Well here we are! Tonight the final four have their final chance to win over America and walk away the winner of this last 2017 season of The Voice. Team J-Hud was completely eliminated last week, leaving Blake with 2 contestants and Miley and Adam with one each. There was some tension among the coaches regarding who has the best voice in The Voice, and all the while Red Marlow just basked under the radar. Which one of these artists will stand above the rest in their 3 performances this evening? Let's get to it...
Artist: Addison Agen
Team: Adam
Song: "Humble and Kind" by Time McGraw
With Keisha out of the way, now is a prime opportunity for one of these ladies to slay an emotional country song with a great message. Addison kicks off the show tonight with almost that exact scenario, choosing a Tim McGraw song with lyrics we probably don't pay enough attention to. There are times when I can't quite hear Addison in this performance, and there are times when I do hear her...the notes aren't quite on point, and by the end of the performance she is crying and doesn't finish the song. But on the bright side, the kid delivered the message and I look forward to seeing what else she has in store tonight.
Coaches Say: All four coaches stand...and I don't think this was an "everyone on your feet!" performance, but here we are. J-Hud says when an artist breaks down, it makes the audience feel it even more. Adam thinks the way Addison "lost it" in the end was beautiful because Addison's connection to life is more important than her connection to music.
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Artist: Chloe Kohanski
Team: Blake
Song: "Wish I Didn't Love You" (original tune)
It's not surprising at all that Chloe's would be first single is haunting with an extra side of eerie. She is accompanied only by a piano until the second verse in the song and the build in this performance is awesome. Blake was 100% on the money (maybe literally) when he said this tune was the right fit for Chloe. It's nice to see Chloe out of her "cover songs from the 1980s" comfort zone and I think this song will be popular on iTunes tonight.
Coaches Say: We go right to Blake who is still standing. He wants America to remember every superstar in music and how those people are not like anyone else...and then he wants America to think about Chloe's performance. He calls Chloe a superstar and I'm just glad he's moved away from "iconic."
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Artist: Brooke Simpson
Team: Miley
Song: "What Is Beautiful" (original tune)
Miley penned this song with two other writers and customized it just for Brooke. She's going for a classy but mainstream vibe and I believe she accomplished that. "What Is Beautiful" shows off Brooke's range (oh the power!) and the message of the song sums up Brooke's musical journey to this moment. There are times where I hear a little J-Hud in her delivery and I'm so happy this girl has come into her own. I don't know that I can see this tune lingering for weeks on the iTunes charts or anything, but I do think this song was a smart choice for Brooke. Did I mention the power?
Coaches Say: Adam says the song is perfect for who Brooke is and the artist she wants to be. He then tells Brooke he is super proud of both her and her coach. Miley highlights the lyrics to the song...that she wrote...and she calls Brooke a superstar. Oh dear. We're handing out that title Oprah style now.
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Team: Blake
Artist: Red Marlow
Song: "I Pray" (original tune)
Red wrote this song and it means the world to him...he wrote it when a friend's dad passed away and he performed the song at the funeral. I really, really like this song and I really, really love this performance. Red just upped his game with this original tune and I think he finally achieved that storyteller status that Blake has been hootin' and hollerin' about these past few weeks.
Coaches Say: J-Hud commends Red for the song as well as the performance and thinks he represents country music and represents it well. Blake tells Red his simple reliability on stage is what's gotten him so far in the competition. He calls Red a country star...so I guess there's no more room for superstars tonight.
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Team: Blake
Artist: Red Marlow
Song: "To Make You Feel My Love" by Bob Dylan
Oh man. Remember when Kris Allen sang this on American Idol? Be still my heart. Red's version doesn't have quite the same effect, but he's definitely giving it all he's got at this point. The choice to go solo with a guitar was a smart one, and though this wasn't one of those "moments," I think the guy has had a good night. Red's original song was probably his best performance of the season, but this isn't a bad note to end on.
Coaches Say: Blake thinks Red has the ability to sit on stage with just his guitar and his voice and blow people away. I can't say that I've been blown away, but the guy sure is likable.
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Artist: Brooke Simpson
Team: Miley
Song: "O Holy Night"
This is an interesting choice given Brooke's near flawless rendition of "Amazing Grace" not too long ago. Brooke's final performance of the evening is well timed with Christmas just around the corner and it's a tune that makes her think of her family. I'm captivated (and a little emotional) throughout the entire song and I think this was Brooke's best performance of the season. This is also hands down the best of the night so far. I can't even begin to describe what her voice does in these few minutes, so I'm just going to post the video and go collect myself.
Coaches Say: Standing O! J-Hud thinks Brooke's performance was a gift to us all and she says Brooke outdid herself tonight. Miley stands and reiterates the importance of voting for Brooke because once again...she is the voice. "Tonight has been your night and you've never shined brighter." Agreed!
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Artist: Addison Agen
Team: Adam
Song: "Tennessee Rain" (original tune)
Addison's potential first single is well suited to her voice, though I keep having to remind myself how young she is. I feel like Addison has been dealt some more mature stories to connect to in her song choices, and this tune is no different. She completely sells this sad "Tennessee Rain" though and her vocals are gorgeous. I'll be downloading the song tonight. Addison finishes the finale on a very strong note and should not be counted out as tomorrow's potential victor.
Coaches Say: J-Hud says Addison "is music" and thinks she was born to be a star. Adam tells Addison that she is the best example to young girls and believes beautiful things are coming to her in the future.
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Team: Blake
Artist: Chloe Kohanski
Song: "Bette Davis Eyes" by Kim Carnes
Well, so much for breaking away from the "cover songs from the 1980s" comfort zone. I assumed with the closing spot of the night...the final performance that America will see before the votes... the last opportunity to bring the house down, Chloe was about to bring it. This performance is fun and sassy, but it's no showstopper. Brooke should have been able to shut this show down with "O Holy Night" because no one else even came close to touching that performance tonight.
Coaches Say: We're pretty much out of time. Blake uses the word "superstar" again and tells the voters they need to put Chloe in the winner's circle.
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Each artist also performed a duet with their coach tonight. Addison and Adam gave us a lovely, if not very somber rendition of "Falling Slowly." This song suited both of their voices well, but given this song is from a movie where we are essentially watching two people fall in love while singing this song...this performance was a little lackluster. Blake and Chloe took on Roy Orbison's "You Got It," which was pretty awesome until there was some confusion and missed lyrics near the end. Blake and Red went with "I'm Gonna Miss Her" by Brad Paisley and the song itself has always been one of those catchy, funny tunes that people like to sing along to. The duo had a really good time and you can bet I was singing along (poorly). My favorite duet of the night though came from Brooke and Miley's kickass rendition of "Wrecking Ball." They were feeding off of each other and pushing each other's voices and I greatly enjoyed this...even if there was no wrecking ball.
Tomorrow night the Season 13 winner will be crowned and I assume there will be plenty of performances, video cutaways, and various other filler in the two hour (part 2) finale. Is the competition still Chloe's to lose even after that oddly chosen song for the "hey, we're handing this competition to you on a platter" final slot? Were Brooke's song choices and ridiculously amazing vocals tonight enough to push her ahead of the pack? Will Addison's fans come through for her even though her theme for the evening was somber songs? And last but not least...should I have a six pack of beer prepped for the possibility of a Red Marlow confetti shower? Stranger things have happened and while I think Brooke totally owned this finale (and most of the season), my money is still on Chloe for the win. There's just something about her, and Blake seems to have the most loyal voting fan base in the history of the show. We'll find out who emerges victorious tomorrow. Til then!
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