Talent Show Reviews

There seem to be a lot of talent shows on TV right now. I know that the episodes being aired of The Sing-Off and The Voice are from previous seasons but The X Factor US is new and up to date. These shows have lot of pros and cons, but I think they are all entertaining and make for a lot of good TV while American Idol is not on air. Well, not that AI has been exciting the past few seasons anyway (David Cook’s season is still my favorite).

The Sing-Off

I like the idea of a contest for groups that can showcase vocal talent but putting them on the line acapella. It’s not as easy as people might think. A group can be full of great singers but there is a certain type of timing needed and vocal harmonies and arrangements are very important parts of the package to make an acapella number click.

The season airing on Velvet right now is the first season and even if I do know who won, it’s still a good show to watch. It’s amazing what these groups can do with their voices. I get goosebumps listening to some of the groups sometimes.

I think it’s fitting that Nick Lachey is the host. 98 Degrees was one of those groups that had amazing vocal harmonies acapella. You need to listen to their version of She’s Out of My Life to understand what I mean. It was also good that they had Shawn Stockman of Boyz II Men as a judge because that group was also one of the best in that field. Not quite sure why Nicole Scherzinger was chosen as a judge for this though (but yay for a Pinoy representing!). Ben Folds was someone I was skeptical about at first but when he opened his mouth all his comments were constructive, observant and helpful – it was like he was a vocal coach for all the groups in the competition with his constructive criticisms.

I’m looking forward to the latest season of this which has the group Kinfolk 9, which includes Filipina actress Antoinette Taus. Hope Velvet can air that one soon.

The X Factor US

I’ve only seen one episode and it’s just starting so I really don’t know what to make of it just yet. Judges-wise, I think the mix makes sense: music producers, singers/dancers. There is a mix of talent in this competition unlike that of The Voice (usually solo but some duos got included) or The Sing-Off (groups) so it makes complete sense to have a mix of judges/coaches in here. It’s also good to see Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell back together. I think these two were the ones who helped make American Idol entertaining and I’m looking forward to seeing what they can do for this new show.

The Voice

I LOVED the blind auditions. I think that it levels the playing field to do that. The whole showdown/sing-off parts made for entertaining TV as well (that version of Perfect by Team Cee Lo? WOW). I may know the results of the competition but I still look forward to watching it for all the performances. I went nuts for Dia Frampton's Coldplay cover and I also sang along to I’m The Only One when Beverly sang it.

Don’t even get me started on the judges. I’m happy with how hands-on they are with their groups and how they get to perform together to prove to the crowd why they were chosen to be judges. The performances with their groups are fun to watch too (especially that Team Blake version of This Love right in front of Adam Levine).

I love Christina Aguilera. She obviously gained weight but she owned it like crazy. She still looked sexy –I need to channel that vibe! Cee Lo is a bit of a ladies man but he is very entertaining and really knows what he’s talking about. Blake Shelton, on the other hand, is growing on me. I never thought I’d see a country singer who I’d consider sexy but now I’ve changed my mind. As for Adam Levine, oh man…I can’t stop staring at his lips when the camera is on him! He is so sexy! Drool-worthy, I tell you!

I know that locally we have a singing competition that has some similar elements to these contests but I haven’t had the chance to check it out yet. One thing I can say though is that it may be better to put it on a once a week cycle instead of a Monday to Friday thing. Personally I think that would make me sick of watching it – can someone spell overload?

The Sing-Off airs on Velvet every Wednesday at 7:30 PM. The X Factor US airs on Studio 23 Thursday and Friday nights. The Voice is on for two hours every Sunday at 8PM on AXN and replays Monday and Tuesday also at 8PM -- season finale is coming up so you'd better catch it while you can!