THE DAM NATION

DAM NATION is back on a new web address!

2017-06-24T19:57:00.001+08:00

DAM Nation is back! Check out the new and improved DAM NATION site with new content and broader scope!

http://www.dam-nation.com

DAM NATION IS UNDER MUCH-NEEDED OVERHAUL

2017-03-14T10:53:00.003+08:00

This blog is currently undergoing an overhaul and will soon be going live with a new look. Watch out for it!

Movie Review: La La Land

2017-01-22T14:06:00.002+08:00

Vibrant. Joyful. Spellbinding. Not going to lie, the premise of La La Land was relatively familiar and decidedly generic, but the film masterfully made it into something else entirely thanks to the stunning performances of both Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling - both portrayed their role with such aplomb. On a technical standpoint, the film was on point. The music was beautiful and well-placed, the editing was good, the direction was impeccable, and the cinematography was just breathtaking. Oh, and that ending tugged right at the heart. La La Land was a brilliantly conceived cinematic experience that's charming, hopeful, and heartbreaking all at once. Whatever yoi do, find this movie. See it! 9.5

Olympics of Reality Singing Shows 2016: Stats and Numbers

2017-01-08T19:00:00.000+08:00

Brian Justin Crum's Creep may have topped this year's ORSS, but how did the voting went for the rest of the shortlisted performances of 2016?

Due to the demand of some of the jury and readers who, for the first time, got a view of the roster this year, DAM NATION will reveal the ranking of the rest of the performances as well as some interesting stats.

Without further ado..

FINAL 64 - Franchise Distribution

The Voice clearly dominated the list this year - and every other year prior to 2016 - given the massive number of countries having editions of the franchise. We've considered almost 23 editions and ended up having thirteen (13) countries surviving the final cut. Interestingly though, Idol franchise slightly edged out X Factor for the first time in three years. Not sure if it's the lack of standout performances from the latter, but the performances from X Factor didn't make enough impact. Got Talent trailed, yet again, but improved in terms of absolute figures.

FINAL 25 - Franchise Distribution

After the jury members' votes, The Voice even increased it's share at 72% with Idol ranking second and improving on it's stake. Both X Factor and Got Talent shed some of the fraction as soon as the list was trimmed down to the best 25.

FINAL 64 - Country Distribution

Seventeen (17) countries were represented this year - regardless of franchise - and the biggest four came from the United States followed by Australia, Netherlands, and United Kingdom. Canada, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands Nigeria, Spain, Sweden, and Ukraine all making their first appearance on ORSS.

FINAL 25 - Country Distribution

After the voting, only seven (7) countries got represented as the Best Performances of the year with United States, Australia and Netherlands topping the list respectively.

STANDARD DEVIATION

Standard Deviation (SD) - or in this particular instance, how spread out the rankings of the jury were - was insanely high this year. In 2014, average SD for the entire roster was just merely 12.76 with a slight increase with jury whittling down the list to 25. In 2015, SD increased year on year to 13.93 with, again, an irrelevant spike as soon as it was down to the final 25.

This year, however, the Final 64 surged by 18% posting a whopping SD of 16.49. Interestingly, as soon as the list was trimmed down to the final 25, it didn't go within trend as it somehow declined by 2% compared to the yearly average increase of 1%.

Could this be due to the fact that the jury had different takes on the performances? Or was it just because of the level of talent that was presented to them?

----

As for the actual ranking of the Final 64, here you go!

1 Creep - Brian Justin Crum
America's Got Talent

2 When We Were Young - Fernando Daniel
The Voice Portugal

3 Diamonds - La'Porsha Renae
American Idol

4 Purple Rain - Jolan
The Voice UK

5 Heart's A Mess - Kim Sheehy
The Voice Australia

6 Who's Lovin' You - Jennie Lena
The Voice Holland

7 Feeling Good - Wé McDonald
The Voice US (Fall)

8 Chandelier - Trent Harmon
American Idol

9 Take Me Home - Mikaela Dean
The Voice Australia

10 Waiting Game - Trent Harmon
American Idol

11 Gold On The Ceiling - Andrew Loadsman
The Voice Australia

12 It's A Man's Man's World - Bryan Bautista & Malik Heard
The Voice US (Spring)

13 Halo - Isaiah Firebrace
X Factor Australia

14 A Sky Full of Stars - Gloria Jessica
The Voice Indonesia

15 When We Were Young - Billy Gilman
The Voice US (Fall)

16 Goodbye My Lover - Zheng Jia Wen
Sing! China

17 Don't Rain On My Parade - Wé McDonald
The Voice US (Fall)

18 Writing's On The Wall - Matt Terry
X Factor UK

19 Stone Cold - Kimberly Fransens
Idol Netherlands

20 Valerie - Dave Moisan & Michael Sanchez
The Voice US (Fall)

21 1+1 - Bryan Bautista
The Voice US (Spring)

22 All Of Me - Alfie Arcuri
The Voice Australia

23 Holy Grail - Maan de Steenwinkel
The Voice Holland

24 Leave Your Lover - Caity Peters
The Voice US (Spring)

25 Fire - Daniël Kist & Kelvin Muïs
The Voice Holland

26 Roses - Chike Ekeoma
The Voice Nigeria

27 Demons - Andrew Loadsman
The Voice Australia

28 Blue Bayou - Alisan Porter
The Voice US (Spring)

29 Hello - Christian Cuevas & Jason Warrior
The Voice US (Fall)

30 Seven Nation Army - Norah Benatia
Idol Norway

31 Wishing Well - Jolan
The Voice UK

32 No More Drama - Wé McDonald
The Voice US (Fall)

33 Dancing On My Own - Fernando Daniel
The Voice Portugal

34 Sorry - Bryan Bautista
The Voice US (Spring)

35 The Sound of Silence - Richard Stirton
The Voice South Africa

36 Mad World - Cody Frost
The Voice UK

37 All I Ask - Billy Gilman
The Voice US (Fall)

38 I Put A Spell On You - Matt Terry
X Factor UK

39 Stone Cold - Alisan Porter
The Voice US (Spring)

40 Angel - Amalia Fory
X Factor Australia

41 Somebody To Love - Yvan Pedneault
La Voix Canada

42 Life On Mars - Marius Samuelsen
Idol Norway

43 Les Contes d'Hoffman/Highway To Hell - Cristina Ramos
Got Talent Espana

44 Warrior - Maan de Steenwinkel
The Voice Holland

45 In The Air Tonight - Brian Justin Crum
America's Got Talent

46 Let It Go - Maan de Steenwinkel
The Voice Holland

47 Love On The Brain - Sami Harb
The Voice Poland

48 Desperado - Nathan Hartono
Sing! China

49 Let It Be - Isaiah Firebrace
X Factor Australia

50 Rise - Jayna Brown
America's Got Talent

51 Run - Tash Lockhart
The Voice Australia

52 Uptown Funk - The Koi Boys & Ilisavani Cava
The Voice Australia

53 Dream On - Travis Cormier
La Voix Canada

54 Whole Lotta Love - Pierre Edel
The Voice Ukraine

55 Sweet Dreams - Noma
Idols South Africa

56 Wicked Game - Yan Yaroche
The Voice Ukraine

57 Fix You - Jennie Lena
The Voice Holland

58 The Way You Make Me Feel - Jared Grant
The Voice Holland

59 Single Ladies - Beatz
X Factor Australia

60 One Last Time - Liam Cacatian Thomassen
Swedish Idol

61 Harder To Breathe - Mikaela Dean & Sam Trenwith
The Voice Australia

62 Jealous - Matthias Zanquila
The Voice Germany

63 Where Are Ü Now - Reem Hamze
X Factor Denmark

64 Cool Me Down - Liam Cacatian Thomassen
Swedish Idol

UNTIL NEXT YEAR!!!

Olympics of Reality Singing Shows 2016: #1 Creep - Brian Justin Crum / America's Got Talent

2017-01-05T21:00:00.000+08:00

1. CREEP
Brian Justin Crum
America's Got Talent

With the numbers going quite unpredictable this year due to strength of this year's talent pool - just look at the average standard deviation of 16.48 versus last year's 13.27 - it was astoundingly hard to predict who will top the list for 2016.

Cyrus Villanueva's Jealous obliterated everyone last year after topping eleven (11) jury lists. This year, Brian Justin Crum's Creep from America's Got Talent topped a good five (5) jury votes to reign supreme in this year's Olympics of Reality Singing Shows.

The guy brought the house down with a pitch perfect, multilayered vocal performance - impeccable softer notes on the verses, soaring chorus, seamless transitions, dazzling bridge - that never slowed down, all while emanating a sense of vulnerability and rawness in his delivery. It was one of the more powerful vocal performances of the year and this year's Best Reality Singing Show performance.

Olympics of Reality Singing Shows 2016: #2 When We Were Young - Fernando Daniel / The Voice Portugal

2017-01-05T20:00:00.000+08:00

2. WHEN WE WERE YOUNG
Fernando Daniel
The Voice Portugal

Billy Gilman's version of When We Were Young had an aura of perfection and technical brilliance about it, but some of the jury felt that the performance lacked some great deal of raw emotion. Fernando Daniel, on the other hand, showcased vocal accuracy and versatility, not to mention the way he authentically conveyed whatever emotion the song required. And yes, that was enough to lure the jury and put him almost at the top of this year's list.

Olympics of Reality Singing Shows 2016: #3 Diamonds - La'Porsha Renae / American Idol

2017-01-05T19:00:00.000+08:00

3. DIAMONDS
La'Porsha Renae
American Idol

Let’s get the obvious out of the way: La'Porsha owned this performance! The arrangement was genius, the way her vocals navigated those intricate runs were pretty outstanding, and it was impressive for her to transform a song with limited melody to a total vocal masterclass. You know what's more impressive? Diamonds ranking third on this year's list with not a single jury voting her at the top of their list. Take it in whatever angle you want, but that's some pretty stunning feat.

Olympics of Reality Singing Shows 2016: #4 Purple Rain - Jolan / The Voice UK

2017-01-05T18:00:00.000+08:00

4. PURPLE RAIN
Jolan
The Voice UK

There were plenty of distractions in the staging - aggressively pulsating lightbulbs, the red and blue lights - but Jolan’s thrilling, pitch-perfect vocals drown out everything else, and he’s got the charisma to match his vocal firepower. The way the sparse arrangement of the opening verse highlighted his clean yet textured voice, and even when the music crescendoed to its climax, he was never at risk of being swallowed alive by the band. Purple Rain was one of the few performances that had the right mix of drama and technical skills.

Olympics of Reality Singing Shows 2016: #5 Heart's A Mess - Kim Sheehy / The Voice Australia

2017-01-05T17:00:00.000+08:00

5. HEART'S A MESS
Kim Sheehy
The Voice Australia

Gorgeous. Not only was this visually stunning, but Heart's A Mess, as a whole, was just pure magic. Her voice cut through the air like a razor, her diction was crisp and the phrasing was immaculate. Even the way her voice swoops and soared over the chorus was divine. With two (2) juries putting the performance on top of their list and ten (10) more within their Top 10, this was a clear win for the Australian singer.

Olympics of Reality Singing Shows 2016: #6 Who's Lovin' You - Jennie Lena / The Voice Holland

2017-01-05T16:00:00.000+08:00

6. WHO'S LOVIN' YOU
Jennie Lena
The Voice Holland

Who's Lovin' You may have been one of the more overdone songs on the list, but that didn't stop Jennie from ranking this high with the jury. Just from that one insanely impressive run at the beginning, she already had the coaches in her hands - and maybe the jury too. She's ferocious, powerful, violently talented, and a total vocal juggernaut. There was just a sense of abandon in this performance that made it all the more interesting.

Olympics of Reality Singing Shows 2016: #7 Feeling Good - Wé McDonald / The Voice US (Fall)

2017-01-05T15:00:00.000+08:00

7. FEELING GOOD
Wé McDonald
The Voice US (Fall)

What a little slice of heaven it was when Wé McDonald delivered the opening few bars of the song without any musical accompaniment. Her voice sounded sublime and when the band kicked in, her vocals just soared and masterfully navigated the melody of the song. She has one of the most recognizable voices this year and she brilliantly used it here to great effect.

Olympics of Reality Singing Shows 2016: #8 Chandelier - Trent Harmon / American Idol

2017-01-05T14:00:00.000+08:00

8. CHANDELIER
Trent Harmon
American Idol

Trent was on a rare for the night he performed Chandelier as this was, arguably, one of the most effortlessly exquisite vocals of the year. The control he has over his instrument was second to none in the last season of American Idol and the choice of Chandelier was risky, but worked as this showed a bit more texture in his vocals and some stunning lyrical connection. The jury as a whole somehow agreed giving this performance the lowest standard deviation this year.

Olympics of Reality Singing Shows 2016: #9 Take Me Home - Mikaela Dean / The Voice Australia

2017-01-05T13:00:00.000+08:00

9. TAKE ME HOME
Mikaela Dean
The Voice Australia

Mikaela had a beautiful moment with Jess Glyne's Take Me Home. Her understated approach adding an ache and vulnerability at the beginning was stunning to watch and then it build up to a chorus where the delivery felt like a demand, or at least a plea, whereas a lesser vocalist would've struggled to elevate the song past being just empty platitudes. One jury even said that he "got lost with her in the lyrics and it transported me into a totally different headspace". Isn't that one of the many things good music should do to you?

Olympics of Reality Singing Shows 2016: #10 Waiting Game - Trent Harmon / American Idol

2017-01-05T12:01:00.000+08:00

10. WAITING GAME

Trent Harmon

American Idol

Beautiful. Pure. Effortless. Waiting Game would've been THE perfect coronation for Trent. His affectations were dialed back, the vibrato was simplified, the vocal choices were also serene and subdued ,and the way he manipulated each note like a sculptor was impressive. Trent delivered a very vulnerable and satisfying performance and he was note perfect in his execution. So, it wasn't a surprise that it finished as high as this and even topping one of the jury's votes.

Olympics of Reality Singing Shows 2016: #11 Gold On The Ceiling - Andrew Loadsman / The Voice Australia

2017-01-04T17:00:00.000+08:00

11. GOLD ON THE CEILING
Andrew Loadsman
The Voice Australia

A total rockstar performance!! Andrew's voice is massive and quite unique and the added urgency in his stage presence and delivery made his cover of Gold On The Ceiling all the more compelling. The energy was fantastic, the charisma was oozing, and the overall performance was rocking!

Olympics of Reality Singing Shows 2016: #12 It's A Man's Man's Man's World - Bryan Bautista & Malik Heard / The Voice US (Spring)

2017-01-04T16:00:00.000+08:00

12. IT'S A MAN'S MAN'S MAN'S WORLD
Bryan Bautista & Malik Heard
The Voice US (Spring)

Slow clap for both Bryan and Malik for managing to sound terrific on perhaps one of the most overdone songs on reality singing shows. On lesser vocalists, one might have tripped up technically and emotionally, but both did really well. Bryan used his versatile instrument to nail the lilting high notes and his gorgeously placed falsetto, while Malik swooped down into his lower range to complete the riveting battle performance.

Olympics of Reality Singing Shows 2016: #13 Halo - Isaiah Firebrace / X Factor Australia

2017-01-04T15:00:00.000+08:00

13. HALO

Isaiah Firebrace

X Factor Australia

Isaiah Firebrace, just like Wé McDonald, has the one of the most recognizable voices this year and his take on Beyonce's smash hit was just absolutely sublime. He knew exactly how to wring the maximum amount of emotion from a lyric, his phrasing never seemed rushed, his investment in the melody never forced, and his vocal runs were precise. After topping in two (2) jury lists and six (6) Top 10 rankings, it was a bit of a surprise to see Isaiah Firebrace's Halo settle for #13.

Olympics of Reality Singing Shows 2016: #14 A Sky Full of Stars - Gloria Jessica / The Voice Indonesia

2017-01-04T14:00:00.000+08:00

14. A SKY FULL OF STARS
Gloria Jessica
The Voice Indonesia

Stripping and slowing down well known pop songs are now a dime a dozen and while Gloria Jessica's take on A Sky Full Of Stars didn't really present anything groundbreaking, the performance was still quite gorgeous. She really did sound lovely and the nooks and crannies of her tone soaked up the unexpected poignancy of the lyrics.

Olympics of Reality Singing Shows 2016: #15 When We Were Young - Billy Gilman / The Voice US (Fall)

2017-01-04T13:00:00.000+08:00

15. WHEN WE WERE YOUNG
Billy Gilman
The Voice US (Fall)

The song that started it all (sort of) for Billy Gilman. He has got some seriously insane range - his swooping lower notes in the verse proved just as potent and on-point as his wailing on the chorus - and his pitch was flawless. He's just vocally brilliant, but almost to a fault as some of the jury felt that it lacked the emotions it needed to be entirely effective - especially for an Adele song. If the emotional deft was just as present, this could've ranked a little higher.

Olympics of Reality Singing Shows 2016: #16 Goodbye My Lover - Zheng Jia Wen (郑迦文) / Sing! China

2017-01-04T12:01:00.000+08:00

16. GOODBYE MY LOVER
Zheng Jia Wen (郑迦文)
Sing! China

With a massive standard deviation, Goodbye My Lover was, arguably, the most polarizing performance that entered this year's list, but had enough support to offset the jury members that ranked him in the 50s. Sure, the vocals weren't perfect and one jury mentioned that the performance was too long that it came off boring, but one can't deny the purity of his tone and the gorgeous vulnerability that he infused in his delivery.

Olympics of Reality Singing Shows 2016: #17 Don't Rain On My Parade - Wé McDonald / The Voice US (Fall)

2017-01-03T16:00:00.000+08:00

17. DON'T RAIN ON MY PARADE
Wé McDonald
The Voice US (Fall)

Was there a quote in some history book somewhere that those who do not know their reality singing show history are doomed to fall short of Barbara Streisand - or any other respected divas for that matter? Well, for some reason, Wé McDonald did and somehow didn't fall on the same traps. She executed it well, giving the song a more youthful undercurrent while showcasing an understanding of dynamics and vocal charisma. Sure, the performance didn't appeal to the majority, but the rest that did, ranked it high enough to catapult it to number 17 in the list.

Olympics of Reality Singing Shows 2016: #18 Writings On The Wall - Matt Terry / X Factor UK

2017-01-03T15:00:00.000+08:00

18. WRITINGS ON THE WALL
Matt Terry
X Factor UK

The opening verses had a good restraint quality about them, and by the time Matt reached that grand chorus, it was as if his voice had blown-up into something bigger and more ferocious navigating effortlessly the deceptively tricky melody. To some, Sam Smith was a tough act to follow and that his version paled in comparison, but to others, this was one stellar performance with seven (7) of the panelists ranking it within their Top 10. The numbers eventually went to his favor.

Olympics of Reality Singing Shows 2016: #19 Stone Cold - Kimberly Fransens / Idol Netherlands

2017-01-03T14:00:00.000+08:00

19. STONE COLD

Kimberly Fransens

Idol Netherlands

DRAMA! Whether there was too much of it or not - based from the jury's comments - Kimberly's take on Demi Lovato's riveting ballad was one for the books. No, this wasn't cleanest, most prestine vocals this year, but there's a real perfection in the nooks and crannies and imperfections of her voice. The dramatic break in her voice, combined with the tortured wail of the chorus, was the kind of from-the-gut singing that upgrades this to something special. Or maybe not. This posted the second highest standard deviation that entered the list and based on the scorecard, you'd understand why.

Olympics of Reality Singing Shows 2016: #20 Valerie - Dave Moisan & Michael Sanchez / The Voice US (Fall)

2017-01-03T13:00:00.000+08:00

20. VALERIE
Dave Moisan & Michael Sanchez
The Voice US (Fall)

Dave Moisan was spotless in his falsetto, while Michael Sanchez's smoky tone was just arm-tingly sublime. There was just so much soul, warmth, and complexity to the blend of their voices, that one could've just basked in two hours of music from the both of them. This was highly favored by some of the jury that one of them even ranked this performance as THE best of the year, with four (4) putting it in their Top 10. Not too shabby for the two dudes that didn't even make the Live Playoffs during their season.

Olympics of Reality Singing Shows 2016: #21 1+1 - Bryan Bautista / The Voice US (Spring)

2017-01-03T12:01:00.000+08:00

21. 1+1
Bryan Bautista
The Voice US (Spring)

Bryan displayed so much range - belted and whispered, hit notes of the growly and falsetto varieties and also managed to deliver even the trickiest sequences of notes that looked effortless - that one had to just stop and simply enjoy the performance, all while capturing the sensuality of the song. This performance scored half of the panel's nod to be part of the Top 25 even placing second from one jury member.