This is it! We've reached (the first) 2016 finale of The Voice. All four coaches still have a contestant vying for the title and the competition has really picked up these past few weeks...especially since we saw half of the biggest contenders get the ax last week. Tonight the Final Four will perform three times - a cover song, an original song, and a duet with their coaches. It's a jam packed two hours so let's get to it!
Team: Adam
Artist: Laith Al-Saadi
Song: "White Room" by Cream
Man I wish the band was closer to Laith on stage tonight. Dude is rocking out and it would be awesome to see that same energy surrounding him with the band. Instead the cameras have to take some strange angles to try to remotely zoom in on anyone besides Laith...and they do so a lot. This is really my only complaint about the performance. Laith, his vocals, his attitude, and his guitar kicked off the finale with a bang!
Coaches Say: Blake tells Laith that he made it to the finale (yup) and mentions the guitar playing to singing ratio again. I agree, but clearly America appreciates musicianship. Xtina is sporting a black widow look tonight and she says it's always a pleasure to see Laith tear that guitar up. Pharrell loves Laith's vibe and Adam says people like Laith have been missing from this show.
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Team: Xtina
Artist: Alisan Porter
Song: "Down That Road"
Alisan penned this tune hoping the lyrics will help any fans who may be having a tough time following their dreams. The performance is of course full of power vocals, and there's even a lantern carrying choir to compliment the inspirational lyrics. Compared to the many other would be coronation songs we've heard throughout these 10 seasons, "Down That Road" is the most bearable of the motivational tunes.
Coaches Say: Adam says Alisan has "the voice" that deserves to win, and he stops short of saying other factors should also play into America's choice. Blake tells Alisan it's cool to see her connect with a song that she wrote and Xtina loved seeing her contestant record her own material. She says Alisan is the epitome of The Voice.
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Team: Pharrell
Artist: Hannah Huston
Song: "Every Breath You Take" by The Police
What I looooove about Hannah's rendition of this song is how creepy it is. The message of the song itself is an obsessive, stalker-ish profession of love, but the original is so upbeat that the creepiness is hard to remember at times. Hannah's performance is haunting and raw, and I give her a standing ovation from my living room. I could not be more happy that she made it to the finale.
Coaches Say: Adam thinks Hannah's version of the song is cool and calls her a badass. Blake tells Hannah her take on the song was risky but he believes she will see a reward from it. Pharrell thanks the band for the arrangement (yes indeed!) and says Hannah came out tonight with grace and humility and lit the stage up.
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Team: Blake
Artist: Adam Wakefield
Song: "Lonesome, Broken, and Blue"
Adam wrote this song solo and it's a tearjerker. He does not have to do anything crazy with his vocals in order to sell this song - the lyrics sell themselves and the tune is beautifully written. The performance is subtle, genuine, and lovely. I can't wait to see what Adam does with his cover later on this evening.
Coaches Say: Pharrell congratulates Adam on the song and loves that Adam has so many different palettes to pull from. Coach Adam rambles about the audience being bad clappers and wastes a lot of time, and Blake is blown away by his contestant.
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Team: Adam
Artist: Laith Al-Saadi
Song: "Morning Light"
Laith calls himself the "brie cheese" of the competition and I love it. He wrote "Morning Light" and is so excited to sing it for everyone tonight. I'll be honest and say I'm not a huge fan of the song, but I do appreciate Laith and have really enjoyed watching his journey this season.
Coaches Say: Xtina loved the bluesy vibe of the song and Pharrell compliments the chord changes throughout the performance. Adam says Laith is his favorite of the Final Four because he plays music for all of the right reasons. Says it has nothing to do with Laith being on his team. Eye roll.
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Team: Blake
Artist: Adam Wakefield
Song: "When I Call Your Name" by Vince Gill
So...I'm glad I know the lyrics to this song because at times I feel like Adam is mumbling. Thank goodness for the second half of the song where the crazy Adam vocals emerge and remind us why he is a contender. I probably prefer Adam's original tune to this cover, but this guy definitely had a good night.
Coaches Say: Xtina loves what Adam does and she is never disappointed when he takes the stage. Coach Adam compliments Adam's great taste in putting together each of his performances. Blake thinks Adam just blew the roof off the place. Calm down cowboy.
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Team: Pharrell
Artist: Hannah Huston
Song: "I Call the Shots"
Hannah and Pharrell wrote this song together and it's hands down the most catchy, fun, and radio ready original song of the night. Hannah owns each "I call the woo!" and her sass knows no bounds. This woman has gone from looking very unsure of herself to commanding a stage and I'm thrilled for her.
Coaches Say: Pharrell runs up on stage and gives Hannah a hug and it's a great moment. Adam loves watching Pharrell work and loves what they did with the song. Pharrell is beaming and tells Hannah it's been a pleasure to see her realize her talent this season.
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Team: Xtina
Artist: Alisan Porter
Song: "Somewhere" from West Side Story
Alisan receives the honor of closing out the show this evening and she picked a doozy of a song to tackle. Aside from being a plot turning point in West Side Story, "Somewhere" has been covered by artists like The Supremes, Celine Dion, and Barbara Streisand. I know I've been a little over the top at times with my Alisan praise but with this performance...I just can't say enough so I'm just going to post the video. Feels. Chills. Goosies. Tears.
Coaches Say: Xtina is on her feet well before the song ends. So am I. She's crying and thanks Alisan for trusting her. Alisan starts to cry as well and Xtina pleads with America to give this girl "a second chance."
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As for the duets, they were all pretty fantastic which is never the case on this show. Pharrell and Hannah took on his song, "Brand New" and sounded silky smooth together, while Adam and Laith were super gritty with a Beatles medley. Xtina and Alisan kept it mellow with Carole King's "You've Got a Friend," and I thoroughly enjoyed Blake and Adam's take on Hank Williams Jr's "The Conversation." Really all of the contestants had a great night. I can't say any of the performances were weak and I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a The Voice finale this much. Obviously I want Alisan to win. Obviously I think she deserves to win. But obviously...the other three contestants may make that tough for her. Can she become Xtina's first winner? Will Hannah pull off an upset? Will Adam's heartbreaking original song give him the boost he needs to win? Will Laith's guitar playing musicianship ultimately win over America? We'll find out when part 2 of the finale airs tomorrow. Til then!
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