‘The Voice UK’ review: Cody Frost, Aine Carroll, Beth Morris kick off season 5!
Tonight was the official start of “The Voice UK” on BBC One. The waiting is finally over! Somehow, the series has found some singers who haven’t yet been on either this show or “The X Factor” UK (for the most part), and they also have two new coaches in Boy George and Paloma Faith who are turning out to be fairly entertaining!
We’re going to update the list of contestants throughout the night, so be sure to refresh this page!
Beth Morris, “Nutbush City Limits” – It takes confidence to wear that leopard-inspired outfit on the show, but she showed the same sort of power and swagger in the performance. This is someone who is not shy, and someone who could be a performer after the show. Of course, we’re not sure if Britain will vote for her (they tend to recognize people a little more shy), but this was a great way to start the show. Team Paloma.
Tom Rickels, “Want to Love Me / Love Me Like You Do” – Tom is a fishmonger; did he catch a coach? He’s a fun guy, and his voice actually sounds a little bit like a modern pop star with a little Michael Jackson in here. The performance was uneven but energetic; the pitches were stuffed full of fish puns. We’re a little surprised he did not go with Ricky in the end. Team Will.
Brooklyne Richards, “Cry to Me” – Her mom told her to pick Boy George, Paloma told her to pick Boy George, and despite having one of the best lines in history regarding drag queens, she still didn’t go with him. Instead, her stellar voice is strutting on over to a certain humble rocker. Team Ricky.
Rev. John Barron, “This Is the Moment” – We really think that this was a big miss by the coaches. Yes, the Reverend was singing an incredibly dated song that probably would not have generated too much interest in terms of record sales, but he could’ve gone viral like that nun elsewhere in Europe! No chair turn.
Dwaine Hayden, “Don’t Know Why” – We’re back to some winning ways! Really nice, soulful voice. He didn’t do anything that necessarily shocked us, but sometimes that’s okay if you are just hitting the notes and giving us some emotion. The pitch felt as much like a showcase of his kid than anything else, but the theme was the same as every other pitch so far: No one wants to work with George. Team Paloma.
Ryan Willingham, “Stars” – People just don’t want opera this season. That’s really the only explanation that we can offer here. No chair turn.
Lyrickal, “Virtual Insanity” – Honestly, we’re surprised that he got a chair. The beatboxing was not consistent enough to really appeal to us, and we didn’t think that the vocals were altogether stellar, either. Maybe he and Will can create a really good atmosphere together; that may be his only real hope at lasting. Team Will.
Aine Carroll, “Brokenhearted” – This was a lot of fun, mostly because we had the coaches getting a little bit brutal over what was really a good-but-not-great vocal performance. This is where we went from enjoying the Boy George “nobody’s picking him” edit to actually feeling sad about it. We really thought he was getting her! Team Ricky.
Cody Frost, “Lay All of Your Love on Me” – The last of the night. It felt almost like this one was saved for Boy George, especially when you look at their style, their personality, and the way the two them clicked the moment they started talking. A great contender, and someone to watch. Team George.
Want to get some other TV news on everything we cover sent right over to you? Then be sure to sign up here for some more scoop via our official CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: BBC.)