The Voice Semi-Finals: A Wondrous Beauty I See

Tonight the remaining five contestants compete for three spots going into next week's finale. The coveted fourth spot will go to an eliminated contestant and I'm 100% unsure of how that process is going to work. For now though, Team Gwen and Team Blake are hanging by a thread trying to knock out any of the three contestants on Adam's team. These hopefuls will each take on two songs this evening - one chosen by their coaches, and one the contestants themselves have chosen as a tribute to their hometown. Let's see how they do. 

Artist: Damien

Team: Adam

Song:  "She's Out of My Life" by Michael Jackson

Hmmm. I tend to be particular about Michael Jackson songs...unless it's Judith Hill...who should have made it much, much further in the competition during her season. Much. Further. Anyway, Damien sings the song beautifully. I'm not sure if he missed a lyric or if he wasn't allowed to sing "damned in decision." Yes NBC - please don't let him say "damned." Oh but "when I get that feeling, I want sexual healing" is okay. 

Coaches Say: Blake says this was one of the most perfect performances he's seen on The Voice's stage. Pharrell loves the way Damien tells a story and Gwen compliments the emotions he brings to his performances. Adam, as always, pats himself on the back for the song choice but says Damien did an unbelievable job.

-----------------------------------

Artist: Craig Wayne Boyd

Team: Blake

Song: "Working Man Blues" by Merle Haggard

Craig is guitar-less for this performance and he's definitely working the stage. He hangs out with the dudes on the horns, the dudes on guitar, and the dudes (and ladies) in the audience. There are times where I honestly can't understand a word he's singing, but then there are other times when he's rocking out so much that I don't care. This wasn't Craig's best performance, but I can see why Blake chose the song for him. 

Coaches Say: Pharrell says that this is the type of performance you see from someone who knows who they are and knows how to have a great time. Gwen thinks Craig is a natural and calls the performance perfect. Okay, I wouldn't go that far. Blake says "Craig, you're one of the best singers I ever heard in my life." He also compliments the way Craig maintains his vocals as he moves about the stage. 

-----------------------------------

Artist: Taylor John Williams

Team: Gwen

Song: "Falling Slowly" from Once

I love this song. It's really one of the best soundtrack tunes ever and there have been some great covers of it over the past 5ish years. Taylor's rendition is just okay for me though. He struggles to catch his breath on the verses, but he does a nice job on the choruses. Taylor definitely loses his quirkiness in this performance which was the only thing really keeping him from being...well...boring. 

Coaches Say: Adam thinks the song choice was perfect for Taylor and Blake thinks Taylor showed more strength and range in this performance than he has previously. I can maybe understand the range comment. He did have to push himself to stay with the melody. Pharrell says Taylor takes songs and makes them his own...which is true sometimes...but not in this case. Taylor did absolutely nothing new with "Falling Slowly." Gwen says she always knew that Taylor was a pure artist who is using The Voice as a platform, and she thinks he will make a record regardless of the outcome of the show. So, is she pretty much admitting that he has no chance at taking home the title? Are they not BFFs? Because if they aren't, he has made a horrible, horrible mistake. 

-----------------------------------

Artist: Matt McAndrew

Team: Adam

Song: "Make It Rain" by Ed Sheeran

Yessssss. This performance is so strange and wonderful and mesmerizing that I actually didn't type a word until it was over. Even if you know the song, Matt has a way of keeping you wondering what he's going to do next all throughout the performance. His vocals were crazy but he still somehow managed to deliver a controlled performance. He just raised the bar in my opinion.

Coaches Say: Standing ovation from everyone and very well deserved. Blake thinks Matt gave a Grammy worthy performance and Gwen loves that Matt is one big contradiction....he's a sweet looking guy in glasses with a whole bunch of tattoos and a voice that gives her goose bumps. Adam says Matt challenges him all the time (good) and he tells Matt he could do anything, and he is the only contestant left in the competition with that ability. 

-----------------------------------

Artist: Chris Jamison

Team: Adam

Song: "Sugar" by Maroon 5

Oh weird. Chris is going to sing Maroon 5's next single. That's a move right out of the Xtina playbook right there. Regardless, Chris' falsetto is just about flawless all throughout the performance. The song is fun but Chris doesn't seem to really let loose. Could be because his pants and jacket are incredibly tight. Could be because he needs to see a chiropractor. Either way, this was a great song choice for him. 

Coaches Say: Blake likes the song and says Chris can fill the room with his falsetto. Pharrell kind of says the same thing Blake did, and Gwen thinks the song choice was clever. She makes a joke about having Taylor perform her next single and Adam keeps jumping in to say the song choice was Chris' idea. But wasn't this round the coaches choice?  

-----------------------------------

Artist: Damien

Team: Adam

Song: "I Don't Want To Wait" by Paula Cole

I'm not going to knock a song choice inspired by a contestant's home town, but I do think Damien faced more of challenge with this tune...not so much because it was out of his comfort zone, but because his story telling suffered in the "hey, this is a party!" arrangement. I think his first performance was far superior, but Dawson and Pacey might disagree. Oh how I miss that show. 

Coaches Say: Blake is carrying his lucky pocket knife (?) and says it was great to see Damien do something fun. Pharrell says Damien's voice is phenomenal and he was touched by the performance. Gwen called the arrangement a "Peter Gabriel meets tribal" version of the song and enjoyed that he went with something upbeat. Adam pats himself on the back and I'm over it. 

-----------------------------------

Artist: Matt McAndrew

Team: Adam

Song: "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" by U2

As expected, this is a great performance. The staging is straight out of an arena tour and that's also how Matt tackles the song. He greets a number of audience members and tries to keep the crowd as involved as possible. Matt really comes across in this performance as a humble, talented guy who is grateful for the fans supporting him. I probably prefer "Make It Rain" to this song, but he's had a really great night.

Coaches Say: Blake says Matt made performing that song look effortless and Pharrell thinks Bono would be proud. Gwen gives a shout out to Bono (I'm sure he appreciates that) and says she loves listening to Matt's voice because it's so rich and dramatic. Adam talks a lot about how he doesn't need to talk at all, then goes with "wow."

-----------------------------------

Artist: Craig Wayne Boyd

Team: Blake

Song: "The Old Rugged Cross" by 

Here's a "wow" moment, complete with emotion, story telling, and brilliant vocals. I'm a little emotional myself watching Craig give everything he's got to this hymn. This song means so much to him, and I'm so glad he shared his rendition of it tonight. This could have (and probably should have) easily been the closing number of the semi-finals. Best of the night.

Coaches Say: Standing ovations all around and he deserves every bit of the cheering and jumping going on in the audience right now. Pharrell says "to God be the glory" and asks Craig what it feels like to be at the top of his game and to surrender it to God in front of the entire world. Oh man. That's quite a question to ask someone on live TV, especially when emotions are so high already. Craig tearfully says how blessed he feels, and darn it if I don't have some tears too. Gwen is crying (she's done that a lot this episode) and says the performance was beautiful. Adam tells Craig the song was a brilliant idea and says it was the perfect thing at the perfect moment. Blake tells Craig he gave one of the most passionate, epic vocal performances he's ever heard. Amen.

-----------------------------------

Artist: Taylor John Williams

Team: Gwen

Song: "Blank Space" by Taylor Swift

I am so incredibly entertained by this...not because it's amazing, but because it's just so out there that it makes me smile. That being said, the lyrics to the song and the animated way T-Swift sings it makes this mellow rendition quickly forgettable. Could I look away from the performance? No. But would I download this version? No way. I'm sad for Team Gwen. I wish she'd been able to hold onto Anita through the semi-finals.

Coaches Say: Adam calls the performance awesome and the crowd is screaming like crazy for Taylor. I guess I'm missing something here. Gwen calls Taylor a true artist (again) and says she can't wait to see what kind of record he makes in the future. She pleads with America to vote for him because "he's amazing!" Oh Gwen, I want to. I really do. But I have to throw my support Matt and Craig's way tonight.

-----------------------------------

Artist: Chris Jamison

Team: Adam

Song: "When I Was Your Man" by Bruno Mars

Didn't Chris already do Bruno Mars this season? Recently, right? I guess it doesn't matter. He chooses the dark stage, mic stand and piano route for this song and he gives probably his best vocal performance of the season. His falsetto is just crazy in terms of consistency and he's definitely connected to the song. Well done.

Coaches Say: Gwen says this was her favorite Chris performance. Adam talks about the progress Chris has made....and we're out of time.. 

-----------------------------------

So tomorrow two of these guys will be eliminated, but maybe not given the TBD fourth spot in the finale. It's all very confusing to me. Will it be a Team Adam plus 1 week next week? Does anyone from Team Pharrell (cough, DaNica) have a chance at coming back? If Taylor makes it through...and that is a big if....can he cover Nicki Minaj or Metallica in the finale? I'd tune in just for that. We'll see how this all shakes out during the results show. Til then!

The Voice Top 8 Eliminations: Sometimes It Hurts Instead

Well thank goodness for Hulu. I was running late and my Tivo inexplicably cut the show off after 8 minutes (maybe my Tivo just knew how I would feel about the results) so I caught the last 20 minutes of the episode and Hulu provided me the rest. Regardless, I'm not happy with the way things went down tonight...

Results! Matt was the first person sent to safety and Damien joined him after some commercial breaks. Carson announced Taylor's name next and my jaw hit the floor. We're eliminating 3 people tonight and he's in the top half? Craig was the last contestant to sail through to the semi-finals, leaving Chris, Ryan, Luke, and DaNica in the bottom 4. Really? DaNica had one of the best performances last night and has been incredibly consistent. She also has the coolest name...aside from Pharrell anyway. 

DaNica performed for the Stupid Twitter Save first, choosing Etta James' "I'd Rather Go Blind" and she was freaking amazing. Luke went with "Stand By Me" because he's still trying to take songs that old people love and make them "Luke Wade songs." He seemed to forget the words as well. Next. Constant Stupid Twitter Save recipient, Ryan, put on that puppy dog face for "Heavan" by Bryan Adams. He's adorable...but it was probably time for him to pass over the Twitter title. Chris rounded out the performances with "Georgia On My Mind" and ultimately won the Stupid Twitter Save. Damn it.  

Somehow I knew Chris would make it through based on the sex appeal and Adam's increasingly annoying confidence. His performance was great tonight, but I feel that DaNica deserved the semi-finals spot more. I would also trade Taylor for DaNica in a heartbeat (and still wear a Team Gwen t-shirt). 

So, we have the semi-finalists...Team Adam remains completely untouched, Team Pharrell is gone, and Blake and Gwen each have one contestant left. We also have an all male performance show next week which bums me out a bit. Will Team Adam make it to the finals unscathed? Can Craig jump ahead of these guys and become a true front runner? And, well, Taylor is Taylor. We'll see how these gents do when they compete again on Monday. Til then!

The Voice Top 8: Save Some Light For Me

Okay, I admit it. I cheated on The Voice tonight. Idina Menzel was rocking the country music world on CMA Country Christmas on ABC. Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Nettles, Hunter Hayes and Steven Tyler (yes, he's been around almost as long as Christmas itself) performed as well...and I just couldn't turn away and watch The Voice live. When I hit the Tivo button and switched gears, however, here's what happened...

Artist: Ryan Sill

Team: Gwen

Song: "Open Arms" by Journey

Perpetual bottom 3 dweller, Ryan Sill, is looking to avoid competing for the Stupid Twitter Save this week. He takes on a very challenging tune that has made it's way around the reality TV singing shows for years. With these types of "repeats" I always worry for the contestant...because they still hoping to make their version memorable. Ryan's voice is so pure and pretty and he really tries to soar in this performance. The band overpowers him a bit during the choruses but he does sound great....and he's totally nailed the wounded puppy look.  

Coaches Say: Adam is shocked that Ryan falls into the bottom 3 each week and says he killed it tonight. Blake agrees, telling Ryan this was his best performance. Pharrell says every time he thinks Ryan has peaked, Ryan comes out the next week and does even better. Gwen points out how hard the song is to sing and says Ryan has an amazing gift and deserves to be here. 

----------------------------------

Artist: Craig Wayne Boyd

Team: Blake

Song: "Take It Easy" by The Eagles

Craig is Blake's last man standing and he's doing everything he can to keep representing his coach next week. He's the front man of the band tonight and he owns it. Craig looks like he could hop on next summer's country music tour circuit and be right at home. Great hair performance. 

Coaches Say: Pharrell says this is Craig's show and people love him. Gwen felt like she was at the country music awards and Adam thinks the song choice was great. Blake says what Craig did was perfect. 

----------------------------------

Artist: DaNica Shirey

Team: Pharrell

Song: "These Dreams" by Heart

This song ties with "Alone" as my favorite Heart song. "Alone" is fiery and powerful...and "These Dreams" is the perfect blend of subtle and passion. Because DaNica is the only female left in the competition (for now anyway), and because she's someone I've really become excited to see each week, I'm hoping she slays this song. Oh...she does. DaNica adds an element of drama to the song and the all female orchestra that surrounds her was a brilliant idea. Love. This. I'll be downloading it, but right now I'm going to rewind and watch the performance all over again.  

Coaches Say: Gwen thinks DaNica can do anything with her voice and says the song choice was timed perfectly. Adam calls the performance incredible and Blake says DaNica has been one of his favorites from the beginning. He says her voice has strength and accuracy. Pharrell is busting at the seams to talk. Her coach thanks DaNica for being on his team and says the performance could not have gone any better. 

----------------------------------

Artist: Damien

Team: Adam

Song: "Someone Like You" by Adele

I can get behind this. Unlike many people who cover this song, Damien isn't going to try to sound like Adele. I'll be honest and say I do not love the breathy-ness of the performance or the falsetto moments. What I do love is the way Damien feels the lyrics. He totally sells me on "Sometimes it lasts in love and sometimes it hurts instead." I definitely think his performances in the past couple of weeks were far better though. 

Coaches Say: Everyone stands which baffles me. It was good...but it wasn't that good. Blake thinks this is the best season of The Voice and compliments Damien's passion and soul. Pharrell says Damien effortlessly paints the air with his notes. I love that he just said that. Adam pats himself on the back a little but says he let Damien choose the song this week. He tells Damien it was his best performance so far. Hmmmm. 

----------------------------------

Artist: Chris Jamison

Team: Adam 

Song: "Sexual Healing" by Marvin Gaye

Adam tells Chris during rehearsals that he needs to focus on the more serious stuff now, because there's more to being a musician than being hot. So....taking on "Sexual Healing" is the next logical step? Chris sings the song well, but I honestly don't think he's oozing sexy in this performance. Maybe he's concentrating too much on the notes. Either way, Chris' fans will probably just be satisfied with the number of times he says "sexual." 

Coaches Say: Pharrell says this was Chris' best performance so far. There's a lot of that going around tonight. Gwen thinks he did a great job and Adam pats himself on the back....again. He gives Chris a couple of compliments too. 

----------------------------------

Artist: Luke Wade

Team: Pharrell

Song: "Holding Back the Years" by Simply Red

Luke hopes to take a song that young people don't know and older people love and make it "a Luke Wade song." I'm not sure how this is a recipe for success....especially when he yells "sing it with me!" to the audience as if they might know the words. The performance overall is a snoozer, and I will be amazed if someone tells Luke this was his best performance to date. 

Coaches Say: Adam wants Luke to stop thinking when he sings and Blake says the song wasn't something you can sink your teeth into. Pharrell agrees that Luke should let go...but says Luke is still better than most when he doesn't let go. Can we just say the performance wasn't good? Where is Simon Cowell when I need him?!?!

----------------------------------

Artist: Taylor John Williams

Team: Gwen

Song: "Royals" by Lorde

Taylor wants to strip away the pop element of the song so he can make it more angry. I don't really see the anger in his performance, and the song doesn't give Taylor a whole lot to do vocally. The most exciting part of the song is when Taylor does his strange strut to greet the audience. They seem to loooove him.

Coaches Say: Blake respects Taylor because he is a pure artist. Pharrell calls Taylor a "soulful hippy" and Gwen just feels lucky that Taylor chose her. She compliments Taylor's vision for himself. 

----------------------------------

Artist: Matt McAndrew

Team: Adam

Song: "The Blower's Daughter" by Damien Rice

Matt closes the show out tonight with a surprisingly emotional performance. The normally energetic and somewhat crazy stage performer goes the mic stand/acoustic guitar/fog route for this song. The only things we can focus on are Matt's vocals and heartache, and boy does he give us 100% of both here. This was a very smart move and I have no doubt that it will pay off. DaNica still wins the night for me, but Matt's vulnerable performance is a very, very close second.

Coaches Say: Blake has never heard the song before but he's glad that Matt's version is his introduction. Adam talks about how brutal love can be and says Matt embodied the lyrics of the song and gave a genuine performance.
---------------------------------

And with that, the Top 8 have once again put their fate in America's hands. Tomorrow we lose three more artists and potentially two entire teams. Will Adam's contestants hold strong for another week? Will DaNica keep this competition from becoming an all male battle? I sure hope so. She was my absolute favorite tonight. Anything can happen in the elimination hour though, and we'll see who makes it to the semi-finals tomorrow. Til then!