The Voice Top 12 Eliminations: Give Me One More Chance

Well...this isn't how I thought the night was going to go on The Voice. On this season's first elimination episode, someone who I thought would sail through to next week, someone who initiated shoe throwing last night, someone I never even pegged to be in the bottom 2 was sent packing this evening. We also had some team performances tonight as well as some guest stars, but here's how everything shook out in the hour:

The non-competition performances this evening were actually very good. J-Hud and her team did a lovely rendition of "Let It Be," and Team Blake collaborated on Hank Williams Jr.'s "If It Will, It Will." Maroon 5 took the stage later in the evening to treat us to "What Lovers Do," and the awesome ladies of Pitch Perfect 3 joined forces with the Top 12 for a music video mashup of "Freedom! '90" and "Cups." This was my favorite part of the night. 

Results! Addison was sent to safety first, and she was followed by Noah and Chloe. Brooke's name was announced next and all four coaches had their first round of contestants make it through to the Top 11. Keisha, Shi'Ann and Janice also advanced, and the closer we got to the end, the more I thought Red and Adam would be rounding out the bottom 2. Not quite. Davon, Ashland and Red were the final contestants to celebrate, leaving Adam and JON in the Stupid Twitter Save contest. 

Adam was up first, choosing "Fortunate Son" as his "save me" song. He was far more in the zone tonight and I imagine song choice had a lot to do with it. He wasn't going down without a fight. Jon went with "I Want You Back," which did not do him any favors. He seemed so concerned with energy, strutting and swag that I couldn't understand a lot of what he was singing....other than the very repetitive "ooh, ooh, oohs" and "yeah, yeah, yeahs" and "na, na, nas." Buddy. I think you blew it. In the end, Adam won the Stupid Twitter Save and we said goodbye to Jon. I wasn't rooting for Jon to win the whole competition or anything, but I was hoping to see him stick around for a while. Oh well. 

Next week the Top 11 will take the stage again and the Top 10 will be revealed. Will Adam bounce back and gain confidence after America saved him tonight? Will Jennifer, Miley and Blake keep their teams intact? And will the wardrobe department coordinate shoes that will consistently make it to the stage when they are thrown? We'll find out when the competition resumes. Til then!

The Voice Top 12 Perform: Some Things You Have To Believe

Welcome to Season 13 of The Voice! After almost 2 months of preliminary rounds, we are finally to the Top 12 and one step closer to crowning another the final winner of 2017.  Blake and Adam are joined this season by returner Miley Cyrus and new coach Jennifer Hudson. I really enjoyed Miley in her previous season and so far I've been a big fan of what J-Hud has brought to the table. Do any of the coaches start out with an advantage tonight? Let's get to the performances and find out. 

Artist: Brooke Simpson

Team: Miley

Song:  "Praying" by Ke$ha

Miley chose this song for Brooke because it reflects who she is as an artist. Brooke calls it "pop/soul" because she's not quite Britney Spears and not quite James Brown. Those are two pretty different extremes but I get what she's saying. Brooke dedicates this song to America because it's about strength and hope, and I will say that her performance is the best of both worlds. She sounds amazing and her emotions definitely shine through. Brooke believes every word she sings and hopefully the viewers not only enjoyed the performance...but felt Brooke's message as well. Great way to kick-off the live shows. 

Coaches Say: All four coaches stand and the ladies are definitely tearing up. J-Hud says Brooke represented the power of music and how an artist can sing their realities through that music. Miley says it's an honor to be able to help feed Brooke's spirit and soul to give her the platform to show the world who she is.  

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Artist: Red Marlow

Team: Blake

Song:  "The Church on Cumberland Road" by Shenendoah

I appreciate Red's sense of humor - especially when he tells Blake it was a close race for the "Sexiest Man Alive" title recently bestowed upon our cowboy coach. Blake is hoping the song choice will help Red introduce classic country music to a new audience, and Red dedicates this performance to his dad for teaching him bluegrass and how to play the guitar. This rendition is fine, but the performance itself definitely does not have a "wow" factor. Red looks a little uncomfortable when he breaks free from the mic stand to quickly touch hands with a few audience members, and his stage presence is still very much a work in progress. 

Coaches Say: Adam calls the performance awesome and says Red is authentic. Blake tells his contestant that tonight we saw Red as an entertainer in addition to a vocalist. I guess we weren't watching the same performance.

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Artist: Shi'Ann Jones

Team: Jennifer

Song:  "Vision of Love" by Mariah Carey

So, this kid is only 15? Good grief. When I was 15 my greatest talent was getting through Super Mario Bros 3 without warping. Shi'Ann, however, has a gift that most people only dream of. She dedicates this tune to her coach and she is alllll over those high notes. Shi'Ann struggles with a few of the low areas of the song, but dayum girl. Please give this young lady a pass to next week. 

Coaches Say: Jennifer and Blake stand, and both Carson and I are worried that J-Hud is about to throw her shoes. Blake is super jealous that Shi'Ann is on a different team and tells her she picked the perfect time to become the highlight of this show. Jennifer says Shi'Ann always touches her heart and believes the reason Shi'Ann can sing the way she does at 15 is because she sings with a reason and a purpose. I like that. 

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Artist: Jon Mero

Team: Adam

Song:  "Why I Love You" by Major

First and foremost, I don't know this tune at all, but Jon says the song is about love and communication, so he wants to dedicate it to his hometown of Des Moines as well as his church. During the rehearsal package, Adam challenges Jon to get lost in the song, and I completely believe he does. He shows off amazing range but in a very controlled way that is both lovely and captivating. I'm so glad I am hearing this song for the first time via Jon's emotional delivery. I really like him and hope he hangs in there for many weeks to come.

Coaches Say: Miley and Adam give Jon a standing ovation. Miley says this was the perfect song for Jon and thinks he just stepped up the competition. J-Hud has a shoe in her hand ready to throw (don't do it!), and Adam tells Jon he is special and incredible.  

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Artist: Ashland Craft

Team: Miley

Song:  "Delta Dawn" by Tanya Tucker

Going into this week, Miley and Ashland were torn between this Tanya Tucker classic and "Chicken Fried" by Zac Brown Band. During the rehearsal snippets of both tunes I was kinda thinking "Chicken Fried" was the better call, but the final decision was obviously "Delta Dawn." Ashland dedicates this song to her parents for all of their support (shout out to anyone who watches The Voice sitting on hay barrels), and I was really keeping my fingers crossed for her tonight. The growls and bits of sass Ashland lets out every so often are great, but her pitch is up and down throughout the performance. Bummer. 

Coaches Say: J-Hud is happy to see Ashland on stage believing in herself. She thinks Ashland showed that she deserves to be on stage in her performance tonight. Miley tells her contestant she came out of her shell tonight and proved that she is a star. Um, okay.  

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Artist: Adam Cunningham

Team: Adam

Song: "Against All Odds" by Phil Collins

I can't with this song. I simply cannot. Coach Adam should know better than to allow his contestant to sing this overdone Phil Collins tune. This is seriously the song Mr. Levine thought would guarantee Adam a spot in the Top 11? Dude has an awesome voice and I appreciate that he dedicated this song to his family, but I wish he had performed a tune that isn't chosen every season on every singing competition show. Maybe there wouldn't have been any missteps in a song both Adams were enthusiastic about.   

Coaches Say: Blake says Adam made a great recovery during the performance after the hiccups in the beginning, and Coach Adam acknowledged some issues in the beginning as well. He thinks Adam C. had everyone on board at the end though. 

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Artist: Chloe Kohanski 

Team: Blake

Song:  "Thank You" by Dido

Chloe dedicates this song to her boyfriend who she says is her biggest fan. "Thank You" always has the potential to be a snoozefest, and I worry about that a little before the performance begins. No need to fret though. I can't quite put my finger on what it is about Chloe that just works...but I'm always invested in her performances. This performance, just based on the song choice, is a little repetitive, but given the fan base Chloe has racked up on iTunes I think she'll be just fine going into next week. 

Coaches Say: Miley says the performance took her out of the competition and made her feel like she was at an awards show. Blake tells Chloe that he has been sitting in his seat for 13 seasons and has never heard a more well rounded voice. Dude. That's one hell of a compliment. I feel bad for poor Keisha who still has to take the stage following that comment. 

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Artist: Davon Flemming 

Team: Jennifer

Song:  "Love on Top" by Beyonce

Jennifer gave Davon quite a challenge in tackling Queen Bey's hit. Davon dedicates this song to the city of Baltimore, and J-Hud wants him to find his version of the song and not try to do a Beyonce copy. For the most part he does make the tune his own and he sure has a hell of a good time doing it. The performance is fun and Davon is establishing himself as an entertainer for sure. And those big notes? Fantastic. I'm not ready to throw shoes or anything, but Davon really delivered tonight. 

Coaches Say: J-Hud and Adam are ready to throw shoes. In fact, they do throw shoes. Jennifer thanks Beyonce for letting them use the song and says she's very proud of Davon for representing his own artistry. 

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Artist: Addison Agen

Team: Adam

Song:  "She Used To Be Mine" by Sara Bareilles

Addison is looking to be a singer/songwriter like Sara Bareilles and she dedicates this performance to her mom. I looooooove Addison's voice and I loooooove this performance. At the age of 16 she gives us a believable story of heartbreak, and her vocals are powerful but subtle all at the same time. Addison is absolutely my favorite member of Team Adam and this was a great song choice for her. 

Coaches Say: Miley says it was hard to see Addison leave her team because she knows Addison will be here til the very end. Miley also tells her that when she herself was performing on stage at 16, she was not as calm and confident as Addison. Adam thinks Addison is a person who can be an inspiration for young women and he's so happy to be a part of her journey. 

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Artist: Keisha Renee

Team: Blake

Song: "Midnight Train To Georgia" by Gladys Knight & The Pips

Keisha says her road to the Top 12 has been amazing and she dedicates this tune to her mom. While "Midnight Train To Georgia" is also a song we've seen covered on singing competitions before, I wasn't rolling my eyes when we went into the rehearsal package. Keisha's rendition has a really cool arrangement (that banjo!), much different than the original, and she makes the song her own. Sure, she may overdo it at times, but the performance definitely did not feel like something I've heard 50 times before. Well done, Keisha. Way to not let the all of the praise Blake heaped on Chloe hold you back!

Coaches Say: Standing ovation from everyone! J-Hud tells Keisha her voice is like silk and thinks everybody felt Keisha's heart in that performance. Blake says this was one of his all time favorite performances on that stage. Man...he is laying it on thick tonight. 

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Artist: Noah Mac

Team: Jennifer

Song:  "Speed of Sound" by Coldplay

Noah has already found hometown fame as a local ice cream shop has named a flavor after him. Jennifer is brave enough to try the "Noah Mac N' Cheese" dessert and tells him she's looking for him to give us a big moment and then snatch it back. I seriously love her. Noah dedicates this song to all of those aspiring singers still working to achieve their dreams, and he takes Coldplay's popular tune and turns it right on its head. Noah has some trouble with his lower register...he seems to run out of breath at the end of some of the lines...but this is a great arrangement and overall I enjoyed the performance.

Coaches Say: Adam thinks Noah looks like he's from the 1950s and trapped in the future. I have no idea what he's talking about. J-Hud calls Noah a star and says she can see him on every awards show. 

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Artist: Janice Freeman

Team: Miley

Song:  "The Story" by Brandi Carlile

Janice closes the show with a passionate performance and I'm so glad she got the pimp slot this evening. This song is spot on for Janice, and she even says in the rehearsal package that it's the perfect blend of soul and alternative. She dedicates the performance to her husband, who was a huge source of support during her battle with cancer, and Janice leaves everything out on the stage tonight. While the coaches might want to throw shoes, I'm going to stick with JLo's staple "I have goosies!" and call it a night.

Coaches Say: All four coaches are on their feet well before the song ends and we're just about out of time. I'm clapping and cheering from my couch and there are many shoes thrown from the coaches' chairs, including Blake's which gives me a giggle. Blake lets Janice know that he hasn't taken off his boots in 10 years. Ha! Coach Miley is still standing and shaking when she gives her comments. She cries and tells Janice this was her favorite performance of the night. Mine toooooo. I actually watched it 3 times before I could finish up this post. 

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Tomorrow we will say goodbye to one of these hopefuls and Mr. Cunningham should be worried about voters who share my disposition on "Against All Odds." Who should join him in the bottom 2 singing for the Stupid Twitter Save? Ashland and her pitch problems? Red and his forgettable performance? Noah with his struggling lower register? Phil Collins for not revoking the rights to "Against All Odds" for all TV shows for at least the next 15 years? We'll find out which team goes down an artist during Tuesday's elimination episode. Til then!