Last week, The Voice said goodbye to Dani Moz and T.J. Wilkins. Not really a shocker for either of them to leave, but I have a feeling that this round is going to see someone with the potential to win go home … mainly because everyone left in the Top 10 is pretty darn awesome!
Will my boy Josh Kaufman dominate again this week? Or will an underdog like Audra or Delvin creep up from behind to steal the spotlight?
All of the Top 10 artists perform tonight and your votes determine who moves on.
Welcome to The Voice live blog!
The show starts out with a performance by a band called Rixton. Carson claims that Rixton is tearing up the charts, but I’ve never heard of them or this song, “Me and My Broken Heart.”
Okay, fine. It’s catchy. I may or may not be purchasing it on iTunes right now.
Still, are these performances necessary? I guess if NBC insists on dragging these Monday episodes of The Voice out for two hours every week, then yes. Yes, they are necessary.
Kat Perkins (“Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac)
This week, Team Adam gets help from Graham Nash of Crosby, Stills & Nash. Graham and Adam want Kat to show her sensitive side and be emotional.
Kat’s vocals are awesome, but something about her voice bothers me. I think maybe it’s too nasally. “Landslide” sounds great — both strong and delicate. This is my favorite performance from her yet, but like I said, I just don’t prefer her voice. Sorry, Kat!
Blake enjoyed seeing Kat’s softer side and he is almost brought to tears. Usher agrees that the performance was beautiful and Shakira says it was great. Coach Adam has an intense emotional connection to this song and is supremely happy with how Kat sang it.
Tess Boyer (“Ain’t It Fun” by Paramore)
Sidenote: Carson says the word “tour” really weird. Anyone? Bueller?
Shakira has someone named busbee (all lowercase letters, really) helping her with rehearsals. Shakira and busbee think the Paramore song will showcase Tess’ pop yet soulful style.
Eh. This song is nothing special. Tess sounds fine and she doesn’t have any errors. She’s a fun performer, but that’s about all I can say about this performance. It’s fun and light. I don’t know if it’s enough to take her to the next round.
Adam says Tess executed well, and Blake says it was pitch-perfect. Adam calls Blake a pooch-screwer. Oh, these two! Usher enjoyed the song. Shakira says Tess was in the pocket and totally nailed it.
Audra McLaughlin (“You Lie” by Reba McEntire)
A curly-haired Audra got a guitar from Blake and help from Scott Hendricks. Blake says that this Reba song will challenge Audra. Scott thinks she has the talent, but just needs to hone her craft.
Ummm, okay. I can’t tell what Audra is saying for the first half of the song! She’s not enunciating her words. The chorus saves her, possibly because now what she is warbling is from the song’s title. Audra ends on a high note, and it’s clear that she has the power to be a great country singer. I just don’t think this was her best performance.
Usher says this performance took Audra to a different level. Shakira says that was a top five performance, without a doubt. Adam says it was Audra’s best performance by far. Maybe I need to clean my ear’s out? Blake loved it, too. Obviously.
Josh Kaufman (“This Is It” by Kenny Loggins)
Usher has given Josh “This Is It” by Kenny Loggins because it exercises every register of his voice. Usher’s helper (someone named Natural) thinks Josh could be a huge presence on the music scene, like yesterday.
At first, I thought this song seemed like a great choice. Now that it’s here, however, there are no “wow” moments. He’s better than this performance. Last week, Josh was incredible. This is … not. It’s definitely still really good and vocally excellent, just not as exciting or chill-inducing.
All the coaches love Josh and thought he did a wonderful job. He’s probably safe just because he is Josh Kaufman. Not even a blah performance can keep him from moving on.
Christina Grimmie (“Hold On, We’re Going Home” by Drake)
Adam likes to push the envelope, so he has allowed Christina to choose a rap song by Drake. This should be interesting! Graham is amazed at the insane range, control and depth of Christina’s voice.
Finally! A performance that I like! Christina starts the song all sultry and quiet, then builds to a strong, powerful crescendo. The performance sounds so different than Drake, and I really feel like it’s a different song.
Blake says that Christina was unbelievable and went from a singer to an artist. Usher thinks that Drake will be proud of that performance and that Christina deserves a spot in the finals. Wow! Shakira says it was the best performance of hers by far. Adam couldn’t be prouder of Christina and her conviction to go after what she wants.
Jake Worthington (“Run” by George Strait)
Blake gushes about how Jake is just a good dude who likes to sing country music. “Should we hug now?” he asks Jake.
“I’ll take a kiss,” says Jake.
Scott and Blake want Jake to relax and not over-sing this song.
Is it just me or do the country songs seem easier to sing than something like the challenging record Christina Grimmie chose to do? Jake did fine, and the song sounded like a typical country song. He hit all the notes, but like many of the other singers tonight, there were just no “wow” moments in the song.
Usher and Shakira give general praise, but mostly it’s about how much they like Jake as a person. Adam says that he’s pretty sure that Jake “is country,” as Blake puts it. Blake respects how genuine Jake is, and he feels that he gave a solid performance.
Bria Kelly (“I’m With You” by Avril Lavigne)
Bria will be singing “I’m With You” by Avril Lavigne. She says it will showcase her vulnerable/emotional/soft side. Usher and Natural had some advice for her, but I was too busy trying to call Adam Levine on my cell phone to hear it. (Blake tweeted Adam’s phone number out tonight. The ladies of America thank you, Blake!)
I think this performance was all over the place. Bria was clearly trying to show emotion, but the trills were just too much. Emotion in a song is better shown in a stripped-down performance … not one that is all gussied-up. I was not a fan.
Shakira says that the song was difficult, but Bria did well. Adam wants to be critical, because he is a fan of Bria. Adam says that she wasn’t emotionally connected to this particular song. Bria is fighting back tears. Blake says she sounded completely different, but that’s not necessarily bad. Usher thinks Bria grew during this performance, and he is happy with how she did.
And now she is crying. Don’t worry, Bria, I’m sure you’re not the first girl Adam Levine has made cry!
Delvin Choice (“Bright Lights” by Gary Clark, Jr.)
Delvin’s “choice” this week is “Bright Lights,” a song I am not familiar with. Delvin says it’s a fusion of funk and blues. His coaches think he will electrify the audience with this performance.
This song was classic Delvin, which means it sounded like he always sounds: powerful, loud and soulful. I thought the performance was nothing special. And then Delvin continued after I thought he was done. “Do you know my name?” he screamed to the audience. Then he sang, “Well, you’re gonna know my name by the end of the night!”
Loved that performance. Loved it. Of course, Adam could orchestrate a show-stopping performance like that. The other coaches agree. Blake and Usher thought he brought it to another level. Performance of the night! Who wants to try to top that?
Kristen Merlin (“Let Her Go” by Passenger)
Poor Kristen has to go after Delvin. At least she’s singing a popular song that the audience will know. Maybe that will help?
I like Kristen, I really do. This performance didn’t really do anything for me, though. It was technically perfect, but I didn’t like how she styled it. I was wishing for the original version the whole time she was singing it. Poor song choice, or possibly poor coaching by Shakira?
The coaches disagree with me, as usual. Blake and Adam loved Kristen’s performance. Shakira thinks it was amazing and perfect and representative of America’s minorities. Because Kristen’s a lesbian? Ummm, okay. Calm down, Shakira.
Sisaundra Lewis (“Oh Sherrie” by Steve Perry)
OMG. I freaking love this song that Sisaundra is singing. Blake thinks the song will shock everyone, because it’s random and old and out of Sisaundra’s comfort zone.
It is unclear whether or not the young audience actually knows this song. It’s okay, though, I think they can still appreciate Sisaundra’s vocals. This was a fabulous song choice for her. Sisaundra gets a fun song she can belt out, and I get chills. That last note at the end? Damn, girl!
Usher says the performance was incredible, and Adam says she blew the roof off the place. Blake is amazed. “My gosh, Sisaundra, you’ve made me look so smart!” says Blake.
That concludes the performances of the Top 10 contestants. In my opinion, the best from tonight were Delvin, Sisaundra and Christina, in that order.
The results air Tuesday night at 8pm on NBC.
(Image and videos courtesy of NBC)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
