The Voice Dec 2015 Finale Part 2: Til You Find Your Dream

Well, we've reached the end of another season on The Voice and it is no surprise that iTunes master Jordan Smith was crowned the new champion. The two hour extravaganza was full of performances and interviews followed by more performances and some of the guests brought down the house. Here are the highlights. 

I would have watched this all night.

Tonight's episode featured several solo superstar performances because we needed the contestants to understand that they will probably never be as big as these guys:

--Coldplay's backup dancers were, um, animals.

--Missy Elliot brought puppets and children in "mafia" sweaters with her. She's a total badass. 

--I'm not super familiar with Sam Hunt, but he was on fire. Or had it behind him anyway. 

--The Weekend is just as good on a Tuesday as he is on a Saturday and Sunday. 

--Justin Bieber took a page out of Missy's book and "worked it."

We also had the traditional "bring backs" where the Final Four were kind enough to help us remember some of the eliminated contestants that we forgot about immediately after their last appearance:

--Barrett brought back Zach (just Zach) to sing "Forever and Ever Amen" by Randy Travis. The two voices compliment each other well and really I was just happy to see Zach's bright and shining face again. 

--Jeffery brought back Madi (yay!) for a duet of "Tears Dry On Their Own" by Amy Winehouse. The verses were low for both of them and the band was a touch loud, but the choruses were fantastic. 

--Jordan brought back Korin, Amy, Evan, Regina and Mark for Journey's "Any Way You Want It." This was really fun to watch (shout out to Regina) and I'm sure it was even more fun to perform. 

--Emily Ann brought back Ivonne, Morgan, Shelby, Nadjah and Riley for their rendition of "Summer Nights" by Rascal Flatts. The girls sounded great together and the light sabers in the audience won me over. Side note: I will be seeing The Force Awakens on Thursday and I can't freaking wait. 

And finally, the Final Four were matched with their own celebrity singers which could always go either way. There have been some painful pairings over the years as well as some pretty awesome collaborations. Tonight was fairly middle of the road:

--Emily Ann and Ricky Scaggs performed "Country Boy" and Emily Ann looked like a kid on Christmas morning. Man that song is fast. 

--Jordan joined with Usher for "Without You." The second half of the song was pretty stellar. 

--Jeffery and Tori Kelly slayed "Hollow." I loved every minute of it. 

--Barrett and Wynonna had the best "sing with a star" pairing of the night with "No One Else On Earth." Barrett looked ecstatic and Wynonna was hilarious, sassy, and owned the stage as usual.

Results! The order of elimination went Jeffery (really?), Barrett, and then Emily Ann. Jordan was crowned the Season 9 winner and his family, accompanied by Adam, stormed the stage. He sang a rousing rendition of "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" while the confetti fell and the season came to an end. Jordan absolutely earned this title and here's hoping he will be a victor with success and not someone falling into the "who?" category a year from now. 

We undoubtedly have only a short break until The Voice returns in 2016. Xtina will be in, Gwen will be out, and I hope the show includes a puppet Missy Elliot as the 5th coach. For real. You wanna switch it up NBC? Instead of a 9 person semi-finals, let's do #TeamPuppetMissy instead. Anyway, I wish you all safe and happy holidays and we will catch up again in 2016!

The Voice Dec 2015 Finale: The Stars Were Brightly Shining

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 sleigh slay and the performance is absolutely beautiful. Jeffery is completely invested in the song and its meaning and he just makes the ability to sing this way seem effortless. I also really love the staging here. The dark stage is set up like a church and the backup singers sporadically placed throughout the pews. It's simple, it's haunting, and it makes me very happy. 

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!

The Voice Semi-Finals Elimination: Don't Dream It's Over

So tonight's elimination episode was totally out of the norm and not necessarily in a good way. The semi-finals were concluded with the elimination of 5 contestants in a weird sudden death/Stupid Twitter Save combo that still has me scratching my head. Here's how it played out:

First and foremost, all shenanigans aside, Dolly Parton is a national treasure. It is impossible not to love this woman. Her performance of "Coat of Many Colors" had me grinning from ear to ear and I found myself setting my Tivo to record her NBC movie on Thursday. It was almost like I had no choice...

Results! The first artist that made it through to the finale was Jordan (duh). He was followed by Emily Ann and Barrett which immediately ruined my hopes for the Final Four. Then Carson did something strange. He announced 3 artists who would be performing to win the Stupid Twitter Save, which were Jeffery, Madi, and Zach. Still with me? The remaining 3 had the lowest number of votes and were instantly eliminated. So we said goodbye to Braiden, Amy, and Shelby at the 35 minute mark. 

Zach chose "Live Like You Were Dying" as his "save me song," which was an odd choice considering the song is sung from the point of view of a man in his 40s. I didn't feel any connection from Zach at all. Madi went with "Don't Dream It's Over" and she was nervous. I love her but this was unfortunately not a strong performance. She cried when it ended and I wanted to hug her. Poor kid. Jeffery rounded out the performances with "Make It Rain" and realllllly sang for the save. He ended up winning over the Twitterverse and we said goodbye to Madi and Zach. 

I'm definitely sad to see Madi go. I thought her style was refreshing and I was looking forwarding to seeing what she would do next week. Pharrell also has no representation in the finale and that's a bummer too. However, Jeffery has been the reason I've been #TeamGwen since the show went live and he did have the best performance tonight. Next week he will face off against Jordan and the remainder of Team Blake in hopes of winning it all. Does Jordan already have it in the bag? Can anyone but Jeffery take the title away from him? We'll find out during the two part finale. Til then!

The Voice Semi-Finals: You Ain't Seen Nothing Like Me Yet

Tonight we have reached The Voice semi-finals which means the Top 9 contestants will square off again...only to have 5 of them be eliminated tomorrow. Yup. Makes way more sense then maybe eliminating them in twos in the beginning. Soooo these hopefuls are in a do or die situation tonight and need to lay all of their cards out on the table to try to win over America. Let's get to it. 

Artist: Barrett Baber

Team: Blake

Song: "Ghost" by Ella Henderson

Love this song...but I don't love Barrett's version. The song is way too low for him at times and he's completely out of breath other times. I see what Blake was trying to do with this song choice. I do. But it just doesn't translate to something I ever want to hear again. 

Coaches Say: Pharrell says Barrett shared his emotions in the purest way possible. Pocahontas Gwen can see that Barrett is enjoying this moment and she's very proud of him.  Adam tells Barrett he knew that Barrett would be in the semi-finals and he thinks the song choice was cool. Blake literally feels like he watched Barrett kick the door in to make it to the finale. Either that or the door is going to hit him in the ass during the eliminations tomorrow. 

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Artist: Shelby Brown

Team: Adam

Song: "Even God Must Get the Blues" by Jo Dee Messina

I really do like Shelby. I like that she's humble, I like that she's subtle, and I like that she's damn talented. She goes into tonight's performance worried because people may not know the song. Shelby sings it so beautifully that it really shouldn't matter. I'm pulling for this kid. I want to see her again next week. 

Coaches Say: Blake says Shelby sounded amazing tonight and Pharrell tells Shelby she connected to the song and looked confident. Gwen says this her favorite Shelby performance. Adam lets Shelby know (lovingly) that she drives him crazy, but he tells America that she deserves to be in the finale. Agreed. 

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Artist: Jeffery Austin

Team: Gwen

Song: "Believe" by Cher

I've never even thought about what this song would sound like without the club vibe or the techno or the echo or the Cher. Jeffery slows it down though and turns the tune into a believable, pleading, painful ballad and I thoroughly enjoy it. I think Jeffery has had better performances throughout the season but this was a smart choice and should be more than enough to get him to the finale. If you're counting, I've already picked 2 finalists and we've only seen 3 performances. 

Coaches Say: Blake hopes all of his artists make it into the finale but he says Jeffery absolutely deserves to be there too. Gwen says "Hi. You're awesome." She stands and enthusiastically asks everyone to vote for him right now. 

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Artist: Braiden Sunshine

Team: Gwen

Song: "Amazing Grace"

Oh no. Remember how just one season (or mere months) ago Meghan Linsey sang this mostly a capella? Remember how she slayed it? You do? Then what are you doing Braiden?!? Yes, he sounds like an angel. Yes, he has the face of an angel. But there's nothing really exciting happening here. I know - booooooo. It's a "nice" version of a song that has had some unbelievable voices cover it over the years with some very emotional, very powerful performances. 

Coaches Say: Adam says Braiden's journey on the show has been unique because of his age and he proved that he can do anything. Pharrell tells Braiden he gives hope to kids who are 10 years old, 11 years old, 12 years old. That's what he actually said. Gwen is emotional and says the performance was spiritual and beautiful. 

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Artist: Zach Seabaugh

Team: Blake

Song: "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus

Zach knows now that his niche is really those dance-y songs that he can really show his personality in. So this week he goes with a ballad and stands behind a mic stand instead. Huh? He strums a guitar a few times here and there for good measure but Zach sounds better tonight than he has on his ballad attempts in all other weeks. Maybe this is the right song choice for him after all. Maybe it doesn't matter because he has so many voting fans already.

Coaches Say: Gwen says that if she was in high school she would have Zach's pictures taped in her locker. Blake tells Zach that this was his best performance of the season. 

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Artist: Madi Davis

Team: Pharrell

Song: "Big Girls Don't Cry" by The Four Seasons

I've never heard "Big Girls Don't Cry" quite like this before. It's quirky and fun and I'm a big fan of this laid back rendition. Madi's got me smiling the whole time and her little "duet" with the accordion player is just fantastic. This is my favorite performance so far tonight and I'm looking to see Madi in the finale (that's 3!). 

Coaches Say: Blake and Pharrell give Madi a standing ovation. Adam says this is "the most different thing" he's ever heard on the show and he loves where this performance was in the season. Blake felt like he was watching a Disney movie or something because it was too perfect to be live. Pharrell hasn't been able to sit down yet and he reminds us that Madi is 16. Blake yells again "too perfect to be live!"

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Artist: Emily Ann Roberts

Team: Blake

Song: "9 to 5" by Dolly Parton

Emily Ann is super nervous to sing Dolly Parton, which is a given, but she surprises the hell out of me with this performance. Emily Ann shows more personality tonight than she has all season and I'm SO glad to see her have so much fun. She also sounds pretty damn good. Is Emily Ann a contender? She's not one of my picks but if we do have Team Blake represented in the finale, I hope it's her. 

Coaches Say: Gwen says Emily Ann's vocal was crazy and loved that her spunky side came out. Blake tells his young contestant that she is going to make somebody so much money. He ends with "You have to be going to the finale."

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Artist: Amy Vacahl 

Team: Adam

Song: "To Make You Feel My Love" by Bob Dylan

We've heard many covers of this tune throughout the past decade of singing competitions so I initially wince when I hear the song choice. However, Amy's version is incredibly heartfelt and lovely and I can't take my eyes off of her. She's not "flipping a song" here or using any gimmicks. She is, however, still giving her all and I really appreciate the subtlety and emotions of her performance. 

Coaches Say: Pharrell says Amy's voice is made up of what beautiful clouds are made of. Adam tells the audience at home that the venue was completely still during Amy's performance. He says what she did was "refreshingly raw" and I couldn't agree more. 

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Artist: Jordan Smith

Team: Adam

Song: "Somebody To Love" by Queen

It's no surprise that Jordan is closing the show tonight. I wouldn't be surprised if he closes the show next Monday as well. This has always been my favorite Queen song. I even cheered with the kids during Ella Enchanted when Anne Hathaway busted this song out. Haven't seen it? Or won't admit to having seen it? Shame on you. Anyway, Jordan has CRAZY vocals here and the whole thing is quite a production. The performance is pretty much perfection from start to finish and of course I am rooting for him to make it to the finale (4!). I actually need to go back and watch it a few more times. 

Coaches Say: Everybody stands and rightly so. Adam runs up to the stage to give Jordan a hug. We're running out of time at this point and Adam says the performance was one of the best things he's ever seen. 

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So I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Jordan, Jeffery, Madi and Shelby, though I think Amy will end up with Shelby's spot. I'm disappointed that we won't have more time with these contestants but I get that The Voice needs to wrap up before we get too close to Christmas. Am I close in my predictions? Will someone from Team Blake kick through the finale door? We'll find out during the elimination hour. Til then! 

The Voice Top 10 Elimination: If I Showed You My Flaws

Tonight we said goodbye to another hopeful on The Voice, but just one. We're down to 9 after this episode but next week we arrive at the Semi-Finals. Just making sure we are all on the same page. The elimination hour held no surprises this week either but here's a summary of what went down. 

Adam Levine and R. City opened the show with "Locked Away" which will now be stuck in my head for at least the next 24 hours. It's a catchy tune...Adam's part anyway. A very dramatic but wonderful Sia took the stage as well to perform "Alive," and though I always hope Kristen Wiig will storm the stage and dance during all Sia performances, Sia was solo tonight. 

Results! The first two artists Carson sent to safety were Emily Ann and Jordan. Jeffery and Barrett joined them soon thereafter, and following some filler and commercials, Madi (and Pharrell) breathed a sigh of relief as well. America also saved Amy, Zach and (at the 38 minute nark) Shelby, leaving Braiden and Korin in the bottom 2. 

Korin, by the way, looked like Korin tonight and not Gwen's Single White Female roommate, and she chose "Try" as her "save me" song. She also forgot the words. A lot. It was painful to watch. Poor Gwen looked like she was fighting not to run up on the stage and help her. Hell, I wanted to run up on the stage and help her, or hug her, or something. Braiden followed Korin with "Harder To Breathe" to try to win over the Twitterverse. Well, a Maroon 5 song worked for Korin last week so he might have the right idea here. Braiden's performance was worlds better than it was last night. As bad as I felt for Korin, three strikes and you're out kid. Braiden won the Stupid Twitter Save and Korin was sent off on her not so merry way. 

Next week the Top 9 face off again and we are apparently inching super close to the finale. Can Team Blake and Team Adam remain in tact? Will Braiden bounce back from his stint in the bottom 2? Is Madi going to hold strong for Team Pharrell? We'll see what happens on Monday. Til then!

The Voice Top 10: I'm Doing This Tonight

Tonight the Top 10 contestants square off again and the stakes are high for Pharrell who only has one team member remaining in the competition. Carson tells us that next week is the Semi-Finals, which makes me scratch my head a little bit. We have 10 contestants left....but going into the semis...oh well. Math is hard and I majored in government for a reason. Let's get to the performances. 

Artist: Jeffery Austin

Team: Gwen

Song: "Jealous" by Labrinth

I can safely say that I do not know this song. Gwen encourages Jeffery to "lose control" tonight and just be free. I'm not sure that he does that...but he does tell the story and his vocals give me the chills. This is a beautiful, albeit sad song, and Jeffery delivers a performance with a ton of power and emotion. 

Coaches Say: Adam says this was a moment where we were transported from the competition and just into whatever Jeffery was doing. Blake thought the song was amazing and says he was completely wrapped up in Jeffrey's performance. Gwen tells Jeffery he's awesome and says she didn't want the performance to end.

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Artist: Emily Ann Roberts

Team: Blake

Song: "She's Got You" by Patsy Cline

This is such a great song. I'm always going to be more in love with Patsy's version than anyone else's, but I really like what Emily Ann does with this performance. She transitions from a bouncy teenager to a woman who can sell a ballad, and I'm buying. I think this was a breakout moment for her and Emily Ann absolutely deserves to move on to the Top 9...or Semi-Finals...or whatever. 

Coaches Say: Pharrell says the performance was fantastic and calls Emily Ann "an old soul." Adam mentions how much she has progressed and says the performance was amazing. Blake's heart is pounding right now because the performance was so good. He calls it Emily Ann's best of the season. 

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Artist: Braiden Sunshine

Team: Gwen

Song: "Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons

Braiden decides to go with a more modern song this week (thank you) but he chose a doozy. Sporting a new haircut and the glasses that he had ditched previously, Braiden ends up ditching his power in the process. He has a couple of big notes but the energy is realllllly lacking. The song should be completely "in your face." This version is just meh. 

Coaches Say: Adam respects Braiden's courage for taking on the song and says "I love you man." Sooo, he didn't like it? Blake tells Braiden that his favorite thing about him is Braiden is a throwback to the 80s. Gwen reminds us that Braiden is only 15 and thinks he improves every week. 

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Artist: Shelby Brown
Team: Adam
Song: "Go Rest High On That Mountain" by Vince Gill

Adam bought Shelby a stuffed giraffe and that makes me smile. The mood takes a quick turn with this song choice though, as Shelby chooses this song because it was played at her grandpa's memorial service and she misses him. I'm already a mess. Shelby sounds fantastic and really connects to the song (for the obvious reason) and this is my favorite performance of hers. She's got me doing the Steven Tyler eyes closed/head swaying thing and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for her going into tomorrow. 

Coaches Say: Pharrell thinks this was Shelby's best performance because everyone could feel what she was singing. Adam says Shelby has a ton of potential and gets better every single week. He is very proud of her tonight.
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Artist: Korin Bukowski
Team: Gwen
Song: "Same Old Love" by Selena Gomez

Okay, so Korin has my attention. I wasn't expecting a sassy up tempo song from her this week...or any week, but she's desperate to avoid the Stupid Twitter Save tomorrow so I'm glad to see her taking a risk. Korin takes the stage in a reddish body suit and actually gives us some attitude and a little bit of drama with this performance. Not sure if it will be enough to push her through to next week, but I definitely liked it. 

Coaches Say: Pharrell gives a shout out to the band and compliments Korin on her confidence. Gwen thinks Korin took her performance to the next level and she's super proud. 

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Artist: Amy Vacahal
Team: Adam

Song: "Bye Bye Bye" by *NSYNC

Whaaaaat? NSYNC? Hell yeah! Amy's tempo makes it hard for me to get up and do the "Bye Bye Bye" dance...which I still remember...and look ridiculous doing...but I seriously love the arrangement. Her haunting approach loses some of the angst that I always liked about the song, but I'm definitely an Amy fan. 

Coaches Say: Gwen says Amy could do a theater tour just taking songs and flipping them. Adam talks about how great Amy is at maximizing her creativity and says her artistry should be rewarded with America's votes. 

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Artist: Jordan Smith

Team: Adam

Song: "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen

Nooooooooo! No more "Hallelujah!" Retire it! Outlaw it! Seriously, this song is amazing. It's on my list of top 10 songs ever. But it needs to go on a reality show "do not sing" list. Granted, Jordan hits every note and the choir is a great addition, but I don't get the same kind of emotional investment from him this week that we've gotten in recent weeks (I know, booooooo). Carson also annoyed me by saying "get out the tissues" before the performance and then "it feels like the Finals tonight" after. Chill out dude. 

Coaches Say: Blake says Jordan topped previous versions of that song that have been performed on the show. Pharrell thinks the way Jordan sings seems effortless. Adam tells Jordan that what he does is so important because of the way he lifts people. 

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Artist: Zach Seabaugh

Team: Blake

Song: "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" by Queen

Zach gets back to his Elvis style with this song and I've certainly missed that. He looks like he's enjoying himself, the song suits him vocally, and the dancing is a definite crowd-pleaser. Welcome back kid!

Coaches Say: Adam waits for the audience to settle down for a while and is only able to say "good job." Blake tells Zach "I'll see you in the finale." Whoa cowboy. We have to get through the oddly placed Semi-Finals first. 

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Artist: Madi Davis

Team: Pharrell

Song: "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" by Cyndi Lauper

So I'm initially concerned when I hear the song choice because again, she's the last artist standing on Team Pharrell. This was Madi's first cover song though and it holds sentimental value, and she strips the song completely down. Madi sings it from a sad, kind of pleading place and I'm mesmerized from start to finish. Love. Her. 

Coaches Say: Standing ovation from everyone! Adam says this was a really cool, awesome version of the song. Gwen thinks Madi is so full of instinct when it comes to music and can't wait to hear what kind of songs she would write. Pharrell would love for everyone to go on iTunes and download it right now. 

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Artist: Barrett Baber

Team: Blake

Song: "I'd Love To Lay You Down" by Conway Twitty

Barrett switches it up a bit tonight with this country classic ballad, going with a subtle guitar, stool, and fireplace setting to round out the Top 10 performances. He also relies on his vocals and storytelling rather than his showmanship to get him through the performance. I'm not sure this is really a show closer (I know, boooooo round 2), but I do like his approach tonight and he sounds pretty great. Bonus points for directing most of the song at his wife in the audience. Adorable. 

Coaches Say: Adam feels like Barrett got back to his roots tonight and Blake tells Barrett he will make it into the top 10 on the iTunes charts. 

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Also worth noting tonight - Gwen mopped the stage with everyone with her performance of "Used To Love You." If Gavin didn't feel like crap before, he should now. Anyway, I think several people stepped it up tonight like Madi, Zach, Shelby and Emily Ann. I also think the supposed front runners (Jordan, Jeffery and Amy) were solid as well. I feel that Braiden, Barrett, and Korin were behind the rest of the pack though, despite Korin's new found sass and Barrett's brush with sexiness, and one of them should be singing their swan song tomorrow. Could I be completely off track? Maybe. But we'll find out for sure during the elimination hour. Til then!