Who rose the wall during tonight’s final auditions on “Rising Star”? (Photo property of ABC)
By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com
Over the past two weeks, Rising Star exceeded expectations by giving the power of choosing who join the show…to the viewers!
The viewers have put through some superb performers into the next stage of the competition. Tonight, it is the last chance for aspiring artists to impress the audience!
Who raised the wall tonight? Your Rising Star recap starts right now!
Up first to face the voters was Dana Williams. The L.A. born sweetheart dedicated her performance to her late father, who played guitar for the King of Pop! She tackled one of Rihanna’s most difficult songs: “Stay.” I thought her runs were solid and the way she hit those high notes near the decrescendo were superb! She could be a dark horse winner in this competition. A-
The first group of the night was Unselfish. Made up of AJ, Antwoin, Kevin and Brandon, the Miami turned Atlanta quartet-transformed fun’s “Some Nights” into multi-part harmony quagmire. While Kesha loved their energy and wanted to work with them in the future, both Brad Paisley and Ludacris stated that their harmonies needed to improve. C+
39-year-old registered nurse Cliff Cody wants to break into music! The Somerset, Ohio native tackled Travis Tritt’s “I’m Gonna Be Somebody.” I never heard so much soul in a country song. I do not know what the hell Kesha and Ludacris were thinking during this performance!!! He sounded so much better than any of the other artists in the music industry. (I think Blake Shelton would have loved him on The Voice!) B+
After Josh talked to Kesha about her cat cult, it was time for Audrey Kate Geiger! The 24-year-old New Jersey native has a love for surfing and sang on a beach with her father. Audrey moved to New York City when she was 22-year-old to chase her dream. It was so refreshing to hear her tackle Sam Smith’s “Stay with Me,” because it was great to hear a woman’s take on this 2014 soul gem. A
The Rising Star wall has not been kind to groups this year! Hoping to break to curse was OhMG! Their cover of Ellie Goulding’s “Lights” was intriguing, but their vocals scratched my ears. If they want to be successful in the industry, both of them need to work on their harmonies and song selection! D+
For Gabrielle Nichole, her singing career was started by force. The 20-year-old Cleveland, Ohio was forced to sing in her choir! She loves diva music (such as Patti, Tina and Whitney) and tackled “My Man.” When she first opened up her mouth, I instantly fell in love with her vocal range. She was the first singer of the night to give me chills and I think we have a contender to win this whole competition! A+
After Brad Paisley debuted his new single: “River Bank,” it was time to get back to business. Jacksonville native Karen Hornsby dedicated her performance to her beautiful daughter, Gabrielle. It always tough to tackle Celine Dion on a singing competition, but Karen showcased her conviction and power with an astonishing performance of “To Love You Have” that would have made Celine very proud! I hope she makes it to the finale. A
What would you do to get money? For triplets TX3…they sang shirtless on Hollywood Boulevard! While I admire the lads’ efforts on “Keep Your Head Up”, their harmonies sucked! I felt like I was watching a train wreck on stage. F
26-year-old Skye Griffin performed the night’s second Rihanna song: “Only Girl in the World.” I liked her stage presence, but her vocals needed work. I think with enough practice and work, she could return to the show or audition for The Voice or American Idol. C
The final audition of the season belonged to the show’s youngest artist! At 16-years-old, Morgan Higgins came from a musical family and tackled a very coveted song: Heart’s “Alone.” Her golden vocals reminded me of both vintage Cyndi Lauper and Carrie Underwood when this song propelled her to the top of American Idol. It was a great way to end the night! A-
Next week, all of the contestants face off against the wall and each other in the Duels!
