Week 4 - Live Performance - Who Has The Best Tribute?

Last night was, so far, the best night of the show. And when I say 'best night', I am referring to the totality of the performances. Most of the contestants were spectacular. Perhaps they were a little bit afraid not to show the complete respect to the late artists they were paying tribute to.

'Tribute' is defined as An act, statement, or gift that is intended to show gratitude, respect, or admiration. So who showed the gratitude, respect and admiration to the late icons? Here's my take on each performance:

Modesto Taran - Pure Imagination by Lou Rawls - The performance was good. But was I jumping up and down? No. His performance tonight was a little weaker compared to the previous two. I sensed that he lost the beat on the last part of the song. That is my problem with Mang Modesto, his versatility. No doubt, he can give me chills everytime he sings big ballads but cannot work his magic on songs with faster tempo. Rating: B+

Daddy's Home - All At Once by Whitney Houston - It is definitely a big risk to "male-ify" Whitney songs. But Daddy's Home definitely lived at par and delivered a spectacular performance. Their blending was oh so good and so were their vocal chops. Rating: A+

Allen Jane Sta. Maria - Waterfall by TLC (tribute for Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes) -It was definitely a comeback for Allen after her weak performance last week. But the song was not vocally challenging for her. However, the swag and the rap was right on the spot, so the performance was still good. Eventhough she was not able to show her complete vocal techniques, she was able to put enough character. Swaggernaut! Rating: A-

Jeric Medina - Can't Help Falling In Love by Elvis Presley - It was his best performance so far and I totally agree with Gary V and Charice that he should have stuck with his guitar to have more appeal. I think this is what Jeric should learn, to play on his strength and be that 'romantic crooner' that girls and gays would go gaga over. Rating: A-

Joan Da - Let Me Know by Aaliyah - The magic that she had brought when she sang Chasing Pavements was relived after her great rendition of this Aaliyah classic. Gary V and Charice, seriously? You do not know the song? MYMP has popularized it here in the Philippines. Moving forward, I am definitely a fan of Joan's unique voice. It was the type of voice that I would love to hear in my gadgets and in my car. Rating: A 

Kedebon Colim -  Yugyugan Na by Karl Roy - Ms. Pilita underlined that she would like Kedebon to sing a more serious song. Funny. You can't expect him to sing 'the more serious songs' because it is not his forte. Kedebon's expertise lies on his comedic act and his character. And serious songs would not showcase these. His performance was the weakest of the night - too many flats and lost words. I laughed hard when Martin said this: "The voice can be fixed". LOL. Is he admitting that Kedebon is indeed, the weakest singer in the competition? Rating: C

TakeOff - Dreaming of You by Selena - Like in the case of Daddy's Home, it is indeed a big risk to "male-ify" female classics. But to my surprise, TakeOff was able to deliver it that good! It was their best performance so far in the show. I loved the harmony and ad libs. Further, Jeric should learn from these guys. They know how to work on their charm. Although there were a few noticeable flats and sharps, they definitely left this to the viewers: "Do not count us out". Rating: A

KZ Tandingan - Rehab by Amy Winehouse - What can I say? Her performance might raise Amy Winehouse from the grave just to shout: "KZ, you are so damn good". This is character+swag+vocal chops. The performance was flawless. Rating: A+

Gabriel Maturan - Dance With My Father by Luther Vandross - I completely disagree with the judges. Was I moved by his performance? No, I was not. It was a very emotional song but his rendition did not make me cry. Perhaps, it was a wrong move to sing this song since this has been interpreted by most people in a reality singing show for like, gazillion times? So you cannot help but to compare his performance to the ones that you have seen on other shows.Though the performance was good, but he was not able to relieve himself from his last week's messy performance. Rating: B

So who will land on the bottom two spot? My thoughts on elimination, AGAIN, depend on how I perceive the Filipinos would vote not on how well/bad the contestants performed.

Definitely Safe: KZ, TakeOff, Jeric

Most Likely Safe: Joan, Daddy's Home

Probably Safe: Allen, Modesto

Bottom 2: Kedebon, Gab

KZ still leads the pack. Her fan base is very huge and it is growing exponentially because of her consistency. She makes her fan love her even more. Complacency is the only enemy of KZ. Her fans should not give up on voting. TakeOff and Jeric also has this growing fanbase mostly composed of girls and gays.(teeny boppers rule? LOL)

Kedebon might end up in the bottom two. Perhaps it is the time that his fans would get tired of his tricks. X Factor is still a singing contest.

Moving forward, Gary V is the only one doing his job as a judge. Burr. What about the others? He is the only one who can definitely pinpoint where the contestant should focus on, and even gave constructive criticisms not only to the others but also to his acts. Bravo, Gary! And as a mentor, he surely knows how his mentees would shine on the show by giving them the right song choices - risky but still doable.