‘Alter Ego’ Recap: The Judges Make Another Questionable Decision
Patrick Wymore/FOX Reading Time: 3 minutes
On Wednesday night, FOX’s new singing competition Alter Ego returned for the final episode of the Head-to-Head round. The series, hosted by Rocsi Diaz, uses modern motion-capture technology to put a totally new spin on the classic talent show format.
The show’s contestants design their own avatar or “Alter Ego.” They control the avatar’s movements from backstage while they perform. The winner of this season will receive $100,000, as well as the mentorship of the show’s celebrity judges — Alanis Morissette, Grimes, Nick Lachey, and Will.i.am.
Tonight, four more of the remaining contestants performed. They were separated into pairs, with the judges choosing only one of the two to move on to the Semifinals. That means two singers were eliminated during tonight’s show.
Did the Judges Make Another Wrong Decision This Week?
It seems like every week, the judges admit that one out of two contestants has a better voice, and then they choose to save the contestant who gave the weaker vocal performance. This week was no different, as they chose to send Night Journey through to the Semifinals instead of St. Luna.
St. Luna (aka Sarah Isen) showed off her strong, husky voice on a cover of “Shallow” by Lady Gaga. Lachey said she was a “great package” as an artist, while Will.i.am said she has “everything that it takes.” Only Morissette seemed unsure, saying she didn’t feel an emotional connection to the song, although she later said Luna was born for this industry.
Night Journey (aka Israa Darwich) was up next, and maybe it was the song choice (“Wolves” by Marshmello and Selena Gomez), but her performance sounded much weaker to me. However, the judges praised her for not being “perfect.” Grimes even seemed to encourage her to use Auto-Tune, yet she still said Night Journey is her favorite in the competition.
When it came time to choose who should move on, three out of four judges chose Night Journey, citing how in tune she was with her avatar. Obviously stage presence is important, but this is ultimately a singing competition. Was Night Journey’s physical performance really so much better than St. Luna’s that it overcame the weaker vocals?
SEE ALSO: ‘ALTER EGO’ JUDGES GET AVATARS OF THEIR OWN IN UPCOMING EPISODES
Kingston Sol Shares Inspiring Message After Alter Ego Elimination
Wednesday’s other matchup was between Orlando Deville and Kingston Sol. Orlando (aka Chase Padgett) delivered an energetic performance of “Hard to Handle” featuring some sweet dance moves. Kingston (aka James Paek) performed “High Hopes” by Panic! at the Disco, showing off his chill personality.
Both performances were solid, and the judges were split down the middle when it came time to choose between them. The vote then went to the audience, who chose to send Orlando Deville through to the Semifinals. That meant that Kingston Sol was eliminated.
James revealed himself to a standing ovation from the judges. He shared that he grew up without seeing people who looked like him in the music industry, adding that he hopes to “show the world that Asian Americans have a place in the space of music.” The judges cheered on his inspiring message.
