THE VOICE: S03 BLIND AUDITIONS E05

Here’s where we stand so far on the teams: Adam – 9; Blake – 7; Cee Lo – 7; and Christina- 9.

 

First up:

 

Trevanne Howell -33 year old from Bronx, NY currently working as a receptionist with 2 kids. And really beautiful, reminding me a little bit of Kerry Washington. For  her audition she sings “I Have Nothing” by Whitney Houston. She did a really great job but none of the coaches turned around.

 

Collin McLoughlin – age 24 years old from Bedford, NY. For his audition he sings “Wild World” accompanied by acoustic guitar (he looks like john francis daley, sweets, from BONES).  Cee Lo and Blake turn around. Adam turns around as well. His voice is good and he landed his dream, so I hope his parents don’t frown too much on his dropping out of college, though he is getting closer to his dream, he still may be Blake said he was sold immediately. Christina said it was a little mellow for her, which is why she didn’t  push her button. It turns out to be a win for TEAM ADAM!

 

Joselyn Rivera – age 17 out of Pembroke Pines, Fl.  She was born prematurely, had a learning disability, was prescribed music from a specialist, and she blossomed. For her audition she sings “Stronger” by Kelly Clarkson. I like the way she does her small runs. There is something about her I really appreciate. Christina and Blake push their buttons.  Blake makes a joke that Christina has made people quit music after they have met her. But in the end, she goes to TEAM CHRISTINA!

 

Benji – age 24 from Orlando, FL and a former Formula 1 race car driver.  For his audition he sings “Knocking On Heaven’s Door.” This guy has a nice voice and Adam recognizes it immediately.  When Benji scream sings “YEAH!” it pulled Cee Lo in and he pushes his button.  Adam said his dynamic was really surprising and said he could wind up winning this competition. Christina said she loves his screams with really great moments, and said she heard a little bit of Adam in his voice, to which Blake said he disagrees because he doesn’t hear a jackass at all. LOL. Whose team does he choose? TEAM ADAM!

 

Todd Kessler – singing “Maggie May” for TEAM CEE LO!

 

Ben Taub – singing “Feelin Good” for TEAM CEE LO!

 

Emily Earle – singing “Ring of Fire” for TEAM CEE LO!

 

Lorraine Ferro – a 52 year old woman with a great sense of humor out of New York City, NY. She is a voice coach, performance coach and a songwriting coach. Her energy is extremely contagious. She loves to laugh and it makes me want her to get on someone’s team. For her audition she sings “Skyscraper” and I felt it was ambitious until she got into it. She has power. Unfortunately no one turned around. It would’ve made a good show.

 

Mycle Wastman– 40 year old from Seattle, WA. And this dude doesn’t look 40 to me at all. His parents died very young so he was raised by his grandfather and unfortunately he passed away just recently. For his audition he sings “Let’s Stay Together”. Adam and Cee Lo turn around immediately! Soon Blake turns around. Mycle has a great voice. He reminds me a little of Adam Levine. And then suddenly he ends the song in this dope falsetto! This guy is very entertaining. He gets a standing O from Cee Lo.  Of course Cee Lo calls his “soul brotha” and says he is most excited about Mycle than anyone else today. Adam laughed that when he turned around he didn’t expect Mycle to look like he does.  Blake said he is the best vocalist they have heard today. Christina prompts him to make a decision. Mycle decides to go to TEAM CEE LO!!

 

It was a great episode. I am still waiting for that one person to really WOW me this season. There are a ton of talented vocalists, but I haven’t found the ultimate favorite.  Well, maybe. Trevin Hunte is really really good. We shall see!

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 9 – The Final Battle Rounds

Team Cee Lo – James Massone and Wade singing True Colors

After hearing Cee Lo announce this battle, I agree with him that this could be really good. Both of these guys have an R&B sound, though I feel Wade has a stronger voice and James has a more radio friendly appeal about him. During practice James was nervous about not knowing the song, but after taking the time to learn it, during rehearsal with Cee Lo, they moved him to tears literally. His final words of advice: live it, love it, and just be in the moment. Listening to both of them sing the song, it was sweet, kind of reminded me of a 90’s boy band, if you combined Aaron Neville with Lloyd. I am a huge fan of Wade, but a couple of his mistakes were more apparent than James Massone’s.

Coach’s Picks:

Adam: James Massone

Blake: James Massone

Xtina: James Massone

It came down to Cee Lo’s decision. He was very impressed by the change in James’ attitude. With Wade, Cee Lo felt he was too nervous. Again, Cee Lo became emotional. He openly admitted he was a little biased with Wade, wanting to make Wade “Soul Brother #2”.  The Winner: James Massone.

 

Team Adam – Nicolle Galyon and Mathai singing Love Song

Adam picked a song that seems catered to Nicolle because of the piano, but Mathai is a big favorite this season.  As Carson narrated that Adam had said he believed in her, my heart sank. LOL. I just remember Adam putting his stamp on another artist this season and she was cut.  Mathai was a good catch for Adam’s team though. During practice Nicolle TOWERS over Mathai, which I thought a little funny.  The piano scenario didn’t work, and Mathai was right in saying that it was a big part of the advantage Nicolle had over her. For the Battle, Nicole opened up and sounded sweet but nervous.  Then Mathai busts in no holds barred.

Coaches Pick:

Blake: Mathai

Xtina: Mathai

Cee Lo: Mathai

The decision is Adam’s and he said he wasn’t really happy with it in general, that it was better in rehearsal. The Winner: Mathai.

Team Xtina – Moses Stone and The Line singing Satisfaction

This battle is one I have been eager for. I didn’t know who Xtina was going to pair Moses against. I already felt bad for whoever because going against the first mc on The Voice seems like an automatic death sentence. Obviously, The Line wanted a song that was more Country.  Moses seems at a disadvantage because he isn’t a singer, but he has a decent voice, especially when he gets the high notes.  Jewel did not have a satisfied look on her face while The Line were singing.  She wanted them to not give the impression they were a wedding band. Xtina said The Line has great harmonies and vocals, but they needed to perform more. I think its crazy and maybe sometimes The Coaches struggle with remembering that the show is called The Voice because sometimes even when your voice is amazing, when the person you are battling has such awesome stage presence, your voice gets lost in a flurry of movement. I wonder why The Line didn’t use their guitars. If Xtina wanted more from their performance, their performance includes guitar, so maybe that would’ve worked to their advantage.  For the battle, both groups started off really strong.  Moses took the first verse, and it was good. The Line took the second verse and they came in strong.  Their vocals were on point.  The harmonies sounded really good.  But it also felt like they were Moses Stone’s background singers in a rap song.

Coaches Picks:

Cee Lo: Moses

Adam: The Line

(he said because the TV show is called THE VOICE and that is what he is focusing on. I think Adam appears to disagree with the decision of having Moses as an MC on the show. But Adam, in all his defense of trying to keep the integrity of the show judging solely on THE VOICE has made decisions to allow people through to the live rounds based on performance, not necessarily The Voice. I feel using that line is weak.)

Blake: The Line

The final decision is Xtina’s and she immediately defends Moses by stating The Voice doesn’t have to be this specific thing on the show, not an over the top vocal, or straight country, soul or R&B. Cee Lo lends his agreement with a “mmph. Preach.”  The coaches are clearly divided by this issue: BROMANCE (adam and blake) vs SOULMANCE (xtina and cee lo). The Winner: Moses.

Haley looked pissed.

 

 

Team Adam – Karla Davis and Orlando Napier singing Rich Girl Easy Like Sunday Morning

Karla Davis is a country singer and Orlando is a blues guy, so this is an interesting pairing. Adam quickly changes the song from Rich Girl to Easy Like A Sunday Morning.  We soon were introduced to Bertha, Karla’s inner big girl. LOL. Bertha needs a little more work, but I think Karla is on the right track with her coach and advisor. Orlando’s advisor Robin Thicke made a point I felt was very cool.  Vowels are were the strength of the voice comes from. Very dope. During this battle, I liked the shirt that Orlando was wearing.  The song sounded very much like Orlando’s type and he did really well singing it. I wasn’t a fan of Karla’s background vocals. Then she came in with her verse, and she has an interesting style that sounds like she could break out of the country and venture over to singer-songwriter.  She reminded me of Winona Ryder on stage, if Winona sings. She has this awkward sexiness about her.

Coaches Pick:

Blake: voice Karla/performance Orlando

Xtina: Karla

Cee Lo: Orlando

The final pick goes to Adam. He says that Orlando is very specific, but Karla has blossomed. The Winner: Karla.

 

Team Blake – Jordan Rager and Naia Kete singing I’m Yours

Jordan had a hard time with singing harmonies. He wasn’t hitting the notes and it appeared to really frustrate him.  Naia was giving too many vocal tricks at first and Blake suggested she tone it down until the end of the song.  During practice with Naia and Jordan, Jordan showed out and was hitting all of the harmonies in all the right places. And it clearly impressed Blake.  For the battles, Jordan sounded better than Naia for this performance. His voice on this song wasn’t spectacular, but he had cool moments where I could hear the potential. Naia had a verse that just didn’t sound her best. Her energy was there, but the notes weren’t.

Coaches Pick:

Xtina: Naia

Cee Lo: Naia

Adam: Naia

Final pick goes to Blake. He was surprised by Naia’s vocals because he expected her to be right in the pocket since the song seemed to be catered to her. Jordan impressed him. In the end The Winner is: Naia. In the back, she was sad that she won by experience and not by her vocal performance. I know that she will take this battle with her into the live rounds and rock it out.

Team Cee Lo: Tony Vincent and Justin Hopkins singing Faithfully

The battle of the Family-Men.  They both have really great voices. I loved both of their blind auditions. During practice, this duet brought Cee Lo to tears.  Tony started the battle, with a sweet tone. Then Justin came in with that rasp. This was a perfect song for the two.  This is one of my favorite battles from this season. Its an emotionally charged song. I felt like I was at a rock concert.  And when that electric guitar came in towards the end… SWEET BABY JESUS.

Coaches Pick:

Adam: Justin

Blake: Justin

Xtina: Tony

The final pick rests with Cee Lo. He becomes emotional all over again. He agrees with Xtina’s thoughts. The Winner: Tony

The Battle Rounds are over! 24 people made it to the Live Rounds which air on NBC, 4/2.

Are you satisfied with the coaches’ decisions tonight?

What can you do? LOL.

Its great television and a great singing competition.

If you disagree with any decisions, do your part to support your favorite artists, because its not the end of the road for any of them. 

The Voice Season 2 Episode 8 – Battle Rounds

I really enjoyed this episode of The Voice tonight. There were a lot of artists that got a chance to shine that we really haven’t heard to much from. Of course I disagree with some of the decisions, but that is what makes this show so great. Again, all of the artists are awesome but let’s get into it!

Team Adam – Pip and Nathan Parrett singing Trouble

For Pip’s practice session, he asked Alanis Morissette and Adam if he should take it up a little bit and they said he should try to stay true to the song as much as possible. I feel that is pretty bad advice because everyone loves when they make the song their own. For Nathan’s they suggested he should show more confidence. During the battle, Pip seemed on point to me. His voice was perfect. Nathan was putting up a good fight and this is the first time we really get to see him shine. Pip seemed more aggressive. I wonder if Cee Lo will pick Pip.

Coaches Pick:

Blake: Pip

Xtina: Xtina didn’t really pick but they ended on a positive for Nathan

Cee Lo: Nathan

Adam has final choice. Adam picks Pip.

 

  

Team Cee Lo – Erin Martin and The Shields Brothers singing What’s Love Got To Do With It

Babyface made me laugh so much. He said the first run was challenging reminding him of Wayne’s World. Erin had a difficult time as well with Ne-Yo. He said he didn’t believe her when she sang.  They came down on her.  They wanted her to be more than just a pretty face.  Fav Quote of the night: Power is not talent. Its just LOUD.  So for the battle, Erin had some interesting notes. She looked sexy as hell. She was out there, but I think she could have a career. The Shields Brothers had some dope moments. I was impressed. I enjoyed their harmonies. Erin’s voice was really different and she had some squeals that I wasn’t too keen on.  But I wouldn’t mind hearing her hear other things.

Coaches Pick:

Adam: undecided but not in Erin’s favor

Blake: Erin

Xtina: The Shields Brothers

Cee Lo amazingly picked Erin. That totally blew me away. I really feel that The Shields Brothers really did better.

Team Xtina – Ashley vs Jonathas singing No Air

This is the first time we get to see Ashley perform. Everyone knows I am already rooting for Jonathas (since he is representing Austin, Tx as was the beautiful Lex Land) Ashley has a really beautiful voice and better voice. Xtina said because Jonathas sounds so much like Chris Brown and Usher, he needs to work on making it his own.  Lionel told him not to get out of character.  Jonathas really had a good hold on this song. Ashley sounded good, but I really felt Jonathas had this battle.

Coaches Pick:

Cee Lo: Ashley

Adam: Ashley

Blake: Ashley

The final pick goes with Xtina. In the end she went with Ashley.

 Team Blake – Jermaine Paul and AlyX singing Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car

I am rooting for Jermaine in this Battle. I think its cool that he was a background singer, but now wants to step out into the spotlight. He has a really cool voice too. He was very cocky in the first episode. Now he seems a little bit more humble.  Alyx is someone who I haven’t heard too much from.  But when she was practicing with Miranda and Blake she impressed me. Jermaine started off the song really strong. This song seemed to be in her low register and she doesn’t really have many moments to shine in this song. I feel like this song is more tailored to him. Which, since I am rooting for him now, its okay.

Coaches Pick:

Xtina: Jermaine

Cee Lo: Jermaine

Adam: Jermaine

The final pick goes to Blake and he goes with Jermaine.

 

Team Adam – Katrina Parker and Angel Taylor singing Bleeding Love

Hearing this pairing and the song I automatically think its tailored to Angel, which could work out negatively for her. I always feel when a white person does an R&B song making it their own, it can be really special. Angel has a beautiful voice but so does Katrina. I love Katrina’s voice and I am rooting for her, but I also don’t want Angel to go home. Katrina started the battle, and she immediately sounded like Adele. Angel has a really great tone and she seems very unique. Not the typical R&B chick.

Coaches Pick:

Blake: Katrina

Xtina: Katrina

Cee Lo: Katrina

The final pick goes to Adam and he seemed to look like he had difficulty making the decision. In the end he goes with Katrina.

 

 

 

Team Blake – Gwen Sebastian and Erin Willett singing We Belong

This was an incredibly emotional battle. Gwen impressed me with her Blind Audition so I know that she would be a great in this song. Erin also has an amazing voice and such a beautiful story. Her father wasn’t given very long to live: 24 hours. And when Blake said he understood what she was going through because his father passed away recently.  Gwen started off really nice, but when Erin came in her voice pulled me in. She has a really beautiful tone. I just noticed Gwen looks like Robyn, the singer.

Coaches Pick:

Xtina: Erin

Cee Lo: Gwen

Adam: Erin

 Final pick goes to Blake. He was really impressed with these girls. He said he wished it wasn’t that good. But in the end the winner of the battle was Erin.

 

Any thoughts on tonight’s episode?

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?

The Voice Season 2 Episode 6 – Battle Rounds

Tonight was the first episode featuring the Battle Rounds. And I have come to the conclusion that I am not a good coach. I picked 2-6 of the artists correctly. There were really amazing performances and there were some songs I didn’t enjoy as much as I wanted to. But let’s dig in!

Team Adam – Tony Lucca and Chris Cauley singing Beautiful Day

Adam brought in some powerhouse advisors this season in Robin Thicke, who assists with Chris and Alanis Morissette for Tony. Both offer great advice for each respective artist for the upcoming battle.

As they perform Beautiful Day during the Battle, both of these guys sound really good. But I feel swayed by who I feel the underdog is and Chris has my vote for vocal performance.

Coaches Picks

Blake – Chris

Xtina – Tony

Cee Lo – Tony

 Ultimately, the vote is Adam’s and he chooses Tony Lucca.

 

 

Team Blake – RaeLynn and Adley singing Free Falling

RaeLynn’s advisor is Miranda Lambert, who I know she really wanted to meet; and Adley’s advisor is  Kelly Clarkson, another amazingly talented vocalist in the game.

For their Battle Round they sing “Free Falling”.  Rae Lynn has a very sweet and interesting way of pronouncing her words, but she was a little shaky during her performance. Adley has a very beautiful quality about her voice too with a little more power and confidence.  In this performance, Adley had my vote.

Coaches Picks

Xtina – Adley

Cee Lo – Adley

Adam – RaeLynn (and here he says he knows Blake is searching for interesting voices)

 Ultimately, the vote is Blake’s. I thought he was going to go with Adley but he instead picked the beautiful RaeLynn (TEXAS STAND UP!)

Did Adam sway Blake’s vote?

Team Xtina – Chris Mann and Monique Benabou singing The Power of Love

When Xtina announced this battle, Monique looked visibly uncomfortable.  Chris’ classically trained background clearly intimidates her. Xtina also seemed surprised during practice when Monique nailed a high note causing her to view Monique in a different light. Did that mean she didn’t expect her to perform as well? Chris Mann’s advisor was Lionel Richie and Monique’s advisor was Jewel. Both seemed really nervous about the battle and it showed in their practice performances.  The Battle was nice. It showed off how powerful and sweet both singers could be. Chris has great tone and control when he sings. In this performance, Monique had my vote.

 Coaches Picks

Cee Lo – Chris

Adam – Chris

Blake – Monique

 In the end Xtina picks Chris Mann.

Team Cee Lo – Angie and Cheesa singing Total Eclipse of the Heart

Definitely feeling some tension between these two as soon as Cee Lo announces this pairing. During practice, Cheesa prompted Paul (the pianist) to raise it higher, so Angie agreed half a step. But then Angie suggested raising it further, which causes Cheesa to strain.  Cheesa’s advisor is Babyface and he tells her she should take advantage of the money notes, which she continues to have difficulty hitting. Angie’s advisor is Ne-Yo and he advised her to go for Cheesa’s throat. Both started of shaky singing Total Eclipse of the Heart, but as the song progressed they both showed out. Everyone knows these two girls have power and emotion. Cheesa did some stomping and head banging which we all know Cee Lo loves. In this performance, Cheesa had my vote.

Coaches Picks

Adam – Cheesa

Blake – Angie

Xtina – Angie

In the end, Cee Lo chooses Cheesa.

Team Blake – Jordis Unga and Brian Fuente singing Ironic

Brian’s advisor is Kelly Clarkson. Blake and Kelly advised he commit to his notes and not be so hesitant. Brian said that he is just used to having a band behind him (THE VOICE BAND IS BACKING U BUDDY! J) Blake said he can’t have one ounce of timidness, else Jordis is gonna take it from him. Jordis’ advisor is Miranda Lambert and during her session, Blake said she was into her head too much. Jordis appears to be intimidated by Brian’s talent. She asked him what he is going to be looking for during the Battle Round. Blake let her know he is going to be listening for who out sings the other. This Battle was my least favorite. It wasn’t the singers, I think it was just the song choice. Ironic is a great song, but it didn’t translate well in this battle.  In this performance, Jordis had my vote.

Coaches Picks

Xtina – Jordis

Cee Lo – Brian

Adam – Jordis

 In the end, Blake chooses Jordis. Blake again took a note from Adam tonight and picked the same person he suggested. Do you think Blake is listening to Adam because he wants to win soooo bad?

Team Xtina – Anthony and Jesse singing If I Ain’t Got You

This Battle feels like the first true battle of the night to me.  I know we have seen a lot of them in the commercials leading up to this week and I have been sweating bullets all week.  During practice Anthony feels Jesse is using intimidation tactics. Jesse’s advisor is Lionel Richie and he and Xtina both suggested to ‘milk your moments’. Anthony’s advisor is Jewel and she suggested don’t let a single note out that he doesn’t mean; to make sure he means what he sings. This battle is the battle where I HATE that someone has to go home. Especially so early on in the competition when vocally both of these guys dominate against other members of their team. And THIS PERFORMANCE BLEW MY MIND.  I loved both of these guys. My favorite has been Jesse since I saw his Blind, but Anthony fought for this one and I think I would’ve chosen him as the winner. But again, Jesse is one of my favorites and he is solid. No doubt about it. I am just a sucker for the underdog. Xtina knows how to pick em.

Coaches Picks

Adam – Jesse

Blake – Jesse

Cee Lo – (I honestly missed what he said.)

In the end, Xtina went with Jesse Campbell. The Cuba Gooding Jr. of the Voice.

Thoughts?

Any anger?

Do you agree or disagree with how the Battles ended tonight?