Well here we are at week 12! I personally am a little blown away by the fact we have reached week 12 already, but also how many amazing entries we are getting each week from you amazing peoples. Each week gets harder, even if we don't have an insane number of entries - it's the sheer quality of the performances that are truly amazing.

I am running a little behind this week, so I will jump straight into it and see what we can get out in time :D

So without further delays here is my judges top 5 selection for week 12 of SGL!

First Place:

@exoelias - Sonic Groove Live · Week 12 · Cover "I Want It That Way" by @Exoelias

@exolias you've done it again my friend! Just wow on every level, I haven't heard this song in the longest time. Honestly it takes me back to my high school days, it was such a pleasant surprise and such a bloody kick ass performance to boot.

I love your combination of playing and singing, you are the perfect accompaniment when you sing - it's just so lovely to hear and I can't help but sing along with you, belting it out with all the passion possible. I also have to mention you mixed things up a bit, which is always just a delight for a classic song people know so well.

Hearing you get to change things around a bit really adds so much depth to a song, I have to also quickly mention that also added some key changes I don't believe were in the original version. Not to mention this was an ensemble performance with multiple vocalists, this means a whole lot of voices made up the original song - that is a lot of pressure to put on one performer, there's not a whole lot of opportunity for breathing.

I love that you always seem to be connected to the song you are performing, you seem to be feeling the lyrics and conveying the story with the emotion on your face as well as your voice. Your voice is just so pristine, you have an incredible ability to captivate your audience and hold it.

I really like how you reworded sections where there were layered vocals in the original, choosing a unique vocal line that I think added even more to the overall sound. I also really enjoyed your super high notes, especially on the held "why's" choosing to stick in your chest/mix voice really added the extra power needed there to pack the punch that it did.

Your arrangement meant reducing four or five vocal lines into one cohesive vocal line, that in itself deserves a kudos - but you also managed to take the most complicated elements and include them in your rendition, which just made the song sound even more complex.

I have been absolutely adoring your entries of late and you did not fail to impress us again this week, just an all round amazing performance and I really loved every second of it. I also want to take a moment to note you mention in your post you were wanting to not stress to much about the pronunciation, firstly massive props to anyone singing a language that was not their native tongue.

I have to say you managed wonderfully, whilst I could tell in a few places that English wasn't your first language - it wasn't obvious for most of the performance and whats more in the moments when I did notice, it took absolutely nothing away from the meaning, emotion or performance!

As a singer myself I have come across several songs in other languages I just love to "sing" along with, however my grasp of these languages is rather non existent so I am way too nervous to ever attempt them publicly - so again massive kudos on that front as well, but again your understanding of English far out weighs my own of other languages lol.

Another awesome performance, from a brilliant musician - I am becoming such a massive fan of your music, this is why I love my job :D

Second Place:

@kantos - Sonic Groove Live | Week #12 | TICO TICO NO FUBÁ

This was such an energetic and captivating performance, I have to say I wasn't sure where it was going at times. I just didn't realise the tempo would increase so much so suddenly, just a lively and active tune that you can't help but bop along to.

I really enjoyed your combination of instruments, it really added so much to this incredible performance. It's not only the combination of the two its the contrast they support through each other, I really love the complex sounds this creates and the result is truly stunning.

I do have to say this is a rather full on piece of music on a few different levels, its not only the intensity of the tempo throughout and the changes within it. It's also the music itself, the notes and their arrangement really make this song rather intense from the get go.

I really loved every moment of this performance and listened to it countless times, I only wished it was longer - but I don't really know how one could keep that up for a super long version of the song lol. It was a fantastic performance and entry, I really hope to see more from you both :D

Third Place:

@elisonr13 - Sonic Groove Live Week 12 (Cover) Nubes - Miró

Well this just kicked some serious ass my friend, I just couldn't get enough of it listening to it again and again. Each time I just got into it more and more, I just bloody adore your voice in this performance - it has this amazing quality within it, it just adds so much during this performance.

Your playing is as always perfection, but it was your voice that just stole the show for me this week. What an amazing tonal quality you display with absolute perfection throughout this entry, I especially love the almost rasp - it isn't quiet rasp but there's almost an edge to your voice that I just loved so much.

What's more with this performance I can't help but note, it's the moments when there isn't sound that also impact the moments that do - it creates this fantastic contrast and adds even more to the overall dynamic, I just can't get over how amazing this all sounded.

I especially loved the moment when your voice slips down at the end of a phrase, I will try and find the moment - "para ver lo que es eterno" - (I may have required some special assistance to be able to figure that part out, massive thanks to @luisferchav for the impromptu Spanish lesson) but this was just divine to the ears, I kept just loving hearing that vocal slide it's just divine.

I really loved every moment of this performance, I am still sitting here bopping along as it plays and I write this - just a kick ass performance and brilliant song choice, most of all brilliant delivery!

Fourth Place:

@barski - Sonic Groove Live Week 12 - cover - BTS 방탄소년단 Butterfly 버터플라이 - Peter Barski

@barski you just keep on keeping on here my friend, seriously I am loving your song choices and also your execution of them. You just always make me smile, I love your entries they are just so clean and crisp - utter perfection on every level, it is honestly extremely hard to find any fault at all with your entries.

Your playing is quite honestly impeccable and I just can't get enough of it, each week I like to keep an eye out and see what you have in store for us. I can just drift away when I listen to your amazing music, I never grow tired of hearing - its just so peaceful and ready to be enjoyed.

Fifth Place:

@esthersanchez - Sonic groove Live week 12 | Gracias a la vida/ Thanks to life / cover @esthersanchez

I really loved this entry this week, it had such an amazing tone to it - so much complexity within it's structure, almost a melancholy tone to the overall piece. It was just so different it really captured and held my attention, I was really intrigued by it and as it continued my interest only grew from there.

I went to read the lyrics and your post and was amazed by the story that went along with this song, its almost as though she knew this would be her last work and wanted to share some form of insight into her state of mind. It's something people don't often like talking about, but I find talking about it and sharing music and things that have been influenced by suicide - can be a path to understanding.

As she says in this song, she has everything so many people measure true happiness on - but life isn't always that simple and to only look at things and material items as accomplishments, often means things can be lacking in other areas.

I really enjoyed this performance and also the chance to analyse the song on a different level, because of the information you shared on it - I just find the idea of this being a note to people and there being a deeper message behind it, people often struggle with depression for long periods before resorting to suicide.

A brilliant performance of a really unique sounding song, with an even more profound meaning - I really enjoyed this and can't wait to hear more and soon!

Honorable Mentions:

@eugelys - All of me

It's becoming a weekly tradition of me struggling to come up with my top 5 placements, so I had to of course mention your amazing entry. I absolutely adored your added vocal layers, the harmonies were just stunning and I loved absolutely every moment of this performance. In fact this is a song I have considered doing an accapella version of, so it was really nice getting to hear you perform it for us today <3

@edmundocentenor - Tristezza

I simply had to give this entry an honourable mention, the skill you display is just amazing in this performance. I love your combination of playing and vocals, you have such incredible vocal control I just love it so much and couldn't stand not giving this entry some extra attention! Just phenomenal skills all round and such a powerful vocals throughout, really amazing I loved every moment of it.

There you have it guys, that's it for another week and what an amazing week it was. I again really struggled with the top 5, hence my needs for a small honourable mentions list. You guys all kicked ass and again if I could I would write reviews for all of you if I could <3

Much love and remember to go over and check out the other judges posts when they come out! Until next week keep groovin!

Like what you've read so far?
Check out my story

or follow me on twitter @krystlehaines
Please consider voting @ausbitbank for witness here