It’s the final battle round of The Voice. Tonight, the judges picked their final team members who will join them when the live episodes start next week. And the episode ended with a (not really) shocking romantic twist!
Below, check out who bested in the last of the Voice battles, and then cast your vote for which team you’re on going into the live episodes. Are you Team Xtina? Team Blake? Team Cee Lo? Team Adam? Time to vote here before you vote next Tuesday!
Adam Battle Four: Battle of the Teddy Bear and the Glam Rocker
Jeff Jenkins goes up against Casey Desmond singing Elton John’s “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me.”
The Adams advise Jeff to “unlearn” some of his technical singing and really access the emotion of the song. Adam says it’s Jeff’s battle “to lose,” because Casey is experienced and formidable, despite the fact that he was the only one who picked her.
THE BATTLE
I’m rooting for: Jeff! “Bubba!” I wanna hug him.
Aww, I love Jeff! But who doesn’t? They’re both great, but Jeff has a humble lovable-ness that seems to just ooze out of him. Both are strong in the performance, but Jeff has so much heart, and yet his voice is strong and he’s still unique, not cheesy. He kills the performance so hard that the judges’ faces are giddy.
The judges all sound torn, because Casey’s voice is great, but the edge in their hearts goes to Jeff. Adam picks a winner: The sun goes down on Casey as Jeff joins Casey Weston, Javier Colon and Devon Barley to complete Adam’s team.
Blake Battle Four: Battle of the Shy Girls
16-year-old Xenia and 18-year-old Sara Oromchi will perform “I’ll Stand By You” by The Pretenders for the last spot on Blake’s team.
Both girls are timid, which worries Blake, but they’re also both talented beyond their years, especially Xenia, who has an effortless charm and eeriness in her singing. She’s so shy and scared that she bursts into tears when Blake says he’s a fan!
THE BATTLE
I’m rooting for: Xenia. Sara is adorable, but Xenia’s voice is more interesting. I see real potential for her to go far.
The girls have a hard time at first. The song just doesn’t seem like a good choice for either of them, and their discomfort with it (and with themselves) leads more than a few flat and pitchy moments. Sara seems to be trying a lot harder to make it work, but Xenia showed more potential naturally. I want to hear her sing some jazz.
Xtina thinks Sara broke out of her shell more, but is more entranced by Xenia’s voice. (And we know what the name of the show is…) Adam rightly says that the duet “was pitchy, nerves flying around everywhere, and notes not being hit,” but part of that was the song choice, which didn’t suit these sweet girls’ voices. Blake picks a winner: Xenia will round out his team of Jared Blake, Patrick Thomas and Dia Frampton.
Xtina Battle Four: Battle of the Xtina’s “Two Angels”
Confident Lily Elise takes on experienced songwriter Cherie Oakley with the original Idol Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone.” Cherie wrote Reba’s “Turn On The Radio,” but can she sing as well as she scribes?
In rehearsals, Lily wears a golden windbreaker that screams almost as loud as she does. Oh, I’m sorry, I mean “belts.” (No, I mean screams.)
THE BATTLE
I’m rooting for: Cherie. But maybe I’m just impressed by her resume.
Nope, I think I like Cherie more. Better tune, better runs, better consistency. Lily hits a real glory note, but at times her pitch is … wonky, and I don’t like how she keeps strutting and fist-pumping the mic while she screams, I MEAN, sings. And what is with that hooded suspender cape she’s got on? It’s distracting, especially paired with a leopard shirt, fishtail braid, red heels and pleather hot pants. (What is this, Flavor of Love?) Lily is just too much for me, while Cherie is a solid singer.
The boys thought these young ladies were fantastic, but Reba interrupts to thank Cherie for that #1 hit she wrote for her. Xtina picks a winner: She mostly seems to admire her for her style (guess I shouldn’t be surprised, now that I think about it…), not her singing, but no matter! Lily Elise joins Beverly McClellan, Frenchie Davis and Raquel Castro in Xtina’s Lady Army. Cherie, you were robbed! By a woman in hooded suspenders, no less.
Cee Lo Battle Four: Battle of the Lovebirds
Tattooed retro beauty Emily Valentine (but not THIS Emily Valentine, Brandon’s psycho girlfriend from 90210!) will take on handsome country man Curtis Grimes with the romantic “Need You Now” by Lady Antebellum.
Emily has a MAY-jor crush on Curtis, and now she has to compete against him in his territory: Country music. “It’s hard not to lose yourself in his cute accent…” she swoons. “Could these lovers BE any more star-cross’d?!” – Chandler Bing
THE BATTLE
I’m rooting for: Curtis. I just want to see Cee Lo working with a country singer some more.
They have to “fall in love” in the song, but Emily seems to be doing it for real. The duet starts out understated and the harmonies aren’t exactly spot-on. In fact, they’re pretty spot-off. Emily’s voice doesn’t quite work with this track, if you ask me, but WHO EVEN CARES, because they kissed at the end!
Blake makes the joke of the evening when he says Cee Lo asked them to “duet, not DO it.” Did they learn nothing from the Glee finale? That kiss could have cost them nationals. Cee Lo picks a winner: Curtis carried away the win, and will carry through to the live episodes alongside Nakia, Vicci Martinez, and Tori & Taylor Thompson. Emily will have to nurse a double broken heart now.
Let’s take a look at the teams going into next week’s live episodes, when The Voice will move back to 9pm. Whose team are you on?
Team Adam It Feels Good to be a Gangsta: Javier Colon, Casey Weston, Devon Barley and Jeff Jenkins. I think with the combination of fan favorites Javier and Jeff, Adam’s may be the team to beat. Casey has some soul in her, too.
Team Frosted Blakes: Jared Blake, Patrick Thomas, Dia Frampton and Xenia Martinez. Blake’s got talent and personality in his group, but the only one who excels in both departments (so far) is Dia. Is she too shy to go all the way to the end, though? Makes me sad all over again that Blake eliminated Tyler Robinson.
Team I Cee London, I Cee France: Nakia, Vicci Martinez, Tori &Taylor Thompson and Curtis Grimes. After he won over and kissed Emily, Curtis has major momentum coming into the live episodes, but I think it’s Nakia and Vicci Martinez who will appeal to a wider audience and get the big votes. Tori & Taylor are cute, but their dual voices are still no match for most of the others.
Team Xtinage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Beverly McClellan, Frenchie Davis, Raquel Castro and Lily Elise. All ladies. No question, the powerhouses of this team are Beverly and Frenchie, but I wouldn’t count Raquel out. She’s young, fresh and fiery. Plus, she’s the Jersey Girl!
(Images courtesy of NBC)
Senior Writer, BuddyTV
Meghan hails from Walla Walla, WA, the proud home of the world’s best sweet onions and Adam West, the original Batman. An avid grammarian and over-analyzer, you can usually find her thinking too hard about plot devices in favorites like The Office, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and How I Met Your Mother. In her spare time, Meghan enjoys drawing, shopping, trying to be funny (and often failing), and not understanding the whole Twilight thing. She’s got a BA in English and Studio Art from Whitman College, which makes her a professional arguer, daydreamer, and doodler.
