio.

Coach Lea's decision: 40% (I really thought she'd be in favor of Darryl)

Public's decision: 55.89% (Yes people, she bested Mitoy on public votes. I guess the 82% Mitoy last week was attained because of the people he was up against with. No offense to Mitoy's talent and all but he was clearly the best on Team Lea last week so it made the public's decision a lot better)

As much as I wanted to see more of Sir Darryl Shy, but who are we kidding? Who doesn't get excited whenever Mitoy performs? He is on a different level, 10 levels higher than the rest. Coach Sarah was right, where have you been all this time? Although sometimes I think whenever he performs the approach becomes too theatrical but who cares? His voice has not limits! It will be very tough to see him battle against Radha!

Coach Lea's decision: 60%

Public's decision: 44.11%

Kamp Kawayan's up next and I am pumped up to see what his team can bring tonight. People have been really mad at Coach Bamboo for always saving Lee Grane. He saved her twice. And people on the social media are wishing that hopefully Coach Bamboo will make up his mind and also for Paolo Onesa to give a good job.

Lee Grane was the first one to perform, I was excited while watching her VTR because she said she'd sing a faster song, but when she sang it, I was like, you have got to be kidding me. It is still the same as before! Same attack every time. I was really disappointed. At this time, I was just hoping that Paolo will really perform great.

Coach Bamboo's decision: 40% (FINALLY, COACH =) you made a lot of people believe in you again after this decision)

Public's decision: 18.76% (The public has really spoken. Pretty sure the fans of Dan and Talia also joined force in saving Paolo)

Not the flashiest performance of the night but I would to say that Paolo did his job last night. He gave justice to the song Skyfall and the fans obviously loved it. My only concern for Paolo is I hope he opens up more, loosen up more. He has the talent. He just have to start believing because people believe in him.

Coach Bamboo's decision: 60%

Public's decision: 81.24% (Paolo Onesa fans + Dan&Talia fans + Lee haters made this possible)

It was Team Apl tasked to be the last to perform and I must say, this was also one of the hardest. His team is just loaded with a lot of talents and that's good for all of us! This is the battle of the two most consistent singers on Team Apl!

Penelope is also one of the more underrated contestants because of too many talented artists on Team Apl but she really is a star. Her voice is magical and I must say, crazzzzzzyyyyy clean. And that's where I also had a problem with her, maybe she was too concentrated on the thought that her performance should be perfect so she lacked giving emotion on the song.

Coach Apl's decision: 45%

Public's decision: 35.28%

If you will sing a Stevie Wonder song, you gotta think twice or thrice before doing it. First, as a singer too his songs are hard and really needs a lot of emotion and power. But Thor just blew it all! He was amazing, I can really feel that he is offering his every performance to his late mother. I honestly see myself in him, I hope I can be like him next year.. Haha. He is really one of my favorite singers aside from JayR, and others. 

He took the song Lately to a different zone. He did it really, I mean really really well. Outstanding.

Coach Apl's decision: 55%

Public's decision: 64.72%

In all honesty, Penelope did great. Really great. It's just who did better at that time and I think the public got it right when they saved Thor. 

One of the highlights of the night was really the performance of Ms. Lea Salonga and THE Patti Austin! It was amazing and I really felt that Patti was impressed with our local talents!

The coaches, and most especially the public got it right this time! I really hope we can still be like this come our National Elections! Can't wait for next week!

Anyway, the studio versions are available on iTunes :) Go buy and support them!

Credits: ABSCBNBestProgram for the videos. Google for Photos.

Keep The Faith.

Paolo

The Voice Of The Philippines: Live Shows 1

This is how you do it! I gotta give it to The Voice Of The Philippines team for giving us a world-class set, music and performance! I was surprised to see the set! They did it!! From all the constructive criticisms they received from the blind auditions to the battle rounds, I'm pretty sure everyone's all contented with what they saw! Credits to the team!

I would like to congratulate the whole team for their collective efforts! I wish I could watch live! :) Great opening number too! I must say, the coaches really did their job as mentors! Who made it and who got booted out? Let's find out! 

I will do my review a little different, I will rank the 12 performances and explain whether they deserve what happened to them last night. I will start with the worst performance of the night:

(This is just my own opinion. Chill :) )

12: Corazon Dela Cruz - Nosi Balasi (Team Apl)

No doubt the worst performance of the night. She was struggling vocally and I can personally feel her nervousness. I get that Cora is really a rocker type of a singer but I would have liked to see her other side. She was always doing her signature kick then head bang move but that's it. Nothing new about her performance. She really performed bad last night. If ever she performed better, she was also unfortunate enough to be matched-up against Thor and Jessica who are two of the strongest members of #TeamApl. 

11. Talia Reyes - You Oughta Know (Team Bamboo)

This is hard since after Cora, I really thought all of them did quite good last night. :| I chose Talia because in that performance, I did not felt the desire to last in the competition. I know you need to perform but I felt that she lacked something; in my opinion her song doesn't have a big moment where she will really shine. But, in the good point, she really has a good tone. Original. Unique. 

10. Junji Arias - I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing (Team Sarah)

Surprised? So am I. I was 70% sure that the other slot would be a battle for Morissette and Mommy Eva since Junji kind of made his mark early in the competition. We expected that he will be the last man standing for Sarah. I don't know what happened, it maybe the nerves or too much excitement but that was definitely his worst performance we've ever seen. Too bad that it came at this point and even made it to the expense of his elimination. I have very high respect for Mr. Junji and I hope that we see more of him in the future.

9. Lee Grane - Make You Feel My Love (Team Bamboo)

We all expected a lot from Lee Grane. Coming from that very controversial Battle Round with Dan Billano we all thought that Lee Grane will really put on a good show come Live Shows. But....... She did not.. I did not understand the majority of the words she's singing and I kind of expected she will sing another slow song. I hoped she thought of doing something different. Her popularity on the show is slowly sinking and I don't know if it's just me or Coach Bamboo's the only one believing in Lee Grane. I really hope Lee Grane does something new next time, an upbeat song or any number without her guitar?

This is very hard from this point. The remaining 8 singers did their best last night.  

8. Jessica Reynoso - I Believe (Team Apl)

She did great, it's just that I've heard the song I Believe a lot of times and it's hard not to compare her version with them. We don't have to be negative at this point, Jessica's really great. I am very impressed with Jessica, at 16? Her voice and looks will take her to places! Only comment on her is to really pick her song choice from now on, every performance is very crucial so she has to really think and pick the right song for the right time. :)

7. Darryl Shy - Danny Song (Team Lea)

I was right when I predicted that he might be the dark horse on Team Lea and even on this competition. During one of the seasons of The Voice US, Nicholas David(who I think is Darryl's counterpart there; same genre and get-up) even reached finale and made it as the runner up on that season. A lot of people really love this kind of laid back songs and I think Mr. Darryl is here to stay. He really sounds authentic and heartfelt. This was his breakthrough performance so far. People will start to know him more.

6. RJ Dela Fuente - I'll Stand By You (Team Lea)

Coach Lea said what I want to say for RJ, the biggest improvement of them all. He is still shy and not that comfortable at the stage but his voice got more confident and became more controlled. I was really impressed with his version of I'll Stand By You since we've known this song as the song of Carrie Underwood. He definitely did all he can do with this song. He did really really really well. It's sad to see him go but that's how life really is. We win some and we lose some. I did my part as a supporter and voted for him like crazy, I am sure this is not the last time we will be hearing from him. I just wished he stayed much longer. 

5. Radha Tinsay - River Deep Mountain High (Team Lea)

What more can I say? PRO. PRO. PRO. Over qualified. :) She is more than ASAP ready than anybody else. She's really great. I don't know what to say really, she will be as great as she is from this point so all other singers must really watch out for her. The only thing I think that might actually cause her to lose is that the people might think that she is too good for this show, that she already had her time, she should give chance to others and etc. But as what Radha said on her blind audition, Kanya Kanyang Trip yan! :)

4. Thor Dulay - Narito (Team Apl)

PARTIDA. PARTIDA. PARTIDA. Hahahaha! He looked sick but he did not sound one! True professional! I was really shouting at home when he was performing. Call me bias but he is really amazing! He is my idol way way before he entered The Voice and this is the only time that I can really support him this much! His song choice is perfect and his vocal range is just limitlesss! Sky is the limit for Thor! I cannot wait t o see him in the finale! This is his time!!!

You might ask why I did not put Thor on the top spot, it's just the others really stepped up and surprised me. Thor will still be my #1 bet for this season!

3. Myk Perez - Isn't She Lovely (Team Bamboo)

Maybe I was too harsh for Team Bamboo on my other blogs but Myk clearly changed my mind. He was amazing. Great song choice, great performance, greatness at its finest. He was on point, he knows what kind of artist he wants to be. He deserves to be with Bamboo until the end. In my opinion, Myk Perez >>> Lee Grane. I am excited for his next performance, will we see him with the guitar again? I am rooting for you buddy!

2. Eva Delos Santos - So Far Away (Team Sarah)

Biggest surprise of the night! I personally did not expect that at all! She looked like a pro! She sounded like one too! That version of So Far Away was one of the best! From the piano to her vocals, it's perfect. She might be one of the more un-appreciated talents but I really believe in her talent. Imagine how she would have sound like when she was younger! This is pure talent that we are seeing. Mommy Eva still proving to us that she still has it like everybody else! Respect :)

1. Morissette Amon - Jar of Hearts (Team Sarah)

This is how you close a show! After this performance, people are now talking about her more. She isn't just a Sarah look-a-like but she is making a name for herself. Sarah really did her part on this one, I can see that they have a connection and Sarah's styles are being learned by Morissette! Hands down, best performance of the night!

Conclusion:

This night belonged to TEAM SARAH! Other teams must really double their efforts in keeping up with her team. She still has Maki for next week! Another advantage of the members of Team Sarah is their coach has the biggest fanbase among the four of them. No doubt. This just keeps the show more exciting! Props to the music band too for playing great music!

If you will rank the performers last night, what's the arrangement of your top12? Tell me!

Credits: ITHEVOICEPH for the videos.

Keep the Faith.

Paolo

The Voice Of The Philippines: The Battles Round 2

 The battles last night were quite good. I made my predictions on who will win for each battle and I scored 3/4. Not bad right? Who did good and who was sent home? Let's begin.

First up is #TeamApl and he paired Mighty Thor Dulay and Sir Lord Lumibao. Upon just looking on their names, I can safely say that Thor has it in the bag. No doubt. He will be just cruising along and probably just wait for his name to be announced by Apl as the winner. I was right, from the song choice itself, I'll Make Love To You, the song clearly fell on to Thor's advantage. This is his song. He can sing it anytime. While for Sir Lord Lumibao, he obviously struggled and hence the defeat to Thor. No questions asked, Thor deserved this win.

Thor vs Sir Lord Lumibao

As much as I am very vocal that I will support Thor until the end, I can feel that he is still holding back. I don't know why, but I still feel he has something more to show. Maybe he is saving it all for the live shows, but I hope he performs and gives his best every time since we won't know if that will be our last performance.

Team Lea is up next to perform, and I got to say this is one of the worst performances so far. Diday and Japs Mendoza were the ones who battled it out. Diday did good, she did what she can do with the song, while as for Japs I think his youth brought out the worst in him last night. He was struggling from note to note and I think they really both have a hard time on this one. I think the reason why Mr. Gerald Salonga wasn't able to pick one is because he thinks that both of them really screwed up on this one, but I am glad Diday won this one.

Diday vs Japs: Daylight

Yuki Ito and Kathreen Castro were the next to perform. Coach Sarah picked the song Baliw for them to perform. In this battle, we clearly saw that Yuki is struggling because he somehow lost his voice but when the battle round came, he found a way to still own that song. On the other hand, Kathreen Castro was obviously intimidated with Yuki's presence. She wasn't able to have a moment on that song and that caused her to lose this battle. Sarah Geronimo got it right with Yuki.

Yuki vs Kathreen

Coach Bamboo's Angels are the last one to perform. Nicole Prada, Angelique Alcantara and Deb Victa fight for that one elusive slot of Team Bamboo. I predicted Nicole to win since I was impressed with her audition the most. But I have got to say, Angelique owned this battle! I was surprised to see her that confident and just really in it to win it. She was on a different level last night, she clearly left Deb and Nicole way behind with her performance.

Angelique, Deb and Nicole

I was sure that Angelique owned that round but I am not sure if Coach Bamboo will do the same. I can still remember the Lee Grane - Dan Billano controversy and I don't want to get my hopes too high once more. I thought he will still pick Deb Victa but I was very happy that he made the right decision. I was rooting for Nicole, but that night clearly belongs to Angelique.

2 rounds down, more to go! This is clearly the best part of the show!

Let's all watch the new episode tonight. :)

Credits to: Ithevoiceph for the videos. :)

Keep the Faith.

Paolo

The Voice Of The Philippines: Team Apl

Last but definitely not the least, my team. Team Apl. If I would have joined The Voice, I would probably choose between Sarah(fanbase purposes) and Apl(international connections). Haha. Wise thinker! Apl De Ap clearly knows what it takes to succeed and if you don't end up winning the competition, I am pretty sure he will still be there to support and help you reach your dreams.

I will be very bias. I am telling you this early. Haha.

Team Apl's strongest contender? My idol. My voice. Thor Dulay! I've been supporting him way way before he auditioned here that's why I am really happy that he decided to join this competition. He deserves to be really famous. I almost got emotional after seeing him take the center stage again. Haha. I am really happy and proud that he made it! He will win this season! 

Need I say more?

Just in awe every time I hear him sing!

Tristhan Perfecto will be the next one. He is not that much talked about but he can really deliver. His version of It will rain is really good! I am excited to see him come battle rounds. His high range will be one of his advantages.

The last to complete the Team Apl's big three would be the very entertaining Janice Javier. She can sing anything! Big voice and quite a wide range too, she can definitely give anyone a hard time! I hope they will be all give the right and equal amount of time to really shine and show what they're capable of.

Here are the rest of Team Apl:

1. Thor Dulay **

2. Corazon dela Cruz

3. Lorenzana Siblings (Guji and Grace)

4. Sir Lord Lumibao

5. Moira dela Torre

6. Cara Manglapus

7. Lance Fabros

8. Tristhan Perfecto **

9. Janice Javier **

10. Penelope Matanguihan

11. Jessica Corpuz

12. Jessica Reynoso

13. Emmanuelle Vera

** Paolo's picks

I can still say that Team Apl is the strongest team but Team Lea really comes close too. This will be a very good competition! I hope to see some surprises and even upsets! I also hope to see new names to really make a scene and surprise us! 

Catch the Voice Of The Philippines on ABS-CBN. Saturdays around 930pm and on Sundays 815pm. :)

Credits to Google for all the photos. 

Do you agree with my picks? Tell me why/why not. :)

Keep the Faith.

Paolo