Nadine Sutherland. - Rudolph Brown

Nadine Sutherland explains why choosing the right song is important.

The Digicel Rising Stars 5th season is once again showcasing the true talents of Jamaican singers. I do think all the contestants have the potential to give much more which they are trying to do each week.

What I am seeing is steady growth. The only problem that I see with the contestants is something that I have been constantly talking about: Their choice of song. The choice of song is most important when performing and contestants need to realise that.

Choosing the correct song

The thing about choosing the correct song is that it makes the separation between choosing life-sustaining material as opposed to suicidal tracks, which ultimately defines your state in the competition.

In this contest I have seen where contestants have ruined what could have been great performances by singing songs that are all wrong for them. You have to choose a song not because you know it but because it showcases your voice. Choosing a song because it is easy to sing, is not impacting.

Contestants need to step up to the plate and rise to the challenge. Performances have to make an impact and leave an impression, so they need to think carefully of the songs and the range of their voice. From time-to-time we see contestants choosing the wrong songs and its not that they can't sing but they just make that wrong selection and mess things up for themselves.

I go back to last week's performance (Aug 3), Lashana Stephenson delivered a good song: Sheryl Crows The First Cut is the Deepest. The problem though was not that she never sang it well but rather that the song never showed the range and beauty of her voice. As a contestant you don't want to risk that, especially when your performances should be getting better each week.

The competition has been around for five years now and it is safe to say it has found its way as a staple in the Jamaican public's TV appetite. Digicel Rising Stars contestants have developed sharper ears; they are paying closer attention to what we say and are pushing themselves to work even harder. And they are slowly learning that they need to know their voice, their range and ultimately their potential. Choosing the right song that really shows off their voice can help in securing a spot in the finals.

You might ask what makes a good performance or how a contestant determines that hit factor. Well for me it is something that comes from inside, when as an artiste you make your performance literally connect and move a listener: that for me is a hit performance.

Encourage them

The opinion is held within public domain that, as a judge, I smooth things out for the contestants. Truth be told, I'm a performer myself and I understand what the contestants themselves have to go through, to go on that stage and perform. I can relate to them, I have been there. I was involved in a talent competition, winning the first ever Tastee Talent Contest, so I know what that feeling is. I feel like if I blast them I'm blasting myself, and instead what I do is encourage them.

The 5th set of Digicel Rising Stars contestants are a good crop that just need to pay closer attention to their choice of songs and their voice which invariably assists in their delivery. But as the competition heats up I expect to see more development. The battle is on and these contestants are showing no signs of backing down.