MANILA -- Amazing and perfect.
These were the words that jurors told JM dela Cerna and Marielle Montellano for their newest performance in the brand new season of ABS-CBN's musical impersonation competition "Your Face Sounds Familiar."
Last Saturday, Montellano, who was absent for the past weeks in the competition due to a health emergency, returned with a bang -- a singing princess.
Montellano and dela Cerna opened the episode with their successful impersonation of "Wicked" stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. The Tawag ng Tanghalan Duets champions impressed the judges and the audience with their duet performance of "Defying Gravity."
Dubbed as the show's "The Birit Duo," dela Cerna and Montellano received a standing ovation.
"Wala akong masabi, ang galing niyo. Unahin na kita, JM. Hindi ko akalain na dadalhin mo doon sa level na 'yon. Nagulat kaming lahat. Amazing, kamukha mo, kuhang-kuha mo lahat but the voice, the voice was amazing. That being said, Marielle, oh my God! Marielle, sobrang Ariana, sobrang kuhang-kuha niyo 'yung puso, 'yung love nila for each other. Congratulations! guest judge/mentor Nyoy Volante said.
"Grabeng pagbabalik 'yan, ang galing-galing. Kung wala ka noong past weeks, binawi mo ngayon sobra-sobra. Grabe performance niyo. 'Yan ang transformation, grabe! JM, grabe. Sa mentoring natin worried ka kasi ang taas (ng boses) pero sinisiw mo kanina 'yung high notes. Grabe JM, ginulat mo ako, ginulat mo kaming lahat, kaya lahat kami napatayo rito. Ikaw rin Marielle sobrang Ariana. Arianang-Ariana ka kanina. Kinikilabutan ako actually. Ang galing-galing niyo," guest judge/mentor Klarisse de Guzman added.
Megastar Sharon Cuneta, meanwhile, described the performance as "perfect."
"Welcome back, Marielle... you came back a princess, nakakatuwa. Bagay sa iyo believable. Si Marielle gaya ng sabi ng coaches natin pati 'yung pag-arte (kuha), kasi 'yung pagkanta ni Ariana easing-easy lang lang kay Marielle 'yon. Pero JM kailangan pala hindi lang maging babae ka kung hindi maging bruha para sumobra. Ang galing mo na nga lalo pa. Sobra naming idol sa bahay si Cynthia Erivo, memorize ko ang mga hagod, bakit kuhang-kuha mo? Grabe. Tapos siyempre wala na akong masabi kay Marielle. Si Marielle kahit anong ipagawa mo. I just have to say you are always perfect, Marielle. But si JM kasi babae, mahirap ang pagkakanta niya, napakagaling. Nagawa mo lahat. Kaya 'yung pagtayo namin mula 'yon hindi lang sa puso namin, mula 'yon talampakan hanggang split ends ko. Maraming salamat, napaka-perfect ng performance," Cuneta said.
Juror Ogie Alcasid, for his part, stressed the importance of chemistry.
"Unlimited 'yung talent niyo. Sabi nila ang galing niyo individually. I agree but it's also the chemistry. 'Yung chemistry niyong dalawa punong-puno ng pag-ibig sa trabaho. Nakaka-inspire. Hindi ako magugulat kung isang araw kayo na mismo ang gaganap. I'm sure kapag napanood 'yan ni Cynthia at Ariana matutuwa sila.Congratulations!" Alcasid said.
Second to perform was BGYO member Akira Morishita, who impersonated global music icon Tom Jones with the hit "Sexbomb."
"Nakita ko naman 'yung intention talaga na nilalakihan mo ang boses mo. Nandoon somehow 'yung pagka-deep ng boses ni Tom Jones but medyo nakulangan lang ako," de Guzman said.
"To be fair, totoo 'yung sinabi ni Klang (de Guzman). I was worried also na kapag kumanta ka since hindi ka ma-bass na singer sobrang layo, pero hindi. Nakuha mo 'yon. At saka 'yung mga halinghing sa huli, sa akin nagma-matter na you took the effort na aralin 'yung mga ganoong bagay. Nakita ko also na you were so focused doon sa lyrics. ... That's not your fault, hindi mo alam 'yung song, 'di mo masyadong kabisado. But to me you still did a beautiful job," Volante said.
Alcasid added: "Voice? Almost there. 'Yung moves mo okay naman. Siguro ang isa-suggest ko sa iyo, siguro ang hinahanap nila 'yung commitment mo, alam mo 'yon? 'Yung eto ako, si Tom Jones ako ngayon, hindi ba? So doon ka lang nagkulang. Honest comment ko 'yon," Alcasid.
"I have to agree with what Ogie said at sinabi ng ating mentors. Seriously nagulat ako 'yung voice nalalapit, almost there. Obviously hindi naman kasi pareho ang BGYO at si Tom Jones, 'di ba? ... We saw naman your efforts," said Cuneta, who also encouraged Morishita to be more confident.
On Sunday, "The Comedy Bombshell" Rufa Mae Quinto opened the episode as she transformed into American singer-rapper Jessi.
"Masasabi ko naman Rufa Mae 'yung essence ni Jessi nakuha mo. At saka hindi matatawaran 'yung appeal mo as a performer. Alam mo ba kapag lumalabas ka na sa TV lahat halos nanonood. Ikaw ang pinapanood. Kaya okay lang kung mababa ang score mo. Pero ito ang pangako ko sa iyo this week medyo mataas ang makukuha mo. So far. She becomes you. Ang galing Rufa Mae," Alcasid said.
"Nag-enjoy ako sa performance mo. Tama si kuya Vhong (Navarro) kanina hindi ka bumitaw. Parang noong mga past kasi medyo natatawa ka. Kanina hindi, talagang give all. At nakakapagod 'yong ginawa mo nag-rap ka, sumayaw, still nagustuhan namin 'yung performance mo napakaganda. ... Alam mo ate Peachy unti-unti nag-i-improve ka na talaga," de Guzman added.
Volante added: "To be fair ever now and then lumalabas 'yung Jessi. Dito sa YFSF 'yon ang importante 'yung makita mo 'yung icon. Pero 'yung commitment mo nandoon."
"Ito na yata 'yung for me, aside from 'yung nag-Moira siya ito na yata 'yung best mo. Seriously gusto ko itong performance mo na ito," judge Cuneta said.
"The Prince of Soul" Jason Dy was the last to perform. Dy transformed as the country's Concert King Martin Nievera singing "Kahit Isang Saglit."
"Hindi madaling gayahin ang isang Sir Martin Nievera. Pero kanina pinapakinggan ko may mga parts na naririnig ko talaga si Sir Martin, lalo na 'yung vibrato, nuances nakuha mo. Alam ko na naging challenge sa iyo 'yung key mababa sa iyo 'yung verses niya at 'yung placement talaga ni Sir Martin ay chest kung chest, which is hindi 'yun ang placement mo kapag nagha-high notes ka. Pero kanina ginawa mo siya and hindi madali 'yon. So congratulations. Thank you sa magandang performance," de Guzman said.
"Magaling kang kumanta so I had no doubt na makukuha mo siya. Pero nag-focus ako sa the way you move, on the plus side 'yung mga nuances na bigla at saka 'yung opagkatapos mayroon pa rin, nakakatulong talaga 'yon. Napansin ko lang sa sobrang galing mong kumanta para kang hindi nahihirapan. Si Sir Martin kapag kumakanta hindi siya nahihirapan, pero kapag kumanta siya parang palagi siyang nahihirapan, parang palagi siyang may effort, which hindi niya kailangan pero ginagawa niya just because ganoon 'yung nuances niya. Kung ang tanong is if you got the nuances at 'yung character at icon? Kuhang-kuha mo talaga," Volante added.
"So 'yung dynamics ni Martin kuha mo. Siyempre 'yung tone iba ang key niya sa key mo pero almost there. Inaral mo talaga at siyempre 'yung movements walang question. Ina-appreciate kita kasi ginawa mo ito nang maganda. On behalf of my friend and for my friend, thank you so much for doing that," Cuneta said.
"Grabe ka talagang hinanap mo kung saan mo pwede ipuwesto ang boses mo kung paano mo ipi-place kahanga-hanga 'yon that's really really something else so congratulations, Jason. Well done."
Next week, actress-singer Alexa Ilacad, Reina Hspano-Americana 2025 Dia Mate, and rising singer-songwriter Jarlo Base are set to deliver their fifth impersonations.
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The brand new season of "Your Face Sounds Familiar" airs on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live and A2Z. Viewers can also catch it on TV5 every Saturday, at 8:15 p.m. and Sundays, at 8:30 p.m..
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