Pinay teen in top 40 of Singapore's 'The Final 1' reality contest

Out of 1,000 aspirants, a 17-year-old Filipina made it to the top 40 of the first ever “The Final 1” singing reality contest in Singapore.

Gail Belmonte, a student from Bishan North, Central Singapore wowed the judges and audience of the contest with her rendition of “If I Ain't Got You” by Alicia Keys.



Belmonte's performance was praised by host Dee Kosh of the "Hot and Juicy' show of Singapore's 987 FM.

“Gail came in as she sang “If I ain't got you” by Alicia Keys and I must say that it was fantastic. It was perfection,” Kosh said, adding that “her voice was fantastic, her tone was good, she put the grunts at the right places in the song and her runs were good.”

“It was just sheer perfection,” Kosh gushed.

He  also defended Belmonte's getup, criticized by a Final 1 judge who said the Filipina teen needed to dress in a more 'current' manner.

However, Kosh said, “If she sings like that she could wear a welcome doormat and a chicken on her head and still be a diva and still win the competition. Okay?”

Varied musical genre

On the official contestant page, Belmonte said her music idols are Beyonce and Whitney Houston. She also said that she likes to sing pop, soul and R&B.

“The Final 1” aims to discover the next big star through digital, mobile and social networking platforms in a span of 17 weeks via TV episodes.

Its first episode was aired on April 24 where the top 60 contestants performed for a slot in the top 40.

The grand winner of the contest will receive $50,000 cash (roughly P2,000,000) and plus a recording contract worth the same amount. - Andrei Medina, VVP, GMA News