This is The Voice! Who doesn’t like a short and simple theme song? Yes, I am pumped and ready to go with these live performances tonight! Plus, we finally get to see the crew in different outfits! Two hours of random song choices, off-the-cuff fancy voice maneuvers and celebrities watching amateurs do their job… ALL LIVE! It might just be too much to contain.
To catch any of you who don’t know what’s going on up to speed, coaches Adam Levin, Cee Lo Green, Blake Shelton and Christina Aguilera have all slimmed down their teams to groups of 6 each and tonight 2 of those teams will face off head to head on-stage. At the end of the show, host Carson Daly will let everyone know that those lines are open for voting and tomorrow the results will be given live. Get it? Got it? Good!
Alright so we’re going to start things off with Team Xtina and Team Blake. The coaches will help rehearse with their artists to mold the perfect performances.
Carson Daly looks dapper in black and purple. Adam has a buzz cut. Cee Lo has… hair?? Let’s move along to the performances, in a hurry!
Christina: “I could not be more thrilled about what’s going to happen tonight.”
Blake: “This is not gonna be easy.”
Cee Lo says something about the teams watching, but he looks so ridiculous that I can’t concentrate on words. “Adam cut his hair off so I figured I’d grow mine out!”
Adam: “That actually is my hair.”
Team Blake
Artist: Jermaine Paul
Song: “Livin’ On A Prayer” by Bon Jovi
Talk about stepping out of Alicia Keys’ shadow! Jermaine rises from beneath the bleachers. His strong and soulful voice matches this classic rock song perfectly. Touching the kids’ hands near the stage, he’s right at home. Well, everyone may need to pack up and head home because there wasn’t anything wrong with that.
Christina: “I didn’t see the connection at all with the song choice.”
Blake: “I think girls tend to like you singing that song a lot.” And of course the screams ring in the stadium.
Christina Milian checks in with Jermaine back in the Sprint Lounge. She asks who he’s excited to see perform tonight. A sort of weird question because of course he answers “Team Christina.” Anyways…
Team Christina
Artist: Chris Mann
Song: “Bridge Over Troubled Water”
I have to say, I’m very happy that Christina chose to leave all the glitz and glamor out of Chris’ performance. Strobe lighting and fog machines would have looked quite out of place here. Chris stands in the spotlight on stage with a piano and string ensemble. There’s no need to describe how he sounds because it’s just beautiful. His cute mother looks on from the audience in tears.
Chris and Carson look like brothers with matching suits. Carson asks Cee Lo to talk, but the fact that his bangs bounce when he moves is just mind-boggling.
Christina: “It was so beautiful, so so so beautiful and so heartfelt.” I think she so so, so so so so means what she says.
Team Blake
Artist: RaeLynn
Song: “Wake-Up Call” by Maroon 5
I’m excited about this one! RaeLynn is such a cutie in her black baby-doll dress and red accents, but she’s singing the lyrics with conviction. Is she singing on key? Maybe not, but she’s having fun on stage and getting the audience up and excited. Adam sits in his seat, looking on with a smile.
Carson doesn’t know what to say as RaeLynn runs off-stage to give Adam a hug. “So beautiful!” she squeals.
Adam: “RaeLynn, you broke my heart twice. You broke my heart when you didn’t pick me and you broke my heart tonight when you sang our song and you sounded good.”
Blake: “I just left the American Country Music Awards last night and you’re all anyone ever talks to me about.” Wow! This little girl knows how to network without even being in the room.
Team Christina
Artist: Moses Stone
Song: “Stronger” by Kanye West
Wow! Okay, so things start off slow in a flush of red lights. Then as the beat really kicks in and the pace picks up, dancers pop up and the lights turn up and the electric guitars get louder and… I feel like I’m at a live concert. Moses is actually singing, rapping AND dancing. Christina stands up, rooting him on before the song is even over. That was fantastic!
Cee Lo: “I really appreciate your stage presence.”
Adam: “There’s no doubt, you know how to entertain people.” He also expresses that he would like to see Moses sing more.
Blake: “You already sound like a better singer to me.”
Christina: “You do it all.” She makes a good point, saying that what is heard on the radio these days, a lot of it is auto-tuned. Moses, just now, had no auto-tune in sight!
BETTY WHITE IS IN THE HOUSE! “I’m just here to look at Blake Shelton.” How cute!
Team Blake
Artist: Naia Kete
Song: “Turning Tables” by Adele
Naia’s nerves really took a toll on her performance during the battle rounds. I’m thinking that the fact she’s holding her guitar tonight will be a huge factor in her feeling at home on stage. Along with a piano and string ensemble, her voice stays true to the original tune, but also lends something unique. It’s simple, but really good.
Christina: “I actually would have liked a more reggae choice.” Super Blake steps in to defend his artist.
Team Christina
Artist: Lindsey Pavao
Song: “Somebody That I Used to Know” by Gotye ft Kimbra
Creepy much? The female dancers sport white masks stained with tears. It’s a very theatrical performance with a fog machine. Lindsey’s voice might sound a bit mousey at times, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t pack a serious punch. Now there are male dancers with even more dramatic masks that have bird-like noses. Don’t get me wrong, the song sounded great. I just have to point out the odd things prancing around on stage.
Adam: “The only thing I was missing was the kind of power I feel when I hear that chorus.” I can understand that comment, actually.
Christina: “Where can I go to buy her album. I can listen to you all day.”
Team Blake
Artist: Jordis Unga
Song: “Alone” by Heart
Joris sits on some old suitcases at the end of a runway, surrounded by the crowd. If you know the song, then you know it all starts slow and picks up. She walks to the main stage and the power cords kick in. I think she’s trying too hard, though. The crowd isn’t even that excited over anything. There are two men standing in the audience wearing grass skirts over their clothing. That is all.
Blake: “She took the hardest parts of that song and performed it. She’s so amazing.” I don’t know that I can agree on this one, Super Blake.
Team Christina
Artist: Sera Hill
Song: “Find Your Love” by Drake
Three words. Mary. J. Blige. In a white suit, Sera Hill sits amidst shirtless men. She breaks off to join two other women in black suits. Dancing around, she has the attitude down that’s needed to pull off a song like this. She commanding the stage and making her presence known. The only problem I’m seeing is that she’s quickly out of breath, so she’s falling short of her pitches. Sera commits and gives us her all, though.
Carson: “Blake how did you get from being shirtless up here to down there so fast?”
Blake: “I was actually waiting for Christina to stick dollar bills in their trousers.”
Unfortunately, it seems that the topless men may be the most memorable of her performance tonight.
Team Blake
Artist: Erin Willet
Song: “Living for the City” by Stevie Wonder
Another theatrical set-up. Erin plays an old school piano as a cafe is staged around her. Her vocals are on point and she’s interacting well with the dancers as well as the audience. There was something about it still that makes me think lack-luster. I can’t put my finger on it.
Cee Lo: “You are just a champion tonight.” It does mean a lot for her to step out after losing her father.
Blake: “That was the best, technically and passionately, the best performance tonight.” Christina grumbles under her breath.
Team Christina
Artist: Ashley De La Rosa
Song: “Right Through You” by Alanis Morissette
I wasn’t really expecting this from Ashley. She stands on the stage with two guitarists. The young rocker persona matches well with her vocals, actually. I’m sure she could still grow from here, but how can you not be impressed? Maybe she really does have a chance at this.
Adam: “You could see the 17 year old in previous performances, but tonight you were a woman.”
Christina: “You really brought it up there. You rocked it out up there.”
Adam: “We just got along!” He stands up and shouts, “Yes!” Aww, they love each other.
Back to Christina Milian in the Sprint Lounge. She asks Jordis about that power note and “where did it come from?” Her reply, “here” as she points to her stomach. Short and sweet.
Team Blake
Artist: Charlotte Sometimes
Song: “Misery Business” by Paramore
I’m a huge Paramore fan and the idea of making one other their songs “haunting” is making me skeptical. Of course the fog machine and string ensemble comes out to play again. The song starts off sketchy, but once the chorus starts it actually sounds pretty cool. Makes me think of a power ballad or something. Interesting.
Adam: “I think the hardest thing for anything to have is a unique voice.” He does mention there were a few pitch problems.
Christina: “I wasn’t expecting that.” She means it in a good way.
Blake: “She’s a true artist and true artists have visions.”
If you’re wondering, Cee Lo simply looks from side to side, allowing for his hair to float with the wind that passes.
Team Christina
Artist: Jesse Campbell
Song: “What A Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong
This is such an iconic song. The lyrics alone are beautiful. It doesn’t necessarily need all of the fancy dressings up that Jesse’s using all over it right now. Yes, he has a nice voice, but it comes across as showy. Just sing the song and let that speak for itself.
Cee Lo: “Your voice is almost as beautiful as my hair.” In all honesty though, he’s looking for Jesse to win.
Adam: Looking back at his team and pointing to Jesse, “here’s the guy you gotta beat.”
Christina: “Aren’t you glad you got the only sober coach up here? It’s a fantastic thing!” I love Christina. She hardly makes sense while taking jabs at the other coaches.
Thank you for joining me for the live performances of The Voice! Carson says the voting lines are open. We will be losing 4 artists tomorrow during the live results show. So vote, vote, vote, vote! Then come back here tomorrow night at 8pm to see who will be leaving the show as well as a live performance by Gym Class Heroes!
Jilliane Johnson
Contributing Writer
(Image courtesy of NBC)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
