OMG Episode 9 : The Review

Did the guest judge outshine the contestants?

Nine episodes into the season and the show gets a coup. We get Debbie Gibson in as a guest judge. In town for this Saturday's Retrolicious concert (woot! woot! Tickets are almost all gone so move quickly to Sistic to be there or be square), Debs (as her British friends call her) gamely grabbed an OMG clipboard and fit right in with our local panel.


The theme for this episode is "My Singapore Dream". Don't know about the Contenders, but I couldn't help having visions of the National Day Parade especially since it was just a few months ago. I know its open to interpretation but don't you think its still got this patriotic ring to it?


Back to Ms DeboRah Gibson. I loved how excited Gurms and Michelle were when introducing her that they basically skipped introducing FD altogether just so they could keep bantering with her. Poor FD. LOL! Even spotlight guy forgot to shine the light on him.


So what's Debbie looking for? Here's a vid I actually took of her in the prep room before the show. Had tried my best to upload it whilst I was there so that y'all could watch it before the show began, but sigh, Singtel failed me - even with a highspeed dongle, it said 555 minutes left (I have witnesses).
 
This week, elimination takes an even more brutal turn, two go home. Check out my exit/elimination post here.
And now, on to the review ...


Contender #1 : Jill-Marie Thomas
Dressed in a simple shirt, jeans and a scarf, the old Jill-Marie is back sans hair gel, rockstar eyeline and the pleather and wallet chains. Back onstage with just her accoustic guitar, Jill-Marie sings a medley (or the cooler term is mash-up) of "We Are Singapore/ Home/ Stand Up Singapore".

What did the judges say?
Beatrice : You made some brilliant choices tonight with your selection of songs. And there's really only one way to sing those songs and its with heart which is what you do so well, well done.

Debbie : You know with so many acts, they have so many bells and whistles and they cover themselves with dancers and production.  To connect with your voice is just the ultimate power. And you really connected with everybody. Its so great to see just pure simple talent out there.

Irene : Welcome back Jill-Marie Thomas. Stay this way and we love you!

FD : The Jill I love is back and the biggest compliment I can give you is that I want you to sing that exact song at our next National Day Parade.

summerr says : 
Boy am I glad to see the old Jill-Marie back. Don't get me wrong, I kinda loved it when she played dress-up with Sly and channeled her inner Ozzy Osbourne. But I like 'Just Jill' more. And like Judge B said, she sang with heart, and watching her sing those familiar songs, I felt like standing up. It was soooo NDP I was ready to wave my lil flag too! Way to go Jill, loved it! And yes, it would be such a treat to for once hear a Singapore song at NDP minus the fanfare, but add in the heart.



Contender #2 : Danny Koh
Doing a new 'trick' he's mastered in just a few days prior, and only practiced in full the night before, Danny had himself hoisted upside down on a burning rope while trying to escape from a straight jacket. Siao-ness.


What did the judges say?
 
B: Danny, you know you are my favourite drama queen. I am shocked at just how far you would go to wow us. Thank you!

D: In your goal to push people and push the envelope, amazing!

I: Danny I am falling in love with you. You always surprise us and push yourself so much. All Singaporeans should be like you.

FD: You are a shining example of what an entertainer should do. Push yourself. Go as far as you possibly can. There are no limits. You are amazing.

summerr says :
The very first time I watched this, I was at the makeup area upstairs, watching it on the tv set and I was biting my nails man. It was so nerve-wracking because the danger of the rope snapping and Danny falling on his head was real. Plus I had one of the other Contenders next to me saying, "Oh no, yesterday he did it faster, why so slow today?" Whalao, you tell me panic or not? I didn't even realise I was holding my breath until it was all over!

Having said that, watching it at home for the second time, it wasn't exciting anymore. But you have to give to Danny, even if he was well-trained and knew he could handle it, he's a showman, a drama queen like Judge B says and it just makes it all the more entertaining to see him 'struggle'. (Btw, he was so blur after being upside down for over 90 seconds that he help up the wrong number of fingers when the voting numbers were announced - so cute la!)



Contender #3 : Desert Roses
Don't you guys think Sophia is just the cutest? "We will use this fan to bring together two cultures to perform a dreamy dance for you." Desert Roses used chinese fans in their routine to fuse Chinese and Middle-Eastern culture together.

What did the judges say?
B : You are one of our most inspiring contestants because you have never failed to surprise us every week.While this is not one of your strongest performances, I feel, it was still a very sound and a very confident one, so thank you.

D : You girls are very beautiful, and the music came and it was very exciting but I didn't feel that the dancing quite matched. I wanted it to feel a little less safe and a little more unique.

I :  I have to be honest and say that I'm a bit disappointed in them today. I've seen them do better. They should not stay safe. Like Danny, they should shock us.

FD : I have to agree with the rest that it wasn't your best routine. But your techniques are always good. You get out there and you do what you need to do to entertain. You deserve to come back next wek, but you've gotta do a lot better next week.
  
summerr says : 
I have to agree with the judges on this one. Something was missing. Each time the Roses have performed on this show they've stepped it up. This routine seemed very much like their earlier repertoire, when they had first started out - there was no wow. In fact, I recognised this routine because they did it at the Jurong Point roadshow, except that they added in 3 feathers each on their heads and painted a mini Singapore flag on their cheeks. They also seemed ill-prepared for some reason, like their heart wasn't 100% in it too. 

Perhaps the theme was too difficult to interpret. Hopefully they stay on next week (cos I've also grown really fond of them) and we'll get to see what new tricks they've got up their sleeves for 'Lights, Camera, Action!' (next week's theme).



Contender #4 : Vertical Dancers
Irene and Miko did a lyrical pole dance to Corinne May's Song For Singapore which had a lot of what was, I think, meant to be synchronised spinning moves.
 
What did the judges say?
B : The sprinning was beautiful but I think that pole dancing is very difficult to marry with a theme like Singapore Dream. I found it a little odd in terms of how you interpreted it. But other than that the spinning was beautiful.

D : Yeah, it was wild hearing that song juxtaposed with those legs flailing open! But in all honesty that takes a lot of athletic and artistic ability and I applaud you. Cos it takes a lot of strength to do what you guys just did.

I : I have to disagree with both my judges, I think you have represented Singapore very well. We are very athletic, we just did YOG! And you're beautiful like Singapore the city.

FD : I love the idea of the slow music and the spinning on a pole cos it is always pumping music when we see pole dancers so I like the difference.


summerr says : 
When the girls first told me the idea, I was like 'huh? that's a weird song choice, and a bit overkill right since they played it so much before NDP'. But the minute their routine started, I was wrapped up in the 'beautiful' 'slow' setting. It  was very graceful and ethereal somehow. But then, mid way I noticed the girls weren't synchronised anymore and Irene was spinning at half the speed Miko was. I was kinda thrown off by that and it got worse for me when I realised Miko was doing tons more moves. It looked like Irene was having some trouble catching up with the choreo midway and I was so disappointed for them because it had started off so well. But then, no one seemed to notice (the judges made no references at all), so good for them!



Contender #5 : Singapore Char Siew Baos!
The Baos! do a mash-up of  The Beatles' 'Hard Day's Night' and the Cranberries hit 'Dreams' which is about 'working hard and having dreams'. Very Singaporean. Which they are. Says so in their name :)
 


What did the judges say? 
B : Baos! there is something that is just so right about this performance. You guys are so cute. And what I love is that you just don't take yourselves too seriously and that's what makes you so vibrant as a band.

D : I agree. It's like the second coming of the Partridge family, only that the chick is not just shakin' a tambourine, you're beltin' it out sister!

I : Ruby you are shining as the weeks go by, well done sister!

FD : You guys have totally understood what the 60s were all about. That is the best performance you have done yet.

summerr says :
I LOVED IT! So fun! I loved their coordinated side to side steps. I loved the grey vests (they were all bought from Mustafa and for Dom, they got two vests and he wore one on either side and had the back sewn together - too funny right?) Ruby looked adorable. Jacob's 'square' hair and glasses were nerdy cute. It was just so fun! Loved that they even threw in a bit of 'Hey Jude' in as a bonus. And again Ruby let loose - wooot!

Ok granted the vocals weren't the strongest, but in terms of entertainment value, I'd rank them a good solid 8.5! 



Contender #6 : Luminiq Crew
"We are tryng to portray ourselves entering an international dance competition. So that's our Singapore Dream." That's an interesting way of interpreting the theme - good job thinking out of the box boys!
 


What did the judges say?
B : When it comes to humour, comedy, story, attitude, personality iu guys score top marks. But if I were to see through all that, you have to go back and spend a little bit more time on your choreo. Cos you're having so much fun that the choreo is starting to slip a little bit. It's not getting new.

D : I love that you don't take yourselves too seriously. The personality is amazing. If I were to come back next week and see you, I would love to see some new unique moves. I feel like I've seen a lot of that before.

I : I've seen these moves the last 7 weeks. You are a very good team, but somehow I feel that you've gotten a bit complacent. A word of warning, some of  the other contenders are picking up and working very very hard on their acts and surprising us every week. you cannot be complacent. Show us what you have and more.

FD : We know what you can do, and commplacency is absolutely right. Everyone is stepping up their game, so you've got to step up your game.

summerr says :
Totally felt like I was in the principal's office for a bit there. But I totally hear what the judges are saying. Like Desert Roses earlier, Luminiq's routine seemed a bit off, a little lacklustre compared to what they've been bringing week after week. They've always been in top form when it comes to interesting concepts but tonight's performance seemed unprepared and not as thoroughly thought through as their previous Zombie/Glam/Bed routines. They looked like the Luminiq we first saw back in August. Something was off, even the synchrony was a little messy. Maybe I've gotten so used to seeing them up it every week that I'm expecting too much?

I do hope Luminiq stays on because I would love to see more from them. Next week's theme has a lot of room for interpretation and drama - I'm looking forward to being wow-ed - LMQ don't let me down ya! :)



The Challenger : Jigri Yaar Bhangra Academy
4 Guys and 1 tiny girl in very shiny shimmery red/white/gold outfits. What has their performance got to do with the theme? Well apparently they'll be moving really fast, just like fast-paced Singapore. 



What did the judges say?
B : Welcome to the show! I am a fan! Especially the human helicopter there, well done!

D : That had so much spirit, so much uniqueness and something traditional about it, yet something new that young people could relate to, it was accessible, you guys just leapt off the stage! That was one of the most exciting things of the evening!

I : It's been many weeks since I felt like I wanted to get up and dance. Thank you for bringing the fun and spirit. I really wanted to join you guys just now.

FD : I'm a big fan of Indian culture. I love Bhangra. Myra you are amazing, I've never seen a girl do that before, you were absolutley brilliant. Buuuuttt, you were messy. Hvaing said that, you entertained me for 90 seconds, what the hell! :)



summerr says :
What a way to join the show mid way right? Jigri Yaar brought it with their energy level - especially Myra who was the tiniest but the one with what looked like the most enthusiastic hand thrusts and kicks. Loved the spinning people. But like FD, I too felt that it was really messy. At points I couldn't tell what was going on or where to look. I think even  the camera got confused because we didn't really get to see Myra's helicopter stunt, by the time they cut to her, it was done! So if they stay on next week, I hope to see more coordination at the same energy level.

Judges Ranking
1. Jill-Marie Thomas
2. Danny Koh
3. Jigri Yaar Bhangra Academy
4. Singapore Char Siew Baos!
5. The Vertical Dancers
6. Luminiq Crew
7. Desert Roses



Overall I have to say, last week's theme of Fire was a waaay better show than last night's Singapore Dream show. I only wish Debbie had come on the show last week so she could see just how amazing our Contenders can be. I think the problem with the Singapore Dream theme was the vagueness of it all. But I guess whoever came up with the theme could argue that therein lies the challenge - to come up with something relevant yet entertaining.

Oh well thats done. Next week's theme is 'Lights, Camera, Action!' I'd say theatre or movie related. Everyone can go 'Hollywood'!

Thank you Debbie Gibson for bein' on OMG! It certainly lightened up what could potentially have been a less than spectacular show. Her presence definitely upped the glam factor. 






What did you think of the show and of Debbie Gibson? Agree or disagree with the judges' ranking? Who did you vote for? Who do you think will be going home next week - another TWO will be cut and another NEW Challenger will be joining the show.


xoxo, s.


ps. Seen someone who's got real talent that you think should be on the show? Nominate them - email omg@mediacorp.com.sg NOW!