Chapter 1649: Call of the Spotlight (Part II)

Iris Long's critique might sound harsh at first, but if people thought about it more, they would realize that it was the most constructive among the judges' comments.

Everyone began to feel that today's episode might be the best yet. It somehow felt like "Call of the Spotlight" became a bigger deal than it actually was, like some sort of high-calibre singing competition and not just an entertaining segment at a long-running noon-time show.

Nobody thought that Iris was being mean, unlike other previous guest judges who were bashed into oblivion after they gave critiques deemed too negative for the audience's liking.

Just looking at the contestant's expression was enough to show that her words had inspired him to improve instead of discouraging him.

On the contrary, everyone felt like they were watching a master educating a student on how to do better. In short, this was a master class in the truest sense of the word.

Some of the audience members even subconsciously straightened their backs. Iris' professionalism seemed to infect them. They, too, would watch the competition more seriously and analyze the contestants' performances with the judges more objectively.

The Filipino Black Stars watching in the audience and at home couldn't help but lift their chins and puff out their chests.

As expected of their Boss Iris.

No matter which country she went to, she would always make all of them proud.

There was nobody and nothing in this world that could conceal her brilliance.

That was their Boss Iris, the best celebrity in their hearts.

Before this, they only followed her career through the news and updates. It was only now that they had the opportunity to meet her in person. She was as beautiful and as magnificent as their fellow Black Stars abroad said about her.

Back on the stage, the competition continued. The first contestant thanked the judges and everyone before leaving. Then Master Beauty introduced the second contestant.

This time, the contestant was a female single mother in her late thirties. Her appearance, to be frank, wasn't outstanding at all. She had quite a common, forgettable face. During her chat with the hosts, although she looked nervous, her voice and eyes were steady. She also answered all their question as clearly as possible.

Iris listened to Dom's translation behind her. She nodded. Although she felt mildly impressed by the contestant's life story of struggling to support her three underage children all by herself, Iris reminded herself that this was a singing competition.

She didn't know about her fellow judges, but she would judge solely based on vocal and musical skills, not on how pitiful the contestants' life stories were. Besides, sharing contestants' life stories was a common tactic of TV shows to attract and engage more viewers. It wasn't something new.

Finally, the chat ended. The second contestant started her performance.

It was a Filipino love ballad.

Dina Bendita leaned towards Iris and whispered, "Albert composed this one for his wife, Virginia, while he was still courting her."

Iris' interest was piqued. She glanced at Albert Alcala, who was sitting on Dina's other side. The Filipino composer had a dreamy expression, most likely remembering when he used to court his wife in the past.

After giving Dina a nod of thanks, she faced the stage to focus on the current contestant's performance.

Compared to the first contestant, this second one was steadier. She might look unassuming at first, but oh boy, did her aura transform once the music started. This contestant's confidence filled the stage. Her voice resounded in the entire studio.

Iris might not have listened to the original version of this Filipino song before, but it didn't matter. She would judge based on the contestant's performance alone.

Granted, it did help to know why this song was composed. It aided in her understanding of what kind of emotions should be in the song.

The yearning, desire, and love were all perfectly demonstrated by the contestant.

When they reached the climax of the song, the contestant didn't falter. Not one bit. She sang with confidence despite the slight strain in her tone.

Iris closed her eyes to focus on the music and avoid getting distracted by the audience's loud cheers.

After the performance, the hosts swarmed around the contestant. Master Beauty was grinning. It was clear that they were also all impressed.

"Now it's time to hear what our beloved judges have to say about your performance," Master Beauty prompted.

Unlike her earlier explosive confidence, the contestant appeared nervous this time. Her hands shook a little as she held the microphone against her chest.

The first judge to speak was Albert Alcala.

He said, "You know that I wrote this song for my wife when I was still wooing her, right?"

"Yes, sir," the contestant replied.

"And you know that I've always been strict to contestants who dared to sing the songs I composed, right?"

"Y-yes, sir."

Albert nodded. "Of course, in my heart, only my wife could sing this song perfectly because I wrote it for her in the first place. But as a musician who appreciates talent, I've encountered a handful of other singers who have given this song justice. All of them are now big shots in our country's music industry."

The contestant paled. She looked ready to receive some harsh criticisms.

Albert chuckled. "No need to look so scared. I'm here to tell you right now that I've added you to the handful of other singers who gave this song justice."

The contestant looked like she didn't understand what Albert Alcala just said. She looked at the cheering hosts and audience in confusion.

"He likes your performance!" Master Beauty told her.

It was only then that she smiled. Her eyes watered. She was relieved. "Thank you, Mr. Albert!"

"Of course, your performance isn't without faults," Albert added.

Then he began listing some issues and ways to improve them. He was more specific this time, perhaps influenced by Iris Long's earlier comments to the first contestant. After all, as a renowned Filipino composer, he was also an expert in music theory.

"I understand, sir," the contestant replied.

Next, Dina Bendita said, "What can I say? That was a marvellous performance. You were born to be on stage."

Dina remained true to her original judging style—kind and encouraging.

And now, it was Iris' turn again.

The contestant once again began to feel nervous. Everyone felt the same way. The hosts, the audience, and even Iris' fellow judges all turned to look at her, waiting for her critique.

Iris smiled. "I've always heard that Filipinos are great singers. Listening to you sing today, an amateur with not a single prior professional experience, only solidifies this stereotype. Your vocal quality is great. Your tone, how you emote, and your confidence onstage are not something an amateur will achieve without trusting their own voice. That's something you have. You trust your own voice, and as a fellow singer, I appreciate that. In my opinion, no matter how polished a singer's techniques are, if you don't trust your own voice, the listeners will feel that. They won't be immersed in your music because they can feel your hesitation.

"Of course, just like what Mr. Albert mentioned earlier, your performance could be cleaner. I won't go into the specifics this time because I think that he already did that for all of us."

Albert Alcala gave a sheepish expression to the camera. The audience laughed.

"So I'm just going to give you some advice which you may find helpful," Iris continued.

The contestant nodded, looking eager to hear what kind of advice Iris would give her.

Iris said, "I think you can go another octave higher. Do you want to try?"

The contestant looked a little confused at first. Thankfully, Master Beauty was there to explain to her.

Iris then gave Dom an eye signal. As usual, Dom understood what she wanted right away. He jogged to the director behind the main camera and whispered something to his ear. The director then glanced at Iris before giving an "OK" sign.

Good. It seemed that taking a little time today was allowed.

She didn't waste the opportunity. She stood up and walked to the band's section with Dom following behind her to continue translating as needed. The keyboardist stood up and gave up his seat for her. She shook his hand before sitting down and quickly pressing a series of keys. Her quick demonstration earned loud applause, but her expression barely changed. That was just a quick exercise, not something impressive, in her opinion.

A young host walked up and stood beside her to hold a microphone for her.

"Ready?" Iris asked the contestant.

"Yes, Miss Iris, I'm ready."

Everyone watched in anticipation, curious as to what Iris was planning.

Then Iris began the demonstration.

Albert Alcala shot up from his seat and stared, stunned, at Iris, who was playing the song he composed to court his wife. It was the ballad that the contestant just sang for her performance.

"What in the world?" he muttered under his breath, his eyes not leaving the beautiful foreign woman playing the keyboard.

Earlier, the band hadn't played the original arrangement of the ballad. Instead, it played a popular arrangement meant for live covers, which had received personal approval from Albert Alcala himself.

Therefore, Iris didn't know the original arrangement of the song. What she was playing now was also quite different from the live cover arrangement.

"An impromptu arrangement?" Dina Bendita murmured.

A nervous chuckle escaped Albert's throat. "Damn. This sounds better than my original composition."

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