The rocker duel between Will Roth and Jesse Kinch was the battle of the night! (Photo property of ABC)
By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com
Tonight, Rising Star started a new round!
In order to make it to the Quarter-Finals, each artist must face the dreaded duels round! Like The Voice’s Battle Rounds, two artists will receive advice from the show’s panel of experts (Brad Paisley, Kesha and Ludacris) and must receive from voters.
Who made the cut? Was a fan-favorite eliminated? Read on to find out!
The first duel of the evening was Alice J. Lee and Lisa Punch! The panel paired them together because they are both strong performers! Alice J. Lee tackled Little Mix’s “Wings.” I loved the energy from the 25-year-old Broadway star. Brad Paisley was the first expert to clock in and just like dominoes…Kesha and Luda checked in and was able to get 69-percent! (My grade: A-) Lisa had to perform with the Wall down and tackled P!nk’s “Perfect.” Unfortunately, I was not pleased with Lisa’s performance and I thought that it was way too dramatic. (My grade: C-)
West coast save Megan Tibbits proved that she was a virtuoso as she traded in her harp for a guitar to perform “Summertime.” I had real hesitations with Megan’s song selection! The reason why…her cover was very subpar to Fantasia’s iconic rendition of “Summertime.” However, she was able to score a 71-percent and received all yeses from the experts! (My grade: C).
Nashville darling Sarah Darling had a lot of ground to cover. In addition to try to beat that score and had to face the wall as well. Her song that she tackled was Lee Ann Womack’s signature song, “I Hope You Dance.” During her rehearsals with the experts, they advised her to project and when she sang the first note, I was immediately hooked! Sarah weaved a beautiful story and tugged at my heartstrings. Unfortunately, it was not enough to move onto the competition! But, she received an invitation to perform with Brad at the Grand Ole Opry! (My grade: A-)
The last duel of the night was the battle of the rockers! Up first was Will Roth! The bearded Texan tackled one of Miley Cyrus’s most controversial songs: “Wrecking Ball.” I am sorry, Will….but Bo Bice will always remain the king of the bearded rockers and both Matthew Schuler and Christina Grimmie will always own this song! (My grade: F)
Jesse Kinch closed out the show as he headed towards the wall! The 20-year-old old soul rocker tackled the Allman Brothers Band’s “Whipping Post.” Jesse stole the night with his astonishing cover that featured so much awesome energy that he “Signed, Sealed and Delivered” his way into the finals! (My grade: A+)
Next week, the duels continue!
