It's no secret the online singing competition, Shine has become a must-watch series on BTV. The newest episode gave fans a quick overview of the remaining talent.
Favorites have started to emerge.
The episode is titled "Revenge is Ugly" because it followed a chaotic last week, where Aprina Johnson walked off during eliminations and Zakeyion Anderson spoke out against decisions made by Grammy winning judge, Ashthon Jones. The heat was stiff coming into this episode and it didn't disappoint.
The theme of this new challenge was 'rising from the ashes' in honor of the 3 saved wildcard contestants from last week. Those contestants included Fleming Moore, Stephanie Patton and Child of God (abbreviated on the show as, C.O.G.), who were ushered into a backroom at Two Rivers Restaurant where they were given the news they would remain in the competition after being voted home by their peers.
Though we didn't get to see the wildcard performances, there were 3 that stood out among the rest. Keeping in mind many of the top 30 were not shown, the standouts this episode were Dakara Cooper, Jon Gambino and Maggie Hollis.
Cooper's performance during 'the gauntlet' wasn't showcased, though in this week's episode her performance was. The ashes theme inspired lyrics from her song, "I'm not an ashtray, for your cigarette" where she sang about knowing your worth, took the judges by surprise. During the performance they all praised her, though Brandon Stewart, the long-time stern judge on the panel, threw critiques her way regarding her wardrobe.
"She's like wearing her mother's outfits, I don't like this at all," he said. Then a clip followed where 2'Live Bre, another judge on the panel, mentioned that Stewart did tell Cooper she "looked like she was at a funeral." Where Stewart responds with "yeah."
Cooper's performance approval = A-
Cooper's fan engagement so far = B+
Gambino has been a silent frontrunner so far.
While many other contestants are fighting for screen-time and feuding with one another, Gambino seems to be avoiding the drama, while staying focused on the part of the competition that matters most - the music. His performance this week led to positive commentary from the judges, and a joke from Stewart that they're all "attracted" to him the minute he walks into the room.
Gambino's smooth sounds and skills on the guitar continue to push him further ahead of the rest of the competition.
Gambino's performance approval = A+
Gambino's fan engagement so far = D-
Hollis is the country sweetheart we can always expect a successful season of Shine to have. Though her audition wasn't the most memorable, her last two performances stood out.
The gauntlet performance was a fan favorite, while this performance topped that. Hollis continues to get better and better.
Her song included lyrics like "This is where I want to stand, standing out in the crowd", as she hooked the judges with her story about being different. During Hollis' audition, she opened up about her hip dysplasia and how she grew up in hospitals. Though she's young, she knows what it's like to be different, to feel different.
Since the side by side flashback in the 9th episode, it reminded viewers how different she looked before. No longer wearing braces, and seemingly matured quite a bit, the makeover was exponential.
Hollis' performance approval = A+
Hollis' fan engagement so far = B+
The competition is getting juicier and everyone is wondering who is going to secure a spot in the Top 18. The current roster of 30 will be cut extensively during next week's episode. The teaser showcased a late night bonfire celebration, following eliminations, and an upset Iman Dillard talking about how "unprofessional" the other contestants are being. She was packing her bag, so that could mean she was cut from the show after forgetting her lyrics this week during her performance.
Hopefully we get to peek at some of the wildcard performances to see how they size up to the frontrunners.
Catch new episodes of Shine on Sundays, only on BTV.
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