Episode 4: Central Eliminations Pt 2 (Top 20 - 12)

[uptowndragon]

The Prelude to Episode 4

In matter of hours most of you guys will find out who actually makes it into the Top 12. Even as hard as we tried to keep it a secret, some of you may already know a portion (if not all) of the finalists already. After all some of the eager contestants or their family, friends or fans, may have revealed it in various blogs and social networking sites, ahead of schedule.

Whatever the case, the "secret" will be out before the night is over, and a new season of OIAM 3 officially kicks off with the live shows, beginning next week. Once again many of us will trudge all the way to Plaza Alam Central in Shah Alam where TV3's Sri Pentas 2 is located, in support of our favourites. A routine we will repeat on a weekly basis until someone we like gets eliminated. It will be just as painful for some of the fans as it would be for the contestants who will get dropped week by week.

It has been a long & hard journey so far for all of the contestants who have made it thus far. And the journey will get even harder as the season progresses into the live stages, where their fate is no longer in the judges hands anymore. In fact their fate will be entirely in the hands of, ...not their fans, but in their own hands actually. Not only will they need a golden voice but also excellent interaction with the voting public that eventually will send them to the top, and home with a million RM.

Tonight the Top 20 will be trimmed down to the Top 12, and 8 equally talented contestants will dissapear from most of our memories. Unless of course they take something away from this extremely sobering competition, and build on it, with a vengeance to return into the limelight once again. We already know of one of the Top 20 who will be "officially" dismissed tonight, who has already managed to make the cut into the finals of another reality show. We are proud of her determination to make it into the industry (although we are surprised how she actually found the time) and wish her the very best in the other show. We will let you know who that is at the end of tonight, but those who have no patience, you can always explore this site and figure it out.

To the 8 who will be leaving, it is not the end of your dream, but merely a bump in the road to success. Many of your fans will argue after tonight that some of you should be the ones who make it to the Top 12. It is really up to you guys to proove them right by making something of yourselves in the industry even if you have to do it own your own. We trust that a few definitely will.

For those who will make (have made) it, note that the honeymoon's over, and everything else other than winning, will have to take a back seat as you vie for, not just the biggest piece of the pie, but the whole pie itself. It is after all a competition, and the challenge is to convince the voters that you are the one who deserves it. And it is going to take more than just an outstanding voice. If you are not determined to make the effort to connect to the audience and keep them interested, we can see you packing your suitcases pretty soon. Anyway we will delve on that in more detail a little later.

We heard from the producers that Episode 4 is gonna be pretty awesome. In fact we know it was, since we were there when it was going down. So make sure you guys have your TVs well tuned into 8TV tonight at 9.30pm. Cancel everything else. You can have the Valentine's eve dinner tomorrow instead.



Some will be standing tall tonight & some will not!!!
Wondering who these belong to? Find out in Episode 4!!!




And someone will be performing with the excruciating pain from a missing toe nail. Ouuuwww!!!

[uptowndragon]

Meet the Top 12!!!



(Boys) Tomok, Aweera, Simon, Rizu & Nine.
(Girls) Pija, Esther, Ayu, Anith, Fify, Han & Amylea.

[starccs]

Starccs will be looking forward for Esther, Amylea and ermmmm Simon.

Felt that the girls are stronger this season. As always :S

[mart]

Episode 4 Review


If last week I was all about complaining about not having enough coverage of the contestants and not hearing all of them sing, I take it back this week! 8tv has given us the opportunity to know the top 20 in a more detailed way, and we had the opportunity to hear each one of them sing and we have the power to judge based on our own jurisdictions and expectations.

I’m sure many people tuned in this week to find out who makes the cut to the Top 12. Though some of you may already have known the line up (because some of your friends took part and hence giving u the constant feed or you were just too impatient to find out so you google-d it up), its always good to watch the show and find out yourself, and experience the adrenaline rush as you hope that your favourite contestant makes it. And to see the expression on their faces when they are given THE golden ticket to the Top 12 - Priceless! But then again, heck if I was in top 12, I would shout it from the mountain tops.. Everyone would have known anyway.. Lol

So, back to the show..

This week we saw the contestants singing solo and the judges making their choice of the top 12. Yeay for me I got all their names down as they sang one by one.. Haha

First up was Greg, the OIAM come back from the precious season. He did quite okay. Nothing very memorable and outstanding about his voice though. Unlike many of the other contestants who actually had something about them that constantly kept ringing in your head, Greg, to me, was quite average. While watching him sing, I felt that he sang better during the auditions and the previous cuts. It was a no, and he was the first contestant of the week we waved goodbye to. Uncle was quite right that he (Greg) has not quite understood that what his voice is.

This next lad, even before he sang we figured it would be a yes. Personally, I felt that he will be in the top 12. Aweera needs no more introduction. His rocker edge, the songs he sings, his high pitched intonations in betweens, without even looking at who is singing you would know that it is him indeed. He had a perfect sing choice this week, belting out Isabella. He has proven that this is him. This is what he is all about. He has taken the song to a total new level, and showed that he is what the judges are looking for, FINDING YOUR OWN VOICE. He has obviously found his voice that represents him. If we have Jaclyn victor with her microphone position, we have Aweera with his high pitches. This is what we call Creating Moments that will last. People will not forget this easily.
I can bet every penny I have that he will be a hot favorite among the female fans of OIAM
Oh and I love his hair this week.. It was nice.. I have a hair fetish.. U can ask anyone they would tell u!!

Then we had Nine, who was paired up with Aweera. He did okay. I can’t remember the song he sang tho.. But it was nice. It did sound like a performance on stage. J not much arguments here.

Dayah, a cutie among them all and a favorite of Uncle and Syaf, belted Gemuruh by Faizal Tahir. It was weird seeing her in make up and eyeliners.. Haha. Then again, she’s got to get used to it. She looked cute though. J her voice is nice, husky, and strong at some parts with a very cute personality. Uncle and Syaf however, didn’t let her through. It is ok. I’m sure you can come back next time yea.

Next up was Ayu. She looked nice and presentable, with a good voice. Undoubtedly, she deserves this. Not much to say again here, because I have only heard them sing a couple of times. I also have a margin of expectations. Those who fall on the Good line, should get in, and not much arguments on that. Ayu falls on the Good line J

Anith, despite being sick, was still able to carry and deliver her song. Contestants in any reality show who do not whine about being sick and stand up despite their illness and go through it, has always proven that they deserve this competition. It just shows their dedication and enthusiasm and how much this means to them. She performed well and got the ticket in. A well deserved entry. J

Darren has been quite a favorite of myself since his auditions, but it slowly faded away as time went by, mostly because it has been the same about him. Nothing bad about that, but it is the same all the time. He has a good voice but is not using it to his maximum advantage. Last week I mentioned that Joni has a better voice. This week, I’m still sticking to my decision. The only thing memorable about Darren is his beat boxing. His voice is nice, but at this leg of the competition, they want to see the contestant pushing it to the maximum and being THERE. I don’t quite think he was well prepared for this. But I love ‘em both!!!

This next girl comes with a package that is almost perfect. Everything about her is well fit for this competition. The way she is. Her personality. Her voice. Orange. The only thing that has been bugging me since last week was the fact that she cannot sing a malay song. It is a little too early in the competition and I know she has time to learn it. But being in the top 20, and moving on to the Top 12, one cannot depend solely on English songs. She has found her voice, her signature, but not able to be versatile and belt out on demands, is not going to be something that will trigger confidence in the judges and the people who will one day be your fans, supporters and even producers. People look for something fresh, something different, something new and unique. Buck up, lean up, and come again next year with more choices and versatility. You will have my full support.

Up next, Syafiq Hanafiah, the roker-ly dressed, jazz singing, stylish, male nurse who sang Belaian Jiwa. If I am not mistaken Belaian Jiwa is Uncle’s favorite song (correct me if I’m wrong). If you have to sing it, sing it good, or don’t sing it at all. His rendition was too flowery, almost loosing the original tune and the feel of the song. In their attempt of making a particular song “their own” , many people change the whole tune of the song to something very very flowery. If a song is meant to be simple and easy, and relaxed and solemn, let’s keep it that way alright J if it is meant to be fast and upbeat and energetic, then do whatever u please, because then, people wont know the difference with the noise accompanying it J. At some points, he (Syafiq) seemed to have lost the tune and it almost sounded out of tune.

Then came Shafiq Hasif. This lad belted out Isabella. A more solemn version compared to Aweera’s. it was ok. A more laid back version and a more relaxed listening. The judges decided that both were a no.

Love Song by Amylea, was by far one of the best re-sung versions I have heard. She made it jazzy, something very nice and pleasing to the ear. Not forgetting her good pronunciation. One thing that worries me about people who sing English songs is the pronunciation. Don’t get me wrong. I am not saying my pronunciation is fantastic beyond comparison. Basic pronunciation is a must in any English song. Any song for that matter. If the pronunciation is not right, the whole song tends to sound funny. Exempli Gratia, please you tube Tuts My Barreh. This is Touch My Body by Mariah Carey re-sung by some random Asian guy. This clearly shows that when one pronounces something incorrectly, it turns into a whole new level of mockery.

Then came Pija, and Fify, who belted out If I Ain’t Got You. The reason I decided to combine the two of them is because both of them have very unique and husky voices that goes very well with this song. Thumbs up to the two of them J keep up the good work.

Ridzuan was someone whom I first heard of when I was at the AIM Awards back in 2007. He won the award for Best Newcomer Male, at merely 17. He belted out Angels. It was alright. Something that fell on the Good line. Not very impressive and mind blowing, but it was good. J

Tomok, another or my favorite, belted out Belaian Jiwa. This version was much better than Syafiq (male nurse)’s version. It is by far one of my favorite renditions so far.

Next up was Simon who belted out Angels. This song has always been a favorite of mine. Sung with proper expressions and feel of the song it makes a great performance and the song speaks for itself. Simon sang it with so much feel and expression that really brought meaning to the song. Good job to you and keep up the good work.

Then came Syahrul, who was confused himself and made Uncle confused! His voice was average and it was ok. But nothing to shout about.

Han has a very powerful voice, undeniably. Syaf said that her power notes were quite weak, but I think otherwise. Her powerful vocals did get through. The thing with Syaf is, she has to realize that everyone cannot sing like her. Exempli Gratia, Syaf’s Queen of the night. Any average person cannot sing like her, like that. Though not a fan of that particular performance, her(Syaf) vocals were high and loud. Depending on how one sees it, it could be powerful or just noisy. I choose the latter. J. And I don’t know about her, but I felt and understood the song.

Hasyikin and Ester were the last two, to make the one final cut. With one more place to fill in, and two contestants left, the stakes were high. Hasyikin has a very nice unique husky voice that is very rare and unique. Esther however, has a very nice tone to the voice and is an entertainer. Since the first time I saw her at the auditions, she has something about her that is musical and it just translates to you. Esther is another of my personal favorite. So if you ask me “Out of the two, who should get in?”, my fanatic self would say definitely Esther. My non biased self as a spectator would say both. Both of them were good, but Esther stood out to Uncle and Syaf.

Anyway, all’s well. The top 12 has been revealed and the Live Shows starts this Friday, 20th February.
To the Top 12, Congratulations for making it this far, give it your best and do more than what is expected of you. Make all of us here at Rentak proud of u guys!!

Hope to meet all of you soon!!

Some of you may have noticed that there are absolutely no Precious Moments.. It is starting to sink in that “Bigger, Better and Tougher than before” may actually be true, and taking its effect on everyone, including me. It’s time to get serious and down to business for the next month and a half.

I pray for all your success. All the best to all of you!

-Mart-

P/S : Syafinaz, PLEASE hire another hair stylist. Your hair looked HORRIBLE with the little white hair band at the end of your forehead.. What were you thinking?!?!?!?!?!

[mart]

I figured, and upon request, I will start adding a Mart's Ranking on the contestants' performances. My rankings would be based on episodes. For starters, this first ranking chart is based on contestant's performances from the auditions until Central Eliminations (Top 12).

So, here goes :

1. Esther
2. Simon
3. Amylea
4. Fify
5. Pija
6. Aweera
7. Nine
8. Han
9. Tomok
10. Anith
11. Ayu
12. Rizu

This chart will be updated weekly after each review i post.. so keep an eye for my write up!!!

xoxo!!