Fresh from winning us over with their astounding performance of “Beauty and A Beat” as popstars Justin Bieber and Nicki Minaj in the previous round of “Your Face Sounds Familiar Season 4” that earned them their third victory for this season, JM Dela Cerna and Marielle Montellano once again proved their versatility as they transformed into OPM seasoned singers Jaya and Janno Gibbs.
Their heartfelt duet of “Ikaw Lamang” indeed earned energetic applauses, a standing ovation, and fervent praises from the jury panel because more than just flawlessly mimicking their icons’ distinct vocal styles, the duo was also able to capture the very soul of the beloved Filipino love song, which made their performance resonate deeply with both the judges and the audience.
As one of the people who had the opportunity to hear the song prior to its official release in 1999 due to his close friendship with both Jaya and Janno, jury member Ogie Alcasid admitted that JMielle’s “effortless” performance actually stirred a sense of nostalgia in him. He then went on to thank the “Birit Duo” for what he described as an impeccable and heartwarming tribute that’s “worth watching” and utterly “excellent”.
Mentor-coaches Klarisse de Guzman and Nyoy Volante also conveyed how absolutely in awe they were of their performance. Klarisse enthused that the pair has consistently exceeded expectations week after week, while Nyoy highlighted their impressive commitment in not just imitating the voices of their icons, but their mannerisms and subtle nuances as well.
Echoing the sentiments of her fellow judges, Sharon Cuneta shared what she admires most about the duo, saying, “Alam [n’yo] ang isa pang gustong-gusto ko sa kanila? Alam na nilang magaling sila—imposibleng hindi, di ba—but they always come out to perform na napaka-humble nila. They still do their best, they still step forward sa stage natin, still wanting to deliver their galing and happiness to all of us and their audience. ‘Yon ang sobrang thankful ako kasi you, two, deserve to be this talented.”
Catch the amazing transformations of your favorite celebrity performers on “Your Face Sounds Familiar,” weeknights, 7:15PM on Kapamilya Channel, ALLTV2, A2Z, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL) and iWant.