Following a night of tension and nerves, the fabulous four contestants were picked for The Voice Of Ireland finale.
TEAM SHARON: Vanessa Whelan delivered a stunning rendition of Katherine Jenkins' Who Wants to Live Forever. Throughout the series Vanessa struggled to get the balance of singing contemporary and operatic songs correct. However, last night the mum-of-three managed to find a track that displayed her classical style of singing, while making the track sound like a chart-topping hit. There was a haunting and slightly eerie vibe to the song, which allowed Vanessa to seem more mysterious and less predictable. I thought that Sharon was spot on with her percentage allocation, awarding 65 per cent to the Waterford crooner. As the last female vocalist standing in the competition, it looks like Vanessa is already a winner.
Vanessa Whelan sported another sequin gown this week
Kim has come on leaps and bounds since the blind auditions when she nervously sang I Will Always Love You. Kim looked like a little popstar on stage, but I found her version of Christina Aguilera’s Something’s Got a Hold on Me (originally sung by Etta James), to be a bit all over the place and inconsistent. The a capella part at the beginning sounded out of tune, while the loud bursts of music seemed to drown out her voice. As the performance progressed Kim began to find herself, but it wasn’t enough to outshine her competitor. Sharon only gave her 35 per cent of her votes, and based on last night’ s performance I believe this was justified.
When Kim hit the big notes, her powerful voice bared similarities to Christina Aguilera
TEAM BRIAN: I adore Richie Hayes and rarely have a bad word to say about him. His song choice of Barry Manilow’s One Voice seemed like a great idea on paper, however Richie somehow made the song sound like it belonged in a musical. In two parts of his performance I thought Richie’s voice was going to break as he got close to hitting the top notes. It wasn’t his best performance to date, but based on his consistency in the competition, and the raw emotion that the Waterford man brings to every performance, he deserved to stay. A true gentleman, with a fantastic personality. I wish Richie all the best in the final.
Richie Hayes welled up after his emotional performance. He really did mean every word of that song
Alan finally got is mojo back this week, but it was a little too late!
Former OTT boyband member Alan Fitzsimons finally got his mojo back last night, with his version of Josh Groban’s To Where You Are. It was heartfelt and passionate, and for the first time the Dublin man delivered a song with conviction. I can fully understand why Kian was frustrated that Alan hadn’t gone down the ballad style singing route from day one. He had quite a number of knocks during the competition, but Alan always got right back up on that horse. The Story of Love singer really earned his 55 per cent from his mentor Brian. I'm sure his father would have been extremely proud of his stunning performance. Don't give up Alan!
Sharon Gaynor, you will be missed!
TEAM KIAN: I thought it was incredibly sweet that Sharon Gaynor sang the song that she walked down the aisle to – Mariah Carey’s Open Arms. It was a pleasant performance, but it lacked the wow factor that Sharon usually brings to the competition. I was shocked when Kian only awarded her 30 per cent of his vote. Based on her consistency and willing to take risks during the competition, I would have given her 65 per cent. I was disappointed to see the Dublin cailín leave the competition, as I felt like she had far more to give. I have no doubt that Sharon will still be a successful artist. Good luck Sharon, you will be missed.
Following weeks of suggesting that Jim Devine sings a Garth Brooks song he finally took my advice. The Dance sounded like it was written especially for him, and I found it difficult to fault his performance. At last Jim has found his musical calling – here’s to hoping that he sings another country number for the final. Kian clearly wanted the Tyrone farmer to sail through to the next round by donating 70 per cent of his votes to him. Could the dark horse of The Voice of Ireland go the full hog and win?
Jim Devine finally sang a country song on The Voice of Ireland
TEAM BRESSIE: It was always going to be a difficult decision to send either Conor Quinn or Pat Byrne home (and one which I am very glad I didn’t have to make). I was mesmerised by Conor’s stripped back version of the Foo Fighters Everlong. It sent chills down my spine, while leaving a lasting impression in my mind. It was by far his best performance to date. Conor truly deserved the 60 per cent given to him by Bressie. It won’t be long until we are seeing this rockstars name in lights. I will definitely will first in line to purchase his album.
Bring back Conor Quinn......
Pat Byrne received a standing ovation for his show-stopping version of What a Wonderful World. Despite only gaining 40 per cent of the votes from his mentor, he still managed to snag a place in the final. The public have spoken and it seems that ladies’ man Pat Byrne is the hot contender to beat in the competition. Watch this space!
Is Pat Bryne the man to beat at the final?
With the finale just days away, the remaining four finalists Richie Hayes, Pat Byrne, Jim Devine and Vanessa Whelan are in touching distance of taking home The Voice of Ireland crown and a Universal Record contract.
Who will you be voting for?
Laura Delaney
