The eleven contestants of Pinoy Idol aimed to show
their love and affection to people close to them through heartfelt performances
dedicated to a person or group of their choice. Last week's theme was focused
on "Song Dedications," allowing the Idol hopefuls to express themselves through
their song choices.
The judges, comprised of Ogie Alcasid, Jolina Magdangal, and Wyngard Tracy were, for the most part, generous in handing out good comments regarding the improvement shown by the Idol hopefuls.
"Ram, ikaw lang ang performer sa competition na ito, na ‘pag kumakanta ka, I am instantly hypnotized. I don't know how you do it. But keep doing it. I can see you in the top, maybe Top 3," remarked Ogie, obviously pleased by Ram Chaves' edgy take on "Banal Na Aso, Santong Kabayo" by Yano dedicated to every Filipino. "Keep us entertained," he advised.
Aside from Ram Chaves, 25-year-old Warren Antig also got a thumbs-up vote from all three judges. Warren gave his rendition of "You Give Love A Bad Name" and dedicated it to his Baguio-based friends, whom he advised to stop their "kalokohan" and change their ways.
Ogie was all praises for Penelope's soulful rendition of "So Sick" by Ne-Yo. The female singer dedicated this song to her former roommate and fellow Idol competitor Jayann Bautista. "Palagay ko nakinig ka sa ‘kin," Ogie told Penelope. "This time bagay na bagay sayo yung kinanta mo."
"Your voice was clear, your enunciation was so...andun. Wala akong masabi," he added. "I enjoyed it so much. I'm proud to be a Batangueno, because of you. Good job."
Unlike Penelope, who got two out of three votes from the panel, Toffer Rei did not fare too well. For his performance of "Changes In My Life" which he dedicated to his girlfriend, Toffer only managed to get Jolina's yes vote and failed to gain the approval of the two other judges.
"I know this song is very special to you and your ‘pare,'" empathized Ogie, referring to Toffer's girlfriend whom he fondly calls ‘pare.' "However, I have to say it really lacks the punch and the power of your previous performances. This one was quite lame," he criticized.
Jayann Bautista, who dedicated a groovy performance of "Whine Up" to her female buddy Rachelle Ann Go, was also praised for her surprising song-and-dance number. The judges were clearly impressed by the energy she exuded.
"Palagay ko, ang problema mo lang tonight, may inhibitions ka pa," mused Wyngard. "If you decide to do something like that, tanggalin mo 100 percent [yung inhibitions mo]. Kung sasayaw ka, bigay mo na, itodo mo na. Kanina halatang-halata na medyo nahihiya ka, nag-aalangan ka."
Ogie agreed with Wyngard and said, "You looked a little
stiff on stage. Siguro you could've made your movements a little bigger. You
should have excited the audience. Sana hindi ka masyadong nailang sa movements
mo," he told Jayann.
Twenty-year-old Gretchen Espina was on the brink of losing her voice that
night, giving a raspy quality to her voice. Nevertheless, she was still praised
by the judges for her courageous take on "A House Is Not A Home." She dedicated
the ballad to a childhood friend.
Daryl Celis crooned "Basta't Kasama Kita" for his grandmother and was lauded by the judges for his heartfelt number. "Yung emotions, yung feelings na binigay mo doon sa kanta, parang kinilig ako," admitted Jolina.
Pampanga-based Robby Navarro sang "Someone That I Used To Love" and dedicated it to "those people who have loved so much, pero hindi nasuklian yung pagmamahal nila." But Robby was unable to amaze Ogie who described his performance as a bit over-sung.
Kid Camaya sang "I'll Never Love This Way Again," which he offered to his mother. He got Jolina and Ogie's votes but failed to impress Wyngard.
Sixteen-year-old Sue Ellen dedicated Linkin Park's "In The End" to her fellow Ilonggos, especially to those who have been affected by recent typhoon "Frank." This time, it was Ogie who was not impressed by her performance.
Wyngard was not impressed by Mae Flores's interpretation of Tina Arena's "If I Didn't Love You" dedicated to her older sister. "Last week, I remember pinuri ka naming tatlo. I even said, a star is born," recalled Wyngard. "Ngayon, hindi ko alam anong nangyari sa ‘yo. I'm very disappointed. I got bored. You should make up for it the next time," said the veteran talent manager.
But it looked like there won't be a next time for the Marikina-based contestant since the 18-year-old Mae Flores got the axe from the viewers during the results night. She got the lowest number of votes and was placed at the Bottom Group along with rockers Warren Antig and Toffer Rei.
Among those who witnessed the heartfelt performances of the Top 11 were icons of the music industry: Jett Pangan, Jamie Rivera, Aiza Seguerra, and Rey Valera.
Catch another gala performance night on July 5 and results night on July 6 as the search for the first Pinoy Idol continues on GMA-7.