Heading into the fourth night of Battles on The Voice, we’re more than halfway over and Christina Aguilera has yet to use either of her two Steals while Cee Lo Geen and Adam Levine have used up both of theirs.
That all changes tonight as Xtina finally steals an artist on a night filled with solid performances and my favorite contestant of the entire season, adorkable hipster squeaker Mackenzie Bourg. I have definitely been assimilated into his fan club. Resistance is futile. Hopefully all you nerds appreciate that awesome joke.
Team Blake: Liz Davis vs. Nicole Johnson (“Baggage Claim” by Miranda Lambert)
I don’t really remember either of these two country gals from the blind auditions. Even their names are bland. Of course Blake Shelton uses one of his wife’s songs to help boost her iTunes sales. Neither of them seems to be the next big country artist Blake wishes they were.
The Performance: They both sound good, and this is definitely a situation of two very similar artists with only one spot, and either would fill it nicely. I think Liz Davis gets the edge because her tone is a little more mature and professional. She seems just a little bit more country to me.
The Winner Is…LIZ DAVIS!
The Steal: No one steals Nicole. Woohoo, it seems I have my predicting mojo back after last night’s disaster.
Team Adam: Alessandra Guercio vs. Kayla Nevarez (“Wide Awake” by Katy Perry)
It’s a battle of the 17-year-olds. The whole thing feels more suited for Team Xtina with great young female singers with big voices.
The Performance: Just like the first Battle, this one pits two very similar artists against each other, resulting in a beautiful performance that is very hard to predict. Kayla is a prettier singer, but I prefer Alessandra’s attitude.
The Winner Is…KAYLA NEVAREZ!
The Steal: Christina Aguilera takes some time to talk about how Alessandra needs some confidence and she can identify with her coming from a trained background because she’s from the Mickey Mouse Club, so Xtina hits her button. Xtina steals Alessandra! Finally, Xtina uses her steal, and it makes sense since Alessandra definitely belongs on Team Xtina.
Next up is a trio of quick Battles.
Team Cee Lo: Ben Taub vs. Mycle Wastman
The Winner Is…MYCLE WASTMAN!
Team Adam: Adanna Duru vs. Michelle Brooks-Thompson
The Winner Is…MICHELLE BROOKS-THOMPSON!
Team Xtina: Beat Frequency vs. Laura Vivas
The Winner Is…LAURA VIVAS!
Once again, I feel bad for Ben Taub and Adanna Duru, both of whom got short-changed in the blind auditions and now get the shaft once again. And the quick demise of Beat Frequency means both duos are now gone. The Voice should definitely stop letting duos compete.
Team Cee Lo: Emily Earle vs. Mackenzie Bourg (“Good Time” by Owl City and Carly Rae Jepsen)
Yay, Mackenzie! He’s not the best, but he’s probably my favorite. I just dig his whole vibe. And the hipster dude is up against a country girl, which is unusual. Mackenzie is excited to meet Rob Thomas, the reason he’s a singer, which is probably the only time Matchbox 20 has been honored in that way. The song also greatly benefits Mackenzie’s style.
The Performance: I’m loving both of them. Mackenzie’s cool, hipster voice rocks with this song, and Emily’s pop country twang is beautiful and very commercial. However, I think Emily’s face is very non-expressive. The judges pound Mackenzie for being too “squeaky.” I agree, but I love the squeak.
The Winner Is…MACKENZIE BOURG!
The Steal: YAY! Or, as the Swedish Chef would say, “Bourg! Bourg! Bourg!” I’m almost as excited as Mackenzie’s loud, scary dad who kinda reminds me of Steve from The Jerry Springer Show. No one steals Emily. Blake was close, but she didn’t quite give him enough. There’s also the issue of still having several Battles to go and Blake only has one Steal left.
(Image and videos courtesy of NBC)
Senior Writer, BuddyTV
John watches nearly every show on TV, but he specializes in sci-fi/fantasy like The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural and True Blood. However, he can also be found writing about everything from Survivor and Glee to One Tree Hill and Smallville.
