The Voice Finale Part 2: Rhythm Nation

Alicia has herself a winner! Chris Blue emerged victorious in part 2 of The Voice season 12 finale and we're all lucky neither he, nor his coach needed to be hospitalized from all the emoooootions of the evening. Here are some of the highlights from the two hour extravaganza filled with surprise performers and, well, filler. 

Guest Stars

• Chris Stapleton was in the house to perform "Either Way" and I'm sure Jesse was chomping at the bit to storm the stage and turn the song into a duet. Hold back dude. Chris is amazeballs all on his own. 
• Former and future The Voice coach Miley Cyrus took us all to Malibu... well not really. But that song "Malibu" is super catchy and I love it. She also made a special dedication to Ariana Grande and the folks in Manchester. 
• Jennifer Hudson brought the house down with "Remember Me." Her voice is just phenomenal. J-Hud will soon be a coach on this show and I really look forward to seeing her mentor a team. 

Collaborations

• For whatever reason someone decided it was a good idea for Marky Mark to join Daddy Yankee and Luis Fonsi on stage for "Despacito," a song I thoroughly enjoyed until those few minutes of collaboration.
• Brennley was up next and she performed "Yours If You Want It" with Rascal Flatts and she killed it. Looked totally natural up there with those guys and I hope she's made some good connections there. 
• Jesse paired up with former The Voice coach CeeLo Green for a funky rendition of "Shining Star," and Adam was right in saying these guys were a good match. I really enjoyed this. 
• Lauren took on "Better Man" with Little Big Town and the performance was awesome. I love Little Big Town and adding Lauren to the mix worked great. Puhleeeease take her on tour with you!
• Another perfect pairing was the duet between Hunter and Gwen. Their rendition of "Don't Speak" gave me the chills and made me very sad that he was not in the final four tonight. 
• Alessia Cara and Aliyah collaborated on "Scars To Your Beautiful" and it was really nice to see Aliyah sing with another youngster. She had a great time and the performance was fun to watch.
• TSoul, Vanessa, and Gladys Knight(!) took the stage to perform "You're the Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me" and "If I Was Your Woman." Gladys Knight is 72 years old and I am always blown away by her voice. Sure, TSoul and Vanessa held their own, but I would bow down to this woman if I was ever in the same room with her. 
• Chris and former The Voice coach Usher chose to sing "Everybody Hurts" tonight as their thoughts are with the victims of the Manchester bombing and their loved ones....and really anyone affected by the tragedy. I think we needed this tune tonight and their duet was moving and beautiful. There were definitely some tears shed on my sofa. Watch it here. 

Results! 

• Jesse finished 4th which I'm sure had Adam fuming. Young Aliyah came in 3rd, leaving Lauren and Chris standing nervously waiting for Carson to stop the dramatic stall and make the damn announcement. In the end Chris Blue was crowned the season 12 winner. The confetti fell, he cried, his family cried, and Alicia hugged Blake so hard that I worried for his safety. I didn't cry or explode with joy but I am certainly happy for this guy. Chris has been the front runner all season and dude never faltered in his performances. At the same time, I do hope Blake takes good care of his contestant and gets Lauren a jump start in the country music scene. I think she's earned it. Congrats to Alicia and Chris though - loved watching her dance with the trophy and watching him humbly try to get through performing his new single. The very long hug he and Lauren shared mid song was heartwarming. 

The Voice will take a hiatus for a few months and return in the fall with some different folks in the coaches' chairs during the 13th season. Miley Cyrus and Jennifer Hudson will rotate in for Alicia and Gwen while the exhausting bromance between Blake and Adam continues. No word yet on whether Alicia will return for season 14 but, as you may have heard, my beloved Kelly Clarkson will be one of the coaches rotating in...meaning I will be insufferable for the first half of 2018. I hope everyone has a fantastic summer and I will see you in September. Til then! 

The Voice Finale Part 1: This Is The Test

It's time! We've reached the Season 12 finale of The Voice and there are four eager contestants ready to win our votes. Gwen is chillin' in her chair tonight as her team was completely eliminated last week, while Adam, Blake and Alicia are hoping their artists will rise above the rest tonight. The final four will perform three times this evening - one original song, one cover song, and one duet with their coach. Who is most likely to win it all? Let's get to the performances and see how these hopefuls stack up against each other. 

Artist: Aliyah Moulden

Team: Blake

Song: Original -- "Never Be Lonely"  

The youngest contestant to make it to any finale is kicking off the show tonight with a brand new song. The high school cafeteria setting is cute, as are the teenagers break dancing, smiling and kinda, sorta singing background vocals. Aliyah is really enjoying herself and sounds really good in portions of the song, but she is struggling with her lower register. The tune is catchy and all but I don't think it was the best song to showcase all of Aliyah's strengths.  

Coaches Say:  Gwen thinks the "funnest thing" has been to watch Aliyah evolve before our eyes. She also likes that Aliyah was her age tonight and didn't come out all done up like an adult. Blake says the song was perfect for Aliyah and compares her performance to something out of Glee. Well, depending on the season, that part of the critique could be true. 

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Artist: Jesse Larson

Team: Adam

Song: "Takin' It to the Streets" by The Doobie Brothers

I mayyyy have been a little bitter last week when Jesse won the Stupid Twitter Save. I may still be bitter. For me the performance starts out okay. Jesse sounds good but man I wish he would work on his enunciation. I will say though that Jesse's guitar solo in this performance caught my attention and held it through the rest of the song. He finished strong with awesome vocals and he should feel pretty darn good going into his next performance. 

Coaches Say: Alicia calls the performance both fresh and dope. She says what he and Adam have been working on together is authentic and genuine. Adam thinks Jesse has never sounded better and says he genuinely believes Jesse should win the whole thing. Of course he does. 

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Artist: Lauren Duski

Team:  Blake

Song: "The Dance" by Garth Brooks

Wow. Blake hits the nail on the head in rehearsals when he tells Lauren she is about to take on "one of the most important and greatest country songs of all time." She thinks this song sums up her journey on The Voice in many ways and that certainly comes through in her performance. I'm a huge, massive, unwavering Garth Brooks fan. I've seen him in concert and cried during this song a couple of times. I set all of that aside the moment I hear Lauren sing "looking back..." What she does here is beautiful, classy, polished and wonderful. I'm not sure what will happen in tomorrow's results show but I really hope I hear this girl on my radio soon. 

Coaches Say: Adam says Lauren has a voice that is very familiar and comforting and that's why people love her so much. It's getting boring how great you are." Uh, Adam? Are these compliments? Because they kind of sound like "Yeah, you're okay but have I mentioned how unique and amazing my contestant is?" Eye roll. Blake is super excited for Lauren. He tells his contestant that she made him feel like he was hearing "The Dance" for the first time tonight. Now THAT'S a compliment. 

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Artist: Chris Blue 

Team: Alicia

Song: Original -- "Money On You" 

Chris' would be single suits him perfectly. This is a dance tune that allows him to show off his moves, sing his face off, and have an absolute blast on stage. I don't have much else to say about the performance. The crowd seemed to be enjoying the song as much as Chris was, and I imagine we'll be seeing a TON of downloads calculated on iTunes tomorrow.

Coaches Say: Alicia tells Chris that there is an electricity when he walks into the room. She says the stage was 1000% his and he is "ready."

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Artist: Jesse Larson

Team: Adam

Song: Original Song --"Woman" 

This tune was written by Chris Stapleton and Jesse is thrilled to be able to have his original song be by an artist he loves so much. My Stupid Twitter Save bitterness still lingers, but this is my favorite Jesse performance of the season. This is a perfect pairing of song and singer and Jesse's two solo performances this evening have been competitive for sure. 

Coaches Say: Adam is the only one to speak and I just can't. Next. 

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Artist: Aliyah Moulden

Team: Blake

Song: "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)" by Stevie Wonder

Welp, Blake does this young lady no favors here. I'm not sure why Blake thought this song choice would knock it out of the park - it's the opposite of all of the positive feedback she's been getting for finally being a teenager on this show. There are also raspy, growly things happening in her lower register in this song, and there's just a lot of repetitive choruses that don't really allow her to do anything new with the tune. However, that smile at the end warms my heart and I hope Aliyah is super proud of herself.  At 15 I was just trying and epically failing at learning the Tootsee Roll dance. 

Coaches Say: Blake thinks the balloons falling at the end of the performance was a sign that the confetti will rain down on Aliyah tomorrow night. 

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Artist: Lauren Duski

Team: Blake

Song: Original -- "Deja Vu"

WOW again. Lauren penned this tune herself and as you would imagine, it tugs at your heartstrings. She has been stellar in telling other people's stories all season, but watching her tell a story she wrote is just wonderful. Her vocals are gorgeous, her emotions are all out there for everyone to see, and this is the best of the night for me. Downloading now. 

Coaches Say: Blake doesn't even sit down for his critique. He congratulates Lauren in writing her first number 1 song. For her sake I certainly hope so. 

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Artist: Chris Blue 

Team: Alicia

Song: "Rhythm Nation" by Janet...Ms. Jackson if you're nasty

It's no surprise that Chris gets the pimp slot tonight. He's been touted as the one to beat for many weeks now. But THIS performance is unreal. Don't believe me, just watch (had to).

Coaches Say: Everyone stands but Adam and Alicia might be losing her mind right here on live TV. We're about out of time but says quickly that Chris came out tonight and showed America that he is everything. She wants everyone to be able to say "We started Chris Blue's career TONIGHT!" Woo! Chills. 

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As for the duets, Chris and Alicia took on Prince's "Diamonds and Pearls" which was ballsy a tall order. I wasn't loving Chris' lower register in this performance but Alicia and the choruses made me happy. Also ballsy taking on Prince tonight were Jesse and Adam, singing "Let's Go Crazy" and making me yearn for the next song. Seriously guys. Chris and Alicia could mostly get away with "Diamonds & Pearls," but this is one of the untouchable Prince tunes. Moving on. Aliyah and Blake went with "Dancing in the Streets" for some reason which was really odd...but they sure looked like they were having a great time. Blake and Lauren may have had the best duet of the night with their rendition of "There's a Tear In My Beer." Great song choice for them and they played off each other well. 

And with that, the contestants have done all they can do. There's no Stupid Twitter Save tomorrow. No 'singing for your life.' Each of the final four has to try to get some sleep tonight and hope they did all that they could do to trigger that confetti rain. Is Chris going to win easily? Did Lauren do enough to edge ahead of him tonight? Is there a hope in hell for the other two? Honestly, I'd be good with either Chris or Lauren winning this season, but I would really enjoy seeing Alicia walk away with a victory. Tomorrow night is the two hour results show with duets, bring backs, guest stars, and filler o'plenty. What surprises does The Voice still have in store in season 12? We'll find out during part two of the finale. Til then!

The Voice Semi-Finals Elimination: Til The Love Runs Out

Welp, two out of four ain't bad I guess. Tonight the final four were revealed during the semi-finals slaughter and four contestants were sent packing just shy of making the finale. I can't say I'm happy with how everything went down but here's what happened... 

Results! Carson announced the Top 3 and Chris, Lauren and...Aliyah (?) made their way to safety. The bottom 2 were then cut with no chance at that Damn Stupid Twitter Save and Vanessa and TSoul (!) were sent packing. This left me grumbling and Brennley, Hunter, and Jesse at the mercy of social media. 

Brennley sang for a spot in the finale first, choosing "Warrior" as her "save me" song. She had a bit of a rough start but bounced back quickly and really finished strong. Love her. Hunter was up next, singing "Love Runs Out," and though he enunciated only 70% of the time, in my mind his performance had still edged out Brennley's. Jesse rounded out the Damn Stupid Twitter Save performances with "Tennessee Whiskey" and it was just okay for me. He enunciated even less then Hunter and his performance last night was stronger. I sat and waited for Hunter to stroll to safety and my adorable little Brennley to go home...but to my unbelievable surprise....Jesse was the one to make it to the final four and I threw my hands in the air and turned off the TV. 

Sigh. Next week is the two part season finale, and Chris, Lauren, Aliyah and Jesse will fight for the title and the opportunity to maybe have a kinda sorta career in the music industry. Blake heads into the finale with two artists, Alicia and Adam with one each, and poor Gwen saw her team completely eliminated tonight. I mean really!?!? No Hunter OR Brennley? Meh. We'll see what happens next week when these four take the stage again....and when I'll be rooting for Chris, keeping my hopes up for Lauren, and losing my mind if either of the other two win. Til then! 

The Voice Semi-Finals: Give Yourself Away

Welcome to the semi-finals! Tonight the Top 8 contestants have to leave it all on the table in order to snag a spot in the 4 person finale. Team Blake remains fully in tact, Alicia and Gwen each have 2 contestants remaining, and Team Adam has been left with one man standing. Will any of these hopefuls have that "moment" they all long for tonight? Let's get to the performances and find out. 

Artist: Hunter Plake

Team: Gwen

Song: "With Or Without You" by U2   

Kicking off the show tonight, Hunter is performing song that had to have been a challenge to obtain permission to use. Instead of flipping this song to put a Hunter spin on it, he sticks to the original arrangement and seems to do his best Bono impression. The performance is fine and Hunter sounds great, but I miss the old Hunter. I feel like tonight was the night to really shake things up, ya know? 

Coaches Say: Blake says this was Hunter's best vocal performance. Alicia felt totally swept away and Adam liked Hunter's classic take on the song. Gwen wants America to realize how talented Hunter is and says he has heart and personality. She thinks the performance was incredible.  

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Artist: TSoul

Team: Blake

Song: "Ain't No Way" by Aretha Franklin

Blake says TSoul is swinging for the fence this week and really...taking on an Aretha song is almost swinging for the parking lot. Covering a female artist for the first time this season, TSoul doesn't hold anything back with this performance. At times I feel like his runs are a little much, but it's not like Aretha Franklin is big on subtlety either. All in all I feel like this guy has done enough to earn himself a finale spot. 

Coaches Say: This song is one of Alicia's all time favorites. She says TSoul has a showmanship about him and she really likes it. Blake congratulates TSoul and tells him he's soooo proud of him. 

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Artist: Brennley Brown

Team: Gwen

Song: "Suds In the Bucket" by Sara Evans

Tonight Brennley tackles a song that forces her to have fun and it's about time. She works the stage, smiles, belts, and really enjoys herself. Brennley tells this story with sass and I love it. There are a few vocal issues in the verses, but man I really hope this kid is still around next week. 

Coaches Say: Blake loved seeing Brennley's personality come through and feels like first the first time we were watching a 15 year old tonight. Gwen is a little teary and says Brennley was brave and did a great job. 

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Artist: Lauren Duski

Team: Blake

Song: "Ghost In This House" by Shenandoah

Lauren is back to the storytelling ballads tonight and this story is a sad one. The stage is fogged, the other musicians on stage are all dressed in white, and Lauren is in kind of an off-white dress making the whole vibe very somber. She sounds great once again, emotes, and has me memorized from start to finish. I think she has had better performances throughout the season, but this should get her to the finale, right? 

Coaches Say: Adam thinks that simplicity and grace seem to be going out of style and he loves that Lauren's performances are pure and genuine. Blake tells Lauren that what she just did was monumental and he can't wait to see how country music fans react on iTunes. 

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Artist: Chris Blue

Team: Alicia

Song: "Take Me To the King" by Tamela Mann

Chris is returning to his church roots tonight and wants to show America the side of him that makes him feel like he's home. He sings this song at the top of a box with screens that have rolling clouds that change color over time. I'll be honest and say I'm taken in from the very first note. This performance is emotional and wonderful and I'm clapping long before the choir even comes out on stage to join Chris for the final chorus. Best of the night so far. This guy is on track to win it all next week. 

Coaches Say: Seems everyone stands but Adam. Gwen and Alicia are emotional, but not half as emotional as Chris. Poor guy keeps pacing on stage to collect himself. Alicia doesn't even sit down as she commends him for everything he just did. "You just got out of your way and let the Source come through you and it was so moving." 

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Artist: Vanessa Ferguson 

Team: Alicia

Song: "Superstar" by Luther Vandross

Vanessa is looking to bounce back from her stint in the bottom 3 last week and do this song justice. She's in a classy, gorgeous gown tonight and looks a little teary right from the first line of the song. The arrangement is awesome, the performance builds, and it's all just wonderful to watch. I'm torn on Vanessa. Going into tonight I pretty much had my mind made up on the final four. She is not one of my original picks but I'll never argue she didn't earn a spot if she gets one. 

Coaches Say: Alicia "woos" a lot and says she was losing her mind because we saw Vanessa completely tonight. I love Alicia. So. Much. 

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Artist: Jesse Larson

Team: Adam

Song: "I Was Wrong" by Chris Stapleton

Team Adam's lone contestant brought his wife to rehearsals this week because she just told him he's about to be a daddy! Aww. Tonight he takes on a song that reminds him of his dad who passed away just over a year ago. Jesse's connection to this song allows him to give his best performance to date. He may have just peaked at exactly the right time. 

Coaches Say: Adam says Jesse is "the best we've got" and I can't listen to the rest of it. 

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Artist: Aliyah Moulden

Team: Blake

Song: "I Can Only Imagine" by MercyMe

After Aliyah's emotional performance last week, she gets the closing slot tonight (no pressure) and she and Blake have chosen a big song to end the show. This one got to me. I don't think I was emotional because of the message of the song or the choir or the big beautiful set. I cried watching the joy on this kid's face as she sang (and believed) this song. The way she lit up when other kids took the stage? Stick a fork in me. Bravo. 

Coaches Say: Blake says he has been with the show in 2011 hoping he would someday be able to work with someone like Aliyah. "You are the model Voice contestant, bar none, that we have ever seen on this show."

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There were some duets tonight as well this evening with Chris and Vanessa taking on "If I Ain't Got You." I sure as hell would be intimidated to be on Team Alicia singing Alicia's song in front of Alicia, but these two made it look easy. Aliyah and Hunter paired up for a lovely version of James Bay's "Let It Go" and Jesse and TSoul joined forces for a funky (in a good way) performance of "I Wish." The final duet and best of the night had to be Lauren and Brennley's collaboration on "Good-Hearted Woman." I LOVE these two singing together. If neither of them take the title this season, they should totally consider becoming a duo.  

Tomorrow night is the semi-finals slaughter where half of these artists will be eliminated. My picks (and hopes) for the final four are Lauren, Chris, TSoul and Brennley, but really it's anyone's game at this point. These folks are almost evenly matched across the board after tonight so I have a feeling tomorrow will be nerve-wracking! Will one or more teams be completely ousted from the competition? We'll find out during the elimination hour. Til then!

The Voice Top 10 Eliminations: One More Shot At Second Chances

The semi-finalists have been revealed! On tonight's episode of The Voice we said goodbye to two artists and one coach was left very, very unhappy. There were a lot of good performances last night so the really I think this could have gone a few different ways, but here are the highlights. 

Maren Morris kicked off the show with "I Could Use a Love Song" and I'm a big Maren Morris fan. "My Church" makes frequent appearances on my iPod. Charlie Puth also took the stage to sing his new song "Attention" and it was refreshing to hear something a uptempo from him. 

Results! The first person to make it to the semi-finals was Aliyah and Chris was soon to follow her. Lauren and Hunter were sent to safety next, and Jesse and Brennley joined them later on in the show. The last person to breathe that sigh of relief was TSoul, leaving Vanessa, Lilli and Marky Mark in the bottom 3.  

Lilli performed her "save me" song first and she chose "Stormy Weather." If she had been this on point with "Unforgettable" she may have avoided her status tonight. There were just a couple of pitch issues but they were nothing compared to.... 

Marky Mark was up next and he went with Justin Bieber's "Sorry" which seemed appropriate. Yes buddy, it's way too late to say sorry and that performance was painful. Vanessa rounded out the performances for the Stupid Twitter Save and I think her version of "For Once In My Life" was the best of the three, just edging out Lilli by thismuch. In the end, Vanessa did win the Stupid Twitter Save and Adam said goodbye to two artists. Considering he used the word "unfair" a couple of times in his final words to his contestants, my guess is he was probably pretty pissed off when the results were read. I'm sure Alicia's very animated celebrating didn't help, but I love her so I don't care. 

Next week is the semi-finals slaughter and we go into those episodes with quite a competition on our hands. For the most part I look forward to seeing each of the remaining contestants every week so it will be exciting and potentially infuriating to find out who the finalists will be. Can Vanessa bounce back from her stint in the bottom 3? Will Adam's lone contestant be able to represent him in the finale? Will this be the season Alicia or Gwen take home the title? All will be revealed in the next couple of weeks. Til then! 

The Voice Top 10 Perform: It's A Sign Of The Times

On tonight's episode of The Voice, the remaining 10 contestants vie for a spot in the inexplicable 8 person semi-finals. Adam and Blake have held on to all of their contestants, while Alicia and Gwen are each down to 2. Will their artists be this evening's standouts? Let's get to the performances and find out.

Artist: Jesse Larson

Team: Adam

Song: "Jungle Love" by The Time

Jesse kicks off the show with a song he has played with his band many times and Adam is hoping for a Blues Brothers vibe with this performance (right down to the wardrobe). Jesse has a great time with this tune - all smiles as he shuffles and dances and his guitar solo, though brief, is great. My only critique here, if you even want to call it that, is this seemed like more of an ensemble piece and not a showcase for Jesse which I feel is critical at this point. Regardless though, this was an energetic, fun way to kick off the show and I hope Jesse makes it through to next week. 

Coaches Say: The crowd goes crazy for a while before Blake is finally able to talk. He says it's not that often that a vision from rehearsal comes together so perfectly on stage. Alicia thinks it was incredible to see all sides of Jesse. Adam calls his contestant a superstar and says Jesse is the most talented dude in the competition. I think Chris Blue begs to differ...

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Artist: Aliyah Moulden

Team: Blake

Song: "Jealous" by Labrinth

Aliyah is slowing things down tonight and chooses a song about missing someone. She reveals that she was very young when her dad passed away and her siblings have memories of him that she'll never have. No one can argue Aliyah is not connected to this song. Watching an artist so young lose herself in the story and break down at the end was tough, but only because I wanted to give her a hug when she was finished. Aliyah held it together for the majority of the performance and 100% sold the song. 

Coaches Say: Gwen says the song choice was smart and Aliyah did a great job. She tells Aliyah she should be proud of herself and Blake says Aliyah did what she needed to do. He mentions that artists should get lost in the moment and adds that "I think we all cried with you."

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Artist: Vanessa Ferguson 

Team: Alicia

Song: "Doo Wop (That Thing)" by Lauryn Hill

Alicia put in a call to Lauryn Hill to get permission to use this song and I'm so glad it worked out. I was initially distracted by Vanessa's new do and matching yellow suit, but by the time she started talking about the Benjamins I was on track with her. There are some moments here and there where I can't quite hear the rapping, but the arrangement was much better this week and Vanessa was able to show off and be the center of attention. Nicely done. 

Coaches Say: Adam joins Alicia in a standing ovation and says Vanessa needs to start rapping more in her performances. Alicia has really enjoyed learning how much Vanessa has to her as an artist. "You are everything!" 

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Artist: Mark Isaiah 

Team: Adam

Song: "Sign of the Times" by Harry Styles

Marky Mark is hoping to avoid the bottom 2 and Stupid Twitter Save this week and he is keeping his fingers crossed that this Harry Styles cover will do the trick. He plays piano for the first part of the performance and I'm actually kinda liking it - the lit up red boxes over and around him are a nice touch as well. As the song builds and he makes his way to the front of the stage, he realllllllly has to challenge his vocals to keep up with the tune. His voice mostly disappears in the falsetto areas, but all things considered, this is Marky Mark's best performance in a long time. Is it enough though?

Coaches Say: Gwen is going to download Marky Mark's version of the song now because it sounded so good.  Adam still doesn't think his contestant deserves to be at the bottom every week and says no one works harder than Mark. 

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Artist: Chris Blue

Team: Alicia

Song: "24K Magic" by Bruno Mars

During the rehearsal package Chris says he is looking to be free this week and choosing a Bruno Mars song is a sure way to have a good time on stage. Chris busts some moves and has an impressive array of backup dancers...and for me he has absolutely solidified his status as an entertainer. There are times where I think he's shouting at me, and I probably prefer some of his previous performances to this one, but come on - this guy NEEDS to be in the semi-finals. 

Coaches Say: Everyone stands but Adam and Alicia is going out of her mind. I love it. Blake thinks Chris will be in the finale and tells Chris he is incredibly talented. Alicia is super excited because this performance was Chris' vision. "You just showed me and all of America that you are unstoppable!" 

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Artist: Lilli Passero 

Team: Adam

Song: "Unforgettable" by Nat King Cole

Let me start off by saying I love Lilli. I do. Her rehearsals were kind of rough with timing issues and I don't think she quite nails the timing in her live performance either. Her vocals have also sounded much better in previous performances and it's a shame an "off" performance would happen now with a double elimination pending. Maybe her voting fan base will pull through for her tonight. 

Coaches Say: Alicia loves how Lilli interprets songs and says it's beautiful to see Lilli sing such a classic song. Adam feels like he was listening to "Unforgettable" on a whole different level and hopes everyone voting at home will appreciate what Lilli did with the performance.  

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Artist: Lauren Duski 

Team:  Blake

Song:  "Tell Me Why" by Wynonna Judd

Lauren is stepping away from the ballads tonight and is taking on an up tempo Wynonna tune. Wynonna herself even called Lauren to give her a pep talk before the show. Man, I wish I could sing. Anyway, Lauren is wearing some sassy leather pants and is leading the band behind her tonight like a superstar. It's one thing to say "I'm going to show a different side of me tonight." It's another to go that route and have it completely pay off. Lauren sounds fantastic and I'm going to go download this song immediately.  

Coaches Say: Gwen says Lauren is a living country barbie doll with a guitar and compliments Blake on his coaching once more. Adam starts to interrupt her and wisely stops. Blake thinks Lauren is the missing piece in country music right now and he is excited to be a part of Lauren's journey. 

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Artist: Hunter Plake 

Team: Gwen

Song: "Higher Love" by Steve Winwood

This isn't a song I was expecting from Hunter but he does seem to surprise me this week. Hunter delivers this performance surrounded by green laser lights and a fogged stage and he definitely brings this tune into the modern day with a pretty cool arrangement. Hunter doesn't have a "moment" with this performance or anything, but he is certainly staying consistent with solid appearances each week.

Coaches Say: Adam says Hunter is really connected to music and liked what he did with the song. Gwen is very proud to see Hunter do his art on stage in front of America. She says he did an amazing job tonight. 

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Artist: TSoul 

Team: Blake

Song: "At This Moment" by Billy Vera

I LOVE this song. Love it. I also love, love, love TSoul's rendition of it. Blake had encouraged him to "dress it up" a little and the changes TSoul makes to the song are definitely dramatic. There's a lot of vocal flair...which I don't always think is necessary for a song that is already great...but TSoul has thrown himself into the song completely and his passion makes me enjoy the arrangement for sure. 

Coaches Say: Alicia tells TSoul he is genuine with a very unique voice and Blake thinks TSoul just bought himself a ticket to the Top 8. 

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Artist: Brennley Brown

Team: Gwen

Song: "Anyway" by Martina McBride

So, Billy Gilman juuust did this song last season and did a beautiful job, so I'm initially thinking "why not close the show with something else?" However, Billy's emotional connection to the song made him reflect on his career from a kid with a recording contract to his present day status, and Brennley is trying desperately to become that kid with a recording contract. Brennley's source of inspiration really comes through here and I think she does a great job ending the show tonight. Those last "anywaaaays" gave me the chills. 

Coaches Say: Alicia joins Gwen in a standing ovation. Blake is glad Brennley chose that song at this moment and says her voice shone brightly tonight. Gwen tells Brennley she is so gifted and the performance was beautiful. 

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Tomorrow night we will bid adieu to two of these hopefuls and I will be interested to see how this shakes out. Will voters be on board with Vanessa's rap skills? Will Marky Mark's fans pull through for him this week and keep him out of the bottom? Will the voters respond to Jesse's Blues Brothers themed performance? We'll find out when the semi-finalists are revealed tomorrow. Til then!

The Voice Top 11 Eliminations: Out Seeking Glory

Tonight the Top 10 contestants were revealed and I can't say I'm thrilled about the results. We said goodbye to one artist, two teams took the stage to perform, and we welcomed back a familiar face to The Voice stage. Here are the highlights. 

Team Alicia collaborated on a pretty fantastic version of "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" and there were pianos everywhere! Not being a pianist, Chris was off singing on a side stage for a bit...but to be fair, I don't think he was looking for anyone to make him feel like a natural woman. Team Gwen went with the totally depressing song choice of "Fix You," but the result was moving and lovely. I really, really enjoyed this. Former The Voice champion Alison Porter performed her new song, "Deep Water," which I had not yet heard but immediately downloaded. Here's hoping she finds some true success in the music world. If not, I would 100% buy a ticket to see Curly Sue 2. 

Results! Lauren was sent to safety first and she was quickly followed by Jesse and Chris. The next person to breathe a sigh of relief was Brennley, and Aliyah and Lilli joined her in the Top 10. The last contestants to make it through were Vanessa, Hunter, and TSoul, leaving Marky Mark and Stephanie in the bottom 2. 

Stephanie chose "Issues" in her efforts to win the Stupid Twitter Save and the title gave me a giggle since, you know, it was supposed to be her "save me" song. There were no "issues" with this performance though - this tune suited her well and I was very happy to see her rise to the occasion. Marky Mark went with "7 Years" which was better than last night's attempt at Lil Wayne...but not too much better. It was time for this kid to go, right? Right? Alas, Marky Mark was the proud recipient of the Stupid Twitter Save and we bid adieu to the haunting, different, special Stephanie Rice. Bummer. 

Next week these hopefuls compete again as we head into a double elimination scenario. Will Marky Mark really make it into the Top 8? Will Blake and Adam continue on with full teams again while the ladies fight to keep their two artists in the competition? We'll see what happens when the Top 10 duke it out on Monday. Til then!

The Voice Top 11 Perform: Ours Is Not An Easy Age

Tonight the remaining contestants on The Voice are taking the stage again, trying desperately to earn a coveted spot in the Top 10. Team Gwen is looking to stay strong tonight with two artists remaining, while all other teams remain in tact. Which contestants will stand out among the others? Let's get to the performances. 

Artist: Stephanie Rice

Team: Alicia

Song: "Behind Blue Eyes" by The Who

Stephanie wants to let loose this week after her attempt at the most haunting version of "White Flag" ever last week. The first half of the song is slow and eerie so at first I'm thinking it's opposite day on The Voice, but mid way through the performance, Stephanie completely lets loose. I love it. I love that she went from controlled, soft notes to a badass growl and then back to the haunting style at the very end. Great start to the show. 

Coaches Say: Gwen loves that we are watching Stephanie grow right in front of our eyes and she loved seeing Stephanie's confidence tonight. Adam agrees, saying it was great to see Stephanie have fun. Alicia tells Stephanie she is "blossoming like this powerful feminine phenomenon" and she loved the energy Stephanie had with the audience. 

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Artist: Aliyah Moulden

Team: Blake

Song: "Take It Back" by Reba

Oh my. Aliyah is really switching it up this week and I am a HUGE fan of this performance. It's bluesy, it's sassy, and it's a great pairing between a song and singer. Now...am I always going to be partial to the Reba version of every Reba song? Sure. But this kid sang the hell out of  "Take It Back" tonight. 

Coaches Say: Alicia loved the performance and the raspyness in Aliyah's voice. Gwen compliments Blake (eye roll) but then tells Aliyah she is adorable and very talented. Blake, thank goodness, does not respond to Gwen's compliment, and says America is falling in love with Aliyah and investing in her as an artist.  

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Artist: TSoul

Team: Blake

Song: "Lay Me Down" by Sam Smith

TSoul is taking a big step this week, transitioning from his previous performances into performing a current hit. TSoul puts his heart and...well...soul into this tune though as it hits close to home for him. He is missing his family right now and the rehearsals are very emotional. His performance is too. TSoul plays the piano beautifully to start and shows just the right amount of restraint on those crazy vocals of his. By the time he strolls toward the audience and literally lays down on the stage toward the end of the song, I'm just sitting on my couch clapping. 

Coaches Say: Alicia tells TSoul his gymnastics game while singing is mind-bending. She would love to hear him do a whole song behind the piano. Blake says TSoul is a beast and thinks the performance was incredible. 

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Artist: Lilli Passero

Team: Adam

Song: "Town Without Pity" by Gene Pitney

Yes! The great performances keep coming and I'm so happy about this. Adam hit the nail on the head during rehearsals when he said he was looking for song that could be an Amy Winehouse cover. Lilli's performance has a jazzy, sexy, dramatic vibe and she sounds fantastic. That last "caaaaaan dooooooo" just about made my night. 

Coaches Say: Alicia was "so, so, so feeling that." She loves when Lilli completely loses herself in her world. Adam felt like Lilli transported everyone to a different time and says Lilli made the song hers. 

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Artist: Hunter Plake

Team: Gwen

Song: "All I Want" by Kodaline

I'm embarrassed to say I've never heard this song. Sometimes that works against these contestants but in this case, I'm in love with Hunter's version regardless of what the original sounds like. He starts the performance at a mic stand surrounded by illuminated pyramids. Yes you read that right...I'm not really sure how else to describe it. Hunter has this heartbroken, pleading quality to his voice and he's selling me on the lyrics to this song...at least the ones I can understand. He doesn't always enunciate. This is another great performance and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the second half of the show is as good as the first. 

Coaches Say: Adam tells Hunter the best thing about his voice is there is no mistaking his voice. "You know when you're hearing Hunter and that's what makes you so special." Gwen calls Hunter the real deal, saying he is full of music and there has been no one like him on the show. 

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Artist: Vanessa Ferguson

Team: Alicia

Song: "Diamonds" by Rihanna 

Well, all good things must come to an end. This song should have been a home run for Vanessa - she even said the song represents the artist she wants to be. Unfortunately what are probably awesome vocals are drowned out by the band and the backup singers through 90% of the performance. I say as a huge Vanessa fan that this was not one of her overall stronger performances. Those last few notes that I could hear clearly, however, were killer...or killah as Keith Urban would say. I miss him. 

Coaches Say: Adam loves Vanessa's vibe and her badass style. Blake is still trying to get Vanessa to choose him as a coach and Alicia thinks the power of Vanessa's voice is unmatched. 

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Artist: Lauren Duski

Team: Blake

Song: "Somewhere In My Broken Heart" by Billy Dean

Annnd we're back. I really look forward to seeing Lauren each week and she gives another beautiful performance tonight. She keeps it simple here with an acoustic guitar and strings section accompanying her, greatly contributing to the sad but kind of hopeful vibe in the song. Lauren's voice is controlled and lovely and she is definitely a storyteller. Love her and love this performance. 

Coaches Say: Adam starts his critique with "You're going to be in the finale" and I'm so happy, I don't really hear the rest of it. Blake tells Lauren she is special and different and classic and says she is important to country music. Agreed!

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Artist: Mark Isaiah

Team: Adam

Song: "How To Love" by Lil Wayne 

"How To Love" by Lil Wayne? Did I just have to type that in the "song" line? Oh dear. Marky Mark could not have earned himself many new fans with this performance. The good news? No dancing. The bad news? He can't manage his breathing and his vocals are all over the place. He sure does look sharp in that suit though. Compliment sandwich anyone?

Coaches Say: Gwen says she loves Marky Mark's song choices because she feels these are the types of records he would make. Key word there is "would." Adam says the rehearsals were tough, but Marky Mark came out and blew him away tonight. The rehearsals must have been a total mess then. 

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Artist: Jesse Larson

Team: Adam

Song: "Human" by Rag'n'Bone Man

As an immediate side note, I had no idea who Rag'n'Bone Man was until my recent vacation to Scotland. His song "Skin" followed us on the radio throughout our entire two weeks across the country....in the car, in stores, in restaurants. The song was everywhere. Give it a listen and tell me the chorus isn't stuck in your head for the next 24 hours. Anyway, back to Jesse. This song choice was perfect for him and he's just awesome in this performance from start to finish. Adam. Dude. Please transfer all of your Marky Mark efforts to Jesse. STAT. 

Coaches Say: Alicia loves the arrangement of the song and says Jesse took the song to a whole new place. Adam says Jesse is not a pop star...he just comes out on stage and sings his face off. Adam then calls Jesse the best singer in the competition. 

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Artist: Brennley Brown

Team: Gwen 

Song: "The River" by Joni Mitchell

This season's youngest contestant chose this song because she used to love performing it in a local coffee house on the weekends. The fact that this kid connects with a Joni Mitchell classic alone is refreshing, but what she does with the tune is just about perfect. I'm actually unable to look away from her throughout the entire performance and only typed my notes as we moved on to coaches comments. What a wonderful night this has been overall. 

Coaches Say: Alicia joins Gwen in a standing ovation. Adam likes that as a country musician, Brennley thinks outside the box with her song choices. He looks directly at Blake when he says this and I think that's ridiculous. Is he being a jerk because Lauren sings country tunes every week and she's killllling them? Humph. Gwen is so excited for Brennley and says she looked and sounded beautiful. 

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Artist: Chris Blue

Team: Alicia

Song: "When A Man Loves A Woman" by Percy Sledge

Let me first say that I am very, very tired of hearing this song covered on singing competition shows. It doesn't grate on my nerves the way "Against All Odds" and "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" do, but man...this one is overdone. However, if Chris Blue was going to close the show tonight, this was a hell of a way to do it. Alicia had told him he needed to uncover some layers of himself this week and boy did he. Chris took us on a journey, applied restraint when needed (kidding), and brought the whole damn house down. It was a little much for me, but I can't argue for a second that this dude isn't crazy talented. 

Coaches Say: Alicia is the only one that stands which surprises me. She tells Chris that Heaven sent him to her and blessed all of us with his voice. She's very thankful that America has the chance to see how powerful he is. 

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Tomorrow night the Top 10 will be revealed as we move toward the inevitable semi-finals slaughter in the coming weeks. The performances were SO good tonight though! Will Marky Mark find himself in the bottom again? If so, who will join him? Vanessa (no way)? Stephanie? As much as I loved her rendition of "Behind Blue Eyes," kicking off a show of fantastic performances might make her forgettable in the end. We'll find out if she'll make it through unscathed for another week during the elimination hour. Til then!