The Voice: Finale Part 2

After months of blind auditions, battle rounds, knockout rounds, double eliminations followed by single eliminations followed by double eliminations, Season 4 of The Voice has a winner. The show was really promoting Michelle Chamuel and all of her uniqueness, and goodness knows the state of Oklahoma was pulling for The Swon Brothers, but in the end….16 year old Danielle Bradbery won it all. The two hour show was jam packed with costume changes, video montages, and performances with more performances. Here are the highlights: 

-- Xtina and Pitbull ared up first to perform their collaboration song “Feel This Moment,” and DAMN does Xtina look good. She knows it too. I spend entirely too much time fist pumping to be mad that the beat from A-ha’s “Take On Me” is the best part of the song....which also might be one of the best music videos of all time. OF ALL TIME!

-- The Swon Brothers bring back Justin Rivers (who?), Holly Tucker (neat) and Amber Carrington (my bitterness returns) for a rendition of Lady Antebellum’s “Stars Tonight.” Justin looks way out of his element, but I could see the remaining four forming a Little Big Town type group. Let’s face it – the finale was really more of a Michelle vs. Danielle competition anyway, so the boys should start thinking of a Plan B. 

-- Michelle Chamuel joins OneRepublic for “Counting Stars,” and since I can’t stand Ryan Tedder…I move on pretty quickly. 

-- It's Blake's birthday!

-- Florida Georgia Line and Nelly perform “Cruise.” The jury is still out on whether we will ever hear anything else from these guys, but hey, Nelly’s still around so there’s hope. 

-- Garrett Garnder, Josiah Hawley, Kris Thomas and Vedo perform “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg.” As I try to figure out how I feel about the performance and this combination of guys I notice….Holly playing the saxophone. Holly plays the saxophone?!?! I’m so excited by this I completely forget about the boys. Holly just earned major, major cool points.  

-- Danielle brings back Amber Carrington (more bitter now), Caroline Glaser (who?) and Sarah Simmons (yay!) to sing “All-American Girl” by Carrie Underwood. Sarah appears to have been running late because her entrance was a bit awkward. I do LOVE the way these ladies sound together though.  

-- Usher likes sock puppets and also admits to ripping his pants on stage frequently. Perhaps it’s time to reflect on fashion choices and go with looser pants, but what do I know?

-- Bruno Mars takes the stage to sing "Treasure" and it's a complete throw back to The Jackson 5 during their "Dancing Machine" days. He OWNS it.

-- The Swon Brothers team up with Bob Seger to perform “Night Moves.” What these guys have going with their trio of guitars in unison is crazy good. This is a subtle performance that really slows the night down but I enjoy it.  
-- Believe it or not, English was not Shakira’s first language. 

-- Cathia, Judith Hill (JUDITH!!!), Karina Iglesias and Sasha Allen (sooo close) perform En Vogue’s “My Lovin’ (You’re Never Gonna Get It” and I have to wonder…what happened to En Vogue? They were pretty awesome and I distinctly remember listening to my “Free Your Mind” cassette tape single so many time that it broke. Anywho, this is sassy and awesome. Have I mentioned Judith is there? Because she is.  

Um, yes.

-- Hunter Hayes and Danielle Bradbery sing “I Want Crazy” and this is so cute it should be illegal. She is so smitten with him (I may also swoon when he smiles with the raised eyebrows). For the first time in a while, Danielle is a teenager having fun and I sing along happily.

-- Michelle brings Team Usher back for “We Can Work It Out” by The Beatles (also covered by Stevie Wonder). This is great and all, but when do we get to…

-- CHER!!!! Effing Cher performs her new single “Woman’s World.” Oh my God. The hair! The outfit! Did we expect anything less? She borrows the girls from Burlesque as back up dancers (I really hope it’s them because I’m not sure how many acting careers took off because of that movie). This song probably could have been released not too long after “Believe” and done really well. I don’t care though – it’s CHER.

And with that, Season 4 is over. Will you miss Shakira? Are you excited for Xtina’s return? Does anyone else think this show should scale back to one season per year to avoid overload? I believe Season 5 is already taping so recaps will resume soon. Til then!

The Voice: Finale Part 1

Welcome to the Season 4 finale! The final three acts on The Voice are battling it out tonight to join the ranks of Javier Colon, Jermaine (can’t remember his last name and don’t care enough to look it up) and Cassadee Pope. Team Blake boasts Danielle Bradbery and The Swon Brothers in the finals and Team Usher is relying on Michelle Chamuel for a victory. Shakira and Adam are just hanging out tonight…Shakira is hanging out literally. Check out her dress. Good God.

Anyway, the finalists will take on three songs tonight – a duet with their coaches, a repeat performance, and a new song. First our coaches come together for a rendition of “With a Little Help From My Friends.” It’s nice to see that Shakira and Usher are taking the lead on this performance. I’ve really enjoyed their contributions to Season 4, and I’m interested to see how their contestants fare in the coming months. Tonight is all about The Swon Brothers, Michelle Chamuel and Danielle Bradbery though so let’s get going.

Contestant: The Swon Brothers

Team: Blake

Song: “I Can’t Tell You Why” by The Eagles

The boys are busting out their falsettos for this performance. This is very bluesy but their harmonies during the performance are almost Bee Gees-esque. I appreciate that they are adding different elements to this song and trying to stand out tonight. All in all, these guys give us a solid start to the show.

Coaches Say: Usher compliments “the girl part” of their voices and says The Swon Brothers have really evolved in the competition. Shakira is waving a “Go Okies” flag and tells the boys they have a universal appeal. Adam thinks The Swon Brothers did a great job with a tough song. Blake says this is the best season of The Voice so far and he is beyond proud of these guys. See, this might actually be my least favorite season of The Voice so far…

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Contestant: Michelle Chamuel

Team: Usher

Song: “I Knew You Were Trouble” by Taylor Swift

Michelle’s repeat performance was already my favorite of her performances, so I am loving this. Michelle has borrowed another of Usher’s jackets…which I’m assuming he stole from the Neverland Valley Ranch...and does her typical Michelle antics throughout the performance. I might even put aside my “I’ll never have Taylor Swift on my iPod” rule and download this song. It’s not reallllly breaking a rule if someone else is singing, right?

Coaches Say: Shakira says Michelle’s energy is crazy contagious and she is so glad Michelle made it to the end because Michelle is needed in the industry. Adam tells Michelle she should be proud of herself because of how she affects the audience each time she performs. Blake calls Michelle a rock star, and Usher thinks this is just the start of Michelle’s career.

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Contestant: Danielle Bradbery and Blake Shelton

Song: “Timber I’m Falling In Love” by Patty Loveless

Is this a little awkward for anyone else? You know, with Danielle being 16 and all…and Blake being just a touch older. They sound great together, but it’s weird that they are looking in each other’s eyes singing about falling in love. Ew.  

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Contestant: The Swon Brothers

Team: Blake

Song: “Danny’s Song” by Kenny Loggins

I can think of several other performances by The Swon Brothers this season that I would have preferred to see again. I would say that the George Jones tribute was their defining moment on the show, and choosing a song that they just did last week makes me groan. That being said, they do this song justice again… I just wish they had picked a different one.

Coaches Say: Usher says The Swon Brothers personalized this classic song and that’s what makes this rendition their defining moment. Adam agrees, saying he got lost in their performance. Blake is from Oklahoma (so are the boys) and thinks that song could be on the radio there right now.

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Contestant: Michelle Chamuel

Team: Usher

Song: “Why” by Annie Lennox

Michelle is back in front of the mirror and I make a joke to my TV buddies that I want the mirror to sing back to Michelle like Mary Poppins. Just then we realize that the mirror is actually a TV screen! Awesome! I’m already sold. The performance itself is full of emotion and Michelle gives us one hell of a vocal.

Trickery!

Coaches Say: Shakira is wearing glasses like Michelle and she says Michelle’s humility will take her far. Blake is freaked out by the mirror trick and I giggle. Usher thinks Michelle is phenomenal and says she possesses likability and capability.

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Contestant: The Swon Brothers and Blake Shelton

Song: “Celebrity” by Brad Paisley

The three guys play guitars at a mic stand side by side and have a great time. Blake loves them, they love Blake, and the result is pretty entertaining.

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Contestant: Danielle Bradbery

Team: Blake

Song: “Maybe It Was Memphis” by Pam Tillis

I would agree that this was one of Danielle’s better performances this season and I’m good with this choice. My fave was last week’s “Who I Am” but going back to the beginning of her journey on the live shows is a good call. Her voice is flawless during this performance, perhaps more so than the first time she sang this song. I’d like to see her a little more comfortable with her stage presence, but that’s probably why the producers made sure to show the “this is the first time I’ve performed in front of a big audience” clip from her blind audition.

Coaches Say: Shakira is now wearing a cowgirl hat and I love her. She says Danielle grabbed the bull by the horns. Ha! Adam hates Blake because Danielle is on his team and tells Danielle her voice is perfect. He also says she should be the winner. Oh yeah? Interesting because I thought he loooooooved Michelle. Blake says Danielle is one of the most important contestants to ever be on The Voice. Whoa, whoa. Let’s not get crazy here.

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Contestant: Michelle Chamuel and Usher

Song “One” by U2

Best duet of the night. This isn’t just two people having a good time singing…this is a collaboration of two artists who are connected. Fantastic.

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Contestant: Danielle Bradbery

Team: Blake

Song: “Born To Fly” by Sarah Evans

I love this song…can’t count the number of times I’ve blasted it with the windows down in my car, sung it loudly, and seen the drivers beside me look embarrassed for me. Anywho, Danielle is nailing this song vocally. I still want more energy from her since all we talk about is her youth. Do I think this is the performance of the season? No. Do I think she’s pretty damn adorable with one hell of a voice? Absolutely.

Coaches Say: Usher says Danielle is a special lady (translates to he’s pissed that she seems to be the favorite). Adam adds nothing and I guess we are done talking to Shakira. Blake says he is one of the millions of people in America that Danielle has wrapped around her finger.

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There was also a pretty lame attempt to bring back the Top 16 contestants to sing “Home.” This reminds me that awesome people are not competing in this finale tonight. I checked The Voice website hoping I would be able to vote for a write-in candidate (JUDITH! AMBER! Hell, even Sasha and Sarah), but alas…there is no such option.

During tomorrow’s results show we will find out who wins it all, and we will also experience the awesomeness that is Cher. That’s right. The Voice laded effing Cher for the finale and I can’t wait. After seeing this evening’s performances, I still don’t know that I have a preference on who should win. The Swon Brothers for being the only duo to ever make it this far? Michelle for being a diamond in the rough with amazing hamstrings? Danielle for being so darn cute and taking on sooo many songs this season that were released before she learned how to walk? The show has been pimping Michelle, but Danielle has been a fan favorite based on all of the iTunes sales. Either way, America will decide soon and all will be revealed during part 2 of the finale. Til then!