The Voice Top 10 Results: What. The Hell.

So, I am very unhappy with tonight's results show. Two of the people I was most excited about going into the Top 12 were sent home this evening, and now I'm not really sure how to feel about the remaining weeks. Sure, they get to compete against the other eliminated contestants for a spot in the finals, but this is not what I wanted tonight. Here's how the eliminations went down...

Results! The first person to make it to safety was Craig, and he was swiftly followed by Matt.  So far so good, right? Carson announced that Luke and Taylor had made it into the Top 8...which made me a little antsy. As interesting as Taylor is, I didn't see him as a shoe in to go much further in the competition. After some performances by the coaches with their teams (enjoy it while it lasts, kids), DaNica and Chris got to exit the stage happily, leaving Damien, Anita, Reagan, and Ryan nervous for their fates. Damien was the final person to escape the "sing for your life" portion of the show, and I was pissssssed. Can the Stupid Twitter Save just save all three of them and we'll try again next week?

Reagan sang Nelly Fertado's "I'm Like a Bird" and it seemed like she already thought she was going home. It's a damn shame. Whyyyyyyyyyy did she have to choose "Fancy" last night? Anita took on Jason Mraz's "The Remedy" and I loved it. She had one note in particular that just went on and on. Ryan rounded out the performances with "Collide" by Howie Day, which was a really great song choice for him. This was right in his wheelhouse and enough to keep him in the competition one more week. Ryan won the Stupid Twitter Save, sending Anita and Reagan home. Ugh. 

Going into the Top 8, Team Adam still has all of his contestants remaining. Team Gwen and Team Pharrell are down to 2 each, and Blake only has one artist left in the competition. Will Team Adam finally take a hit next week? Will Blake's team be entirely eliminated before we even get to the Top 6?  Are Craig's hair, DaNica's face piercing, and Damien's animated eyebrows the only constants I can hope for now? We'll find out when the Top 8 compete again. Til then!

The Voice Top 10: I'm In The Fast Lane

Tonight the remaining contestants on The Voice compete again, hoping to get through Thanksgiving and still have this glimmer of a career to be thankful for. Team Adam and Team Gwen remain in tact, while Team Blake and Team Pharrell (that just sounds weird, doesn't it?) are hoping to keep their two artists this week. Let's see how they do...

Artist: Matt McAndrew

Team: Adam

Song: "Fix You" by Coldplay

This song always gets me. If you've never seen the So You Think You Can Dance performance to "Fix You," please do yourself a favor and watch it. It's amazing. Matt's rendition of the song, however, is not so amazing. He gets points for energy, pseudo stage dives, awkward audience hugs and hand holding...but his vocals are lost for most of the song. Maybe it was the band, maybe the mic, maybe the sound guy was asleep. Regardless, this was probably my least favorite Matt performance, which is a shame because I loooove Matt.  

Coaches Say: Blake says Matt has "everything" and Gwen loved the song choice and had chills during the performance. Adam talks about the "everything" for a while. 

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Artist: Anita Antionette

Team: Gwen
Song: "Let Her Go" by Passenger

So, the original version of this song annoys me. I'm probably in the minority with that statement but it's just how I feel. Anita's performance makes me very happy though. She's got a great vibe, she's having fun, and she's got a sassy outfit on this evening. Her "Redemption Song" performance last week was far superior, but I enjoy this side of Anita just as much.

Coaches Say: Blake says Anita put a very cool spin on the song and Pharrell thinks Anita grows every week. Gwen says the performance was incredible to watch because  not only did Anita take over the song, she also "wore the boots." Apparently there was some strategy to the footwear. 

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Artist: Damien
Team: Adam
Song: "You and I" by Stevie Wonder

Damien is sitting at a piano...but he's not playing...so I'm initially confused. I'm all for creative staging, but Damien doesn't need a prop at all. His voice and his presence are captivating enough and he absolutely outdoes himself with this song. Damien is someone who could potentially have a "moment" every week. 

Coaches Say: Standing ovations from all 4 coaches. Pharrell says Damien's family must be incredibly proud and Adam felt the entire audience get on board with Damien's performance. We must be running short on time already because Carson is starting to hurry the coaches along. 

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Artist: Reagan James

Team: Blake

Song: "Fancy" by Iggy Azalea

Um, Blake? Buddy? Is this a good idea? Reagan is one of my favorite people of this season, but someone should have told her to go with Plan B or even C. She absolutely makes the song her own (not necessarily in a good way) and I appreciate that she's a young girl taking on a popular tune and trying to build a fan base...but I would love to know what Plan B was. 

Coaches Say: Adam says Reagan gave the song so much commitment and thinks it was her best performance so far. Blake wants everyone to know that everything about that performance was hard...and agrees with Adam that tonight was Reagan's best. Guess you had to be there. 

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Artist: Luke Wade

Team: Pharrell

Song: "Try a Little Tenderness" by Otis Redding

Last week Luke had some noticeable trouble with timing during his performance, but this week timing doesn't seem to be too much of an issue. At least, I don't think it is. It's hard for me to tell because I think the arrangement of the song is kind of strange. Regardless, Luke definitely has his confidence back and he puts a lot of gusto into this song. When the performance ends, he is kind of basking in the moment...and then Carson joins him on stage and says "I feel like Jay-Z. I wanted to come in on that!" Oh how I miss TRL. And music videos. 

Coaches Say: Gwen thinks Luke has really evolved from when he started on the show. Adam tells Luke that he's one of Adam's favorites, and he's glad to see Luke doing so well. Pharrell says Luke exceeded his expectations. Soooo, did Pharrell expect another hiccup this week? 

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Artist: Craig Wayne Boyd

Team: Blake

Song: "Walk the Line" by Johnny Cash

Love this. Normally I would flip out if someone took a Johnny Cash song and made it barely recognizable, but in this instance, Craig does a fantastic job. He turns "Walk the Line" into a moving, soulful ballad with some serious power notes and gets a standing ovation from all 4 coaches. For me, this is the best performance so far tonight. 

Coaches Say: Pharrell keeps standing while he gives his critique and says Craig is an artist who knows who he is and isn't afraid to represent that. Gwen "isn't a country person"  but she thinks Craig is going to have a whole career after this show is over. Blake calls the performance magical and congratulates Craig. 

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Artist: Ryan Sill 

Team: Gwen

Song: "Starlight" by Muse

Based on last week's feedback, Gwen thinks Ryan should be focusing on the "rock" aspect of his voice because that's the kind of album he could make right now. The verses are right on point but Ryan is a little overpowered when he gets to the chorus. He's also competing with Matt McAndrew for the "quirky guy who wants to jump around on stage" title, and we know who wins there. However, I do really like the performance. He might be a dark horse in the competition. 

Coaches Say: Adam doesn't think Ryan should have been in the bottom 3 last week and says Ryan should continue to figure out who he is. Blake thinks this might have been Ryan's best performance and Pharrell calls Ryan the most improved contestant. Gwen says it's an incredible feeling to be on this journey with Ryan and to see him progress each week. 

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Artist: DaNica Shirey

Team: Pharrell

Song: "I Have Nothing" by Whitney Houston

I miss Whitney. It still blows my mind that she won't have anymore albums, awards show appearances, or concert specials. In watching all of these singing competitions, it's clear that there are a lot of Whitney wannabes out there who just want to sound like her. What DaNica does here is not just vocal. She also embodies the lyrics and her performance is completely believable. By the time she hits the last "don't make me cloooooose one more doooooor," I have chills. 

Coaches Say: Gwen asks DaNica to just sing it again and Adam says (in a very roundabout way) that she did the song justice. Blake says this episode is the best live show he's ever seen. Whoa buddy. I wouldn't go that far. Pharrell is proud of DaNica, saying she ascends every week. 

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Artist: Taylor John Williams

Team: Gwen

Song: "Come Together" by The Beatles

I cringed when I heard the song choice because while Taylor has a great voice, he hasn't shown a ton of charisma yet. Hell, based on the rehearsal package, I think Gwen is nervous too. When the song starts I assume I will be bored...however, Taylor is just the right amount of freaking weird to keep my attention. The shorter pants with no socks is enough to keep me engaged, but the vocals are actually pretty good too. Weird. But good. 

Coaches Say: Adam loves that Taylor moved around and had fun. Blake says it was important to see the other side of Taylor that smiles. Gwen admits she reallllllly didn't want Taylor to do that song, but says if she were 15 years old, he would be all over her locker. I'm not touching that one.

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Artist: Chris Jamison

Team: Adam

Song: "Uptown Funk" by Bruno Mars

I'm ashamed to admit that I don't know this tune. I swear I'm a Bruno Mars fan. I'd catch a grenade for him. While I appreciate what Adam and Chris are trying to do here, this is a big song with a big production behind it, and it just doesn't seem like Chris. He looks like he's enjoying himself, but the performance is very over-the-top all around Chris...and he seems to be trying to catch up the entire time. 

Coaches Say: The audience is still screaming when Blake tries to talk and then we are out of time. My Tivo cuts off but I'll just assume Chris received positive feedback...because I haven't seen much else from these coaches.  

And there we have it. I do not agree with Blake in terms of this being the best live episode OF ALL TIME. Okay, so he didn't say that. But when someone starts down the "best ever" road, I immediately picture Kanye verbally punching Taylor Swift in the face. No, I won't move past it. Anyway, I think for every awesome performance we saw tonight...there was an equally un-awesome performance waiting in the wings. I worry for Reagan the most tonight, but I think Chris was out of his league as well. Two people will be sent home tomorrow during the results show and the Top 8 will be revealed. Which teams will take a hit? We'll find out after what will inevitably be an hour of painfully long pauses from Carson. Til then!

The Voice Top 12 Results: I Will Learn To Survive

Tonight we said goodbye to two of the Season 7 finalists and there were really no surprises in terms of who was eliminated. Carson, however, dropped a huge bomb on us when the show started...he announced that anyone sent home from this point forward will have another chance to get back in the competition. Whaaaaaaa? When the show gets down to the final 3, every eliminated contestant will come back to perform for America's votes. The person who receives the most votes will be in the final 4. This is unheard of! And it's also kind of awesome. 

Results! The first artists saved were Matt and Anita...and Anita's family just makes me smile. It's like they win the lottery any time Anita's name is mentioned. God help that venue if she ever gets eliminated.  DaNica, Craig, Damien, and Reagan were announced next, and after some commercials and filler we found out that Taylor, Chris and Luke were also Top 10 material. This left Jessie, Sugar and Ryan in the bottom 3 and singing for the Stupid Twitter Save. 

Jessie chose Sarah Bareilles' "Gravity" to try to sway Twitter users, while Sugar sang "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" by Whitney Houston. Ryan finished up the performances with Extreme's "More Than Words." Jessie was a bit shaky, Sugar sang her face off...but Ryan's voice is just so pretty. One could also get lost in his eyes. Apparently the tweeting audience felt the same way because Ryan was the proud recipient of the Stupid Twitter Save, sending Jessie and Sugar home. 

Next week the Top 10 will compete for either the chance to advance or the chance to go home and maybe advance later. I'm still trying to wrap my head around that one. I do wonder if Ryan will find himself a stronger fan club in the coming days. I also wonder if ordering a Team Gwen t-shirt would be over the top. It's possible. But one thing's for sure - I have no idea who Ella Henderson is. 

Til next week!

The Voice Top 12: Thinking Out Loud

Welcome to the Top 12 performance show! Our four illustrious coaches each have three contestants remaining in the competition, and their fates are now solely in the hands of America via iTunes downloads, votes, and the Stupid Twitter Save. Carson is excited, I'm excited, so let's see how the Season 7 finalists stack up!

Artist: Sugar Jones
Team: Pharrell
Song:  "Take Me To the River" by Al Green

Sugar kicks off the night with an R&B classic and man she can sing. She's confident and completely comfortable with the song, the crowd, and the stage. With 11 performances still to come, I hope she does not fall into the "I barely remember what she did" category 2 hours from now...but at this moment I think she did a great job starting the show.

Coaches Say: Gwen is having a hard time figuring out what kind of album Sugar would make because she is so old fashioned. She calls the performance incredible, but she still seems a bit confused...and now I'm confused. Adam thinks the song choice forced Sugar to slow things down in the beginning, which was great because she sometimes has only "one gear." Blake says there is an edginess to Sugar's voice that keeps him on the edge of his seat. See what he did there? Edge and edginess? Love that guy. Pharrell is proud of Sugar and thanks her for following through and showing everyone who she is.

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Artist: Ryan Sill
Team: Gwen
Song: "Ordinary World" by Duran Duran

This song definitely takes me back to my middle school days when I would belt "and I won't cryyyy for yesterdaaaaaaay" while watching MTV. You know, music television...that played music videos...of artist's music. Yes, 1993 was a crazy time when MTV was actually MTV. Anyway, Ryan sounds amazing. He doesn't do anything new or different with the tune but he definitely gives us a solid performance. What ever happened to Duran Duran? 

Coaches Say: Adam is really happy to see Ryan reach his potential as a singer. He calls Ryan's voice "perfectly beautiful." Pharrell liked the performance as well and tells Ryan to pick a lane where no one can do what he can do...and stay there. I guess everyone's thinking "rock" should be Ryan's genre. Gwen couldn't sleep last night because she was so excited to hear him sing this song and calls it "perfect."

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Artist: Jessie Pitts

Team: Blake

Song: "Don't You Worry Child" by Swedish House Mafia

Soooo, I don't know this song and can't really tell you how different or brilliant the arrangement is when compared to the original. Jessie has a really interesting voice though - very breathy but in a cool way. She struggles in her lower register and doesn't seem super confident. The performance is pleasant enough....but kind of forgettable. 

Coaches Say: Gwen loved hearing the song broken down and she's a huge Jessie fan. Adam encourages Jessie to keep exploring the big part of her voice because she seems hesitant to go for the big notes. Blake says he can't talk about Jessie without smiling and thinks she is an inventor. He also says Jessie reminds him of Miranda. Wow! 

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Artist: Damien (just Damien)

Team: Adam

Song: "He A'int Heavy, He's My Brother" by The Hollies

Damien has 6 brothers and sisters so he's already on board with the song's title and message. He holds absolutely nothing back in this performance and he siiiiiiiings this song. It's a soulful, powerful, honest rendition and Damien gets a standing ovation from Adam and Pharrell before the song even ends. 

Coaches Say: Blake congratulates Damien on his performance and Pharrell says "the church" would be proud. Adam pats himself of the back for the song choice but says Damien blew the audience away with his performance. 

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Artist: DaNica Shirey

Team: Pharrell 

Song: "Creep" by Radiohead

When the song starts I'm not very excited because "Creep" is just so popular among the various reality TV singers. It's one of those "pick something else because we've already heard it 100 times" competition tunes. However...I LOVE this. DaNica makes the song her own and all of the changes to the arrangement are wonderful. Well done. 

Coaches Say: Gwen calls DaNica a freak of nature because of her voice and says she loves watching her sing. Adam thinks anything DaNica sings could be amazing and this song was a great choice. Pharrell tells DaNica that he was moved by her performance. 

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Artist: Taylor John Williams

Team: Gwen

Song: "If" by Bread 

This is such a great song. Taylor and Gwen both know the song is risky because it moves him a bit out of his comfort zone, but I think Taylor is able to show some aspects of his voice that we have not heard yet. The performance is simple (but lovely) and I really enjoy seeing Gwen's reactions to her team. If she would just pop up once a week with that big smile and tell me I'm amazing, my life would be perfect. 

Coaches Say: Adam feels that the purity of Taylor's came through on that performance, and Pharrell thinks Taylor's vocal brought the tenderness out of the song. Gwen says Taylor connected to the song right away and thinks the performance was amazing. She also plugs Bread. If you don't know them, listen to this tune. It's one of my faves. 

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Artist: Reagan James

Team: Blake

Song: "It A'int Over Til It's Over" by Lenny Kravitz

It's so easy to forget that Reagan is only 16. Her voice is very mature and she already works the stage like she's been performing at this level for years. She's all kinds of sassy tonight and I really like the performance. Sometimes it's hard to hear her during the verses but overall she does a great job with the song. 

Coaches Say: Pharrell says Reagan has her own vibe and made the song her own. Adam liked how different the arrangement was but feels like she was "breathy" at times. Blake is excited because he gets to download this song and listen to it over and over again. He says the way Reagan navigates a melody blows his mind. 

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Artist: Luke Wade

Team: Pharrell

Song: "Thinking Out Loud" by Ed Sheeran

Pharrell tells Luke that he needs to not over think songs and just "feel through it." It's good advice...Luke starts and stops the song a couple of times in the beginning before he finds the right point to jump back in. Once he gets to the chorus though, he regains his confidence and finishes strong. I guess we should be proud of him for bouncing back? 

Coaches Say: Luke admits that he came in two beats early and Carson compliments him for getting back on track. Thanks Carson, but your opinion means very little. Adam says Luke recovered like a professional. Gwen notes that the same thing has happened to her a number of times and thinks it makes artists more human. Pharrell says Luke rose to the occasion and America is probably hashtagging him right now.  

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Artist: Matt McAndrew

Team: Adam

Song: "Take Me To Church" by Hozier

Okay, so I don't know this song either but based on the title, I feel like Damien might be more suited for this one? Maybe not? Matt's performance does not necessarily make me fall in love with "Take Me To Church," but I seriously do love Matt McAndrew. There's just something about him that makes me want to see him make it all the way to the end of this show. He has great energy in this performance and is overall just very fun to watch. There's "no doubt" (had to make that reference sooner or later) that he gave his all tonight.  

Coaches Say: Pharrell can't wait to hear the album Matt makes after The Voice is over, and Gwen says the song was perfect for Matt. Adam thinks this was one of the coolest things he's ever heard Matt do. 

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Artist: Craig Wayne Boyd

Team: Blake

Song: "You Look So Good In Love" by George Strait

This guy's voice is just about flawless. Taking on George Strait is not an easy feat, but Craig makes it look easy. He connects with the lyrics and stays true to this country classic. He's, um, not bad to look at either. Just sayin. 

Coaches Say: Gwen says the song was perfect for her former contestant because Craig looks so good...but he's no longer on her team. She thinks he's a natural and Adam says this was a really telling moment for him. Blake is soooo excited, saying every time Craig gets on stage he takes it to the next level. 

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Artist: Chris Jamison

Team: Adam

Song: "Jealous" by Nick Jonas

Speaking of guys who aren't bad to look at...Chris tackles a song by another hottie (something I never thought I'd say about one of The Jonas Brothers). I'm going to overlook the fact that the lyrics "it's my right to be hellish" make me cringe and just say that Chris nailed this song. 

Coaches Say: Pharrell says this is 100% Chris' best performance. Gwen thinks the song showed all of the strengths of his voice. Adam tells Chris he's cute but also a very talented singer. 

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Artist: Anita Antionette

Team: Gwen

Song: "Redemption Song" by Bob Marley

Yes, yes, and YES. Anita in completely and totally invested in the song and she tells this story beautifully. This performance is so powerful, and for me it's the best of the night. I actually had to go back and watch it a couple more times. 

Coaches Say: Adam talks about Jamaica and Blake says Anita's voice is soothing and relaxing. Gwen says Bob Marley was a prophet with a message and feels thankful she was a part of Anita delivering that message. 

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Tomorrow night we will say goodbye to two contestants and The Voice will have its Top 10. I worry for Luke based on the rough start to his performance, but maybe his ability to recover well will get him a ton of votes. I'm also thinking that Jessie and Taylor might have had the more "snoozy" performances tonight which might put them in danger as well. I could also be way off base and those three will be announced "safe" first. We'll see who survives the week during the results show. Til then!

The Voice 2014 (Again)

Two words. Team. Gwen. Our newest female coach is making season 42847628567084 of The Voice incredibly enjoyable for me. Pharrell (hat or no hat) has been a great addition to the show as well, but it's Gwen who kept me happily tuning in for the many, many rounds leading up to the big Top 12 reveal. Let's face it - The Voice does two seasons per year, has yet to jump start the career of a superstar, and relies entirely too much on the banter between Blake and Adam. How long can a recipe like that go on? This season, however, the new coaches have been a joy to watch and we have contestants like Reagan James, Anita Antionette, and Matt McAndrew competing in the Top 12. Not too shabby. The competition kicks into high gear this week, and I am looking forward to seeing how the contestants fare with America's votes and the Stupid Twitter Save (yes, that seems to be a staple now). I'm also very eager to get back to posting recaps, so let the shenanigans begin!