The Voice Finale Part 2: You Got It

This is it! After many months of performances, questionable decisions, social media nightmares and shoe throwing, The Voice has crowned its Season 13 winner. Chloe Kohanski emerged victorious in part 2 of the finale, giving Team Blake yet another win and leaving Miley probably a little regretful that she let Chloe go (only to be stolen) earlier in the season. Here are the highlights from the two hour finale...

Guest Performers

• Charlie Puth performed "How Long" and I had no idea this dude could do an uptempo song. This was a very pleasant surprise. 
• Kelly Clarkson took the stage with her incredible voice to perform "Medicine" from her new album and as you know, I just adore her. Love her. Need us to be friends someday. I've met her a couple of times...but somehow she didn't have the same "let's go buy bff necklaces!" idea that I did. Weird. 
• Chris Blue was ready to share his new music with us and he debuted his single "Blue Blood Blues." I had almost forgot how ridiculous his voice is. I'm not 100% sure how I feel about the song, but it was great to see him. 
• Demi Moore Lovato crushed her performance of "Tell Me You Love Me." This was the first time I'd heard the song and she sounded amazing. I loved this so much, I easily forgave her for trying to rhyme "the day" with "happy." I feel like that had to have come from the NSYNC playbook. 
• N.E.R.D. treated us to "Lemon," another song I didn't know, and I must really be getting old. One person did an array of dances that were printed on posters behind her...and I've never heard of any of them. Gone are the days of the Electric Slide and Boot Scootin' Boogie, I guess.  
• Sia rounded out the guest performances with "Snowman." She was in a giant present surrounded by other giant presents, and I was really digging the red and green hair. Maybe if Brooke had rocked that wig yesterday during "O Holy Night" she might have attracted a whole new group of voters and won the competition. 

Contestants Return

• Keisha and Adam joined Bebe Rexha for a rousing rendition of "Meant To Be" complete with an array of backup singers and plenty of bopping up and down near Bebe's fur coat. This thing was so massive I thought another Season 13 artist would just pop out...but alas, we weren't that lucky. 
• Noah collaborated with Bastille on "World Gone Mad" and Noah held his own...even with Dan Smith's crazy good falsetto.  
• Chris Weaver, dressed in his fabulous Nedra Belle drag ensemble, was all sass on stage with Jessie J. They performed "Bang Bang" and while that song was overplayed when it first came out and got a little tiresome, I loved hearing it tonight. So did J-Hud and Miley -- they were working it in the chair area and then there was an abundance of shoe throwing when the song ended. 
• Jessie J returned to the stage later to sing "Not My Ex" with Davon, who struggled a bit in the beginning. He figured it out though and there were times where the combination of their voices had me looking for shoes myself. 

Final Four Duets

• Addison was paired with Norah Jones and their collaboration on "Don't Know Why" was lovely. Normally this is a song that makes me sleepy (at no fault of the artist) but the duet definitely held my attention. 
• Brooke joined Sia and Sia's hair on stage for an AWESOME rendition of "Titanium." The two women complimented each other perfectly and this was my favorite duet of the night for sure. 
• Chloe held on tight to the season long "cover songs from the 1980s" theme as her duet partner was Billy Idol. They performed "White Wedding" and it was great...I just would have loved to see her perform a song from the 2000s with another kickass female performer. 
• Red rounded out the final four duets as he collaborated with Vince Gill on "When I Call Your Name." This was a really good pairing and I swayed with a smile on my face for several minutes. 

Results! Red finished in 4th place and Brooke came in 3rd. Addison and Chloe had to apply an extreme amount of patience as it took Carson forEVER to announce the winner, and ultimately the confetti shower rained down upon Chloe. The show strangely ended there though and we didn't get the usual teary performance of the winner's first single. Maybe if Carson hadn't taken 8 years to declare the winner, we may have gotten to see that. Anyway, I'm very happy with the results and hope Chloe becomes the iconic superstar Blake thinks she is. I'm also hoping that Miley keeps pushing Brooke toward stardom because that powerful voice is something I really want to hear on my radio next year.

The Voice returns in a couple of months (you read that right) and Miley and J-Hud will rotate out while Blake and Adam stay put...again. Man it would be nice to switch it up with those guys. Alicia Keys will return to coach and the show will welcome KELLY CLARKSON to round out the teams. I'll do my best to tone down my inevitable bias toward Team Kelly, but it's going to be a struggle. We'll see how she fares as a first time coach when the show returns in 2018. Til then, happy holidays!

The Voice Finale Part 1: Always Stay Humble And Kind

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!

The Voice Semi-Finals Results: What Hurts The Most

We were soooo close to getting this right. So close. On tonight's semi-finals slaughter, four contestants were eliminated on The Voice, revealing the final contenders for next week's finale. With four guys, four girls, and all four teams still in the running going into this evening, there were a lot of potentially fun possibilities on the horizon - an all female finale? An all male finale? All 4 teams in the finale? Just 3 teams? Just 2 teams? In the end, only one of those scenarios happened, and here is how it all played out... 

We saw some more familiar faces return tonight as Alisan Porter, Chris Mann, Mary Sarah, Matt McAndrew, Matthew Schuler and Michael Sanchez previewed their Vegas show with "It's Time." It was nice to see most of these folks and the performance was fun, but I'm pretty sure entire closets were thrown when J-Hud took the stage to perform "Burden Down." It's hard to think about handing any kind of title to one of the remaining contestants after watching Jennifer do her thing on stage tonight. I mean...when she stood up from the piano and finished the song a capella, I just about lost my mind. THAT'S how it's done, kids. Watch the performance here if you haven't yet.

Results! Chloe, Addison, and Brooke all advanced to the finale and I thought we were off to a great start. The bottom 2 people who were eliminated immediately with no chance at the Stupid Twitter Save were Davon and Keisha (sad face), leaving Red, Adam, and Noah singing for that last spot. I didn't panic...I figured "Noah's got this." 

Red kicked off the performances with a toe-tapping rendition of "Dixieland Delight." Like the majority of Red's other performances, it was fine but nothing special. Adam went with "Here's a Quarter (Call Someone Who Cares), and pretty much killed the performance...after all, he's done this before. Noah rounded out the "save me" performances with "Sign of the Times." Dude. This should have been a slam dunk. I'm not sure if it was nerves, but the first part of the performance just made me wince. There were some bright(ish) spots in the chorus, but his was unfortunately the weakest of the three performances. In the end though, RED ended up snagging that last spot in the finale and I can't get my palm away from my forehead.  I'm not sure why we are still allowing social media to instantly decide on who makes it to the finale. At this point it should be based on the same voting system that got the first 3 people their spots. Hell, if Red had the votes for that 4th spot, I wouldn't care, but this damn Stupid Twitter Save has just about done me in.

Next week is the Season 13 finale where J-Hud can sit relatively stress free and throw shoes at the other coaches, and where we will see if Addison, Brooke, and (god help me) Red can unseat who most people, including myself, already assume is the victor. Will "iconic" Chloe lose any momentum? Will Coach Adam's constant "my artist is more unique and special than your artist" nonsense hurt his contestant's chances in the long run?  Will Brooke's killer power vocals end up leading her to victory? Could we really be looking at a confetti shower for Red next week? We know that I can't say "I won't watch this show anymore if Red wins" because Kelly Clarkson is coaching next season and my blog will be unbelievably biased...but I sure hope that likable cowboy doesn't take the title from any of these ladies. We'll find out who wins it all when the final 4 battle again next week. Til then!