Final four vie for ‘The Voice Kids’ title
Last Saturday, the six remaining finalists of the second “The Voice Kids” singing tilt sang their hearts out for the competition’s top four slots, a musical fight that extended to the Sunday telecast of the show. This time around, the parameters were different: the four survivors would be determined not by the mentors, but by viewers’ “votes.”
At the end of Saturday’s telecast, our own choices were Esang, Reynan, Elha—and perhaps Kyle. Sassa and Zephanie sang well but, in our opinion, were too mature for the kiddie singing tilt.
Even Elha was too big, but she scored extra points with her birit song ending that prompted us to overlook her age and heft.
It’s clear from these notes that the tilt’s being a singing competition for little children is all-important to us, because child performers’ youth, innocence, optimism and vivification of “possibilities” are, in our view, their most vital and unique contributions to viewers and the performing scene.
The minute a child singer sings about romantic love, he or she is no longer performing this necessary function—which is why we firmly reject love songs as material for them to interpret. Even bigger no-nos are “passionate” numbers about hearts being broken, feelings “on fire,” etc!
Inappropriate choices
This year, a few such inappropriate song choices still managed to get on the show, with the excuse being that kiddie songs are too musically simple and undemanding, and don’t allow the really good singers to strut their musical stuff.
However, better song research reveals that this is not necessarily the case, so the “no romantic love songs” rule has to be observed.
Last Sunday, the “from six to four” competition continued with a group singing round, after which the votes were counted—and, it turned out that we were correct for the most part, with Reynan, Esang, Elha and Sassa surviving the final cut. Sassa is still relatively too mature, in our view, but the “voters” have spoken.
It’s heartening to see that the current tilt’s bulilits, Esang and Reynan, have done so well thus far. To us, this “proves” that we correctly sensed that adult viewers and listeners prefer child singers who are really young and innocent.
This psychological preference is what makes kiddie singing tilts hugely different from competitions for older singers, so mentors and judges should adjust and change their standards, forthwith.
This season, the mentor with the “right” finalists is Coach Lea, both of whose bets are in the final-finals.
Last year, Coach Sarah’s Lyca Gairanod, another wee performer, ended up winning the tilt.
If either Reynan or Esang top this year’s contest, the key point shall have definitely and definitively been made!
