Welcome to the Top 12! The Voice has reached the part of the season where America decides who stays and who goes, and each coach has three contestants remaining in the competition. Tonight these hopefuls take the stage with the help and support of guest mentor Reba! Love her. I mean, everything the woman says is gold and I'm greatly looking forward to these next couple of hours. Let's get started!
Artist: Hannah Kirby
Team: Blake
Song: "Edge of Seventeen" by Stevie Nicks
Reba compares Hannah to Dolly Parton because she always gives it her all. I'm not one to argue with Reba. Hannah sings her face off, and though I worry about her coming down those stairs (I think she's worried too), she pulls it off and works the stage and the crowd with complete confidence. Did I mention that she's singing her face off? What a great way to start the night.
Coaches Say: Pharrell says everyone is now going to see and understand the artist Hannah is. Adam wants to point out that Hannah is an amazing singer in addition to her already comfortable performance skills. Blake says Hannah set the bar incredibly high and doesn't think Hannah could possibly be a better vocalist than she already is.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Artist: Brian Johnson
Team: Adam
Song: "If I Ever Lose My Faith In You" by Sting
Adam has saved Brian twice now and he's looking to work hard this week to stay in the competition. He has such a smooth and soothing tone to his voice and he's also kind of adorable. Hannah was a tough act to follow though and I think this performance might be forgotten by the time we get to the end of the episode.
Coaches Say: Blake thinks every time Brian gets on the stage, he knows Brian will deliver something powerful. Xtina says Brian is making great strides every time she sees him. Adam tells Brian that singing Sting is hard and he did a great job.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Artist: India Carney
Team: Xtina
Song: "Take Me To Church" by Hozier
I feel like we just heard Matt McAndrew sing this tune. Oh we did. Last season...which seems like mere months ago....because it was. Sigh. India adds some soul to the song as well as some badass female anger. Hozier and Matt's renditions were both very haunting and India's version makes me think she might break through my TV and hurt me. I like the performance overall, but it's not something I would run out and download.
Coaches Say: Pharrell said the performance was like being at one of India's concerts (which is probably what she was going for) and he congratulates her. Adam says India already has a large fan base which is very important in order to break through. Yup. Blake was ready to take her to church and Xtina saw a different person on stage tonight with more presence and conviction.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Artist: Mia Z
Team: Pharrell
Song: "Miss You" by The Rolling Stones
During rehearsals Reba couldn't understand anything Mia was singing, and unfortunately this translates right into the live performance as well. She's a really talented kid with a ton of stage presence for someone so young. I'd like to see her stick around but this was not my favorite performance of hers.
During rehearsals Reba couldn't understand anything Mia was singing, and unfortunately this translates right into the live performance as well. She's a really talented kid with a ton of stage presence for someone so young. I'd like to see her stick around but this was not my favorite performance of hers.
Coaches Say: Adam thinks the song choice was cool and interesting and Blake loves how inventive Mia is with her melodies. Xtina agrees that Mia is an inventive singer and thinks the song was a perfect fit. Pharrell loves that Mia set some goals for the performance and exceeded all of them.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Artist: Deanna Johnson
Team: Adam
Song: "Oceans (Where My Feet May Fail) by Hillsong United
Deanna is just too cute. I love the way she brags about her tiny hometown finally getting a Dollar General store. I'm not familiar with this tune and apparently it's a Christian contemporary song. Deanna has reservations about singing too many gospel/churchy songs and Adam tells her that people don't really pay attention to the content of a song as much as they pay attention to the way the song makes them feel. Really dude? Nonsense aside, the song starts of a little low and shaky...and Deanna looks really nervous. When she hits the chorus and the crowd starts going crazy, she picks up some momentum and has a decent finish. I wish Adam had given her a different song though. She was unsure about it from the beginning and never quite recovered.
Deanna is just too cute. I love the way she brags about her tiny hometown finally getting a Dollar General store. I'm not familiar with this tune and apparently it's a Christian contemporary song. Deanna has reservations about singing too many gospel/churchy songs and Adam tells her that people don't really pay attention to the content of a song as much as they pay attention to the way the song makes them feel. Really dude? Nonsense aside, the song starts of a little low and shaky...and Deanna looks really nervous. When she hits the chorus and the crowd starts going crazy, she picks up some momentum and has a decent finish. I wish Adam had given her a different song though. She was unsure about it from the beginning and never quite recovered.
Coaches Say: Blake says he couldn't hear the first few lines of the song (Carson indicates there was a mic issue) but thinks the performance was good once Deanna started projecting. Xtina says the song fit her well and tells Deanna she looks lovely. Pharrell talks about Deanna's nerves...but not nerves...but maybe nerves...and then Adam jumps in and says Deanna did great once everyone could hear her. Bummer.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Artist: Sawyer Fredericks
Team: Pharrell
Song: "Imagine" by John Lennon
Sawyer has such an innocent face and a beautifully pure voice that I always find myself nodding in agreement with whatever he's singing. His vocals do falter a little bit tonight, but his fan base is so strong that I don't think it will matter (especially if all we're worried about is how the song makes us feel). I liked the performance and I really, really like Sawyer.
Sawyer has such an innocent face and a beautifully pure voice that I always find myself nodding in agreement with whatever he's singing. His vocals do falter a little bit tonight, but his fan base is so strong that I don't think it will matter (especially if all we're worried about is how the song makes us feel). I liked the performance and I really, really like Sawyer.
Coaches Say: Adam says Sawyer's ability to fill the room with his voice transcends coaching. Blake calls Sawyer a champ for bouncing back with his vocals, and Xtina thinks Sawyer made that moment feel natural, which makes him a really good performer. Pharrell is so proud of his artist and loved seeing him sing his way out of a tough situation.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Artist: Rob Taylor
Team: Xtina
Song: "I Put a Spell On You" by Screamin' Jay Hawkins
See, this is another "how many times are we going to hear this on competition shows" type of song and I'm not thrilled when Xtina announces the song choice. Anybody watch the Hozier/Annie Lennox combo at The Grammys? Unbelievable. Rob does give it his all here though, leaping from gritty attitude to that crazy falsetto in a way I didn't think he could pull off. This was actually a great song choice and allowed him to show some serious range.
See, this is another "how many times are we going to hear this on competition shows" type of song and I'm not thrilled when Xtina announces the song choice. Anybody watch the Hozier/Annie Lennox combo at The Grammys? Unbelievable. Rob does give it his all here though, leaping from gritty attitude to that crazy falsetto in a way I didn't think he could pull off. This was actually a great song choice and allowed him to show some serious range.
Coaches Say: Pharrell says Rob gave a masterful performance and Adam thinks Rob pulled ahead in the race just now. Xtina calls the performance exciting, saying Rob embraced the words to the song and totally slayed it.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Artist: Corey Kent White
Team: Blake
Song: "Why" by Jason Aldean
Corey is such a sweet guy and Blake is trying to get him to show a "bad boy side" with this song. He starts off very smooth and confident....and then it just goes south. He's out of tune for the majority of the song, but he tries to compensate by making sure he still tells the story and deliver the lyrics. With a face like that, and based on his previous performances, he should rest easy tonight.
Corey is such a sweet guy and Blake is trying to get him to show a "bad boy side" with this song. He starts off very smooth and confident....and then it just goes south. He's out of tune for the majority of the song, but he tries to compensate by making sure he still tells the story and deliver the lyrics. With a face like that, and based on his previous performances, he should rest easy tonight.
Coaches Say: Xtina says Corey gave another strong performance (huh?) and Adam feels like Corey is "almost there" in terms of having an impact on the competition. That's nice of him. Blake is honest though and says Corey did not sing perfectly tonight, but Blake does think Corey was totally invested in what he was singing and people will vote for him.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Artist: Koryn Hawthorne
Team: Pharrell
Song: "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You) by Kelly Clarkson
Heh. Reba is Kelly's mother-in-law and that always makes me smile. Koryn didn't know that bit of information when she went into rehearsals, but I forgive her immediately when she starts the song. I love her rendition of "Stronger." She begins the song solo, singing the chorus (badass) and then the band jumps into the rest of the song while she performs with 100% conviction. There's SO much emotion and fight in this girl. Pleeeease let her stay.
Heh. Reba is Kelly's mother-in-law and that always makes me smile. Koryn didn't know that bit of information when she went into rehearsals, but I forgive her immediately when she starts the song. I love her rendition of "Stronger." She begins the song solo, singing the chorus (badass) and then the band jumps into the rest of the song while she performs with 100% conviction. There's SO much emotion and fight in this girl. Pleeeease let her stay.
Coaches Say: Standing ovation from everyone! Blake says Koryn has made the most of getting this second chance (Pharrell saved her last week), and Xtina thinks this was the perfect song choice. She loved how Koryn rearranged the song. Pharrell is in awe of how Koryn performed and inspired by how she handled herself this week.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Artist: Joshua Davis
Team: Adam
Song: "America" by Simon & Garfunkel
Adam wants Joshua to put the guitar down and push himself out of his comfort zone. Joshua agrees and becomes an even better storyteller. The performance is pleasant for sure and Joshua makes the whole thing seem effortless. This isn't a showstopper, but definitely a solid effort from a dude who can feel free to sing on my TV any day.
Adam wants Joshua to put the guitar down and push himself out of his comfort zone. Joshua agrees and becomes an even better storyteller. The performance is pleasant for sure and Joshua makes the whole thing seem effortless. This isn't a showstopper, but definitely a solid effort from a dude who can feel free to sing on my TV any day.
Coaches Say: Blake doesn't know this song. Wait. What? He's never heard it? That's just crazy to me. He does say though that Joshua covers songs in a way that makes the audience believe he wrote the song himself. Xtina liked that Joshua tried something new and Pharrell thinks this was Joshua's best performance to date. Adam pats himself on the back for a bit and then calls the performance perfect.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Artist: Meghan Lindsay
Team: Blake
Song: "Girl Crush" by Little Big Town
Hot damn! I looooove this song and Meghan completely owns it. She's been one of my favorites this season and I'm "woo"ing from my couch the minute she starts singing. Every note from start to finish is perfection and Meghan sells the heartbreak and the desperation of this song with no problem. I've actually had to go back and watch it several times now because it's just so damn good.
Hot damn! I looooove this song and Meghan completely owns it. She's been one of my favorites this season and I'm "woo"ing from my couch the minute she starts singing. Every note from start to finish is perfection and Meghan sells the heartbreak and the desperation of this song with no problem. I've actually had to go back and watch it several times now because it's just so damn good.
Coaches Say: Pharrell says Meghan is right where she needs to be (on my iPod?) and Adam tells Meghan she's amazing. Blake thinks she just had a breakout moment and I'm inclined to agree.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Artist: Kimberly Nichole
Team: Xtina
Song: "House of the Rising Sun" by The Animals
Reba says she wants to record this song someday...and I'm thinking why not immediately? I mean, she's in a studio with the contestants already. Get it Reba! "House of the Rising Sun" has been performed a lot on these shows (Siohban Magnus' version plays frequently on my iPod), but Kimberly just kills it and puts other covers to shame. She has this almost awesomely evil voice, an attitude that never quits, and she gives us an amazing performance. Fantastic way to close the show. I'll need to watch this one a couple more times as well.
Reba says she wants to record this song someday...and I'm thinking why not immediately? I mean, she's in a studio with the contestants already. Get it Reba! "House of the Rising Sun" has been performed a lot on these shows (Siohban Magnus' version plays frequently on my iPod), but Kimberly just kills it and puts other covers to shame. She has this almost awesomely evil voice, an attitude that never quits, and she gives us an amazing performance. Fantastic way to close the show. I'll need to watch this one a couple more times as well.
Coaches Say: Everyone stands and it takes a while for the cheering to die down. Pharrell says there are no words to describe what Kimberly just did. Blake thinks this might be Xtina's season to win The Voice and Xtina says that song has never been sung that way, and she's completely right.
--------------------------------------------------------------
And now the fate of these folks is in America's hands with two people going home tomorrow. I think these last two performances by Meghan and Kimberly were in a league of their own (with honorable mention to Koryn) and I'm looking for those ladies to sail through for a while. The tough thing about having 12 people filling two hours though is several of them will just be forgotten. I had to scroll back up to even remember Brian, India and Mia, and I'm thinking that Deanna's insecure performance is going to put her in the danger zone as well. We'll see which of these hopefuls makes it to the Top 10 during the elimination hour. Til then!
No comments:
Post a Comment