We’re halfway towards having our top 12, with Sabrina Batshon and Scott Newnham joining the fray. Despite my reservations about him, I figured Scott would coast through. I’m pleasantly surprised that the public embraced Sabrina though.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voziUDvDSRI]
Kim Cooper kicked off the night with a searing rendition of Katy Perry’s “Waking Up in Vegas.” I really, really like her. So few women do straight up pop in Australia, and she does it really well. She’s a lot of fun, and I can imagine her bringing a really different flavour to the competition. It’s not one with a lot of depth, but don’t we all just want to sing in a hairbrush every now and then?
Boy it’s shaping up to be some show. Ed Zaidan was up next with a blistering take on Eskimo Joe’s “Foreign Land.” It showed an intensity we haven’t seen before from him, and I’m really enjoying seeing all the sides. I heard the vocal flaws too, but I also think you can get away with that in the rock genre. I really hope we see him in the top 12, because he’s one of those fascinating figures.
Lucie Johnson got her Beyonce on with “Sweet Dreams.” I thought she sang it well and performed it well, but it didn’t really lift into the stratosphere. I think that may be down to song choice: while it’s a very popular and current song it’s also not a very dynamic one. Coming after two such strong performances, I think she may get a little lost in the crowd.
Tim Johnston gave us a lacklustre take on “Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours.” I’m wondering why it’s taken to the top 24 to tell the lad that he has a soul presence that’s mediocre at best. He’s a gorgeous guy, but this really didn’t work for me. The voice, the performance, it all fell flat. I was bored. I’m sure he’s a talented guy, but this isn’t what he should be doing.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlfPhze6390]
Tenielle Muslin is another contestant who doesn’t seem to be doing what she should be doing. She took on Taylor Swift’s “Love Story,” and I think it was really her undoing. While it’s hardly a Whitney Houston-esque belter, it still exposed her vocal weaknesses. It’s OK to have a breezy, lighter than air voice, but you need to capitalise on it. By steering away from the mainstream I think those flaws could become quirks to embrace. Maybe next year Tenielle.
For the first time tonight, I understood why James Johnston is part of this competition. He sang “Crazy” better and with more confidence than I’ve seen thus far. This was polished, and while I don’t think it was the performance of the night I think the young girls might just get him over the line.
My prediction is that the girls will get James through and the serious music fans will get Ed through. Although Kim’s excellent performance could see her cause an upset, good looks and all.