The Voice Top 11 Perform: When You Feel Like Hope Is Gone

Tonight the remaining 11 hopefuls take the stage again on The Voice as Team Kelly went down a member last week and the other teams are working to stay in tact. The theme this evening is "songs picked by the fans" which almost always seems like a bad idea to me. Taking the choice out of the coaches/contestants' hands could pretty much sabotage any one of these guys and there's nothing they can do about it. Will any of the Top 11 power through with the perfect song match? Let's get to the performances and find out. 

Artist: Pryor Baird

Team: Blake

Song:  "Night Moves" by Bob Seger

The fans have chosen a song that Pryor has sung many times before, so tonight's first performer gets lucky with the week's theme. This is actually a great song choice for Pryor and during the rehearsal package, Blake is almost kicking himself for not realizing how similar Pryor's voice is to Bob Seger's. Sometimes I wonder if it would kill Pryor to enunciate a little, but the a cappella section of this performance is so good....it makes me forget about the parts where I don't understand what he's singing. 

Coaches Say: Kelly's favorite thing about Pryor is how comfortable he is on stage and how well he connects to the audience. Blake felt the softer side of Pryor tonight and he tells Pryor his momentum builds each week. 

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Artist: Sharane Calister

Team:  Adam

Song: "Hero" by Mariah Carey

Oh dear. This song is way too big for Sharane and it's a damn shame. The kid dedicates this song to her sister and she really does her best here, but the fans didn't do Sharane any favors in choosing this tune. There are parts of the performance that sound lovely...but then there are other parts where Sharane can't quite manage her breath...and then there are parts where her voice gets lost completely...and then some of the notes...well, maybe the fans that chose this song have a hell of a campaign going tonight to get her votes.  They owe her that. 

Coaches Say: Alicia tells Sharane she is blooming before our eyes and thinks she is really finding her footing now. Adam admits to being afraid about the song but says he's very proud of Sharane for tackling the song in her way. 

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Artist: Kaleb Lee

Team: Kelly

Song:  "T-R-O-U-B-L-E" by Travis Tritt

Okay, I can get behind this song/artist pairing. Kelly is excited that Kaleb gets to do a "personality song" and she's looking for him to come alive on stage tonight. While Kaleb doesn't necessarily go nuts with this song (in a good way) the way he could have, this is definitely the most personality we've seen from him all season and I'm loving it. Shout out to the band and backup singers though - this performance was seriously a group effort. 

Coaches Say: Blake says he wanted to run up on stage and jam with Kaleb during the performance. He thinks the song was perfect for Kaleb's voice. Kelly loves that Kaleb can be sweet and sincere in a ballad but he can also rock out like he did tonight. She tells Kaleb he nailed it. 

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Artist: Jackie Foster

Team: Alicia

Song: "Love Reign O'er Me" by The Who

Woohoo! Another good pick! Because Jackie's dad is a huge classic rock fan, Jackie feels like she is going back to her roots with this song. She loves that her fans want to see her sing this kind of song and I love that her fans chose this tune for her. Jackie wails when she needs to, keeps it subtle when it matters most, and she works the stage in a way that doesn't say "holy sh*t, I'm taking on The Who tonight" like many contestants would be. Her attitude is more like "The Who? I've got this. I'm making this my own tonight." I know we're barely at the midway point of the show, but this performance is best of the night so far. 

Coaches Say: All four coaches stand and rightfully so! Adam is so happy Jackie made the song her own and tells her the performance was perfect. Alicia does some sound effects before saying, "let the horns blow, let the trumpets blare," and I just love Alicia. She calls the performance sick before making more sound effects. 

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Artist: Jackie Verna

Team:  Adam

Song: "Strawberry Wine" by Deana Carter

Did we really need to have the two Jackies performing back to back when there are 11 contestants left in the competition? Luckily for Jackie V, her song is drastically different from The Who and is also in her wheelhouse. I was not digging the Avril Lavigne vibe last week so thank goodness the fans went country for Jackie tonight. No, she doesn't bring the house down like her predecessor, and no, she doesn't propel herself to front runner status with this tune, but she does give us a lovely, solid performance and looks totally in her element doing so. 

Coaches Say: Blake says the song was perfect for Jackie's voice and thinks the fans are totally in tune with her. See what he did there? Adam believes Jackie is one of the best singers on the show and he calls her performance flawless. 

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Artist: Kyla Jade

Team: Blake

Song: "Sweet Baby Sweet Baby (Since You've Been Gone)" by Aretha Franklin

Kyla is for real giving the other contestants a run for their money...or the money they hope to make someday. I tend to wince when someone says they are covering Aretha Franklin, for the obvious reason, but I am loving what Kyla has going on here. That dress! That hair! That attitude! That voice! There aren't many people in this world that can make tackling the Queen of Soul look easy, but lordy Kyla has done it tonight. If Jennifer Hudson was in the house, she would have thrown her entire closet on stage. 

Coaches Say: The coaches start standing long before Kyla is done singing and most of them stay standing as the critiques start. Alicia tells Kyla she is phenomenal and says she is inspiring so many people right now. Kelly throws an adorable hissy fit because Kyla is on Blake's team, and our resident cowboy thinks Kyla is dominating this show. He is totally right.  

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Artist: Christiana Danielle

Team: Alicia

Song:  "Umbrella" by Rihanna

Alicia had to get permission to use this song from her buddy, Jay-Z, and maybe this would have been a better night for Christiana if he had said "no." I can see why the fans would give Christiana a Rihanna song, but of all the Rihanna songs they picked the one that made me think my radio was broken the first time I heard it. Christiana's performance starts off very shaky and she seems to know it. Not sure if it's a timing issue with the piano or if she needed to be in a key higher pretty much the whole time. She has a fairly strong finish but not strong enough to for me to get past what happened during the rest of the song. 

Coaches Say: We go right to Alicia who says Christiana is incredibly loveable. Alicia tells America to buy this version of "Umbrella" because you can play it in your car, your crib, or while you're taking a bath.

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Artist: Brynn Cartelli

Team: Kelly

Song: "You and I" by Lady Gaga

Really? We really gave the 15 year old a song about sitting in a bar, making love on a couch, and kissing a man with a whiskey taste? This is the best we could do for this kid? Color me confused...and a little angry. Brynn's voice soars when she gets to the "youuuuuu and iiiiii" parts of the song but otherwise this was not one of her best. Here's hoping she gets a pass on this one because Team Kelly aside (my bias is showing?), Brynn deserves to be in the finale. 

Coaches Say: Carson has the nerve to say this was a perfect song for Brynn before going to Kelly for comments. KC says Brynn is confident and comfortable in her skin and she calls her young contestant "captivating."  

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Artist: Rayshun LaMarr

Team:  Adam

Song: "Try a Little Tenderness" by Otis Redding

Rayshun doesn't seem too phased about his time in the bottom 2 last week. If anything, dude has even more energy if you can believe it. Like, he took what I thought was Rayshun on overdrive and put a cement block on the accelerator. As always, I'm entertained throughout Rayshun's performance - I think he's trying to take us to a lot of places tonight, but he definitely succeeds in taking us to church. This performance is fun and full of joy, and really, Rayshun's voice is so crazy good I almost think he is from another planet at times. I hope he doesn't find himself back in the bottom 2 tomorrow. I think he has earned a spot in the Top 10.  

Coaches Say: Well of course everyone is on their feet. How could they stay in their seats with what just happened on stage? We go right to Adam who points out that Rayshun was in the bottom 2 last week, but then adds that tonight Rayshun is number 1. He then says something about this being the first time on the show where all four coaches were standing before the song was over, and there's no way that's a true thing. Zero chance.  

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Artist: Britton Buchanan

Team: Alicia

Song:  "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran

Well I will totally admit to letting out a loud "awwwww" when we learned that Britton and Livia Faith are a couple now. Young love at the blind auditions. Britton dedicates this song to Livia and she is in the audience tonight...probably smart that he skipped over the "to carry love, to carry children of our own" lyrics. Britton seems a bit nervous and loses his breath quite a bit throughout the song (one could argue Livia takes his breath away?). Maybe the song wasn't "perfect" for him (can't help myself) but the performance is heartfelt and I think the kid will be just fine making it through to next week.

Coaches Say: Alicia says there are no bells and whistles to Britton's performance and thinks he has power in his "quietness."

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Artist: Spensha Baker

Team: Blake

Song: "Better Man" by Little Big Town

Spensha closes out the night with a performance that is not a pimp slot, bring down the house performance at all. The choruses are strong and Spensha is really invested in the song, but for me there are some pitch problems and closing the show with Britton followed by this performance is just super anti-climatic. But at the risk of pulling a Paula Abdul I will say that Spensha looked gorgeous tonight. 

Coaches Say: Kelly thinks Spensha's voice is big and beautiful and says Spensha brings soul to country music. Blake tells Spensha she is important to country music and she's doing what she's meant to do. 

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Maybe I'm all alone in my feelings, but I don't think this was an overall great night on The Voice. I hope the show runners look into giving "audience assignment" week the boot, right after they do away with the Stupid Twitter Save and stop the semi-finals slaughter. I honestly couldn't predict tomorrow's elimination because the performances were so uneven. Will Rayshun stay out of the bottom 2? Will Brynn get a pass because of the song she was given? Will Sharane sail through despite her "Hero" troubles? Will Christiana's fans pull through for her after the song they stuck her with? We'll find out during the elimination hour. Til then!

The Voice Top 12 Eliminations: I Will Go Down With This Ship

Tonight on The Voice the Top 11 were revealed and one contestant was sent packing. While I am a little bummed with the results, and incredibly bummed that the Stupid Twitter Save is still a thing, I can't say I was super surprised with how everything played out. Here are the highlights from the hour: 

Birthday girl Kelly Clarkson took the stage with her team to perform "Don't Take the Money" and though maybe Kaleb, Brynn, and D.R. might not all sound like perfection together, any time KC is on stage is a good time for me. Maroon 5 performed as well, treating us to their new single "Wait." The cast of Rise also joined us tonight with their version of "Scars To Your Beautiful" and this is actually the first I've heard of Rise. Maybe I've been missing out? Fast forwarding through too many commercials? Blake rounded out the performances with his team and a very rousing rendition of "I Thank You," which definitely had me dancing in my living room. 

Results! Britton was sent to safety first and he was followed by Brynn and Sharane. Pryor's name was announced next, and Christiana and Spensha joined him in the Top 11 soon after. We endured some commercials and filler before Kaleb was able to breathe a sigh of relief, and Jackie V and Kyla heard their names called as we got down to the wire. Jackie F was the final person to make it through, leaving D.R. and Rayshun to sing for the Stupid Twitter Save. 

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. 

Next week the Top 11 will duke it out again and we'll see which team takes a hit (or perhaps another hit) as the Top 10 are revealed. Will Rayshun keep himself out of the bottom 2? Will the two Jackies bounce back from their...not best performances? And finally, can young Claire Crosby (who did some stellar interviews tonight) take over hosting duties from Carson? Maybe part time? Wishful thinking? We'll see if any of these things are possible next week. Til then!

The Voice Top 12 Perform: Take Me Somewhere New

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!