'The Voice of the Philippines' 3rd Live Battle recap
More talents are headed for the next round of The Voice of the Philippines as coach-judges Lea Salonga, apl.de.ap, Bamboo and Sarah Geronimo selected their picks during last weekend’s battle rounds.
Team Lea’s Darryl Shy and RJ dela Fuente; Team Bamboo’s Talia Reyes and Isa Fabregas; Team apl.de.ap’s Janice Javier and Jessica Reynoso; and Team Sarah’s Eva delos Santos and Maki Ricafort passed the grueling battle round.
Lea: Restraint is much more difficult
Lea selected RJ dela Fuente as the winner of the three-way-battle on Sunday. The Filipino-American singer bested Juvie Pelos and Rainier Acosta in their performance of Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On.”
“Juvie, parang sumobra ka lang. Rainier, it became a little more about you than about the song. But what beautiful voice you have. And I love to continue working with you. But for this battle round, it’s yours, RJ,” Lea said.
Lea’s brother and guest judge Gerard Salonga commented that one must not “overpower” the song.
“You don’t unwrap a candy with a sledge hammer. Hindi pwedeng daanin sa brute strength. I appreciate that RJ stayed true to the music, to the message of the song and what it needed,” Gerard said.
During Saturday’s battle round, Lea chose Darryl Shy over MJ Podolig. They performed the OPM song “Tuwing Umuulan at Kapiling Ka” with their guitars.
Lea thought that MJ’s delivery was “too much” for her, thus, she chose Darryl.
Team Bamboo: Battle of female singers
Isa Fabregas and Angelica Prado showcased their inner rockstar and performed No Doubt's “Don’t Speak.” Bamboo complimented Isa’s “huge voice.”
“Pakiramdam ko walang ganitong artist ngayon. I feel that she is a throwback that I can make something,” Bamboo said before choosing Isa.
Judges Sarah and apl.de.ap commented that female singers Denise Sagun and Talia Reyes, who performed Red Hot Chili Peppers' “Under the Bridge,” have identical voices.
Sarah chose Denise, while apl.de.ap thought Talia shined more. In the end, Bamboo chose Talia.
“This is a showcase for both of you. Mahirap nung pumipili tayo ng kanta. I believe in both of you. It’s a matter of sa melodies, anong kwento ang sinabi ninyo. The winner of the battle who goes to the lives is Talia,” Bamboo said.
Team apl: The 'real deal'
It was a tough decision for apl.de.ap to pick between Janice Javier and Lance Fabros, who performed Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing.”
Janice is a popular choice among the judges. Bamboo commented that Janice is the “real deal” and guest judge Arnel Pineda also preferred Janice over Lance. In the end, apl.de.ap agreed and chose Janice.
“You took it to a different avenue. Even with all the criticism, I’m proud of you guys,” apl.de.ap said.
Beautiful faces with big voices was how Jessica Reynoso and Emmanuelle Vera were described during the battle round. They performed Pink’s “Just Give Me a Reason.”
Apl.de.ap chose Jessica despite her “jittery” start. The Black Eyed Peas singer said that no matter what happens all his members will always be a family.
“You guys showed a certain quality that an artist should have. Emman, you were worried in the beginning, but you showed strength that I’ve never seen. You went for the battle. Jessica, you got a little excited at some point. You started jittery but you just flew away and you were soaring,” apl.de.ap said.
A hard decision for Sarah
Sarah really had a hard time choosing between Michaellen Temporada and Eva delos Santos.
The two performed Michael Jackson's “I Just Can't Stop Lovin' You.” In the Eva successfully won Sarah's nod.
During Sunday’s battle round, Sarah chose Southborder’s former member Maki Ricafort over theater actor Hans Dimayuga.
“Pareho po kayong magaling. Grabe ‘yung originality niyo at ng puso niyo habang kumakanta kayo ng love song. Ramdam ramdam ko kayong dalawa. Ikaw ang nakikita ko talaga na magpapatuloy sa competition na ito, sir Maki,” Sarah said.
