“The Voice”Grade: B
With the myriad of singing, dancing and talent competitions televised, it is easy to brush off NBC’s “The Voice.”
But anyone who says it’s a little sister to “American Idol” is sadly mistaken. It’s more of the rebellious cousin.
“The Voice” finds big-name musicians (Cee-Lo Green, Christina Aguilera, Blake Sleldon and Adam Levine of Maroon 5) fighting against each other, assembling teams of no-name singers to find the next big star … or the next person deserving 15 minutes of fame.
The point of the show is to find talent. The heart of the show comes from breaking down stereotypes. For the first two weeks, contestants had to audition with the celebrities (named above) turned away from them. No one can see what they look like; they can only hear the voice. The professionals are there to help, instead of to judge, which makes it a kinder show to watch.
The show comes with twists.
The judges, or “mentors,” assemble a team of eight during what is called “blind auditions,” then move onto the “Battle Rounds,” where two members from the same team take the stage at the same time, singing the same song.
The best thing of the show is by far the talent.
Rebecca Loebe’s very original version of “Come As You Are” was enticing, Javier Colon’s acoustic rendition of “Time After Time” was precious and Tje Austin may have sung “Just The Way You Are”
better than Bruno Mars.
After the battle rounds, the show is then moved to a live show, where it will dwindle down to a final winner. Already in the running is Frenchie Davis (who appeared on “Idol,” actually) and Vicci Martinez, who won the hearts of the audience by singing Adele’s “Rolling In The Deep.”
Will it outlive “Idol?” No way. Will it last for another season? Probably not. But is it worth checking out? Most definitely. Unlike “Idol,” a drawn out, sometimes two-hour affair, “The Voice” is short, sweet and stays interesting.
The only drawback is the host, Carson Daly. This is not the year 1999, and this is not “TRL,” therefore, there is no need for Daly.
