You could be forgiven for having not paid much attention to series five of The Voice UK so far, but with the live semi-final airing tonight (April 2nd) it might be time to tune into the BBC show.
Previous series haven’t had much success in producing acts able to make any great impact on the UK music scene, but with new coaches Boy George and Paloma Faith joining veteran coach Will.I.Am and reigning champion Kaiser Chiefs frontman Ricky Wilson perhaps this could be the year we see the birth of a global superstar.
Last week, four contestants were granted a “Fast Pass” through to the next round while the other six performers faced the public vote for the first time with two being sent home.
Tonight there are no “Fast Passes” available meaning all eight competitors will be relying on impressing the public enough to vote for them.
Fighting for your votes tonight are:
Team Will.I.Am
Lyrickal – Perhaps a surprise addition to Team Will, 46-year-old Lyrickal (aka Brian Turner) raps, beatboxes and puts on quite a performance. In last week’s show, he demonstrated a more sensitive side, singing James Morrison’s ‘Just like a Child’ with no tricks or gimmicks. Receiving Will’s “Fast Pass”, meaning that tonight will be the first time the public have the chance to show their support (or lack of) for this Shoreditch based entertainer.
Lydia Lucy – Pint-sized powerhouse Lydia Lucy had Will turning his chair for her within seconds of her audition. The 22-year-old Essex girl sings and raps, looking perfectly at home on the stage. Currently falling just outside the top four in the bookies rankings, Lydia has the advantage of already knowing she has the public’s support after receiving enough of last week’s votes to make it through to tonight’s semi-final.
Team Boy George
Cody Frost – Boy George has made no secret of his favouritism towards 17-year-old Cody. Her distinctive flair, in both appearance and voice, reminds George of a young him and she flew through to tonight’s semi-final after he granted her his “Fast Pass”. Cody’s alternative punk style is a refreshing change to what would be expected of contestants on these kinds of competitions and bookies have her ranked in the top three, but tonight will be the first time we see if the public are as excited by her as Boy George.
Vangelis – It can’t be easy knowing that your coach prefers your team mate, however 24-year-old Vangelis hasn’t let this stop him from delivering strong performances in each round. After receiving enough votes last week to see him through to the semi-final tonight without the need of a “Fast Pass”, half Greek/half Scottish Vangelis, who claims to have lacked confidence in the past, must be feeling slightly less nervous for tonight’s show.
Team Paloma
Jordan Gray – Originally not managing to get any of the judges to turn their chairs in her first audition, Jordan joined Team Paloma after another contestant dropped out before the second round of the competition. Her confident, strong performances have confirmed that it’s her musical ability that gives her a right to be on the show and not just that, she’s the first trans-gender contestant on The Voice. This week will see her face the public vote for the first time after she received Paloma’s “Fast Pass” in the previous round.
Heather Cameron–Hayes – The look of complete astonishment she showed last week upon discovering the public had voted her through to the semi-finals suggested Heather is still struggling to believe that she is more than just the ‘child genius’ the producers of the show seem intent on portraying her as. With her beautiful voice and musical talent, 16-year-old Heather has managed to take well-known songs in each round and make them uniquely her own – a skill not often seen in reality television shows. Whilst still considered an outsider by the bookies, Heather has already proved she has public support so perhaps we’ll get to see another endearing look of astonishment tonight.
Team Ricky
Kevin Simm – You might remember Kevin for standing behind three beautiful ladies, waving a stick around and singing about wanting a little bit more, but the 35-year-old ex Liberty-X member has stepped forward to show he has a voice of his own – and that it’s actually pretty good. Tipped as the hot favourite to win the entire series, Kevin shocked everyone in his blind audition with his stunning rendition of Sia’s ‘Chandelier’. He’s failed to achieve a similar response in any of his subsequent performances however, and receiving Ricky’s “Fast Pass” last week means we’ve not yet seen if the public are willing to pick up the phone and actually vote for him.
Jolan – I’m probably not supposed to have a favourite contestant, but if I did, it would be Jolan all the way. After receiving no “chair turns” in his blind audition two years ago, 22-year-old Jolan bravely came back this year with a new confidence resulting in three judges turning their chairs and fighting over themselves to persuade him to join their team. As a member of Team Ricky, Jolan has delivered pitch perfect performances and last week sailed through the public vote into tonight’s semi-final. His distinctive voice and slightly obscure song choices (covering Terrence Trent D’Arby, INXS and McAlmont & Butler so far) could see him become the dark horse of the competition.
The Voice live semi-final airs on BBC1 tonight (April 2nd) at 7pm.