The Voice: This One Goes Out to the One I Love

Welcome to The Voice Semi-Finals!  On tonight’s episode the Top 5 contestants will take on two songs again – one chosen by their coaches, and a special dedication they have chosen themselves. Usher kicks off the show with a performance of “Twisted” and I’m disappointed that Michelle Chamuel did not storm the stage with her own dance moves. And even though Usher sports an interesting outfit with his performance, it’s Shakira’s wardrobe that catches my eye this evening. She kind of reminds me of the princess from The Neverending Story. Great movie...enough of that though. Let’s focus on the contestants.

Contestant: The Swon Brothers

Team: Blake

Song: “Turn the Page” by Bob Seger

The Swon Brothers had a close call last week as they were the last ones announced “safe” before Holly was eliminated. They are looking to have a stronger week this week, and the evening begins with the song they have chosen. The Swon Brothers dedicate this song to the band members that they’ve played with over the years…all from Oklahoma, which is where they are from (first time that has been mentioned…tonight). I love the rock sound the boys have going on tonight, and I much prefer this side of The Swon Brothers to the bluegrass-y vibe.

Coaches Say: Usher says The Swon Brothers did an incredible job. Adam appreciates that The Swon Brothers dedicated the song to their other band members and says they gave a great performance. Blake thinks the boys have shown the most growth in the competition.

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Contestant: Sasha Allen

Team: Shakira

Song: “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston

Sasha dedicates this song about unconditional love to her children. I’m hesitant about the song choice. Even before Whitney Houston passed away, I still thought “I Will Always Love You” should be on a list of prohibited songs for these singing shows, because, you know, the song is iconic and Whitney’s version of it is untouchable.

Sasha performs "I Will Always Love You" in a white, angelic dress on a foggy stage with backup singers and musicians also dressed in white. With a harp included in this rendition as well, there is a definite heavenly feel happening here. Sasha does not compare to Whitney Houston obviously, and she is emotional from start to finish...but she really delivers a lovely, heartfelt performance.

Coaches Say: Adam thinks that the national anthem and “I Will Always Love You” are the two hardest songs to sing and says Sasha did a great job. Usher thinks the performance is going to keep Sasha here for another week. Shakira’s mom has been driving her crazy because Sasha hadn’t taken on a Whitney song yet. She believes Sasha did Whitney’s fans proud tonight.

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Contestant: Michelle Chamuel

Team: Usher

Song: “Clarity” by Zedd

Wow. There is A LOT going on here. From Michelle’s outfit to her squats to the acid trip of a background going on behind her, I’m not really enjoying this. The show really seems to be pimping Michelle at this point though, so I doubt anyone will agree with me.

Coaches Say: Adam still loves Michelle and doesn’t say anything new. Blake thinks Michelle is always solid…which is frustrating for the coach of an opposing team.  Usher agrees with Blake, saying that Michelle is consistent. And there we have it.

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Contestant: Danielle Bradbery

Team: Blake

Song: “Please Remember Me” by Tim McGraw

Danielle receives a video greeting from Tim McGraw wishing her luck with the song and she looks as though she might start bawling…or pee her pants…or both. She holds it together though, and her vocals are fantastic. Luckily this isn’t one of Danielle’s ballad performances that could put a viewer right to sleep.

Coaches Say: Usher calls the performance “amazeballs.” Adam agrees, saying Danielle could not have sung the song any better than she just did. Blake can’t find a weakness in Danielle’s singing and he just loves her.

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Contestant: Amber Carrington

Team: Adam

Song: “Firework” by Katy Perry

Amber dedicates this song to “the girls” who are her best friends from home. Apparently they spent a lot of time together belting Katy Perry songs. Unfortunately Amber is out of breath during the verse of the song and she does not look super confident. As the song builds though, her vocals get right back on point and she has a very strong finish. Sadly (dare I say it?) this is my least favorite Amber performance.

Coaches Say: Blake loves the power in Amber’s voice. Shakira says the song is difficult to sing but Amber did a good job. Adam thinks Amber sang “Firework” better than anyone else has on the show. I’m not sure how much of a compliment that is given how uneven the previous contestants were on this song.  

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Contestant: The Swon Brothers

Team: Blake

Song: “Danny’s Song” by Kenny Loggins

When the boys traveled home to OKLAHOMA, they had received the Rising Star Award at the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame (which I initially didn’t think was a real thing). Switching gears for their second performance of the night, The Swon Brothers sit at a piano for a low key rendition of “Danny’s Song.” I am in love with it. This is probably The Swon Brothers’ strongest night in the competition so far.

Coaches Say: Usher commends The Swon Brothers for making the world love country music. I guess he thinks country music was on its way out before this season of The Voice started? Clearly he has not watched the dozen country music awards shows that air each year, most of which have pretty stellar ratings. Hell, Oklahoma has a Rising Star Award for two guys who don't even have a record deal yet! Adam says this is one of his favorite songs ever and The Swon Brothers did a great job. He also acknowledges that he usually isn’t familiar with the songs they sing. Blake thinks this is The Swon Brothers’ biggest night on the show. Yes indeed.

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Contestant: Sasha Allen

Team: Shakira

Song: “Bad Girls” by Donna Summer

Sasha dances in front of a giant flashing sign of her name and man…she is getting it done. She struts past the coaches, makes some questionable face, and then hits some pretty phenomenal notes. It’s always nice to see her have fun, and I think she’s ended her evening on a high note.  

Coaches Say: Adam says Sasha is amazing every single time she performs. Usher tells Sasha that Donna Summer was a legacy and Sasha did her proud. Shakira thinks Sasha started in the competition as just a voice but she has since become an amazing performer.

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Contestant: Danielle Bradbery

Team: Blake

Song: “Who I Am” by Jessica Andrews

This is such a great song. Danielle dedicates it to her parents and best friend for getting her to do The Voice. Flashing on the screens behind her, pictures of Danielle as she was growing up make me wonder how old she was when this song came out. Regardless, this is a very sweet performance and she delivers another great vocal. Toward the end, Danielle travels from the stage to the audience and sings directly to her family. Moments like these are always tear-jerkers.  

Coaches Say: Danielle’s performance makes Usher want to tell everyone in his family that he loves them. Shakira can’t wait for Danielle’s career to take off so she can tell people she knew Danielle when she was just starting out. Blake thinks Danielle is a star.

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Contestant: Amber Carrington

Team: Adam

Song: “Sad” by Maroon 5

The ever present stage fog consumes Amber’s legs which is mildly distracting at first. I don't think she's super tall to begin with so cutting her off at the knees doesn't do her any favors. For the majority of the song though, the camera consistantly zooms in on Amber’s face, focusing on her emotions as she delivers a FANTASTIC performance. While her first song tonight may have been my least favorite, this one is hands down the best Amber performance (for me). I will be downloading this as soon as I can. I think I even prefer this rendition to the Maroon 5 original. I know, blaspemy, but I am prepared to take the consequences.

 

Coaches Say: Blake can’t wait to buy Amber’s record. Usher tells Amber that everyone in her home town should be proud of her. He says he is blown away. Adam admits that Amber sang the song better than he ever did and he is overjoyed.

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Contestant: Michelle Chamuel

Team: Usher

Song: “Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper

Michelle is dedicating this song to Usher because if you hadn’t noticed – they are homies. There is a giant clock behind her when the song stars. See what they did there? Just as the performance is ending and she goes into full Michelle mode, the clock breaks to reveal the band jamming out. That’s pretty neat if you ask me. Personally, I think Amber’s performance was more worthy of the closing slot, but I know this girl has a lot of people rooting for her (including the producers) so I’ll take it.

Coaches Say: Shakira feels that Michelle keeps growing each week and is a permanent crescendo. I’m actually not even sure what that means but I heart Shakira and I feel like we never let her speak enough. Adam still loves Michelle. Usher is touched by the dedication and tells Michelle “you’re the winner.”

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Tomorrow night we will find out who moves on to next week’s finale. Will The Swon Brothers survive or will we be facing an all female throw down?  Will Danielle clean up on the iTunes charts again this week? Should Michelle’s uniqueness overshadow the amazing remaining vocalists and keep her safe? We’ll find out during the results show. Til then!

The Voice: Even Cowgirls Get The Blues

Tonight’s results show is a big one for our teams and here’s hoping it’s not another heartbreaker. Should Team Blake not lose a contestant tonight, then either Team Adam, Team Shakira or Team Usher will be eliminated from the competition completely. Did Blake’s country artists survive another week? Can the viewers survive the duets/group numbers? Here are the highlights...

Last year’s voctor, Cassadee Pope returns to perform her new single “Wasting All These Tears.” Her presence reminds us how Team Blake also dominated last year…and he did produce a winner the season before. But I’m trying to recall what Jermaine is up to these days. And where the hell is Javier Colon? (I know he was Team Adam, but I’m still curious). Cassadee sounds as wonderful as she ever did so perhaps she will be the first real success story for The Voice.  

Results! The first contestant moving on to next week is Michelle Chamuel. She is followed by Sasha Allen (get it!) and Danielle Bradberry. This kid is really cleaning up on the iTunes charts, y’all. After some more filler, Amber Carrington is safe (yay!) and we are down to The Swon Brothers and Holly Tucker. So Team Blake is definitely losing a team member tonight and the other three teams live to compete again.

After the nationwide vote…America saves The Swon Brothers and Holly Tucker is eliminated. This one (for me) is not a shocker. Holly was really starting to make progress with her stage presence and so on, but the other contestants were really starting to sprint past her.  I wish her the best though.

Next week our Top 5 duke it out again. Will The Swon Brothers bounce back? Is Michelle now the dark horse? Are she and Usher going to purchase “best friends forever” bling? All will be revealed soon. Til then!

The Voice: Sasha Fierce

On tonight’s episode of The Voice our remaining six contestants take on two songs as we get closer to the season’s end. One song will be chosen by the contestants and the other will be chosen by their coach. Only one will go home this week, because why not? Now that Judith and Sarah are gone, why not stop eliminating two contestants? Geesh. Let's just get going.

Contestant: Holly Tucker
Team: Blake
Song: “When God-Fearin' Women Get the Blues” by Martina McBride

The personality Holly was lacking last week is definitely present tonight. I’ve been waiting to see some sass from her, and while I still think she could let loose even more, this performance is definitely a step in the right direction. With so many contestants really starting to improve their stage presence, she's been needing to step it up a bit.

Coaches Say: Usher says the attitude was 100% there, but he looks like he is struggling to find anything else to say. Hard to tell behind the sunglasses. Shakira might be on the verge of a wardrobe malfunction but she's wearing a great dress. I actually don't hear her commentary. Adam thinks Holly’s character has emerged over the past couple of weeks and says she gave a great performance. Blake tells Holly this was his favorite performance of hers.

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Contestant: Michelle Chamuel
Team: Usher
Song: “Somewhere Only We Know” by Keane

My first impression of this performance….is she singing? I can’t hear her for the first half. The tree graphic behind her is neat though. I know she is going for an emotional vibe here (you can always tell with the speed in which she squats down whether we're getting fire or agony), but this is probably my least favorite performance of hers.

Coaches Say: Shakira gives several compliments to Usher because of how far Michelle has come in in the competition as an artist. Usher and Michelle really do seem to have a BFF bond going these days. Adam looooooooooooves Michelle and thinks she is carving out her own spot in the universe. Usher says Michelle gave a really great performance, showing depth and her vocal ability. So...we heard (or didn't hear?) different things I guess.

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Contestant: The Swon Brothers

Team: Blake
Song: “Wagon Wheel” by Hootie Darius Rucker, but originally by Old Crow Medicine Show

The staging for this number is set up as a saloon with dancing girls, so we've got that going for us. Otherwise this is another standard country song performed by The Swon Brothers so I don't have much to say. It was pleasant to listen to and watch, but there was really no "wow" factor.

Coaches Say: Shakira thinks the performance was fun and loose. She says country music is crossing over to mainstream in such a way that Latinos are starting to pay attention to it, and that makes me smile. Adam notes that Hootie Darius Rucker didn’t start out in country music but took his sound that way. Thanks buddy. He then says this was his favorite performance from the boys. Blake thinks that no one sounds like The Swon Brothers and he loved the performance.

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Contestant: Sasha Allen

Team: Shakira
Song: “Ain’t No Way” by Aretha Franklin

Taking on Aretha is ambitious, but whoa! This is amazing! I can’t even type during Sasha’s performance because I am soooo busy making grunts of approval. This is her best performance so far and one of my favorite performances of the season. Get it, Sasha.

Coaches Say: Adam again acknowledges that he’s a fool for letting Sasha go. Usher says it would be hard to be critical of that performance because she is an incredible vocalist. Shakira asks who in the competition could have sung that song that well, and someone in the audiences yells “no one!” which is well timed. She’s right though – Sasha owned that song.

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Contestant: Danielle Bradbery
Team: Blake
Song: “Shake the Sugar Tree” by Pam Tillis

Danielle has some neat trees happening on stage for her performance as well. Make sense since, well, she’s singing about shaking a tree. I'll be honest and say I am a tad bored by this. I think the kid has a great voice, but I miss the days when she was able to be a young, vibrant performer on this show.

Coaches Say: Usher thinks that Danielle looked nervous at one point but says she has the confidence to keep growing. So she has a nervous confidence? Adam wishes that he had snagged Danielle for his team and calls her one of the best on the show. Blake says she makes his job easy because she is just so great at what she does.

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Contestant: Amber Carrington
Team: Adam
Song: “I’ll Remember You” by Skid Row

Amber is only 20 years old and has no idea who Skid Row is. You wouldn’t know it watching this performance because she makes the song her with a bluegrass vibe. Is this her best performance to date? Nah. But she’s got fire on stage (literally) and she can sing her face off.

Coaches Say: Blake says Amber always does great and thinks people will definitely want to own her version of that song. Shakira gives Adam credit for being a great coach for Amber. Adam thinks Amber is incredible and bestows a ton of compliments on her before thanking her for representing his team.

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Contestant: The Swon Brothers
Team: Blake
Song: “Okie from Muskogee” by Merle Haggard

Um, what? I’ll be honest and say I do not know this song. I’m also not sure why Blake chose this song for them because I don’t think it does the boys any favors. Sure it's fun, I'll give it that, but in terms of competition...I'm not sure they have had the best night. Just me.

Coaches Say: Usher says the performance proves that you don't have to smoke weed to have fun. Great. Glad this is a family show. Adam loves how happy The Swon Brothers were during the performance and even in the moments after. Blake says the song choice was important for the boys so they can stay true to their roots. If you didn't know already, The Swon Brothers are actually FROM Oklahoma. It hasn't been mentioned much...

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Contestant: Holly Tucker

Team: Blake
Song: “My Wish” by Rascal Flatts

There’s a lighthouse in the middle of the stage so I am already on board with the performance. Holly is rather challenged to not lose her breath during the first verse of the song, but once she gets past that point she’s good to go. No sass necessary for this performance, but she does connect with the song and the audience. I'll take it.

 

Coaches Say: Shakira says the performance was awesome and tells Holly she consistently delivers. Adam thinks Holly has shown range tonight with her two performances. That may be true. Blake says that Holly is the most diverse artist on Team Blake (the most diverse of the three country acts you have on your team? Is that saying much?).

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Contestant: Michelle Chamuel

Team: Usher
Song: “I Knew You Were Trouble” by Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift surprised Michelle during rehearsals and definitely gave her some confidence. Michelle borrowed one of Usher’s jackets for this performance and she brings an energy to this song that I’ve never seen before. Michelle also sounds awesome and is rocking out like it’s her job. Someday it should be. LOVE it.

Coaches Say: Adam says the performance was unbelievable. Blake tells Michelle the performance was just so intense and he’s jealous. Usher says we were able to connect to Michelle in a different way with this performance. Agreed.

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Contestant: Amber Carrington

Team: Adam

Song: “Crazy” by Patsy Cline

Amazing song. Amber is so classy and talented that I’m not worried at all about her taking on such an iconic tune. She gives a lovely performance, staying faithful to the original but still adding her own touch here and there. I will be voting for her this evening…I think she absolutely deserves to advance and I’d love to see her go all the way to the finale.

Coaches Say: Blake says the performance was beautiful without being over the top. Shakira thinks the song was dreamy and a great choice. Adam calls Amber a breath of fresh air and says she brings a level of purity with her voice. Agreed.

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Contestant: Danielle Bradbery

Team: Blake
Song: “A Little Bit Stronger” by Sara Evans

Danielle says she chose this song about relationships because she’s seen her sister come through a breakup and become stronger. Before the song starts I feel that this is going to be a problem…that Danielle isn’t going to be able to connect. However, there’s no way Danielle could go for the notes she goes for in this song without feeling them. This is a great way for her to end her night. Well done.

Coaches Say: Usher says Danielle gave an amazing performance. Adam thinks Danielle’s last note was one of the most powerful in the competition. Blake says Danielle is a budding country artist, telling her she’s a star being born in front of us.

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Contestant: Sasha Allen

Team: Shakira
Song: “Before He Cheats” by Carrie Underwood

Sasha gets to close the show huh? That’s awesome! She starts the song rather jazzy on top of a stair case and then WHIPS OFF her dress to reveal a sexy little number with thigh high boots. She then does some moves that are kind of a cross between Michelle Chamuel squats and Beyonce struts. Oh and her vocals are crazy as well. Fan. Tastic.

Coaches Say: The crowd goes nuts and we can barely hear the coaches. Blake says the performance was dramatic and powerful. Usher really liked it and calls her Sasha Fierce. Man I wish I had thought of that first. Shakira is adorably excited and calls the performance “hot” and “established.”

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After twelve performances and a whole lot of country music, the episode ends with one hell of a showstopper. For me Sasha wins the night with both performances, and I have found another contestant to root for. I also have some hope that Team Shakira is here to stay. Honestly though, as long as Sasha and Amber make it through tomorrow I’ll be able to watch the elimination episode without throwing things….unlike last week (yes, still bitter). Should there be any other shoe-ins based on tonight’s performances? Will Team Blake remain intact and eliminate another team entirely? We’ll find out during the results show. Til then!