It was all about Brian Kennedy's motivational song, Sharon's salsa dancing, Team Kian's opening performance (surprisingly, they all remained seated on their stools for the key change) and Bressie's three favourite words - "musicality", "diction" and "breathing" - on The Voice of Ireland at the weekend.
With Team Sharon and Team Kian's acts hoping to bag places in the quarter-final, it seemed that nerves got the better of some of the contestants – and sadly we had to wave goodbye to another two singers.
TEAM SHARON: If a gold star was to be given out for the amount of effort put into performances each week, Kim Hayden would win hands down. From the blind auditions, this Wicklow native has stood out as being a fun-loving singer with a terrific personality. I loved Kim's song choice of Imelda May's Johnny Got a Boom Boom (and it seemed to go down a treat with the coaches), but at times I thought that it required just a tad more energy. If it wasn't for the brass band on stage, I fear the performance would have been a bit bland.
The first few bars of the song seemed a bit too low for her, and it sounded like she struggled to hit a few notes. However, as the song progressed, Kim took control and managed to hit some pretty impressive notes. I have a feeling that Kim won't be going back to the Molton Brown counter any time soon!
With a granddad named Jack, and her Granny named Rose, it looked like Vanessa Whelan had everything going for her when she chose to sing Celine Dion's My Heart Will Go On. I can understand why the mother-of-three decided to belt out the hit (especially with the recent movie re-launch), but it just didn't work for me. I respect Vanessa for trying to show that she can sing contemporary songs, but on this occasion the vocals and lyrics sounded a little mismatched.
As always, Vanessa looked stunning and elegant on stage. In fact, I thought that she had a slight resemblance to Sharon Corr on Sunday's show. Brian said: "I loved how you lost yourself in the song, I really felt the emotion," while Bressie stated: "Your diction and breathing was a bit out, but it was a perfect performance apart from that." Once Vanessa brings us back to her operatic roots, she will continue to be a strong contender for the final.
I wasn't surprised that Nollaig O'Connor departed the competition. I sympathised with her week-on-week, as she clearly suffers quite badly with nerves. I really was rooting for her from the start, but on Sunday I found that her performance of Addicted to Love made for some awkward and uncomfortable viewing. I commend her for attempting to put her own stamp on the song, but I found the whole arrangement to be odd and random. It was difficult to tell if she got consumed in the song, or whether she was just a little distracted.
Kian said: "The first half was really good, and the second half wasn't. Once the song got started it swallowed you up. I'm sorry," while Brian said: "I kind of get irritated when you play the shy card. I actually preferred the second half of the song." Hopefully, Nollaig will continue to work on her nerves and confidence, and it won't be long until we are seeing her back on our TV screens.
I was extremely disappointed when Tallaght native Kevin Keeley didn't bust out his salsa moves during his version of What Hurts the Most. I enjoyed his singing, and had little to fault. My only concern is that Kevin is becoming a one-trick performer. He is starting to become too comfortable singing ballads, and I fear that in a few weeks the voting public may become sick of his similar routines.
I agreed with Kian when he said: "You are a great singer, but it's not punching through the gates. You need more energy on stage to win." Once again, Brian had completely different views to the Westlife star, saying: "I completely have to disagree. It was a great song choice; I'd say Tallaght are going nuts."
TEAM KIAN: Liam Geddes made a brave and bold move by singing Westlife's hit Flying without Wings. It was a mediocre performance that lacked something essential – Shane Filan and Mark Feehily. The song just didn't sound right as a solo performance, and I kept on waiting for Mark to come out and reach those powerful high notes. There were a few parts of the song where Liam decided to change the tune, and for anyone who was singing along at home, I'm sure they too found this a bit annoying. However, I did enjoy the twist that he put on the last line of the song. After being in the bottom two based on his last performance, it looks like Liam needs to remind the public why he deserves to stay in the competition.
As I previously stated, Jim Devine never leaves a lasting impression on me. He really stood out from the crowd during the group performance of More Than Words, but when it came down to his version of Somewhere over the Rainbow, he failed to showcase his vocal range. It wasn't a great song choice, and it felt like the song was never going to come to an end. It also sounded like he was off-key in parts. Like Liam, the last line of the song was phenomenal – but it was just a little too late.
Sharon said: "You are proving with this song that you are technically great, but you are still struggling to find the emotion. You need to feel those lyrics," while Brian said: "It was very controlled, but emotionally flat. I do hope the people at home vote for you." I still can't understand why Jim hasn't taken the coaches' advice and performed a country song!
I was disappointed to see Elliot Canavan Doyle leaving the competition. I thought his quirkiness gave him that bit of edge, which many of the contestants lack. The Goo Goo Dolls Iris was a brilliant song choice, and he brought bucket loads of emotion to the song. I agreed with Brian when he said: "Some singers lose themselves when they sing, and some people find themselves. You find yourself, and the performance was incredible for that reason." I really don't think Elliot deserved to go!
I always look forward to Sharon Gaynor's performances, and on Sunday she stole the show. I was a bit nervous for her when I discovered that she was going to sing Whitney Houston's Queen of the Night, but she pulled it off just fine. I loved her new disco queen attitude, and was amazed by her dancing/singing combination. Sharon is definitely a star in the making.
Next week will be the first time that all four teams will be up on stage singing against each other. Who do you want to see in the semi-final?
Laura Delaney
