'Reality Check': 'The Voice' Top 12, and the Problem With 'X Factor' Groups

Credit: TVLine

TVLine.com's Michael Slezak returns with American Idol Season 6 finalist Melinda Doolittle for an all-new episode of Reality Check, dissecting the week in reality singing competitions.

The duo discusses what was a pretty stellar Top 12 week for The Voice, as even the most underwhelming of the contestants still managed to find moments in their performances worth applauding. So which singers were the best? And whose bottom 3 appearance was a genuine surprise? And who made the most out of a relatively played-out song choice? The answer may surprise you (but it probably won't). Meanwhile, on The X Factor USA, what's the big problem with the Groups category? What can the acts in the category do to improve their performances? And which act has the stage presence of "beige paint"? Watch the full video below via TVLine:

Thoughts

Couldn't possibly agree more on the Groups category. I have no idea why acts of three or more are frequently given full vocal backing, when the proposed advantage of a group is in the ability to harmonize and display vocal prowess in a way other acts aren't able to. It just feels like an unnecessary shortcut that negates the biggest advantage groups have over every other act. Hopefully, the remaining acts pick up the harmonious slack, but I'm not all that optimistic about the possibility.

As for The Voice, I'm not all that puzzled as to why Austin Jenckes is still around, but I'm still annoyed by it just the same. Fortunately, it's early enough in the competition that it doesn't really feel like an injustice yet or anything. And really, it's not like his performance was the worst thing in the world. It just wasn't up to the insane standard of this Top 12. For example, his teammate Cole Vosbury knocked it out of the ballpark with his version of "Adorn," which I genuinely felt was the best performance of the week.

But what do you think about The Voice Top 12? And what about the groups on The X Factor USA? Are they wasting their potential? Sound off in the comments!