After an exciting Talent Quest Prelims, the much-anticipated Finals round took place last week on June 30th.
The three acts that qualified for the finals were:
- KDC
- Laura Yang
- Sensational Six
The finals commenced with soloist Laura Yang who set the bar high with her touching cover of Mandarin Pop Classic, 梨花又开放 (The Pear Blossoms Bloom Again). Characterised by constant transitions between dolce and forte notes with hints of vibrato throughout the song, Laura delivered a nostalgic melody reminiscent of older Chinese music.
Following Laura’s soulful performance was another musical act featuring the Sensational Six, who took the stage by storm. They covered legendary 2010s pop songs including Perfect and Shut Up and Dance, beautifully combining a slow, romantic ballad with an exhilarating party anthem. The character of each song shone brightly, showcasing the Sensational Six’s versatility which blew the crowd away.
With two exceptional musical performances to start the Talent Quest finals off strong, as per Talent Quest tradition, the halftime show featured a band made up of Macleans staff. Taking the stage with their comedically colourful wigs and some makeshift Macleans student uniforms, the teachers delivered a hilarious rendition of the Kiwi classic Bad Hair Day.
Like every other year, the halftime show did not fail to send students into laughter, filling the gymnasium with a mix of nostalgia and contagious giggling.
After a good laugh, the final performance came as KDC made their return to the Talent Quest stage. Covering a mashup of old-school K-pop songs from 2NE1, the powerful stage presence exhibited by each member captivated the audience as they executed the moves with precision and synchronisation.
This then seamlessly transitioned into more contemporary hits from the likes of IVE and Iz*One, leaving the crowd in awe as they creatively blended nostalgic hits with more recent trends.
As the performances wrapped up and the judges began to go through the tough process of ranking the performances, the audience received a little surprise. Crashing the finals was none other than the legend himself, Danny Chou who had previously taken the crown in Talent Quest two years ago.
In his flamboyant performance, Danny incorporated 2000s and 2010s hits from some of the most iconic pop singers including Lady Gaga, Britney Spears and Katy Perry. This left the crowd screaming as he danced with exuberance and sang through snippets of each song with great enthusiasm.
With Danny’s surprise performance wrapped up and after some difficult decision-making from the judges, the winners were announced. With anticipation and uncertainty throughout the crowd, the MCs announced KDC as the winner of this year’s Talent Quest.
Although the Talent Quest took place over the span of a single lunch period, behind each performance were hours of repetitious practice to perfect the most minute details that allowed each act to shine in front of a massive crowd.
In our exclusive interview with some of the performers, Laura Yang noted,
“Even as a singer, I had never performed in front of such a large audience before. It was both exciting and nerve-racking to see so many faces in the crowd, but the support and enthusiasm made me feel more comfortable and energised. This event was a great opportunity for me to show my abilities to a larger audience, and I am really grateful for that”.
From the several showcases of virtuoso singing and exceptional dancing skills, this year’s Talent Quest was certainly not a disappointment. A massive congratulations to all the performers throughout Talent Quest as a whole for showcasing the wide array of amazing skills at Macleans College.
Tuesday, June 23rd
Written by Aaron Huang, edited by Emma Li
Photography by Joseph Zhang
