The Voice: Finale, Part 1

Yes, we are getting ready for a live finale of a reality TV competition, but The Voice chooses class over spectacle to open the show this evening, and I could not be more grateful for that. Singing Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” the coaches, hosts, and all of the finalists stand solemnly by candlelight and hold up signs….each representing one of the 26 victims in last week’s tragic elementary school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. The names and ages are on each card, and before Blake can even get through the first line of the song, it’s already too much for this blogger. It’s heartbreaking, but a beautiful trubute. Having no idea what the next 90 minutes have in store for us, I’m absolutely overwhelmed with appreciation for what The Voice has done tonight.

 

 

Carson welcomes us to the show and we see a montage of our Final Three as they journeyed through this season. Each contestant will perform three times tonight – one new solo, an encore of one song they have already performed this season, and one duet with their coach.  After that, it’s up to America to determine a winner, and I have a feeling the artists aren’t going to make it an easy decision.

 

 

Contestant:  Nicholas David
Team: Cee Lo

Song: “Great Balls of Fire” by Jerry Lee Lewis
 

Cee Lo’s last man standing is opting out of the normal soulful ballad for his first performance, and this might be a side of Nicholas we have not seen yet. I don’t just mean because the stage and the piano are on fire….literally… but the man looks like he is having so much fun performing this song. Granted, he doesn’t have a future in dance, but he most definitely has a future in music. Well done.

Coaches Say: Nicholas receives a standing ovation from the three male coaches, and Adam is so happy Nicholas took this opportunity to entertain and have a good time. Blake says tonight is a celebration and he is glad Nicholas had fun performing that song. Cee Lo appreciates Nicholas’ humility but believes his fire tonight burned the house down.

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Contestant: Cassadee Pope
Team: Blake
Song: “Over You” by Miranda Lambert

Cassadee chooses the emotional song written by Blake and Miranda to perform again for us this evening, and it may be more moving this time than it was a few weeks ago. Granted, emotions are running high tonight anyway, but she does an amazing job with this performance. Her voice is just about as close to perfection as it can be even though she is crying at the end, and I applaud her from my couch.

 

Coaches Say: Xtina tells Cassadee she looks “drop dead gorgeous” which makes me wince a little but I move on….mainly because Xtina’s outfit gives me a good chuckle. She is enamored by Cassadee’s entire presence, and she tells her the sky is the limit. Adam compliments how strong and finely tuned Cassadee's voice is. He’s also a fan of her shiny dress. Blake says America’s heart is heavy right now and Cassadee performing that song was a nice moment.

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Duet: Terry McDermott and Blake Shelton
Song: “Dude Looks Like a Lady” by Aerosmith

Um yes – that is Blake Shelton singing an Aerosmith rock song, and I am loving it. I’d be lying if I said Terry is not the stronger half of this duo, but it’s fun anyway. Midway through the performance Adam shows up to play guitar dressed as…I don’t know… Axl Rose? It doesn’t matter because he is shirtless. He should always be shirtless?

 

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Contestant: Nicholas David
Team: Cee Lo

Song: “Lean on Me” by Bill Withers

Nicholas performs his encore behind a small wooden piano with the choir seated on wooden crates and benches behind him. I found his previous performance of this song to be kind of boring, but I like the vibe he is going for tonight.  Maybe it’s because he is more relaxed this evening than he has ever been on this show, but I’m more of a fan of Nicholas tonight than I have been all season.

 

Coaches Say: Adam tells Nicholas that his outfit makes him look like a principal, and I cringe. A lot. Nicholas plays along telling Adam to meet him in his office after school, and Adam says he is the “principal of the school of funky stuff.” Make it stop! Cee Lo believes in Nicholas and tells him he loves him. They share a bro hug, and we are back on track. Thank you.

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Contestant: Terry McDermott
Team: Blake

Song: “Broken Wings” by Mister Mister

“Broken Wings” is a favorite of Terry’s son, and he sings it from a mic stand that appears to glow in the dark. Neat. The drummers seated on steps behind Terry are doing a hell of a job making this song sound more current. This is definitely not one of my favorite Terry performances, but the guy is still awesome, and I could easily just be missing out because I am not a Mister Mister fan. Confetti falls at the end of the song, and I’m confused…is the competition over? I would be okay with that…but I thought there was still one more day to go.

Coaches Say: Adam says that Terry seemed to have some technical difficulties at the start of the song (which I missed…distracted by the mic stand) but he recovered well. Are we just not talking to Xtina tonight? Is it her hat? Blake doesn’t know how Terry does what he does, but Blake believes that every time Terry takes the stage “something epic happens.”

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Duet: Cassadee Pope and Blake Shelton

Song: “Steve McQueen” by Sheryl Crow

I gotta be honest. I have never heard this song. Shame on me, because Blake and Cassadee are rocking out and I can’t sing along. The megaphone bit is a little strange,  but again, these duets are all about fun, right?
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Contestant: Terry McDermott

Team: Blake
Song: “I Want To Know What Love Is” by Foreigner

Terry keeps the stripped down/vulnerable vibe for this encore, and I like this rendition better than his first. Perhaps it’s the staging…perhaps the violinists just make the whole thing look awesome…but this is Terry’s best performance of the evening.  

 

Coaches Say: Xtina says Terry’s voice is incredible, but she wants everyone to understand that it takes a strong work ethic to bring every song home the way Terry does. Blake agrees that this song was Terry’s breakout moment on the show, and he sang it better tonight than the first time.  Agreed!
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Duet: Nicholas David and Cee Lo
Song: “Play That Funky Music” by Wild Cherry

Okay, this is the best duet of the three, even if it’s only because of the standout “mini me” dancer who steals the show at the 2 minute mark. Watch it below.

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Contestant: Cassadee Pope
Team: Blake

Song: “Cry” by Faith Hill

 

I love this song. I’m not sure what’s happened to Faith Hill (or her humility) over the years, but this song will always stand out as one of my favorites of hers. Cassadee gets the pimp slot with this song tonight. She also (by far) gets the best staging and camera work of the evening. Even if The Voice is trying to sway the voters toward Cassadee with this performance, they don’t have to try too hard. Cassadee NAILS this song. NAILS it.

 

Coaches Say: Adam still wishes Cassadee had chosen him as a coach, but he is beyond proud of how well she has done in the competition. Blake says for every great moment Cassadee has had on the show, she has never sounded as good as she did tonight. Spot on, my friend.

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If the winner was determined based solely on tonight’s performances, Cassadee would be the clear victor. Am I still pulling for Terry? Absolutely. Would I be disappointed in a Cassadee win? Not in the least. My apologies again to Nicholas David, but Team Blake should triumph tomorrow one way or the other. We’ll see who emerges victorious (and we’ll also see Kelly Clarkson perform!) during tomorrow’s live 2 hour finale. Til then!