We’ve made it to The Voice season 8 finale! Joshua Davis, Koryn Hawthorne, Meghan Linsey, and Sawyer Fredericks each performed an original song, a new song, and a duet with their coach on Monday night and now it’s time to announce the winner.
So who will win season 8? While Josh is my personal favorite artist, I would predict that Sawyer’s going to win this season. Sawyer has had such a huge following throughout the competition that he’s a clear frontrunner. However, Meghan also has a chance to win. She’s obviously really talented and has the experience to back her up. While Koryn has a great voice, I don’t think she’s going to win.
The Top 20 Perform Fun Songs
The Top 20 kick the finale off with a bunch of songs by Fun. Of course, Koryn, Meghan, Josh, and Sawyer start the performance off. They start with “Carry On.” I love this song and it’s a perfect way to kick the night off. Then the rest of the Top 20 join them on stage and perform “Some Nights.” It’s a real celebration and they all seem happy to be back together. There are balloons and everything. “And we’re off!” Carson Daly declares.
Coach Check-In
Carson checks in with the coaches. This is the sixth time Adam has brought an artist to the finals. He says Joshua is very sincere and is dedicated to the artist he wants to be. “I love the dude,” he says. Pharrell’s really proud of Sawayer and Koryn. The experience has been amazing for them and he’s very happy. Christina is just impressed with everyone. They all deserve to be here. This is the seventh time Blake has been to the finals and he can’t seem to wrap his mind around that. He’s very confident in Meghan, but then he says that this is the most talented group and he has no idea what’s going to happen.
Joshua Davis, Brian Johnson, Deanna Johnson, Corey Kent White, and Kimberly Nichole Perform “She Talks to Angels”
Joshua brings Brian, Deanna, Corey, and Kimberly back to sing with him. He says that Deanna’s like a sister to him, while Brian was his roommate. Corey can connect really well, and Nichole is “a monster, monster singer.”
“She Talks to Angels” is a great song that has the right amount of rock and roll in it. It’s a really pretty performance, and they all sound great together. They each get their moments to shine. But I really missed Kimberly and I love seeing her again. Joshua seems happy to be singing with them too.
Audition Tapes
They show some fake celebrity audition tapes to be a Voice coach. It’s pretty funny. Miley Cyrus, Sia, Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, Shakira, and Cher all audition. Sia’s is especially funny. Cher asks if Adam Levine is her accountant.
Meghan Trainor Performs “Dear Future Husband”
Meghan Trainor, who’s been a huge presence this season, performs her song “Dear Future Husband.” It’s a simpler, more acoustic version than what’s on the radio. And I actually prefer this version. She gets the whole crowd clapping along.
Red Nose Day
Will Ferrell and Nick Offerman went head to head for Red Nose Day, and they give a sneak peek. Will calls himself “The original Pharrell.” I love these guys and truly miss Parks and Recreation.
Adam’s Goal
Carson says that Adam’s achieved many things, but he has one goal. They show him talking about sports and making all of these sports analogies. He’s way too obsessed, but he’s not athletic at all. All of the other coaches make fun of how terrible Adam really is at sports. Blake says he’d be good at sledding and that he’d be a better “athletic supporter.” In fact, Blake feels bad for Adam, so he got him a Voice jersey. Then Carson says they’re retiring his jersey and hang it form the roof. “It’s an extra, extra small,” he says.
Koryn Hawthorne and Kelly Clarkson Perform “I’d Rather Go Blind”
Koryn Hawthorne performs “I’d Rather Go Blind” with Kelly Clarkson. And Koryn nails it! She sounds amazing, and she and Kelly Clarkson sound really good together. They don’t outshine each other at all. “She can sing, y’all,” Kelly Clarkson says. I totally agree. Koryn killed that.
Meghan Linsey and Sarah Potenza Perform “Piece of My Heart”
Meghan Linsey and Sarah Potenza met at the Blinds and immediately hit it off. Now they’re best friends. Plus, they both live in Nashville.
Meghan and Sarah perform Janis Joplin’s “Piece of My Heart,” which I love. I forgot what a strong voice and presence Sarah had. And she and Meghan totally do “Piece of My Heart” justice.
The I Can Do That Cast
Cast members from the show I Can Do That talk to Carson to plug their show. One guy jokes that he would choose Team Blake because he thought he was on The Voice. Then they show a bit of I Can Do That.
Maroon 5 Performs “This Summer’s Gonna Hurt”
Adam Levine and Maroon 5 perform the world debut of their song “This Summer’s Gonna Hurt,” which is available on iTunes. It has a cool vibe. It could obviously be a summer anthem.
The Voice Confessional
They show the final confessionals. Meghan was looking for a second chance. Joshua wasn’t sure there would be a big audience for him. He wants to provide for his family. Koryn says she just wanted to inspire people and sing. Sawyer is amazed by all of the support he’s gotten. Blake wants this for Meghan. Adam doesn’t care if he wins, but he wants to win for Joshua. Pharrell talks a bit about Koryn and Sawyer.
Sawyer Fredericks and John Fogerty Perform
Sawyer Fredericks performs with one of his favorite artists, John Fogerty, who is such a legend. They perform a few classic songs, such as “Born on the Bayou” and “Have You Ever Seen the Rain,” together. It’s a really fun performance and Sawyer seems to be having a great time. This is definitely one of my favorite performances from the season. That was amazing.
Joshua Davis and Sheryl Crow Perform “Give It to Me”
Joshua performs “Give It to Me” with Sheryl Crow. It’s a really pretty, sweet, mellow performance. It’s right up Joshua’s alley. And his and Sheryl Crow’s voices complement each other well.
A Surprise for the Top 4
After the Top 4 was announced, they stayed to do a Q&A. Fans were able to ask questions. And then Blake asked what it felt like that they all owned brand new Nissans. They turned around to see that they all got cars. Sawyer didn’t have a driver’s license yet. It’s his first car. Then they each promoted their cars.
Luke Bryan Performs “Kick the Dust Up”
Luke Bryan debuts his new single, “Kick the Dust Up.” I’m not always into country music, but I really like this performance. The song is so much fun and has a great sound. Luke Bryan has a great energy too.
Winning GIF Moment
Carson announces the “winning GIF moment” from the season. It’s Blake’s “I don’t know what’s going on here” moment. Blake loves it.
Koryn Hawthorne, Lexi Davila, Mia Z, Tonya Boyd-Cannon, India Carney, and Caitlin Caporale Perform “Uptown Funk”
Koryn Hawthorne formed a super girl group with Lexi Davila, Mia Z, Tonya Boyd-Cannon, India Carney and Caitlin Caporale. First, though, Carson checks in with Pharrell.
Koryn and the other girls perform “Uptown Funk.” This song has been everywhere lately and its energy is so contagious. It’s the perfect song for them. They have a bunch of dancers with them, and the whole performance is so much fun.
Adam’s Coaching Session
They thought it would be fun if Adam had his own coaching session with Pharrell and Reba. Reba is hilariously mean to Adam. Adam says he wanted to run some ideas off them for his tour. He decides to sing “Ave Maria,” and they’re blown away. But Reba doesn’t understand it since it was in Italian. She reminds him to smile, while Pharrell suggests he whistle. After Adam leaves, they talk about how worldly, innocent and amazing Adam was.
Ed Sheeran Performs “Photograph”
Ed Sheeran comes to debut his new single, “Photograph.” He always puts on a great performance and he doesn’t disappoint. It’s a sweet, simple song.
Meghan Linsey and Kelly Clarkson Perform “Invincible”
Kelly Clarkson comes back for another performance. This time, she performs her new single, “Invincible,” with Meghan Linsey. It’s a really powerful performance. There’s no denying how talented Meghan is.
Pharrell and Mia Z Check In
Pharrell and Mia Z went right into the studio together after Mia left the show. They made a song together, which is cool. Then Adam and Blake do a Nissan commercial together.
Sawyer Fredericks, Mia Z, Booke Adee, and Lowell Oakley Perform “Lie to Me”
Sawyer Fredericks chooses Mia Z, Brooke Adee, and Lowell Oakley for his bring-back performance. He talks about how they all became a family on The Voice.
Sawyer, Mia, Brooke, and Lowell perform “Lie to Me.” I love their stage presence and they have a great vibe together. The whole performance has such a cool feel to it. They’re way too cool.
Behind the Scenes with Blake
They show a trailer of Blake’s dark side behind the scenes. He makes fun of Corey Kent White’s height. He’s pretty harsh and keeps cutting Meghan off and starts throwing things at her. He gets her name wrong. “I push people beyond what’s expected of them. I believe that’s an absolute necessity.” Then he starts freaking out. He denies Hannah Kirby water. It’s supposed to be like Whiplash. They call it Whoop-Ass. And guess who shows up? J.K. Simmons, of course.
The Coaches Perform “The Thrill is Gone”
In honor of B.B. King, Adam, Blake, Christina and Pharrell perform “The Thrill is Gone,” which is really nice. And they, of course, do an amazing job. Christina, especially, sounds great.
And the Winner Is…
Finally, we’re up to the moment we’ve been waiting for. Carson’s announcing the winner! Koryn Hawthorne is in fourth place, which is not surprising. Joshua Davis is in third place. I’m a little disappointed, but again, not surprised.
And the winner of The Voice is Sawyer Fredericks! This means Meghan Linsey is in second place. Sawyer totally deserves it. He was so good throughout the season, especially since he’s so young, and he always was a fan favorite.
Result: Sawyer Fredericks wins
Sawyer Fredericks Performs “Please”
Sawyer performs his original song, “Please,” as season 8 of The Voice comes to a close. Sawyer seems so happy and he completely deserves this win. He really is so talented and Pharrell looks so proud.
(Image and videos courtesy of NBC)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
