Will the finals of The Final 1 be a toss-up between a guy and a girl?

SINGAPORE — It may be early days, but The Final 1’s top 10 contestants seem to have come to a consensus about who will be battling it out in the finals of the reality singing competition; and they were evenly split into two camps. Their votes went to either 16-year-old Jermaine Leong or 26-year-old Isaac Ong. Will their sentiments prove prophetic? Only time will tell.

> TEAM JERMAINE

Bernard Dinata: Jermaine. I’ve been a fan ever since I heard her sing. I remember going up to her and (saying), ‘Hey, you’re so good’. I didn’t even know who she was. I just felt like I had to tell her she was amazing.

Isaac Ong: The person I think is really a strong competitor and has room to grow would be Jermaine because she’s really young, she’s really talented, she’s really sweet, and she has power and strength.

Charlene Su: Jermaine. She’s only 16. She’s amazing. She is juggling school and everything, but she still manages to emote every single time. She’s a really good friend and I think she has what it takes.

Gareth Fernandez: Jermaine. She has the best voice. And she’s the youngest. It’s just a great business thing: You can groom her, you can keep her on for 20 years and she won’t even be 40.

What Jermaine says: I think nobody joins a competition to lose. So I don’t mean this in a conceited way at all, but it is a competition and I feel that if I put in everything that I have, I can win. Whoever gives it the most will win.

> TEAM ISAAC

Aziz Azhar: I think Isaac will win. He wants to use this as a platform to give back, to hopefully use his voice to make a difference. He makes me see life from a different perspective. I always see things negatively. He’s always the one who motivates me. And he’s a good singer lah.

Odelle Sabrin: Isaac. An artiste has to speak emotionally and there has to be a sense of sincerity. He’s real and genuine.

Lou Peixin: Isaac. He always sings with heart. I think he knows his identity — he’s very sure of who he is — and it comes across. He’s always so sincere. Even though being warm and genuine doesn’t qualify you to be a star, I think his musical identity is also very secure.

Shanice Hedger: Isaac has a very distinct message that he wants to bring across. He knows his direction and he’s very focused. He wants to spread messages of hope and love, and it’s something that he has expressed very openly. When he sings he really gives it his everything. It doesn’t have to be said, but he sings phenomenally well. It’s amazing that he can bring such emotion even when the stakes are very high. You can tell that he’s not thinking of this as a competition, but he generally wants to spread love and be a very welcoming performer. He’s very giving of himself. I think that enables him not just as an artist, but as someone people can admire and look up to. He brings an extra something to the table.

Wei Lun: The person who deserves to win most is Isaac because I think it’s not just about singing. In this world, you need Mother Teresas who can sing.