After last week's brutal elimination episode we are down to the Final Four on The Voice. Pharrell is just hanging out tonight as his last contestant was part of the sudden death, Stupid Twitter Save, 9 contestants to 4 semi-finals kiss off. The other three coaches, however, are still in it to win it as their artists take on three songs each tonight: A new song that the artists have picked, a holiday song, and a duet with their coach. With 12 performances to get to, there's no time to waste. Let's see who's "bringing it" tonight.
Artist: Jordan Smith
Team: Adam
Song: "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" from The Sound of Music
Presumptive Season 9 winner Jordan Smith opens the show with the song that sent Maria von Trapp out to face the world and chase her dreams. For most artists this is a tall order. For Jordan, it's just another Monday night. He starts very low and subtle and then unleashes that other worldly voice in the last couple of choruses. The performance isn't in the realm of "Somebody to Love" but it's a damn strong start to the finale.
Coaches Say: Everybody stands and emotions are all over the place. Blake tells Jordan there's nothing left to say at this point. Pharrell says what Jordan did just now was incredibly moving and fantastic. Gwen is still holding back tears and thanks Jordan for his beautiful message. Adam talks about how humble Jordan is and says Jordan deserves to win the show.
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Artist: Emily Ann Roberts
Team: Blake
Song: "Blue Christmas" by Elvis Presley
Blake's last female artist is standing on top of a giant snowflake...flanked by other snowflakes...in front of screens with snowflakes. Maybe I'm not enjoying the performance because this song has always been a touch boring for me. Or maybe Emily Ann is flat for 70% of the song. As she finishes the performance, she starts to put her own spin and riffs on the song and I really wish she had been doing that the whole time.
Coaches Say: Pharrell mentions Emily Ann's "classic" voice and says she's special. Adam thinks Emily Ann is "the real deal" and Blake says Emily Ann possesses great vocal range.
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Duet: Blake and Barrett
Song: "Rhinestone Cowboy" by Glenn Cowboy
I hope for his sake that Barrett's other two performances tonight are going to be epic. I don't know why else these two would choose "Rhinestone Cowboy" as a finale night collaboration. That's all I have to say about that.
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Artist: Jeffery Austin
Team: Gwen
Song: "Oh Holy Night"
Yup. Case and point about the importance of finale night song choices. Jeffery goes with a holiday tune that he can
Coaches Say: Adam says there is a sweet spot in Jeffery's voice that shakes the rafters. Pharrell congratulates Jeffery on his journey but doesn't say anything in particular about the performance. Gwen is totally crying. She tells her contestant that she's so happy Jeffery is in the finale and she thanks him for the beautiful performance.
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Duet: Jordan and Adam
Song: "God Only Knows" by The Beach Boys
See, I very much enjoyed Matt McAndrew's version of this song last year. Yes, that was just last year. The only thing Matt was missing was the incredible harmonies Adam and Jordan have tonight. They seriously sound just like The Beach Boys and I absolutely love this duet.
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Artist: Barrett Baber
Team: Blake
Song: "Die a Happy Man" by Thomas Rhett
I'm so glad Barrett's first non-duet performance of the night is a modern song. I'm all for "paying tribute" to great artists from other decades and everything, but this is the type of song Barrett needs to be singing to win votes. He sounds great and he also gets bonus points for borrowing Kermit's swamp and placing it behind him on stage.
Coaches Say: Gwen is going to remain a bundle of emotions this evening. Apparently this finale is just a touch overwhelming for her (could easily be because she usually rotates out after the season is over and she's got a pretty good thing going with one of her fellow coaches right now). Anywho, Gwen says Barrett's energy is so strong and she thinks everything came together for him tonight. Adam feels lucky because his four favorite contestants are in the finals. Hmmm. I wonder how Shelby and Amy feel about that comment. They are sitting in the audience right behind him. Blake doesn't think he's ever worked with anyone who puts more heart in his performances. These two definitely have a bromance and it's rather endearing.
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Duet: Emily Ann and Blake
Song: "Islands In The Stream" by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rodgers
So...Emily Ann just did Dolly Parton. Not sure why we wouldn't try to expand her horizons a little bit for this duet but maybe NBC is still promoting Coat of Many Colors after the fact. The movie, by the way, was adorable. I had all the feelings and those feelings had feelings. Anyway, this duet is much better than the Barrett/Blake collaboration earlier but Jordan and Adam still have the lead here.
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Artist: Jeffery Austin
Team: Gwen
Song: "Stay" by Sugarland
WOW. Color me surprised. I wouldn't have expected this song choice but I think it's a brilliant one. The coaches always spend sooooo much time talking about how amazing it is when people flip songs and this one is unreal. Jeffrey only has his duet left tonight, and it kind of seems like those don't even count, so dude has to finish strong here. He totally does. This type of vocal rivals Jordan's and I would gladly argue with anyone who says otherwise.
Coaches Say: Blake says Jeffery is the guy from the blind auditions to now who "snuck up on us." Pharrell mentions Jeffery's journey again and says nothing about the performance. Gwen stands and tells Jeffery that he is going to make real records after this and he will have a voice that everyone recognizes on the radio. She then yells "first girl to win!" and takes her seat. Oh Gwen, I really hope you're right.
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Artist: Barrett Baber
Team: Blake
Song: "Silent Night"
I will say this - the lighting effect Barrett has going on during the song is neat. It definitely kept me engaged in the performance. I think I would have been bored without the audience participation and the choir.
Coaches Say: Pharrell says that everyone left in the competition is so talented and tells Barrett he touches people. Adam loves Barrett and says he's amazing. Blake appreciates that there is nobody else out there like Barrett.
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Duet: Jeffery and Gwen
Song: "Leather and Lace" by Don Henley and Stevie Nicks
Yes, yes, and yes. I have seriously been waiting for this duet alllll night and The Voice gets bonus points for anything that involves Stevie Nicks. The woman is a goddess. Okay, on to the duet. At first I'm thinking the staging of this performance is very strange.....a duet where one person is pretty much in the shadows for a good portion of the song. But then I realize these guys are taking the the "leather and lace" thing literally and and it makes a bit more sense. The choruses are the best parts of the performance for sure (their voices blend together quite nicely) but I do really enjoy the pairing. Jordan and Adam still have the edge on tonight's duets, but seeing how much the coaches adore their contestants always makes me so happy.
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Artist: Jordan Smith
Team: Adam
Song: "Mary Did You Know"
You know, I really enjoy Jordan's subtlety tonight. This isn't one of the most played Christmas songs and Jordan doesn't do anything crazy with it. He just sings it and feels it. This rendition is lovely and soothing and out of his three performances tonight, this one is definitely my favorite.
Coaches Say: Everyone stands. Of course they do. Pharrell says the people are just ready for Jordan to make a record. Adam says the song was not his idea and something Jordan felt strongly about. He thanks Jordan for making the right choice.
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Artist: Emily Ann Roberts
Team: Blake
Song: "Burning House" by Cam
I'm actually thrilled that Emily Ann is getting the closing spot tonight. I thought for sure the producers would give it to Jordan but she definitely earns her placement here. The coaches can continue their "old soul, throwback voice" compliments if they want to, but Emily Ann proves here that she's a 2015 teenage girl who can sing hits that are currently on the radio. I'm so proud of her.
Coaches Say: She gets a standing ovation for everyone. Gwen tells her that this was her favorite Emily Ann performance of the season. I might have to agree with her. Gwen also says that Emily Ann really knew how to deliver the intention of the lyrics. Pharrell calls the performance flawless and Blake just wants people to pick up the phone for this young lady.
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And with that, the artists have done all they can do to try to win the Season 9 title. It's probably been a foregone conclusion for a while now that Jordan will be victorious...but I'm still holding out hope for Jeffery. For me the duets round goes to Jordan, the Christmas song round goes to Jeffery, and Emily Ann takes the "new song" round by just a hair. Could she be the dark horse here? Could Gwen really be the first female coach to win it all? Would Adam throw things if she did? Is there ANY way that Xtina and Gwen can coach during the same season? Probably not. But we'll see which coach gets bragging rights and which contestant is crowned the winner tomorrow in part 2 of the finale. Til then!
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