It's finally here! We are live tonight in Season 14 of The Voice and it's time for the Top 12 to take the stage and compete for America's votes. It's also Kelly Clarkson's first time as a coach and as a huge KC fan, I forewarned you all in November that I might be insufferable when the show returned, so I'm pretty much just keeping my word. I've definitely enjoyed the season so far and I think each team has at least one heavy hitter going into the Top 12. Which of these hopefuls will stand out with "songs that are very personal to them?" Let's get to the performances and find out.
Artist: Rayshun LaMarr
Team: Adam
Song: "When Love Takes Over" by David Guetta and Kelly Rowland
Rayshun chose this song because when he's on stage, it's like something just takes over him. The rehearsal package is a bit rough though and Adam tells Rayshun he has a tendency to be sharp when he gets super excited. For Rayshun's sake, I go into the next few minutes hoping this is one of those "the rehearsal wasn't great but look how awesome the performance is!" situations. It's not...well, not exactly. Though dude has a happy energy that is beyond infectious and I smile the entire time he performs, Rayshun's sharpness issues remain throughout the song. His passion for what he does is wonderful though so I can't say this was a bad way to kick off the night.
Coaches Say: All four coaches are on their feet so I'm already not off to a good start. Alicia says there's something about Rayshun that is electric and Adam thinks Rayshun amps it up more and more each time he performs. He says Rayshun just became the front runner because he's "the best performer in this group so far." Adam. Cool it. He's the first person to sing tonight.
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Artist: Kaleb Lee
Team: Kelly
Song: "Amazed" by Lonestar
I feel like we've heard this tune enough now, but it's all about what the contestants pick as a "personal song" tonight, right? Kaleb chose "Amazed" because he thought it was his wedding song...turns out it was not his wedding song at all and he doesn't remember what his wedding song was. I get a good chuckle out of this. Kaleb decides not to play his guitar during to performance to be more vulnerable and he seems a little uncomfortable when the song starts. Halfway through the first chorus when the full band and backup singers jump in, Kaleb looks much more confident and his vocals are strong. I think he could have lost himself a little more, but man his wife is one lucky lady.
Coaches Say: Blake says the performance was amazing (see what he did there?) and Kelly loves that Kaleb's sound is like the country music she grew up with. She mentions that Kaleb had some pitch problems because he was emotional but she also loves that Kaleb was authentically Kaleb.
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Artist: Jackie Foster
Team: Alicia
Song: "Toxic" by Britney Spears
I mean, why not follow "Amazed" with "Toxic?" Jackie takes this pop tune and turns it into a rock song much like the rendition she did with her band back in the day. Apparently that version was "big" for them...but here we are. I want to like this performance. I do. And I try. I can't hear her during the verses though and she spends a lot of time touching hands with the audience and not looking up. The last chorus is probably the best part of the performance for me, but I reallllllly thought this was going to be better.
Coaches Say: Both of the female coaches stand and Kelly calls herself dumb for being Jackie's former coach and not current coach. Kelly then she says the performance was sexy and cool before complimenting Jackie's boots. Alicia loves the song choice because it gave Jackie the chance to show everyone who she is as an artist. Alicia tells Jackie it was a killer performance and she nailed it.
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Artist: Spensha Baker
Team: Blake
Song: "Down On My Knees" by Trisha Yearwood
Oh how I love this song, and Spensha picked it because it represents how she feels about music. Spensha's voice is so lovely and smooth and calming...and she really makes all of this look very easy. She is so invested in what she's singing and by the time Spensha starts to get emotional at the end, I'm clapping and yelling from my couch. I know her nerves sometimes get the best of her, but I'm so glad she was able to work through them tonight.
Coaches Say: All four coaches stand for Spensha and Adam tells her she sings on key and with intention. He calls her irreplaceable and Blake says Spensha is doing exactly what she is meant to do in singing country music.
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Artist: Christiana Danielle
Team: Alicia
Song: "Say Something" by A Great Big World and Christina Aguilera
Sometimes I really do miss Xtina...the hair...the attitude...the magical dresses that somehow always just barely avoided wardrobe malfunctions. It would be nice to see her on this show again, but I've read that she's never coming back to The Voice. Anyway, on to Christiana's haunting, beautiful performance. I love the way Christiana switches things up with the song and doesn't sing note for note to match the original. I am totally buying her as a heartbroken lover on the verge of giving up. There's a desperation and vulnerability in her voice tonight that makes me so glad Alicia kept her in the competition. Well done.
Coaches Say: Kelly and Alicia stand and KC says the low tones in Christiana's voice are magical. Alicia continues to be taken by Christiana and she tells her contestant "there's not another person, not only on this stage but in the world, that sounds like you or feels like you in any capacity." WOW.
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Artist: D.R. King
Team: Kelly
Song: "White Flag" by Dido
Hmmmm. Not in a million years did I think D.R. would be singing this song tonight, but he says "White Flag" means so much to him in terms of where he is in his life right now. I get that Kelly was hoping D.R. would bring something new and different to this song, and he does try. The opening slow a capella chorus is wonderful. When the music starts though, we get everything but the kitchen sink and if I didn't know the words to this song already, I wouldn't know what D.R. is singing about. I like the guy and I hope he sticks around (Team KC!) but I think he should have gone with a different song.
Coaches Say: Blake thinks there are many different sounds to D.R.'s voice and says that tonight he displayed all of them. Accurate...but not necessarily a compliment. Kelly wants America to vote for D.R. because she wants to hear his album someday. "Y'all, he makes stuff that's really hard look easy."
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Artist: Sharane Calister
Team: Adam
Song: "In My Blood" by Shawn Mendes
Sharane chose this tune because of the "I'm not giving up" message it sends and her stage presence tonight is just that. Her voice is very powerful in this song and she owns it. There are times when I feel like Sharane is yelling directly at me and I want to verbally make sure she has my support, but she's got some fight in her with this performance and it's wonderful to see.
Coaches Say: Everyone stands but Blake. Well, 3 out of 4 ain't bad. Sharane's former coach, Alicia compliments the beautiful resilience in her voice and says she is really rooting for her in both the competition and in life. Adam thinks Sharane has an ability to make people believe she is telling the truth when she is singing. "As far as I'm concerned, you have it all. It's perfect."
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Artist: Pryor Baird
Team: Blake
Song: "Pickin' Wildflowers" by Keith Anderson
Pryor is really missing his girlfriend these days, and in thinking of her and thinking of the little town in California where he grew up, he chose "Pickin' Wildflowers" as his song tonight. The tune suits his bluesy/country/rock vibe and he is totally in his element here. Pryor plays the guitar, makes good use of the stage, and sings the hell out of the song. He's also not bad to look at. Not at all.
Coaches Say: Everybody stands! Kelly has to wait for the crown to die down before she can start talking. She alludes to wanting to have a good time with her man every time she hears Pryor sing and I laugh out loud. Blake says, "Pryor is to a song is like a bulldozer is to trees." He tells his contestant that he loves seeing Pryor in the moment when he's on stage.
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Artist: Brynn Cartelli
Team: Kelly
Song: "Up to the Mountain" by Patty Griffin
Um, I obviously have to
post a link to KC's version of this song before I continue. I can't imagine being on Kelly's team, singing THIS song, and knowing that Kelly and so many others have delivered incredible renditions over the years. That being said, Brynn gives an amazing performance.
Amazing. She's subtle when she needs to be, she's slaying power notes when the time comes, and she's musically wise beyond her years. Brynn is the ringer on Kelly's team and I hope she goes all the way.
Coaches Say: Everybody stands again! Alicia feels that Brynn has a capacity about her that's from another planet. She's very interested to know more about who Brynn is. Kelly says Brynn's eclectic taste in music is blessing and she nails all styles. I totally agree (of course I do).
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Artist: Jackie Verna
Team: Adam
Song: "I'm With You" by Avril Lavigne
In the rehearsal package, Adam tells Jackie that he knows she wants to do country music, but he thinks this Avril song is the right choice because....it's kind of a country song....because Cassadee Pope sang it that one time. By the time I'm done shaking my head in confusion the performance has begun. I'd love to know what Jackie's song choice would have been instead of this one. Something is off in the beginning - not sure if it's just the arrangement or whether Jackie wasn't in time with the band, but the performance is a little strange. Jackie his some nice notes and some really not nice notes, and overall she doesn't seem comfortable with the song. But hey, Cassadee Pope won her season so Jackie has that going for her.
Coaches Say: Blake seems to stumble to find the right words for this critique (I would too) and he ends up saying Jackie has such purpose with her performances and she's a great singer. Adam thinks Jackie proved herself tonight in tackling that song.
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Artist: Britton Buchanan
Team: Alicia
Song: "Small Town" by John Mellencamp
Alicia tells us this is the first time "Small Town" has been performed on this show, so I am immediately thankful for that. We're in Season 14, kids, and there have been do overs to do overs in the past few seasons alone. Britton is from a small town and this is his favorite John Mellencamp song, so it's a win-win, right? For the most part I'd say so, though I was super worried for him when he walked down that first set of stairs. Britton has had stronger performances in the competition so far, but he sounds good, he's enjoying himself, and I think he definitely deserves to make it through to next week.
Coaches Say: We're starting to hand out standing ovations Oprah style now. Kelly calls Britton "the coolest person ever" and thinks he is a next generation John Mellencamp. Alicia tells Britton his destiny is to be here.
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Artist: Kyla Jade
Team: Blake
Song: "One Night Only" by Jennifer Hudson
Though the standout song in
Dreamgirls is "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," this tune is an often overlooked gem that
J-Hud delivered in master class form in the movie. Turns out Kyla used to be a backup singer for Jennifer, so it's absolutely time for her to step into the spotlight and shine....and boy does she. Her vocals are INSANE and she more than earns the closing slot tonight and many nights to come. Holy hell. Brynn's performance was my favorite until this moment, but Kyla just nudged the kid aside in a very classy way. I've got my Steven Tyler listening face on and I love every bit of this performance.
Coaches Say: Duh. They're all on their feet before Kyla's done singing. We're out of time and go right to Blake, who says "welcome to the front of the stage."
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And there you have it. Tomorrow night we will say goodbye to one of these hopefuls as the Stupid Twitter Save rears its ugly head for the first time in 2018. Will voters still appreciate Rayshun's enthusiasm two hours after the performance when the show is over? Will the Dido attempt D.R. made tonight resonate with his fans? Will Jackie V's country/not country/but country because of Cassadee Pope performance land her in the bottom 2? And finally...and I can't help myself...will America think Jackie F's version of "Toxic" was...toxic? We'll find out who stays and who goes during the elimination hour. Til then!
D.R. was up first and he chose "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" as his "save me" song. Unfortunately this performance reminded me of last nights...starting out strong but then kind of going all over the place. Rayshun, on the other hand, slayed his performance of "I Can't Stand the Rain" and ultimately won the Stupid Twitter Save. Not a great birthday for KC, but as long as Brynn keeps doing what she's doing, Team Kelly will be just fine. 
