Mu$ic i$ the Door: The Voice Of Ireland: Season 2: The Battle Rounds!

Published by Kevin Mc Stravock

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And so approaches the Battle Rounds! This stage of the competition resulted in some really poor decisions last year, with Kian the worst offender. However, with Jamelia replacing Brian, Kian on his best behaviour and Sharon having to pit three of her acts against one another for one battle, how will this year's Battle Rounds fare? Will current favourites, such as Roisin Carlin, Alexandra Miller, Ray Scully and Aoife McLoughlin manage to convince their coaches to keep them in the competition?

Recap and videos after the JUMP...

Team Jamelia

Roisin Carlin vs Erica O'Hara - 'Seven Nation Army' by The White Stripes - Roisin who impressed the coaches with her unique rendition of a Justin Bieber song is up against Erica who only appeared on the show last week, when Jamelia put her through after she sang 'Skinny Love'. Jamelia and her assistant Lemar have decided to pit Roisin against Erica because they both have quite quirky voices, they believe that by giving them something a little more left-field they can really impress. And I must say that Jamelia's idea seems to pay off as they are brilliant together, the way in which they interact on stage gives it a real battle feel and I love how Roisin's body language consrasts with Erica's during her solo parts and vice versa. However, there is a clear winner here because although I think that Erica has improved from the Blind Auditions, Roisin's tone is absolutely incredible during the performance and she absolutely smashes it. Bressie says some irrelevant comment about their choreography and compares it to The Jeremy Kyle Show which is utterly irrelevant, they were amazing. - VIDEO

I choose: Roisin

Jamelia chooses: Roisin

Keith Hanley vs Niamh Armstrong - 'Beneath Your Beautiful' by Labrinth feat. Emeli Sandé - Although Jamelia's song choices are a lot more mainstream than Bressie's have been, I think she has been the best at choosing songs for her acts so far, I know this is only her second battle but I think she has really thought about the vocal ability of her two contestants with this song choice because although Keith's voice is higher than Labrinth's voice, I think this song is a really nice pick. The only thing I will say is that it will be hard to impress me with this track because I'm a big fan of the original and if the vocals don't manage to live up to Labrinth and Emeli, then it will become a disappointing battle. However, Niamh and Keith are both very strong singers so I expect that the vocals won't be a problem. Lemar and Jamelia work with both acts to ensure that they nail both the vocals and the emotional connection of the song. It definitely pays off because they both sound really good on the song and I think the emotional connection both acts form with the song is also pretty faultless. The only criticism I have is that I feel like both of them were a little bit too technical with the song vocal-wise and it felt like some of the soul of the song was lacking somewhat. That said, I think vocally it's another great battle and their harmonies were definitely impressive. I honestly don't know who I would prefer to see go through out of these two, I enjoyed both but I think that Niamh's voice is more commercial than Keith's, he is great but I think he sings a little bit like a musical theatre performer at times, nothing wrong with that at all but I feel like Niamh has a slightly more contemporary voice. It's a very close one though, I would happily see either go through. - VIDEO

I choose: Niamh

Jamelia chooses: Keith

Dylan Powell vs Ben Tighe - 'Numb' by Linkin Park - Rocker guys Dylan and Ben are both pretty husky male vocalists so it seems like the obvious choice for Jamelia to pair them against each other. She is giving them Linkin Park's most commercially successful song to take on, ironically Jamelia herself has taken on the song in the past, with her Live Lounge cover of the song being one of BBC Radio 1's best covers on the segment. However, her acts seem less than impressed with the song choice, Dylan in particular isn't really pleased to be singing the song, saying that he finds the vocals too whiny. To be perfectly honest, at the end of the day the coaches are looking for someone who can take on anything that is thrown at them and I don't know if either of these two are really ticking that box, complaining about the song choice before they have even hit the rehearsals. Ben definitely seems to grasp the song better, although his tone sounds a little bit forced to be perfectly honest, that said I think he is a better vocalist than Dylan who I don't feel is giving it his all in rehearsals. When it comes to the real battle, it is a bit closer, I still think that Ben sounds better but Dylan has more stage presence than his counterpart, with that said, I still feel like he wants it a little bit less than Ben does. Bressie says that he doesn't think Ben could sing like that throughout the competition but Kian disagrees. Jamelia decides that she wants to save the one who she thinks has more potential to grow.

I choose: Dylan

Jamelia chooses: Dylan

Jennifer Moore vs Tommy McNulty - 'Can't Fight The Moonlight' by Leann Rimes - These two seem to have totally different voices as Jennifer gave a very rich if a little overly polished rendition of Emeli Sandé's 'Suitcase' whilst Tommy chose to sing his own song in the blind auditions. Tommy is nowhere near as vocally strong and that is pretty obvious from the way in which he handles the song in rehearsals, it's clear that he isn't ecstatic about the song choice but he is giving it a good try, that said, I think Jennifer is a stronger singer. The main concern with her, however, is that she isn't a confident singer or performer and I don't believe that she'll be able to cope with the live shows unless she receives a severe boost to her confidence. Hopefully the battle rounds can inject that extra confidence in her because when it comes to the performance itself, it's quite obvious that although she's very nervous, she's a very good singer and she sings Tommy off the stage, in terms of performance Tommy delivers more but it's more important about who sings better and Tommy does go off tune a few times so it's Jennifer who won that battle for me. - VIDEO

I choose: Jennifer

Jamelia chooses: Jennifer

Alexandra Miller vs Sophie Rischar - 'Only Girl In The World' by Rihanna - Both of these girls stood out in the audition stage with their huge vocals, with Alexandra being a particular highlight of the blind auditions for many after her smooth delivery of Adele's 'Skyfall'. The song Jamelia has chosen for them is a little bit too poppy for my liking, I can see why she went with Rihanna but I would have preferred for them to sing something with a bit more vocal power behind it, perhaps Russian Roulette. Anyway, both of them are really good at this song in rehearsals, of all those so far, they seem to have adapted to the song choice the most easily, perhaps the only problem being that both of them have better voices than Rihanna so their vocals are probably better than the song they're singing. I also think that Jamelia may regret pairing Alexandra and Sophie as they're both brilliant singers and I honestly think that both of them would stand a good chance in the lives. I really love Alex's vocals during the actual battle, they're really bluesy although perhaps Sophie is slightly better at adapting to the style of the song and gives a more believable delivery of the song than Alexandra does. Nevertheless, it's very close between these two, I would go for Alexandra on the basis that her voice is one of, if not the best female voice in the competition and I think she could easily make the finals with the correct song choices though Sophie is also a phenomenal singer. - VIDEO
I choose: Alexandra
Jamelia chooses: Sophie

Barry Beatty vs Wayne Beatty - 'The Boy Is Mine' by Brandy and Monica - It's time for the battle of the brothers, Barry auditioned for the show after his older brother applied to participate in the singing competition and also filled in an application for his younger brother. Both of them were successful in their blind auditions and both of them went for the same coach. Jamelia decided to pit one brother against the other because they both have very R & B vocals so it seems like an easy decision to put them together. This is an inspired choice, it's definitely one of my favourite urban tracks and I love that Jamelia isn't afraid to pick a female song and adapt it for two guys. Obviously, as can be expected the gender references are changed to 'The Girl Is Mine', they're both very good but Wayne is a much more confident performer, Barry doesn't have a lot of confidence and in rehearsals seems to be very introverted. The battle itself is one of the best, I actually think that in terms of consistency, Jamelia's battles have been the best, she has picked songs that suit both artists well and the performances have been good, with the arrangements well suited. This is excellent and both of them do an amazing job, however, difficult as it is to pick between them, especially as they're brothers, Wayne's tone is stronger and he is a more confident performer. - VIDEO
I choose: Wayne
Jamelia chooses: Wayne

Team Kian

Jennifer Healy vs Kelly Mongan - 'Breakaway' by Kelly Clarkson - Traveller Kelly and Jennifer, who is a former stage school pupil have both impresses the coaches with their powerful voices, with each of the girls wowing in the Blind Auditions when they showed their great tones. However, Kian criticizes both of his acts in a way by saying that they have a habit of overdoing it a bit with the big notes, and has decided to go for a song that requires them to hold back a little bit. They struggle at first to harmonize but soon, they find their feet and both girls are able to tackle both the lower, more stripped back parts and the power notes. I enjoy listening to both of them as they're equally strong singers but I think that although Kelly has a great voice, she isn't just as restrained as Jennifer who is able to hold back more when the big power vocals aren't really required. Jennifer still reminds me a lot of Sinead Fox from last year, I'm kind of torn as I think that Jennifer's tone isn't as unique but at the same time, I think she's a stronger singer. I don't think that there's a lot between these two, they did a great job. - VIDEO
I choose: Jennifer
Kian chooses: Kelly

Andy MacUnfriadh vs Joey McAleer - 'Somewhere Only We Know' by Keane - Kian is giving them this song, I love it but I really hope they do it justice, I'm not loving that Kian doesn't really seem to go to any effort to work with them on harmonies, delivery, vocals etc, he just seems to expect them to do it themselves, the purpose of his role as a coach is to help and advise them and I can't say I'm very impressed with his level of coaching. It definitely shows in the battle because this is pretty bad, neither of them sound great on the song, Andy goes a little bit out of tune during the chorus and Joey's vocals are way too powerful for the song, he sort of bulldozes through the track and there is little emotion and he didn't really grasp the song to be honest. I agree with Sharon and think that neither of them had a great performance, it just wasn't vocally up to scratch and it's the weakest battle so far in my opinion. Kian is more to blame for this to be honest. - VIDEO
I choose: Andy
Kian chooses: Andy

Karl Sheridan vs Niamh O'Neill - 'When You're Gone' by Bryan Adams feat. Mel C - Karl and Niamh being put together is interesting as they're actually classmates, attending the same college and both studying music. Niamh and Karl didn't really make a massive impression on me in their first auditions, both gave solid but relatively standard performances, although I'm a little bit unsure about Kian's decision to give the two of them this song, Karl performed a really quirky Damien Rice song in his first audition, how does that equal a Bryan Adams song? In rehearsals, Karl seems a little bit more confident about his performance than Niamh does and when it comes to the dress rehearsal, Kian tells Niamh to own the stage more because she doesn't seem to perform as well as Karl. I can only but praise Karl for managing to do a pretty good cover of the song, Niamh is probably vocally stronger but Karl is more of a performer and he manages to do a good job of singing and performing. All in all, Kian probably shouldn't have given them this song because although I kind of got the logic with Niamh, it seemed like an unnecessary obstacle being placed in Karl's path to give him something in complete contrast to his voice. I'd probably put Karl through. - VIDEO

I choose: Karl

Kian chooses: Karl

Daryl Phillips vs Derek Power - 'God Put A Smile Upon Your Face' by Coldplay - Neither of these two stood out to me, which is becoming a bit of a recurring theme with Kian's battles, possibly suggesting that his team isn't the strongest, I did like Darly's voice whereas Derek came on wanting to be someone other than Bono and bizarrely chose to sing a U2 song. Thankfully, Kian hasn't got them singing a U2 song tonight, instead they're singing this hidden gem by Coldplay. I like the song though I worry that Daryl may not deliver the attitude of the song and Derek will just sing it like Bono in 'Coldplay Week' of The X Factor. Derek has far less control than Daryl, he goes for some notes and ends up just sounding like he is shouting, Daryl is drowned out by Derek in the harmonies however he's far better in the solo section than his opponent, I like his slightly bluesy tone and I really hope that Kian gives him songs to suit this side of his voice during the lives, surely Kian cannot possibly pick Derek over Daryl can he, Derek is a great singer but everything he does is like Bono covering that artist, he has no distinctiveness. - VIDEO
I choose: Daryl
Kian chooses: Daryl

Danielle Ward vs Ray Scully - 'Bring Me To Life' by Evanescence - It's disappointing that two of my favourites on Team Kian have been paired together meaning that we're going to be losing one of them, I particularly like Danielle whose blind audition was extremely strong, I fully believe that provided she gets the right songs, she could easily be the winner in her category. I'm not sure why they've been paired as Ray's rock vocals, with a blues-folk edge, similar to Ray LaMontagne seem to be in total contrast to Danielle's sweet voice. And the song choice is slightly worrying, whilst Danielle's falsetto will allow her to sing the song easily, the male vocals on this track aren't remotely similar to Ray's voice. Yes he has a rock voice but he's not a full on rock singer, and the vocals on this song are going to require him to shout. It soon becomes clear that my worries are well placed as during the actual battle, the execution is definitely not as good as Kian was clearly hoping for. It's fully down to him, both do a good job nevertheless but the track was not a good choice. I disagree that Danielle was pitchy, I thought her vocals were better than Ray's vocals although I fully blame the song choice, it didn't fit him particularly well. Kian chooses who he thinks has the better chance of winning the entire competition, a decision that I disagree. - VIDEO
I choose: Danielle
Kian chooses: Ray

Philip Kennedy vs Shane McLaughlin - 'Drive By' by Train - Interesting pairing as their voices couldn't be more different, Shane has a very very unique voice, his indie tone was amazing on the 'The Frames' track which he sang in his blind audition, I however don't really like Philip's voice or style, he has a musical mannerism in which he really over anunciates everything and performs songs in a pretty over the top style. This song is clearly geared towards Philip who can sing the song with ease whereas it's not really that well suited to Shane's distinctive voice. Indeed Shane goes off key a few times on the song but he actually manages to deliver a unique rendition of the song, and Philip wasn't perfect vocally either. Jamelia and Sharon think that Philip performed it far better and should go through but Bressie backs Shane for his indie rock voice and his unique tone. I most definitely preferred Shane and think he's much more capable of going far in this competition. - VIDEO
I choose: Shane
Kian chooses: Shane

Team Bressie

David Merriman vs Sinead O'Brien - 'Little Talks' by Of Monsters and Men - Bressie has decided to go with the excellent 'Little Talks' by Of Monsters and Men for these two, he decided to pair them together because Sinead's bluesy but quirky female vocals seem well matched to David's edgy, acoustic voice. I have to say, he has played a blinder by pairing these two as even in the rehearsal stage, they are able to bounce off each other incredibly well. The connection to the song here is better than in any other battle tonight and it's the first battle that I actually feel like the two of them sound in sync with each other, they're able to concentrate on making the battle as a whole sound professional but also sound individually incredible. David does an amazing job on the song but this is very much Sinead's battle for me, she absolutely smashes it and she connected to the song perfectly, whilst still sounding incredible on the performance. I honestly think that she may be the frontrunner and I hope that Bressie continues to give her amazing songs like this. - VIDEO
I choose: Sinead
Bressie chooses: Sinead

Velvin Lamont vs James Sheridan - 'Fortunate Son' by Creedence Clearwater Revival/Everyone - I know it sounds a little odd me saying that this song is by everyone but the track has literally been covered by more artists than you can shake a stick at. Anyway, considering Bressie's comments about Jamelia's performance earlier, it is odd that he has given the one American contestant a really typical American song and is getting him to sing it in a very 'American' style. Okay, it's not overly American but the way this song is being performed is no different to the way Jamelia arranged Seven Nation Army for her girls. Anyway, Bressie aside, I actually quite like this song, I wasn't a fan of either of these artists in the Battle Rounds, James did an underwhelming cover of Mumford and Sons and Velvin just sounded like a really generic soul tribute artist. However, Bressie has given them a great song, they sound really good on this, however, Velvin sort of wipes the floor with his opponent, James sounds okay but Velvin has 100% more stage presence than James and also delivers more vocally so this is easily Velvin's battle for my liking. - VIDEO
I choose: Velvin
Bressie chooses: Velvin

Eoin Dixon-Murphy vs Andrew Mann - 'Push' by Matchbox 20 - I really wasn't a fan of Eoin's blind audition because he went way off key during the latter part of the song, whereas I was a big fan of Andrew who did a great cover of Maroon 5's 'Payphone' in his first audition. They've been given a Matchbox 20 song, with both of them showing quite husky tones during their first auditions, Bressie sees this songs as being perfect for them. Andrew seems so much more prepared for the competition than Eoin, who appears to be struggling to keep up vocally with Andrew in the battle. Both Jerry and Bressie try to encourage Eoin to really try and push his vocals and Andrew to show a different side to his voice. Andrew is most definitely a stronger singer than Eoin but if Eoin manages to improve considerably, I'd bet on Bressie taking him through. And it's eventually time for the two of them to battle, Eoin and Andrew both sing reasonably well in the parts where they are required to sing together but when it comes to each of their solo sections, it's not really close at all. Andrew seems so much more at home on stage, possibly due to his experience as a professional musician but also because I believe that he has a superior voice. The coaches are torn, with Jamelia saying that she felt that Eoin surprised her more, Sharon saying that Andrew was much more consistent and Kian stating that Andrew didn't impress him as much as his blind audition. Bressie says that it's difficult to choose between them but bases it partly on their original blind auditions. - VIDEO
I choose: Andrew
Bressie chooses: Andrew

Kirilee Dermott vs Shannon Murphy - 'Mandinka' by Sinead O'Connor - This is a really interesting battle round pairing as I wouldn't normally think of pairing these two types of artists, Kirilee had quite a belter voice with her powerful blind audition whereas Shannon did a beautiful stripped back arrangement of a Taylor Swift song, with a much more mellow tone to her voice than Kirilee. However, with this song choice, it seems as if Bressie has really thought this through because Sinead really does offer them both something, she has the ability to really belt like Kirilee but at the same time, she's known for her sweet tone in the lower parts of her songs, not a million miles away from Shannon. Shannon is feeling a bit nervous about this song as she's not really familiar with it and does struggle to tackle the tricky falsetto parts of the song, whereas Kirilee appears to be a bit more comfortable with the song, revealing that she almost chose to sing this as her blind audition song. This song really will test both girls as Kirilee is going to have to show that she can reign in those powerful vocals whereas Shannon has to adapt to the song and prove to the judges that she can sing in her higher register. Whilst I like the idea of the song, I think it was perhaps a bit demanding for the two of them as neither of them deliver the song pitch perfect, with Shannon's falsetto letting her down slightly whilst Kirilee seems a bit weaker in the lower parts of the song, both of them do a brilliant job, though it's Kirilee's raspy breakthroughs that really impress me, she sounds incredible when she really belts and I think both of them coped extremely well with what I would consider the most vocally demanding song given to any of the battle round artists so far. - VIDEO
I choose: Kirilee
Bressie chooses: Shannon

Katy Anna Mohan vs Michelle Cunningham - 'Fall At Your Feet' by Crowded House - Katy Anna and Michelle both impressed the coaches at the auditions stage with their acoustic arrangements of 'Spectrum' and 'Read All About It' however Bressie tries to really push both girls by doing the unthinkable, making them perform without their guitars for once. He has chosen this song because he believes that they are both able to connect with the emotions of a song faultlessly; I really enjoy hearing to their rehearsals because they are very strong vocalists and they really come on considerably as the rehearsals go on, as Bressie's assistant Jerry says, it'll be a shame when one of them leaves. I love their battle round and I have to say that of all the battles so far, this has been one of my favourites, they both connect beautifully with the song and their voices are amazing, I'm not sure which of them should get through but based on who I personally prefer as a vocalist, I would choose to put Michelle through to the next round. - VIDEO

I choose: Michelle
Bressie chooses: Katy Anna

Terri O'Reilly vs Mairead Conlon - 'Ordinary World' by Duran Duran - Bressie is great at picking songs that nobody would expect to work for either artist but making them work, I was totally confused at why Bressie had picked this song for the two girls as I don't associate Duran Duran with strong female vocalists, this ballad is a really good track actually and the arrangement of it is perfect for both Mairead and Terri. Terri captivated the coaches in her audition when she sang Rihanna's 'Diamonds' whilst Mairead's great arrangement of an Elvis hit was also great. This battle is close, Terri is singing this brilliantly and her pitch is on the money but I find Mairead's tone far more interesting to listen to. Unfortunately, Mairead does go off key slightly and relies on her melisma too much, it's a pity as I think that she has a more authentic tone than Terri however on the basis of who sang the song better and was better in the battle, this battle goes to Terri. - VIDEO
I choose: Terri
Bressie chooses: Terri

Team Sharon

Tammy Browne vs Bob McQuaid - 'Summer Wine' by Nancy Sinatra/The Corrs - I liked both of these performers but I can't say that either of them stood out to me in the Blind Auditions and with them singing a song that I'm not exactly a massive fan of, I am slightly concerned that this won't really make much of an impression. They are both quite good at singing this song but there is literally nothing there beyond the song itself, it's a really dull performance, I don't feel like there's any real interaction between them through the performance and I can't say I'm impressed by this battle. Maybe it was the song choice, but I felt like it was the kind of performance I would skip through if I was watching the performance on the live shows, I think t lacked connection or spark. Tammy was a stronger singer throughout the performance so I would probably go for her. - VIDEO

I choose: Tammy

Sharon chooses: Tammy

Stephen Hudson vs Ciara Cox - 'Broken Strings' by James Morrison feat. Nelly Furtado - Ciara showed a country flair in her original audition, with a little bit of a rock edge, whereas Stephen did a really quirky cover of a Neil Diamond song. Sharon pairs them up and gives them this James Morrison song, which she believes will be a show stopper if they can perfect the chemistry. From the rehearsals, it is clear that there is very little between the two of them as they're both able to hold their nerve on the song and both of them have a unique tone. Ciara and Stephen are very strong individually but I actually believe that their harmonies are where they really come into their own, both individually and as a pairing. They put so much into the performance in the rehearsals but it's a question of whether they can improve upon this in the battle. They definitely step it up even more during the actual performance, when the chemistry between them really impresses me, it's hard to recapture the emotion of the original but they did it. Each of them bring something different and special to the performance and their vocals are great, I can't really call it between them although based on their auditions, I would say that although Ciara has probably came on further, I think Stephen is stronger and more distinct.- VIDEO
I choose: Stephen
Sharon chooses: Stephen

Gerard McLoughlin vs Dean Anthony - 'Freedom' by George Michael - Being completely honest, it took a while for me to place both of these contestants which isn't a great thing, I think both of them gave okay first auditions but they definitely didn't stand out for me and I can't say I expected to see either in the live shows, to me they seemed like battle round eliminees. Sharon obviously sees something in them however to put them together, they're being given this George Michael track to sing, it could either end up being incredible or will fall flat. In rehearsals, it's clear that these two don't need to be coached on the spirit of the battle as they know each other from taking part in the same competitions over the years, meaning that a rivalry has instantly formed as soon as they step into the same rehearsal room. There seems to be a divide between the two with Dean being a stronger singer and Gerard more of an entertainer, whether it will be the vocals or the performance skills that swing it for Sharon remains to be seen. I have to say, when they step onto the stage, I'm left bitterly disappointed by the vocals, perhaps it was the song itself but both of them sounded rather pitchy and I don't think either of them strike me as potential winners if their vocals are going to be of that standard in the competition, it just wasn't strong enough. Yes, Gerard was definitely more interesting to watch and has more star quality than Dean but he also hit a lot more bum notes than his rival. To be honest, I think vocally, neither of them were particularly great, but I would put Dean through on the basis that his voice is stronger. - VIDEO
I choose: Dean
Sharon chooses: Dean

Aoife McLoughlin vs Fiona McCourt - 'The Promise' by Girls Aloud - Sharon begins by pairing up three of her ladies for the three way battle as she chose to have another act in her team, thirteen as opposed to the minimum of twelve meaning that she must cut seven acts during Battle Rounds. She decides that Aoife, Fiona and Jennifer should go up against each other, a massive mistake in my opinion as in all honesty, I think they're the three strongest in Sharon's team and the fact that two of them will be going is pretty awful. What's worse is that she has given them a Girls Aloud song, really Sharon? Aoife has a pretty rich voice, something similar to Amy Lee's voice, Fiona and Jennifer are both quirky girls so where exactly does it figure that a Girls Aloud song would be a suitable pick? Thankfully, this ends up being a non-start when Mark McLaughlin is forced to pull out due to an injury meaning that his battle round partner John needs someone to go up against. This comes as a bit of a shock to all three ladies with all three clearly nervous about going up against John, who is called 'one of the strongest in the competition'. I dispute that and think any of the three would be able to face against him but Sharon bases it on a bizarre game where they each pick a car and whoever picks the card with 'The Voice' symbol on both sides is paired with John. Jennifer is paired with John so Fiona faces Aoife in this battle. After the song is re-arranged for two artists, they're ready to battle for their place in the competition. Before I say anything, any faults with this performance, I put fully on the shoulders of Sharon and her battle round assistant because the song is a pretty poor song choice but I think both cope remarkably well with it, Fiona's quirky vocals are relatively lost on this song whereas Aoife actually shines in her solo parts but their harmonies are remarkably strong. I would most definitely put Aoife through based on the vocals but both can go with heads held high as they did a great job considering the lack of time they had to rehearse and considering that they were fighting an uphill battle with such an average song choice. - VIDEO
I choose: Aoife
Sharon chooses: Aoife

Jennifer Lyons vs John Gaughan - 'Marry You' by Bruno Mars - Jennifer is up against John after the shock of Mark's withdrawal from the competition leading to the battle round pairings having to be shook up. It does seem like Sharon shows favouritism towards John, she is constantly reminding the viewers that John has an amazing blind audition whereas Jennifer's wasn't as strong, when in fact John had a good but generally quite overrated audition, Jennifer was the total opposite as her audition was totally underrated but really great. The reason I vastly prefer Jennifer is that she has a much more unique style than John who is great but not exactly what I would call a unique or distinctive talent. Jennifer's breathy vocals sound amazing on this song, they add a totally different element to the Bruno Mars pop song and make it sound like it has meaningful lyrics, she has such a beautiful voice, John is really good too but I think his cover sounds exactly the same as most other male covers of the song. Jennifer isn't perhaps as technically strong a singer as John but she has more stage presence and I think that she is more of a relevant artists than John but overall, I thought that Jennifer, as good as she was was fighting a losing battle and it seems inevitable that Sharon will pick John. - VIDEO
I choose: Jennifer
Sharon chooses: John

Mark Guildea vs Gary Tighe - 'Gimme Some Lovin' (Steve Winwood) - Neither Mark nor Gary has stood out to me, in fact I struggled to remember who the final battle would be between when Sharon's penultimate battle took place last week. I think these two are very luck to be put together because I honestly expected them both to end up as battle round fodder. This song choice is dated but suits both of them, perhaps Mark moreso than Gary who strikes me as a folk artist rather than a rocker. Sharon needs to give her acts better songs however as there were so many songs that would have suited these two better than this track and wouldn't have felt as dated either, I mean there's nothing wrong with a bit of classic rock & roll but this wasn't great to be honest. Both guys had pretty good vocals throughout but Mark definitely had the vocal edge, he was much stronger throughout and he stood out more than Gary did, and showed that he has better performance skills also. An easy one for me. - VIDEO
I choose: Mark
Sharon chooses: Mark

And with that, the battles are finished! Now it's over to the public to HOPEFULLY vote for the stronger contestants and leave us with a much stronger final four this year. Here is what the teams look like now, artists in italic are artists I would have chosen.

Team Sharon

Tammy Browne

Aoife Mc Loughlin

John Gaughan

Mark Guildea

Stephen Hudson

Dean Anthony

Team Kian

Andy MacUnfraidh

Shane McLaughlin

Daryl Phillips

Karl Sheridan