THE VOICE: SEASON 2 EPISODE 18 Final Four Cylons Revealed

No last chance performances. No saves. Each coach had 100 points to divide among their two remaining artists in however way they see fit, based on last night’s performance. This could get ugly.

But in true Voice fashion, they don’t give it to us straight off the bat. No, first Season 1 alum Dia Frampton of Team Blake performed her single ‘Don’t Kick The Chair’ feat Kid Cudi. Dia looked lovely standing on a staircase decorated with chairs piled on top of each other.  She did a really good job. This song is in heavy rotation on my ipod. I friggin love it. I like that we get to hear from Season 1 in this episode.

The first reveal was Team Xtina: Chris Mann vs Lindsey Pavao. Last night my favorite performance was Chris Mann. He ripped that song to shreds. Lindsey had a really great performance and it was a little more main stream so that may work in her favor. Either way I am sure these guys are in for a wild ride in the record industry. Christina split the 100 points even between her artists (50/50). With America’s vote the scores changed: Chris -104; Lindsey -96. The first Top 4 contender is Chris Mann. I didn’t expect that at all, but I am happy for him.  That was really close. And heartbreaking when Chris and Lindsey embraced  and she sobbed into his shoulder.

I can tell this is a “bittersweet” episode. (if I may quote the judges)

Next, Season 1 alum Vicci Martinez from Team Cee Lo performed ‘Come Along’ with Cee Lo. This is again my favorite song from Vicci’s EP she just released today.

The second reveal was Team Adam: Katrina Parker vs Tony Lucca. Last night I enjoyed Tony Lucca but Katrina Parker was my favorite singer. Adam split his points giving: Katrina – 40; Tony – 60. The reason? I didn’t really understand the reasoning. It made no sense to me. It was weird. I guess he feels a connection with Tony but he feels she is still incredible. Adding America’s vote:  Katrina – 92; Tony – 108. So Tony advances. If the coaches didn’t have a vote, America’s vote would’ve stood alone with Katrina – 52 and Tony – 48. Crazy. Congrats to Tony.

Season 1 alum Beverly McCllelan of Team Xtina, performing with Cyndi Lauper “Money Changes Everything.” This was crazy. Beverly has such a beautiful voice. I was really trying to figure out if Cyndi usually performs like this or if she a little tipsy. They had a lot of fun onstage. I am not an aggressive guy and these girls were chasing each other across the stage and then there was one point Cyndi hit Bev. Again I say Crazy. Lol. Cyndi was having trouble with her in-ear as the camera caught her trying to adjust it in her ear a couple times. It was an entertaining and weird performance.

Javier Colon, last year’s winner of The Voice, was the next performer singing “A Drop In The Ocean” off of his current album. That man hit some notes in this song!!

Next up was Team Blake’s elimination: Erin Willett vs Jermaine Paul. And today is Erin’s bday. Will Blake or America give her an incredible bday present or will this be the worst birthday ever? Blake divided his points for his teammates 50/50. He explained they are both trying so hard and doing everything they can do. He didn’t want to make that decision. America’s votes added: Erin – 77; Jermaine – 123. Okay I am sure its not the worst birthday present, but it sucks. I love that she pointed at Blake and said “Let’s get drunk!!”

So far, its been all guys to make it to the Top 4.

As I type this, I am nervous for Jamar Rogers. Give me one good reason to get mad and tweet “I AM NEVER WATCHING THE VOICE AGAIN!” And that would be a lie regardless of how this decision goes. But I am crossing my fingers. Will America or Cee Lo cause me to throat chop my television set? We shall see…

Before the commercials started, Christina Milian caught up with Jamar and Juliet backstage and asked if there was anything they wanted to say anything to each other. Juliet almost broke down right there. And that caused me to be okay if Jamar gets voted off. Because she has done really well throughout this competition and ROCKED THE FUCKING HOUSE last night. And she deserves this chance like anyone else. And her breaking down reminded me when I broke down crying backstage in front of Rebecca Loebe before my Battle Round against Nakia from all of the anxiousness.

Okay.

Team Cee Lo was up. Cee Lo first said that he has said many times that he has 2 of the best contestants on the show. Jamar and Juliet started crying before the results were announced and I really felt bad for the both of them. Can’t we just allow both of them to go on?? Cee Lo divided his scores as such: Jamar – 40; Juliet – 60. He said he wanted to be honest, critical and fair. He said Juliet’s performance last night was so beautiful, striking and strong. Jamar has been so consistent and America loves him. He said he couldn’t appreciate everything that Jamar did in that song and he felt it didn’t translate completely. With America’s vote:  Jamar – 79; Juliet – 121. A resounding roar of approval for Juliet. My heart is heavy.  I know it probably only came off this way on t.v, but after the results were revealed and Cee Lo joined the two on stage, it seemed Jamar gave him the dirtiest look ever. I think he was just feeling numb.

The Final 4 artists are: Chris Mann, Tony Lucca, Juliet Simms and Jermaine Paul.

Wow. Did you think any of these guys would make it to the Final 4 when this journey first started?

Maybe.

THE VOICE: SEASON 2 EPISODE 18 The Elite Eight

Craziness. Awesome performances. This is how I would describe this episode featuring the Final 8. So let’s get into it.

Tony Lucca (Team Adam) – singing How You Like Me Now by The Heavy. This was a solid performance. For me it didn’t go up or down, it just stayed consistent. Its not the type of music I would listen to and he honestly doesn’t have the type of voice I listen to on my ipod. But I really liked his suit.  Christina said she cleared the song for Moses, but it fell into Tony’s hands. She asked if Adam taught him the dance moves jokingly. Then she said if this doesn’t work out he and Adam could start a Britney cover band. Cee Lo said it was a pleasant surprise and he became a big fan. I am tired of all the girls screaming when Adam is about to speak. Or maybe its jealousy.  But Adam said this was the perfect song for him to perform tonight.  1-855-VOICE-01

Erin Willett (Team Blake) – singing Without You by David Guetta feat Usher. This is such a crazy song choice for her but she seemed to be working it out during practice and Blake said this could be her break out performance. Her low notes starting out were not in key and some of her high notes were flat. This wasn’t my favorite performance of hers at all. I get that this is an emotional song because of the recent passing of her father.  That is a terrible tragedy. She has such a big voice and she is a very talented singer. I just don’t think this was the right song for her. Billboard’s twitter account disagrees with me. What do they know? Lol. Christina said she was proud that she was emotionally involved in a song and that Erin did an original arrangement. Blake first complimented how beautiful she was. Then he said he would give anything to have a tenth of the talent she has and to have the strength  she would have. 1-855-VOICE-02

Chris Mann (Team Xtina) – singing Ave Maria. He said this is the way he came into the competition so if he goes out, he is going to go out with a band. This was an amazing performance. I couldn’t even type while he was singing. He definitely told a story with the power of his voice. I loved this. And he isn’t always my favorite but this was amazing. Cee Lo was the first judge to comment and he said his voice is so powerful, pure and perfect and said he was the epitome of the show. Adam said Cee Lo was totally right. Christian said she felt the heavens open up and she felt so moved.  She even got up out of her coach’s chair to give him a hug. 1-855-VOICE-03

Jamar Rogers (Team Cee Lo) – singing If You Don’t Know Me By Now. This was a really great performance. I really dug it. It was a cool mix of R&B and Rock. Adam said if you just set aside the competition aspect of this, he is purely a fan. Blake said it was by far the most laid back performance from him and he said it was a really good performance. Xtina said she enjoyed his run and she was motivated to get up there and start singing. Cee Lo, affectionately calling him J-Bird, and thought this was a great performance of a stripped down version of the song. He also said the story of his life would be a best seller, because it is a success story.  Sidenote: I feel that Wardrobe (the people behind the scenes who dress the artists) have a hat filled with photos of items of clothing. They draw from the hat and whatever comes out, they throw on Jamar. He was wearing a shiny vest, bright blue blazer with tails, and the pants to a baseball player’s uniform. 1-855-VOICE-04

Teams Adam and Cee Lo performed together tonight singing “”All These Things That I’ve Done” by The Killers.  This collaboration was the best team collaboration of the season. All of these vocalists really shined and complimented each other.

Jermaine Paul (Team Blake) – singing Open Arms by Journey.  There is no denying this man can sing.  He had a really great performance. Christina said he was a crazy talented vocalist. He came in and murdered the song. Cee Lo said he did a wonderful job and he is consistently impressed by him. Adam said he would like to congratulate him because he is no longer a background singer.  Blake told Adam that Adam should’ve said Jermaine was the guy to beat all along rather than saying “another guy” in previous weeks was the man to beat. 1-855-VOICE-05

Katrina Parker (Team Adam) – singing Killing Me Softly by The Fugees. She looks like a star to me. She really does. And her voice is so effin amazing. She sounded really good but I was wondering the whole time was she going to do the really recognizable breakdown Lauryn Hill.  And she did! And it didn’t come off karaoke at all, which I was afraid was going to happen. Blake reminded her she was sitting in a cubicle months ago and marveled at how she sounds so seasoned. Xtina said she has fallen in love with her over the course of the competition. She also said if she was her coach, she would’ve tried to make the song more “Katrina Parker” rather than try to follow everything that Lauryn Hill sang. Then she said she encouraged Adam to look at Katrina because she was a star. Xtina does not hold back. Adam said at the end of the day, she didn’t sound like Lauryn Hill, she sounded like Katrina Parker so he was beyond happy. 1-855-VOICE-06

Blake Shelton performed his new singing “Over”. It was a good song. The chorus was my favorite part. Blake totally towered over everyone on stage. He is such a tall guy.

Lindsey Pavao (Team Xtina) – singing Skinny Love by Bon Iver.  She is totally an indie girl so she is going for all of those type of songs. I wish I knew the song, but I’m not too familiar with his music.  This was the first time we got to see her play the guitar onstage. This was also my type of set up. I love acoustic songs. At first I didn’t like the way she was singing, but it started growing on me. Then I realized I had heard this song before. I don’t know if that made me like it more but by the end of the song I was a fan.  Cee Lo said he wasn’t really into Skinny Love, he was more into “big love”. He also said the closer she got to the microphone the more confident she became and she did a great job. Adam said he loved that everyone is so completely unique.  Blake said it was really good, but strategy-wise he had to commend Xtina for letting both of her artists go back to how they started. Xtina said she loved seeing her in a coffee shop setting, in her element with her guitar and she really got into the song. Then she got up to give Lindsey a hug. 1-855-VOICE-07

Team Xtina and Team Blake joined each other onstage singing Edge of Glory by Lady Gaga. Jermaine started this song off and it made me wish he had sung this tonight for his song. He killed that one sentence. Haha. Erin had sweet moments. So did Chris Mann. I would actually like to hear him do a rendition of this song too. Lindsey’s voice is so different that it felt like an extreme drop in volume when she would come in. Overall a fun performance.

The last performance of the night goes to:

Juliet Simms (Team Cee Lo) – singing It’s a Man’s World by James Brown. I started smiling when she started singing. She left the tiny gravely voice behind her and just sang. This was the perfect way to end the night. I hate that only one person from each team can go on to next week. Because she rocked the hell out of that song. The roar from the crowd sounded like a standing O. Adam said it was something special and unbelievable. He said she was the one to beat tonight. Christina said it reminded her of the Grammy performance she had when she sang that song. Cee Lo said she killed it. She murdered that record.  1-855-VOICE-08

The coaches have 100 points to divide between both of their artists. They wrote down their scores and we wont know until tomorrow after they reveal America’s vote. Who will the Final 4 be?????

 

THE VOICE: SEASON 2 EPISODE 17 AMERICAS SAVES

The results are in. America voted based on last night’s performance and 2 more people are headed home. Last night my favorites were Jamar and Katrina. So I am optimistic about tonights results, as America always votes like I do… Okay not so much. But who goes home?

First,  Florence + The Machine performed No Light No Light. I have never really listened to her music. The only song I know she has performed was a version of Drake’s Take Care and while that was cool to hear live, it wasn’t my favorite interpretation. Her style isnt really my thing. It was cool to see Team Cee Lo in the background performing though. Jamar’s clothes were dope. He looked like a ninja. And ninja’s kick ass.

Team Adam was the first up to reveal America’s top vote, but not before Carson asked Adam about the reaction he received after eliminating “fan favorite” Pip Andrew. Adam said he received hate mail and several people tried to kill him, but he also shared that it was hard for a coach to let go of someone on the spot like that. Who was America’s save? Tony Lucca. No surprise there.

Team Cee Lo was next up and Carson addressed Cee Lo’s elimination of James Massone. Cee Lo said he had a bittersweet day but told his team that they all deserved to make it that far and he is sure America has good taste. The camera showed each face on Team Cee Lo and they all looked really worried. Who was America’s save? Jamar Rogers! His mom looked like she caught the holy ghost!

Mathai (Team Adam) – singing Cowboy Casanova by Carrie Underwood. She sounded much better than last night! I guess she knew she had to bring it. It was a really great vocal performance. You could tell in her eyes she was emotional. Blake said it was hard not to love her because she is so cute and she embraced the hillbilly side. Xtina said she was happy she got to show the aggression in the song. Cee Lo said he loved the aggression that conveyed she wanted to stay.

Katrina Parker (Team Adam) – singing Perfect by Pink. She sounded great on this song! I couldn’t stop thinking about the amazing Battle Round between Niki and Vicci from Season 1. But she sang it like she meant it. Afterwards, Blake said he knows that Tony got the vote from America but Katrina is the best singer on the team. Xtina said she 100 percent agrees with Blake and she said out of everyone on Adam’s team she is most excited to hear original music from her. Cee Lo said he thought it was a great song choice and he commended her for a great performance.

Who stays? Blake said Katrina. Xtina picked Katrina. Cee Lo picked Mathai. Adam first said Mathai had a spark and energy everyone loves about her; with Katrina he felt she was an unpolished diamond, but throughout the competition he felt both surprised him. He said it boils down to who he has seen more from so far and he really didn’t think Katrina was going to make it as far as she did. With Mathai, he has kept waiting for her to explode and he knows she will do it, show or no show, but his decision is Katrina. (YES!)

Cheesa (Team Cee Lo) – singing Already Gone by Kelly Clarkson. I really liked how soft she started out and then when the chorus kicked in she started belting it out. There were a few moments were she wasn’t totally in key, but there was one final note that was killer! Blake said he enjoyed her a lot, especially that note, but she was a little pitchy and the rest of the coaches agreed.

Juliet Simms (Team Cee Lo) – singing Torn by Natalie Imbruglia. When she started, she had this weird gravel tone, but as soon as she got to the chorus you could feel the pain in the song and the growl fit perfectly. Blake said he was the only one that didn’t hit the button because he wasn’t a believer and week after week she comes out and he loves her. He also called her an acquired taste that he has now. Xtina said she was a fan or her voice, but the softer voice she has used isn’t her favorite place for her voice to be, but she wants to hear another song similar to when she performed Roxanne.

A sad decision for Cee Lo. Who gets the save and who goes home? Blake said he picked Juliet. Xtina picked Juliet. Skipping Adam, Cee Lo had to make a decision. He asked to see both of them smile, but the effort seemed to almost break Juliet and Cheesa. Cee Lo said he loved Cheesa so much and she had a voice that sounds classically trained, so it would be ironic for her not to go on because the show is called THE VOICE. With Juliet her voice is like art imitating life, and life isn’t perfect. He feels America is invested in her so he can’t go against that, so in the end he picks Juliet.

This episode was a little sad to me, but I am happy that my some of my favorite folks are still in the show.

Who are my Fantasy Final 4?

For Team Blake – Jermaine Paul/Erin Willett … ugh this is a hard decision

Team Xtina – Lindsey Pavao

Team Cee Lo – Jamar Rogers

Team Adam – Katrina Parker

But who knows? My picks may change by their performances next week. But I don’t think so.

How do you feel about this week’s eliminations?

Until next week,

Tje Austin

THE VOICE: SEASON 2 EPISODE 16 – TEAM CEE LO AND TEAM ADAM

I honestly forgot there was going to be an instant elimination again. So it is going to be a crazy night. I feel that Adam and Cee Lo have really strong teams.  At the end of the night one person from Team Cee Lo and from Team Adam will be sent packing by their coach in an instant elimination. And last’s weeks weren’t pretty. The world went crazy when Xtina sent Jesse Campbell home, and then a few days later I feel everyone got over it. I was shocked. So who is going home tonight?

Jamar Rogers (Team Cee Lo) – singing “Its My Life” by Bon Jovi.  I really hope Jamar wins because I would love to hear a Cee Lo and Jamar collaboration. I really liked Jamar’s performance. He has a great rasp in his tone. I like the 80’s vibe with his clothes and the graffiti. “Its my life,  its now or never.” Great words. Carson Daly obviously enjoyed his performance giving Jamar a big hug afterwards.  Adam said Jamar was the first voice they heard during the blinds, and of course he said he would love to have Jamar on his team. Blake said he doesn’t know if there has ever been a better pairing of a song with a contestant. Xtina said she loved that he made it his own and he sang it like his life was on the line. Xtina said he is one of the favorites in the competition and besides for those on her team she is rooting for him. Cee Lo said he is a strong and sweet spirit and said he loved him. He is definitely an inspirtation, Again. I hope he wins. Hands down. I know there are other people that are great who are still in the competition but I love this dude. 1-855-VOICE-01

Katrina Parker (Team Adam) – singing “Jar of Hearts” by Christina Perry. She looked really beautiful. She has a lovely tone in her voice. She really has a way of singing like an American Adele. Her singing Jar of Hearts reminded me of Chasing Pavement. Blake was the first coach to comment and he said it was the first time he heard her sound like someone different from anyone else. Xtina said a lot of people says she sounds like Adele but she is Katrina Parker and she should own it. Cee Lo said he agrees with Blake and her voice sounded flawless. Adam said he was really proud, and then he said she wasn’t a favorite on his team at all, but he said she has one of the best voices now. He said it was incredible. I am glad he finished with that because though he was honest about how he felt about her in the beginning, that was a little harsh. 1-855-VOICE-02

Team Cee Lo performed Dancing In The Street and it was like we stepped into a time machine and emerged in the 60’s. I think the guys sounded the best on this son (JAMAR and CEE LO) but everyone else put forth a good effort. Chessa came in hard with some really great notes. Earlier today on Instagram she showed pictures of bruises on her thigh from hitting it a little too hard with the tamborine. Juliet and James sounded good too. I just don’t know if you know that I know that Jamar should at least be in the top 4.

Mathai (Team Adam) – I really liked her in the Blind Audi\tion and she has done really well in this competition. Tonight she sang “I am Like a Bird” by Nelly Furtado. She started off really sweet and pretty. Her voice was a little shaky but she had some really beautiful moments. I think her voice is so distinct from anyone else’s in the competition that she is sure to be a favorite. Blake said he really thought she sang great, though he didn’t enjoy the acrobatics in the song. Xtina said last week Mathai was the favorite but this week Katrina took eat. She said this week that it was a little force fed and that it was wrong to tell her team mate to just go a long with the song. Adam said minus the sketchy dude was distracting a little bit, he thought she was great and she has an infectious energy. 1-855-VOICE-03

James Massone (Team Cee Lo) – singing “Just The Way You Are” by Billy Joel. Great song choice. I will admit that I was at rehearsal today so I watched dvr’d the voice and watched it when I got home, but I was scanning twitter during the moments of break. I happened to see The Voice tweet about how people loved James “just the way he is” and a petty part of me felt a little irritated that they gave him what I thought to be the Bruno Mars song for tonight’s performance. So hearing that it was Billy Joel’s song makes me realize how silly I was being. Cee Lo told James he was setting him up to win. This is a classic song. The saxophone was a really nice touch and it was a chick playing it. Good stuff. James did a really great job on the song, but I don’t know if it was good enough to get him the votes. So girls (ladies) lend this man your vote if you want him to remain in the competition.   Blake said he’s been a big fan since the beginning, and though he sang it great, it felt like it laid there. Xtina agreed with him that he has a special voice and he gets the ladies attention but personally she wanted something different from last week. Adam said he loved it. Cee Lo said that James is genuine and sweet, so do what comes natural and he enjoyed it. 1-855-VOICE-04

There was a crazy performance by Goodie Mob afterwards. They looked like a black futuristic version of Earth Wind and Fire. They wore silver armor, with a huge Transformers- like chest plate with long flowing metallic capes. Oh yeah. They had these grills in their mouths. That has to be hard to sing with. Cee Lo’s sunglasses were dope. The song is cool. I will download it later tonight.They showed all of the coaches faces during the performance except Blake I think, but as the camera panned away he was giving them a standing ovation.

Tony Lucca (Team Adam) – Last time we saw Tony perform, Xtina called Tony one dimensional and that caused a dialogue between Adam and Tony and they both felt he has been singing the same type of songs during the competition so they  wanted to show a different side of him surprising everyone. Tonight he sang a Britney Spears “Hit Me Baby One More Time.” It certainly got my attention.  I think it was cool, but I could tell he was nervous while singing it. He definitely added something stand out and interesting to The Voice history. Afterwards, Carson addressed Xtina first (I am sure to see if she might say something negative) but suggested bringing Britney and Justin out to have a real Mickey Mouse Club reunion. She also said she enjoyed it. Blake said it pissed him off because it was really smart.  Adam said he loved Tony. He said that it started off as Tony’s idea, but then he backed off of the idea not wanting to do it, so they fought about it and then figured he should stare his Mickey Mouse Club past in the face and do it. He said Tony embraced it and Adam was very proud of him. 1-855-VOICE-05

Chessa (Team Cee Lo) – She was in the bottom 3 and won Cee Lo’s save. Cee Lo obviously has a special place in his heart for Chessa. She has such a great personality and she is really likeable on tv. Tonight she sings “I Have Nothing” by Whitney Houston. Tonight I really enjoyed her performance. And she looked really beautiful. She has that power and she was hitting all the notes in the right places.  She got a standing ovation from Xtina. Amazing. Xtina said she applauds her for courage singing such a beloved song, and she hit notes that Whitney didn’t hit, and Xtina said this week Team Cee Lo is where its at. He said she did a wonderful job and he gave Chessa some big shoes to feel. He said he is ready for today’s artists to sing grown women songs and not like today’s auto tuned teeny boppers. 1-855-VOICE-06

Pip Andrew (Team Adam) – Adam told him straight up that he is at risk getting sent home in the instant eliminations; Pips last performance wasn’t the greatest and he is fighting for his life. I am sure that struck some fear in his heart.  Tonight Pip was singing “Somewhere Only We Know” by Keane. This is such a great song.  He started off playing the piano and he it was really sweet. I feel he didn’t have the control he wanted while singing. His voice was shaky and he wasn’t hitting all of the notes. His falsetto cracked noticeably towards the end of the song and it seemed to fall apart after that. I paused my tv and just stared at the floor. Its never good to have your bad notes fall apart at the end. Blake said where in the hell is the bowtie? Adam said he likes the no bowtie; it was great overall but he is proud of him and he let Pip do the song that he wanted to do.  1-855-VOICE-07

Team Adam performed Instant Karma (We All Shine On) by John Lennon. While I love Mathai’s voice, I really love Katrina and she just sounded more mature and polished singing this. What I love about this Team performance is Adam didn’t sing at all. Hit was his team singing. And it really seemed like it featured the contestants. This song seemed right up Tony’s alley though Pip put up a great effort.

Juliet Simms (Team Adam) – Her hair seems lighter?  Cee Lo picked “Crying” by Aerosmith and I feel that is such a perfect song for her.  Its emotional and allows her to show off the grit in her voice. She definitely stole all attention by wearing huge angel wings. The beginning of her song didn’t sound great to me. There was way too much rasp. But once the song picked up she ripped into it and let everyone have it. No denying it she could be such a huge force in the industry.  Blake said it was a double bonus because she is a great singer and then it brought back memories of duck season (all of the feathers). Xtina said she was faboulous; she goes it and doesn’t come back, giving it all she has. Cee Lo called her his “little electric guitar” and his little “red corvett”. He said she was impressive and rugged. He respects that in artists. 1-855-VOICE-08

Now this is where things get crazy. Or maybe not.

First up is Team Cee Lo. Between Jamar, Juliet, James and Chessa. He pulled out his blackberry phone and reads a speech he wrote, an apology and message of love. He really seemed emotional. He told them not to lose contact with him after this, but tonight, due to performances he let James Massone go. Damn. Cee Lo said “I got you” over and over. Does that mean there may be something in the works for James?

Next up is Team Adam. Between Katrina, Pip, Tony and Mathai. Adam said he thought it was going to go a different way before the night started. He said it was an amazing night and he said it was a stupid thing (though earlier he said he liked that the coaches had the power) and then he said he wished he had words to say like Cee Lo but if they Tivo the show, it might be better to watch and hear what Cee Lo said than how he was going to be right now. (Really Adam?) He then said that all 4 of them being on the stage is very valuable and when they go home they just have to keep at it. Then he sends Pip home. And unfortunately I saw that coming.

I know it sucks to be eliminated. So please VOTE for your favorite artists if you want them to stay, VOTE!!!

Tomorrow we will find out America’s saves.

Who will stay and who will go home?

Sincerely

Tje Austin

THE VOICE: SEASON 2 EPISODE 12

This week the remaining members of Team Xtina and Team Blake were in the audience while Teams Cee Lo and Adam were in the hot seat, as 12 artists compete for the top spots.  Who will rise to the top?

Katrina Parker (TEAM ADAM) – singing Tonight Tonight by Smashing Pumpkins. She really looked like Adele: the hairstyle, the dress and everything! Is this because they know I love Adele and are looking to sway my vote? I have never heard this song before but she is doing an awesome job. Xtina said her voice captivated her, though she wanted Katrina to rock it out more. Cee Lo said the song should never be a show tune. Adam said he disagrees, he said she has a beautiful voice and she killed it. 1-866-U-LOVE-01

Chessa (TEAM CEE LO) – singing Don’t Leave Me This Way by Thelma Houston. She and Cee Lo discuss the conflicting opinions on twitter after her battle round with Angie; apparently there were a lot of people that disagreed with his decision.  Tonight, she started off in her low register. She still gives me a Toni Braxton vibe. She sounds good, but I don’t think the votes will be there for her. I am not a fan of the sound choice. Cee Lo has interesting choice in music… Blake said he loved it and it was a perfect sound choice for her. Adam said it had Cee Lo all over it, but the only problem is with so many great singers what will make her stand out. Cee Lo of course disagrees, and he feels disco is an era where you can have a fusion of power lead vocal, power and excitement. 1-866-U-LOVE-02

Tony Lucca (TEAM ADAM) – singing In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel. This is a favorite song of mine. And Tony starts off great. This man has a voice on him!!  It didn’t bore me. I really enjoyed this performance. I think that he is already going to be a top contender (have you seen this man’s twitter followers). Xtina says he is very one dimensional and she wants him to continue. She said this competition is about The Voice and she hopes that the celebrity sway behind him isn’t the only reason he stays. Adam is shocked and says she was honest. But he says how proud he is of Tony and Tony did a great job.  1-866-U-LOVE-03

Kim Yarbrough (TEAM ADAM) – singing Rolling in The Deep by Adele. I love THIS SONG. Those background singers are badass. She sang the song well. It was a different tone, and I don’t think I enjoyed it as much as I enjoy Adele. Blake said he thought it was good, but sharp. Cee Lo commended Adam as a coach for letting her do what she wanted to do, but Adam should’ve done something different, as Cee Lo felt it was a safe choice for doing such a current song. Adam said there was some problems, then he calls Adele is a freak, and there were issues he was worried about. The song wasn’t perfect but it shows everyone her potential. (he loves her to death 3x. DRINK) 1-866-U-LOVE-04

James Massone (TEAM CEE LO) – singing Don’t Know Why by Norah Jones. Another of my favorite songs. The girls were going crazy but he was pitchy. He has a nice tone otherwise. The flower petals don’t hurt I guess. Cee Lo looks like a proud papa in the background. Blake said he almost threw his panties on the stage. LOL. Christina said there were some pitchy notes, to which Blake said he almost pitched his panties. CARSON quoted me on how Cee Lo looks like a proud papa. Cee Lo said he hopes James is proud of himself, being cool, calm and collected (UKNOWWHATIMSAYING #DrinkTheVoice)      1-866-U-LOVE-05

Juliet Simms (TEAM CEE LO) – singing Roxanne by The Police    … Wait  5 record deals she has had??? There is no denying that she can sing. She sounded like she was singing her heart out and the Voice Band version gave me a No Doubt vibe. I like it. Carson like it. Adam said it just pisses him right off because he really wanted her on his team. He said she is the best performance he has seen so far. Xtina said her voice is awesome and wanted her on Xtina’s team as well. Blake said it was the first time he actually got to hear her sing for the first time and its so good.  Cee Lo said she did an amazing job!  1-866-U-LOVE-06

Mathai (TEAM ADAM) – singing Ordinary People by John Legend. She has an incredible voice. She started off acapella. And it was beautiful. Her falsetto is lovely. Listening to her made me smile so hard. TEXAS TALENT CANT BE DENIED!!! Xtina said she likes her voice a lot and she has interesting choices with the adlibs, but it was a little loungy maybe bringing the energy next time.  Adam said she was magical up there. 1-866-U-LOVE-07

Tony Vincent (TEAM CEE LO) singing Everybody Wants to Rule The World by Tears for Fears. I do love this song, but I am getting tired of all of the 80’s songs coming from Cee Lo. He has a great voice, but I don’t know if this was the song to do him justice. Of course, Cee Lo gives him a standing ovation. Blake said he doesn’t know how he feels about the performance, with the hellishness. Haha. Xtina says she is from the pop world so she loves it. Congrats new daddy. Cee Lo went on a weird tangent. Haha. But all in all Cee Lo loves Tony and wants him to continue in the competition. 1-866-U-LOVE-08

Karla Davis (TEAM ADAM) singing Airplanes by B.O.B. I don’t know if the sound was messed up but it was really hard to hear her, like she was singing in a whispery voice.  I really like the idea of this performance, but she was really pitchy. I think this might work against her. I think her background singers were off too.  This was not her best performance. Adam didn’t really look happy. Xtina said she was surprised by the song choice, but she said she did a good job. Blake said he thinks it was as good as she could do with that song, but he doesn’t think that song allowed her to show her versatility with the rapid fire lyric. Adam said she was in the pocket and appreciated that, but he thinks that there is a huge problem when you get up on stage its not as good as it was in the room. She could’ve been better, but overall he loves it. 1-866-U-LOVE-09

Erin Martin (TEAM CEE LO) singing Walk Like An Egyptian by The Bengals. Again Cee Lo came in trying to defend his decision with keeping Erin as there were a lot of nay sayers on twitter that thought the Shields Brothers should’ve won. She had an awesome entrance, coming out in a chariot pulled by dudes and everyone was in Egyptian garb.  I couldn’t really hear her voice. She is hot. It was consistent. Cee Lo did not give her a standing ovation. Blake said here we go again with the male strippers. He said he thinks she could do as well as she could do with that song. Xtina started twirling her hair, said she loves theatrics, but when Erin is up there she has to bring it. Cee Lo said he commends her because the song is almost like a rap song, and he thinks she did a good job. He wants her to be more aggressive. 1-866-U-LOVE-10

Pip Andrew (TEAM ADAM) singing When You Were Young by The Killers.  He was rocking his signature bowtie and an awesome pair of red pants.  He sang really well, but I feel like his clothes didn’t match the song, like he was trying something that wasn’t him. I don’t know how else to describe that. But the guy’s voice is solid. Xtina smiled and said she appreciated the vocal ability, but it came off as trying too hard. Adam said the song was an interesting choice but how it went, he wanted to Pip to be more dangerous and scary.  He felt Pip was too trust worthy. 1-866-U-LOVE-11

Jamar Rogers (TEAM CEE LO) singing Are You Gonna Go My Way by Lenny Kravitz. This is my favorite dude on the show this season. Hands down. I’m throwing it out there. I want him to succeed.  The music is too loud to hear his voice. But his vocals are on point! Fire. His red jacket is something the dude needs to send my way! I know that wardrobe can hook it up!! Haha. The crowd was going crazy after his performance. Clearly a favorite. Blake says he doesn’t know what the people on the stilts have to do with his performance, and Jamar is too good for all of that. Cee Lo pointed out how much the crowd roared for him. 1-866-U-LOVE-12

BEST VOICE TWEETS OF THE NIGHT

So who are my favorites of the night???

Jamar, Mathai, and Katrina.

I do think that Tony is safe.  As well as Juliet Simms.

Who were your favorites tonight?

Tomorrow we will find out who goes home, and apparently Jessie J is performing tomorrow with Team Xtina. That should be tiiiiiight.  Tomorrow my blog will be delayed as me and the band will be in Oklahoma performing at the same time. I almost cancelled my show. Haha. j/k

The Voice Season 2 Episode 7 – Battle Rounds

Team Xtina – Geoff Mcbride and Sera Hill singing Chain of Fools

 Both of these artists are really great to me.  Singing an old school song like Chain of Fools really seem to fit both Sera and Geoff. I really tried to focus on their voices and not so much the performance, which was good but I feel like they were both giving each other a lot of attitude which became distracting. They were definitely fighting to stay in the competition. Closing my eyes, they blended really well together.  I feel they were evenly matched.

Coaches Pick:

Cee Lo: Geoff

Blake: Sera

Adam: Geoff

Xtina has final choice. She loves Geoff’s vocal power. She has respect for Sera as vocalist because of how technical her runs on. Xtina’s pick:  Sera Hill

 

  

Team Blake – Lex Land and Charlotte Sometimes singing Pumped Up Kicks

Blake says he loves the song and realizes its not going to be easy but is confident they could do it. Blake says he paired them together because of their personalities: Charlotte, with a boisterous personality and Lex very introverted. Charlotte had 4 coaches turn around for her, and though Lex Land had 3, I had a feeling this battle was going to be really good. I wasn’t a fan of this song choice for either of them. They both have really great voices and good delivery.  I was really drawn to Lex’s voice over Charlotte’s in the Battle.

Coaches Pick:

Xtina: undecided

Cee Lo: Charlotte

Adam: Lex

Blake has final choice.  He says he loves Lex and how she delivers her notes, though she had 1 pitchy note. With Charlotte he says she has the look, which is what it takes in the industry, but she didn’t deliver like Lex Did. Blake’s pick: Charlotte

Team Cee Lo– Sarah Golden and Juliette Simms singing Stay With Me  

Cee Lo says there is a contrast between their two voices with Juliette’s grit and Sarah’s smooth sound. Its funny though, Juliette says she has been called a female Rod Stewart; Sarah feels stylistically the song is a fit for Julia, so from the get go, Juliette seems like a sure win here. After a quick practice, Cee Lo said though Juliette sounds great, so does Sarah. During the battle, all I could notice at first was how great Juliette’s legs look.  She definitely fit this song a lot more then Sarah Golden. Sarah was really solid and sang her heart out.  It is ridiculous to me to pair a mellow folk singer versus a rock singer.

Coaches Pick:

Adam: Juliette

Blake: Sarah

Xtina: Juliette

The final pick goes with Cee Lo. He explains to Sarah that the song choice was a challenge she deserved to show the range of her vocal ability. But if he has to make a decision he goes with: Juliette

Team Adam– Whitney Meyer and Kim Yarbrough singing No More Drama

Adam feels they are both powerful singers and paired them for this reason.  I like how they keep emphasizing that Kim has over 25 years of experience on Whitney. Is that in the music business or life? Because age doesn’t guarantee a win (see Geoff vs Sera).  During the Battle Round, the song didn’t really pick up for me until they got to the end when they began harmonizing. At that point, they both had their A-game. Kim’s voice is huge kind of reminds me of Jennifer Hudson’s in how she delivers, which isn’t necessarily my style of music. Whitney kind of reminds me of Rihanna in her delivery, and I am a sucker for Rihanna.

Coaches Pick:

Blake: Carson Daly

Xtina: Kim

Cee Lo: Kim

The final pick goes with Adam. The Verdict: Kim

Team Xtina– Lee Koch and Lindsay Pavao singing Heart-Shaped Box

I have never heard of this song before so I no preconceived notions of how the song should sound. Lindsay is one of my favorite voices and Lee had such a dope performance during his Blind Audition AND he has a fro. During practice with Lee, it looked like Jewel and Xtina were not enjoying his performance, and suggested he really spend some time learning the song and pronouncing his words. During practice with Lindsay,  Lionel and Xtina suggested she worked on her stage presence and getting out of her head, bringing some confidence to the stage. This was my first favorite performance of the night. They both were quite amazing and this song was so haunting. They took all of the advice from practice to heart and created such a great duet. This song fit them both so well.

Coaches Pick:

Cee  Lo: Lee (he said no one outperformed the other and I agree with him. They were both good)

Adam: Lee

Blake: Lindsay

Final pick goes to Xtina. She picks Lindsay Pavao

 

 

 

Team Cee Lo– Jamar Rogers and Jamie Lono singing I Wanna Know What Love Is

Cee Lo says he was inspired by the both of them and feels their experiences will add to the performance. Jamar is another of my favorite voices from this season so though I enjoy Jamie Lono, I am really rooting for Jamar. Jamie had a little trouble during practice. His nerves were showing through and his voice cracked a few times, which I think was making him feel worse and worse as he progressed. Jamar’s practice seemed to go well, and Ne-Yo suggested he let all the emotion show and not focus entirely on the technicality of the song. The harmony in the beginning of Battle, was so dope. I felt like Jamar was singing his ass off in the song, but was also very respectful to his friend and didn’t over sing Jamie while he sang his verses.

Coaches Pick:

Adam – Jamar

Blake – Jamie

Xtina – Jamar

Final pick goes to Cee Lo. Cee Lo felt that Jamie was so nervous while Jamar displays power and confidence. The winner of the battle: Jamar

Any thoughts on the battles?

Any one get sent home unjustly?

Or do you agree with the coaches?

VOTE: Which Coach has the strongest team so far?

VIDEO: THE VOICE S02 E02 RECAP