The musical reality show hosted by Regine Velasquez and Ogie Alcasid featuring celebrities who are not from the music industry is back--and looks more flamboyant than ever!
Never mind that there's more to be desired when it comes to the eight contestants' singing abilities, the real competition here is in their stage presence and appeal. So how did the new batch of celebrity singers fare in the premiere of the show's second season last Saturday? Did they live up to the flamboyance of first Celebrity Duets champ Tessa Prieto-Valdes? Here's a roundup of the new singers' performance at the season pilot, with inputs from the panel of judges.
Carlene Aguilar, beauty queen
Performed “I Will Survive” with Agot Isidro
Carlene's singing was dainty and actually not bad for someone who doesn't sing professionally, but her performance lacked that oomph factor. Composer Danny Tan didn't expect her to be so good; Tessa hoped that she'll last longer; while director Freddie Santos thought she has the "K" to sing.
Joey Marquez, actor and comedian
Performed “Let Me” with Nonoy Zuniga
Unfortunately, the "manly" song was boring and the comedian looked a bit tense on stage. Tessa said the guys sounded macho; Danny said Joey's voice faltered when the notes went up; while the performance rendered Freddie speechless.
Cory Quirino, TV personality and wellness guru
Performed “Dancing Queen” with Vernie Varga
For someone who's not even confident about her singing abilities, Cory Quirino was actually a joy to watch. She is beautiful and has chemistry with Vernie. If we had the right to give her Tessa's approval for flamboyance, we would. Freddie exclaimed that she brought wellness to the show; Tessa felt that Cory looked like she enjoyed the performance; while Danny noticed that she was off-mic at some point, but praised her nevertheless.
Phil Younghusband, athlete
Performed “Umbrella” with Aicelle Santos
Phil scored high on our hotness-meter, but failed dismally in his rather awkward performance of the toned-down "Umbrella." Yet Danny still thought he could carry a tune; Tessa advised some more interaction with his partner; and Freddie said his performance was "thumbingi" ("not so straight," according to Ogie's translation).
Melanie Marquez, beauty queen and TV personality
Performed "The Greatest Love of All" with Jay-R
Melanie ranked second when it came to flamboyance, never mind that her singing leaves much to be desired and that her song choice was boring. Tessa loved her costume; Freddie thought she didn't need all the borloloy because she glowed on stage; and Danny said she was a natural performer.
JC Buendia, fashion designer
Performed "Simply Irresistible" with Randy Santiago
At the press conference for the show, JC Buendia said he hoped he could unleash his "inner geisha" in his performances. While we're not exactly sure if he reached that "geisha standard," his performance was actually energetic. Freddie said JC had the chops, and Danny thought he was more energized than usual yet encouraged him to interact more with his singing partner.
JL Chua, TV chef
Performed "Ikaw ang Aking Mahal" with Jinky Vidal
This is one chef who definitely oozed with confidence onstage and even gave off a bit of comic charm. Danny noted his energy and confidence but advised him to stop staring at the floor; Tessa liked his performance; while Freddie thought he was a bit undercooked.
Secretary Bayani Fernando
Performed "Macho Gwapito" with Renz Verano
We're a bit wary about political figures in reality shows, but BF did look like he was having fun even if he danced a bit too awkwardly. After joking that he would set off his traffic enforcers after the judges, Tessa said he could really sing, Freddie admitted that he enjoyed the secretary's performance, and Danny noted his slightly off "U-turns" but praised the choreography and BF's interaction with his partner.
So what say you, FN girls? Did you enjoy the season pilot and will you tune in for the next episode? Which non-singing celebrity will get your votes next week? Do you think the stars' stage presence makes up for their lack of singing prowess? Let us know what you think and comment away!
Photos courtesy of GMA-7
1 Comments
Add Commentcweesy
i actually enjoyed BF's performance. as for phil younghusband, er, ako yung nailang for him. but maybe he was just nervous.
August 25, 2008 at 12:20 pm