It is Monday night, once again! That means The Voice semifinals! We’re coming closer and closer to the season 2 finale, crowning the second winner of the series. Aren’t you excited?! Each of the teams are already down to two members a piece, meaning we’ve said goodbye to quite a few talented hopefuls. Don’t fret, though! The show must go on!
While the competition heats up, there is also some entertainment worthy of just sitting back and slapping your knee to. Tonight, we’ll see group performances by Team Adam and Team Cee Lo and Team Christina and Team Blake. Plus, Blake Shelton will perform his new single!
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It’s a pretty heated night on The Voice! Carson reminds us know that America’s votes as well as the judges’ input will send one singer per team in to the finals next week. Oh yeah, and Blake will perform. In case anyone has forgotten who Blake is, he points to himself.
Carson asks each of the celeb coaches about tonight and their respective team members …
Blake: “Well, one is gonna have to do better than the other Carson.” He’s such a straight-forward kind of guy. “I do feel confident that Team Blake is going to win the freaking Voice this year.”
Christina: “This week all of our contestants are up on that stage and it’s really exciting.” She’s sporting a bejeweled tiara tonight.
Cee Lo: “I love them both very sincerely.” This man is wearing a t-shirt with his cat’s face in the shape of a heart. Of course, he loves sincerely.
Adam: “It really is an even playing field.”
Team Adam
Artist: Tony Lucca
Song: “How You Like Me Now” by The Heavy
Does anyone else think of Wolverine when they see Tony Lucca? Anyways, no matter who or what he looks like, he sounds darn good. The guy is jumping around the stage, interacting with the crowd and his vocals do not falter. There’s no way that Blake can say anything about the background visuals either. Tony easily keeps your focus!
Blake: “I actually don’t know that song, but I’m kind of glad I don’t. That’s probably the version I would like.”
Christina: “That was definitely a little more “slickly” done … If this doesn’t work out, you and Adam can start a Britney cover band.”
Cee Lo: After a really bad impersonation of The Godfather, “I became a fan of yours tonight.”
Adam: “This was the perfect thing at the perfect moment, dude. You killed it!”
Team Blake
Artist: Eriin Willett
Song: “Without You” by David Guetta featuring Usher
Is her music cue off or something? Seems to me that Erin is a bit off the beat and lagging behind. By the second verse, she’s really kicked into it more. It definitely started off shaky, though. Oh, perhaps she’s crying? Yes, she’s become emotional. In that case, singing like that and fighting through tears is quite commendable.
Christina: “I thought it was unique and original and I give big kudos to you.”
Cee Lo: “I’m just enjoying myself tonight.” Great! I’m so glad, Cee Lo.
Blake: “I would give anything to have a tenth of the talent that you have … But more than that Erin, I’d give anything to have the strength that you have.” Nicely put, Blake.
Team Christina
Artist: Chris Mann
Song: “Ave Maria”
Just a man and his spotlight … and some candles. While many have voiced their opinions that Chris shouldn’t be in the semifinals, I don’t know that I can really say anything against an opera singer. Surely, I couldn’t do what his voice is doing right now. He sounds like something you would find … well, at an opera house. Is this marketable, though?
Cee Lo: “Your really are the epitome of this show.”
Adam: “You kind of lend to the show’s credibility in doing something so … classic.”
Christina: “I just felt the heavens open up just now.” The queen descends from her throne to lay a friendly embrace upon her loyal subject. In other words, she gave him a hug.
The Sprint Lounge
Christina Milian is sitting with Tony Lucca and his little girl who is more excited about her two front teeth than anything else. Milian hurries over to Erin Willett and her college friend and makes her start crying again. Thanks, a lot!
Team Cee Lo
Artist: Jamar Rogers
Song: “If You Don’t Know Me By Now”
Jamar always sounds good, so it’s easy to say that he sounds good on this track. There’s hardly much to say. That last note, though, I was not expecting. It turned into a game of “How Low Can You Go?”
Adam: “I’m just purely a fan of what you do.”
Blake: “I hadn’t heard that bottom end from you before, it sounded really good.”
Christina: “I got motivated to start SANGIN’!” You know she had to show off her personal range.
Cee Lo: “The reason why your story is so empowering is because it’s a success story.”
Supergroup Performance
Team Adam & Team Cee Lo
“All These Things That I’ve Done” by The Killers
Juliet Simms, Katrina Parker, Jamar Rogers and Tony Lucca are rocking the house down. Standouts from the quartet … well, I think Katrina is the only one that isn’t hitting it as hard as the others onstage. Jamar is like popcorn up there, Tony is working his guitar and Juliet just has this presence. Katrina comes across as a bit boring.
Sprint Lounge … Again
Milian is hanging out with Jamar Rogers who says Cee Lo took the team out bowling. His baby sister looks extremely scared once the microphone comes into view. While talking to Lindsey Pavao, Erin Willett and Chris Mann strike poses in the background. That was the best part of the Sprint Lounge tonight!
Team Blake
Artist: Jermaine Paul
Song: “Open Arms” by Journey
The performance is dedicated to his family, mostly his wife. How adorable is that? There’s little to say against Jermaine’s voice with this song, but I will say that he sounds better with all that power behind his vocals. Pulling back leaves something to be missed, I think. It looks like he gets a bit emotional, though.
Christina: “You came in and you murdered that song.”
Cee Lo: “I’m consistently impressed with you, man.”
Adam: “Jermaine, I’d like to congratulate you because you are no longer a background singer, my friend.”
Blake: Remember when Adam turned to his team and said, “This is the guy to beat.”? Well, “I think it’s Jermaine,” says the country superstar.
Team Adam
Artist: Katrina Parker
Song: “Killing Me Softly” by The Fugees
Now, this is one of my favorite songs just as Adam said in the package. It’s not everyday you find someone who can take soul on like Lauryn Hill, but Katrina seems to be doing fairly well. She was pretty boring in the group performance, but this is her thing. “Adele Barbie” is shining right now. The last note could have been more cool and collected, but good overall.
Blake: “Dammit!” He basically wants a voice like hers!
Christina: Pointed towards Adam – “Take a look at Katrina Parker ’cause she’s a star.”
Cee Lo: “I think you just reinvented it yet another time,” speaking of Roberta Flack and then Lauryn Hill.
Adam: “I think at the end of the day, you didn’t sound like Lauryn Hill, you sounded like Katrina Parker. And for that I’m happy.”
I would just like to point out, “I do keep it real,” as said by Christina Aguilera. That’s not a quote that you can easily look over.
Sprint Lounge … with family
Milian now sits with Katrina and her parents. Papa Parker says, “Couldn’t ask for better.” That earns an “Awwwww!” Next is the Paul family and Jermaine’s daughters look pretty nervous.
Special Performance
Blake Shelton
“Over”
You gotta love how Blake keeps his cool at every moment of this show. His cool guy, laid back, lovable look that the coach has in his big red chair remains while performing like a rock star. The song is a really cute one, too.
Team Christina
Artist: Lindsey Pavao
Song: “Skinny Love” by Bon Iver
She’s in her element tonight. Holding guitar in hand, Lindsey is surrounded by a crowd sitting on the stage, watching. She looks pretty, too, hair down in waves and a purple gown. Her vocals match well with such a song. Seems that her confidence is showing more this week. That’s a good thing to see.
Cee Lo: “I don’t really know about skinny love, I’m more into BIG LOVE!” Wow, focus please. “I think the closer you got to the microphone, you could actually hear yourself doing a great job.”
Adam: “I love how everybody on the show right now, the last eight, are just so unique.”
Blake: “Strategy wise, I gotta hand it to Christina for … bringing it back to what her artists started with.”
Christina: “I loved seeing you in a coffee shop setting … I’m coming to give you a hug, I love you.” Again, the queen descends and poses alongside her subject.
Supergroup Performance #2
Team Christina & Team Blake
“Edge of Glory” by Lady Gaga
Jermaine Paul, Erin Willett, Lindsey Pavao and Chris Mann are taking on the power ballad. I don’t know that I would have picked this song. Lindsey would be the one falling short in this group. Or wait, Erin’s 80s fringe jean jacket might be tied with Lindsey for most underwhelming during this performance.
Team Cee Lo
Artist: Juliet Simms
Song: “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” by James Brown
First off, when I grow up, I want pointy shoulders like Juliet’s. Now that I got that out of the way, I really admire her connection to the song. She wants to be a part of a man-filled rock world. The passion is there, for sure. I surely hope the show’s stylist doesn’t follow her on her career path, but she sounded amazing.
Adam: “That was … that was … that was something special, that was unbelievable.” He dubs her as “the one to beat.”
Christina: “I sing from me and that’s where you sing from, too.”
Cee Lo: “YOU MURDERED THAT RECORD!”
And with that, a pretty nerdy looking gentleman picks up each of the coach’s votes. We’ll see the results tomorrow night when one artist from each team is eliminated. So, vote, vote, vote! By the way, if you can give me a number of how many people cried tonight, I’d love to see that!
The Voice season 2 semifinals are underway and the results will be shown live tomorrow night. Make sure to tune back in for performances by season one finalists, Cyndi Lauper and Kid Cudi!
Jilliane Johnson
Contributing Writer
(Image courtesy of NBC)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
