Rising Star - Week 4 - Live Blog and Recap - Live Duels Begin
Welcome to the live blog and recap of Rising Star Week 4! Last week's episode left us with our final group of 20 singers. Now, we get down to the nitty-gritty, as the live duels begin! Tonight's matchups include Jesse Kinch vs. Will Roth, Sarah Darling vs. Megan Tibbits, and Lisa Punch vs. Alice Lee!
Who will win each duel? It's going to be a huge show, so keep it locked right here. Rickey will be adding videos as the night rolls on, and I'll be updating with my running commentary!
Let's do this!
Credit: ABC
RECAP
-We open with a pretty sweet hype package, with each of the contestants doing the usual ramble about what it would mean to win, and how they want to prove to America that they deserve to be here, and that they want to change their future (or their family's future). We've all heard it before, and I doubt this will be the last time we hear it tonight.
-Josh introduces us by saying it's "Win or go home" with these duels, although I'm pretty sure it was "win or go home" the last three weeks. Apropos of nothing, Rising Star possibly has the most forgettable theme song in reality television right now.
-So basically, instead of a head-to-head duel, the contestants will go one at a time (with the Wall already up), and whoever has the highest vote percentage after both contestants have gone will advance. Josh stresses that West Coast votes are more important than ever, since the West Coast will be able to save one singer.
ALICE LEE VS. LISA PUNCH
ALICE LEE is up first!
-Alice talked about being nervous, and not thinking the Wall would raise up since the song was nearly over by the time she got the 70% she needed. She's intimidated to be facing Lisa Punch, since Lisa is talented and beautiful. In her mentoring session with Brad, Ludacris, and Kesha, they note that she doesn't have the same amount of stage presence as Lisa, so she'll have to bring more vocally if she's going to compete. Yeah, I really don't like her chances here. She's a likable and talented gal, but I just don't see anything special about her at all.
-She sings "Wings" by Little Mix, and this vocal just does absolutely nothing for me. Again, pretty girl with a lot of likability, but this was just all over the place. For the most part, it just boils down to tone for me. Hers sounds too throaty, for lack of a better term. Of course, her stage presence is aces here. All three judges liked her though, upvoting her performance. She ends the performance with 69% of the vote.
-Brad calls Alice a total pro, saying that her one advantage over Lisa is that she's been doing this longer and is more comfortable on stage. Kesha called it a "badass" way to kick off the show, while Ludacris adds that he loved how Alice took their advice, worked hard, and came out with a top-notch performance.
VIDEO: Alice Lee, "Wings"
LISA PUNCH is up next!
-Lisa talks about how thrilled she was to raise the Wall, and seems flustered even now to have done so. The judges tell her pretty much the same thing they told Alice, which is that for Alice to beat her, she'll need to deliver better vocals or more stage presence. Basically, Lisa needs to offer something Alice can't. Lisa vows to offer herself, since there's only one Lisa Punch. (She reminds me of a more likable Hannah Barrett from The X Factor UK)
-She sings "Perfect" by Pink, and I kind of wish people would stop doing this song, just because of general fatigue with the song catalog of Pink on shows like these. That said, Lisa does a hell of a job with it, completely slaying Alice in just about every conceivable way...except in votes. She gets only 66% of the vote, as only Kesha upvotes her. This is kind of insane, since her vocal was leagues better than Alice's, and I feel she's far less hokey than Alice, who just has this air of "trying too hard."
-Ludacris talks about not really feeling the performance, although he does like Lisa. He thinks she has a chance at being the one the West Coast saves. Meanwhile, Kesha says she's ready to cry over Lisa being eliminated, and says she hopes the West Coast saves her. Brad states that he voted no because he felt Alice is more ready to win, which is not to say that Lisa won't still go on to amazing things, or even get saved by the West Coast vote.
VIDEO: Lisa Punch, Perfect
-With a final score of 69% to 66%...
ALICE LEE WINS THE DUEL AND ADVANCES TO THE NEXT ROUND!
-I'm sorry, but I'm struggling to understand what they see in Alice. But either way, she's on to the next round.
MEGAN TIBBITS VS. SARAH DARLING
MEGAN TIBBITS is up first!
-Megan talks about the stress of having to be saved by the West Coast, and we see her anxiously awaiting the results to find out. It's a great little moment that doesn't get nearly enough time. That said, while she's starstruck to be entering Capitol Records to meet with the experts, and is stoked to have Brad Paisley play her guitar for a bit, she's iffy on her battle against Sarah. "I have to bring everything I have with me onto that stage tonight." She says she doesn't want to go home.
-Trading the harp for a guitar, she sings "Summertime" from Porgy & Bess, and I love this woman's voice. She makes such unique and varied choices with her voice. And while those choices don't work 100% of the time (in particular, she goes for a high note that ends in absolutely DISASTER), I think the competition would be more colorful and interesting just for having her in it. That said, her vocal does come through a bit scratchy, due to what I can only presume is Megan's choice to practically swallow the microphone for the entire performance. But all three experts upvote her, leaving her with 71% of the vote after they're combined with America's votes.
-Kesha loves Megan's voice and admits she's been dreaming about her. She tells Megan she "killed it." Brad says Megan's command of instruments is terrific, as he imagines she's the kind of woman who can walk into a music store and play everything. He likes that she showcased her voice a bit more than last time, since the harp was distracting in her previous performance (personally, I couldn't disagree more). Ludacris praises Megan for being the most improved from the first audition, saying she blew him away.
-I liked this a lot, although I hope that Megan stays the hell away from her falsetto in the future. Those high notes just did not work at all.
VIDEO: Megan Tibbits, "Summertime"
-Now, let's see if Sarah can top that...
SARAH DARLING is up next!
-Sarah recalls how the Wall didn't raise until near the end of her performance, and describes the victorious moment as an "explosion". She talks about how making a connection with the audience is the most rewarding part of what she does. Upon meeting the experts, she notes that there are things Megan can do that she can't, and there are things she can do that Megan can't. Sarah boasts about the beautiful song she's chosen that will allow her to compete with Megan, before revealing that the song she's chosen is "I Hope You Dance," which is possibly one of the most overdone country songs on reality television. This isn't to say she won't still slay it, since this plays right into the voting bloc she's going after. But I'm already falling asleep just imagining this performance.
-To her credit, I think Sarah delivered the superior vocal. She took less risks, but found greater reward in just delivering a straightforward rendition. It was crystal clear and beautiful, and unencumbered by the vocal gymnastics of Megan's performance. Sarah just seems more comfortable onstage and less eager to prove herself, which makes her performance much more relaxed than Megan, who seemed intent on showing she was more than just "that girl with the harp." That said, I prefer Megan in just about every single respect. A "better vocal" doesn't mean "a more interesting vocal." Sure, this was prettier to listen to, but it was just boring as hell. Only Brad votes yes for Sarah, and she ends the performance with 69%.
-Brad talks about how difficult it is to do what Sarah does, and he invites her to come to the Opry with him, should she fail to be saved by the West Coast. Kesha is very apologetic, but explains that she just went with her gut and picked Megan instead. Ludacris implores more viewers to download the app, since fewer voters makes everyone's job harder. He says that while Sarah has an amazing voice, he still didn't feel like she was giving it her all.
VIDEO: Sarah Darling, "I Hope You Dance"
-And with a final score of 71% to 69%...
MEGAN TIBBITS WINS THE DUEL AND ADVANCES TO THE NEXT ROUND!
-I have no qualms with this result.
-Aaaand we're back from break with very little time, so we're right off to the final duel...
WILL ROTH VS. JESSE KINCH
-Will was thrilled to raise the Wall, although he feels lousy about having to face off against his friend. But he plans to give it his all. His mentoring session features Kesha enthusiastically scratching his beard, and Will revealing that he's chosen "Wrecking Ball" by Miley Crus, which appears to both confuse and thrill Brad. Will states that while he doesn't want to be responsible for wrecking someone else's dream, he's not going to let anyone get in the way of his. In short, it's on.
-I like his version more than I thought I would, given how overplayed this song is. That said, I feel like the live band let him down a bit. Or maybe it was the audio department. The performance lacked the necessary punch that the percussion should have had, because it was either too soft or just inaudible. Either way, Will does deliver a solid vocal thanks to the natural grittiness of his voice, which is complemented by the powerful range he shows. Brad and Kesha vote yes while Ludacris votes no, leaving him with 57% of the vote. We're short on time so we only get comments from Kesha, who says that she felt the song choice was brilliant (Brad adds that he agrees). It wouldn't surprise me if Ludacris voted no due to what sounded like a minor lyrical flub on Will's part, since his downvote came almost immediately after. Although I'll have to watch it back to hear if he actually did mess up a lyric, because I don't know the song as well as I probably should given how many times I've had to listen to it.
VIDEO: Will Roth, "Wrecking Ball"
-Low on time as we come back from break, so...
JESSE KINCH closes the show!
-Jesse says pretty much the same stuff about raising the Wall that everyone else said, as we head right into his mentoring session. He says he gave it great thought when learning he would be going up against Will, and says that, ultimately, it all comes down to moving people and making a connection. Jesse gets to jam a bit with Brad Paisley, which he loves, in addition to earning approval from all of the experts for his song choice of "Whipping Post" by The Allman Brothers Band. This could be a great fit for his voice, and might have been even better for Will, given their similar voices and styles. Brad goes so far as to note that this duel makes him sad, since we'll be losing one of these guys (well, unless the West Coast saves the loser).
-Jesse absolutely destroys this song, in a good way. He reminds me of a really good, well-traveled 70s rocker. He injects pain into songs that don't even necessarily need them, like every song he sings is completely lived-in and vibrant with his own personal experiences. All three experts give him an upvote, which leaves Jesse with a whopping 90% of the vote, and a standing ovation from all three experts (including Ludacris, who gets on his chair).
-The experts praise Jesse for his performance, before noting how sad they are to lose Will. Josh tells Will to "keep on keepin' on," and advising him to stick with the vocal warmups they went over. Brad stresses that Will is a really cool guy, and that he shouldn't change. Before we leave, Josh notes that one of either Will Roth, Sarah Darling, or Lisa Punch will be saved by the West Coast. If I had to guess, I have a feeling Will just might get it.
VIDEO: Jesse Kinch, "Whipping Post"
-With a final score of 90% to 57%...
JESSE KINCH WINS THE DUEL AND ADVANCES TO THE NEXT ROUND!
-Next week's matchups: Adam Jaymes vs. Austin French, April Lockhart vs. Sonnet Simmons, and Macy Kate vs. Gabrielle Nicole! That's going to be crazy!
-So what did you think of tonight's show? Did the right artists make it through? If not, whom would you have put through? And which singer do you think should earn the West Coast save? Sound off in the comments!
-Until next week, thank you for joining me for the live blog and recap of Rising Star Week 4!