Over half of the Knockout Round competitions have taken place and there’s only a handful of pairings yet to take place. With one steal left and a few spots remaining, it’s time to recap the latest episode of The Voice.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!First Battle: Team Adam: Shelby Brown vs. James Dupre
The Prediction: I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again. Adam actually final snags a country artist away from Blake. Unless she completely falters, you have to think he’ll advance Shelby Brown over James Dupre, though James has a solid voice as well.
The Battle: Shelby chooses Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus Take the Wheel” and surprisingly it’s the first true country song she’s sang on the show. Rihanna is wowed by her voice during the rehearsals and both coaches work on her confidence. As for James, he also leans country and takes a risk with Blake Shelton‘s “Should Would Be Cool If You Did.” Adam and Rihanna work on his stage presence, feeling that the musical performance is solid. Shelby goes first, nails the song vocally and hits some of the big notes with precision, even if her stage presence wasn’t all that. Blake gets a wry smile when he realizes James is covering his song. James does a solid job vocally and does loosen up some from his rehearsals.
The Decision: Blake says James has awesome taste in song selection and jokes that he would have liked Shelby better if she had done one of his songs too. He credits Shelby with taking the bigger song risk, but won’t give Adam an inkling of which way he’s leaning. Gwen thought Shelby was mind-blowing and felt like James was a perfect country artist. Pharrell felt like James was flawless and Shelby was swinging a sword and chopping off heads during the chorus. Adam felt that Shelby sounded nervous in the beginning and James eased through his song. In the end, he chooses Shelby.
Second Battle: Team Pharrell: Mark Hood vs. Siahna Im
The Prediction: Both Mark Hood and Siahna Im are special performers. Mark is the more dynamic performer in terms of stage presence and has the experience over Siahna, therefore he would have to be the favorite.
The Battle: Mark Hood continues to dig into the old school soul vibe, this time taking on the Ben E. King classic “Stand By Me.” Mark shares his fear of taking on the track, but both Rihanna and Pharrell feel he’s doing something different with the track. Meanwhile Siahna picks the Amy Winehouse song “Back to Black,” which fits the type of style that she prefers to sing. Rihanna suggests a less airy opening and offers a few stylistic ideas to her performance. In the actual battle, Mark just oozes personality and delivers a few notes that truly wow. As for Siahna, she hits some amazing notes, but her youthful nerves come through in a few parts.
The Decision: Gwen says she can’t keep her eyes off of Mark and loves some of his vocal choices, while Gwen calls Siahna “off the chart adorable” and feels she has great command for such a young age. Adam feels Mark was great and Sianha has a “monster beast” inside, and feels that she is a unique voice. Blake loves Mark’s command of the stage. Pharrell feels that Mark fought for his life and Siahna charmed the room. He goes with his gut and chooses Mark.
Third Battle: Team Gwen: Jeffrey Austin vs. Kota Wade
The Prediction: Gwen pairs up her soul singers — Jeffrey Austin and Kota Wade. Up to this point, Jeffrey has kind of been less highlighted, with Kota turning in a pair of solid performances. Kota has made the bigger impression so far and gets the nod here.
The Battle: Jeffery decides to go with Adele’s “Turning Tables” and feels the emotion he’s tied into the song will help him. Gwen and Rihanna work on certain portions of Jeffery’s delivery and his body language. Kota, meanwhile, goes with the powerhouse rocker “Barracuda” from Heart. Jeffery delivers a powerful rendition of the Adele song, showcasing both powerful and more reserved moments. Kota meanwhile, delivers a rendition of “Barracuda” that suffers against the original.
The Decision: Adam loves the tone of Jeffery’s voice and feels that Kota chose a really hard vocal. Blake feels Jeffery’s performance was brilliant, but didn’t feel that Kota’s song had the dynamics. Pharrell felt that Jeffery’s performance showed his identity, and that Kota chose a hard song. Gwen says Kota’s personality really came through and that Jeffery finally showed who he was through the music. She chooses Jeffery.
Fourth Battle: Team Blake: Nadjah Nicole vs. Emily Ann Roberts
The Prediction: Emily Ann Roberts is the more country leaning of the two, but Nadjah Nicole has an amazing vocal sound and has been the more standout performer so far. Nadjah would likely be the choice, but since this is Blake and he has an affinity for country singers, that evens the playing field a bit. Call it a draw.
The Battle: Emily Ann chooses Dixie Chicks’ “Cowboy Take Me Away,” feeling it will give her a chance to show off her bluegrass side. Rihanna and Blake both her the fear in hitting certain notes. Nadjah, meanwhile, goes with the dynamic “A Woman’s Worth” by Alicia Keys and feels the empowerment of the song will shine through. Emily Ann’s performance shows leaps and bounds above her rehearsal. Meanwhile, simply put, Nadjah is smooth. She also nails her performance, making for a difficult choice ahead.
The Decision: Pharrell says Emily Ann was in her comfort zone and Nadjah hit a note that wasn’t even into the song. Gwen says Nadjah was mesmerizing and Emily Ann wows for her age. Adam feels that Emily Ann has found perfection, while Nadjah has plenty to show. Blake says Nadjah’s performance was amazing and beautiful and adds that Emily Ann fits into a particular sound within country and he knows that she has potential for a long career. He chooses Emily Ann, and sadly Nadjah gets passed over.
Fifth Battle: Team Pharrell: Tim Atlas vs. Evan McKeel
The Prediction: Evan McKeel has enjoyed the more standout moments, while Tim truly came into his own during the Battle Rounds. Just a hunch, but Evan feels like the more seasoned vocalist, though Tim has the more unique voice.
The Battle: Evan chooses Switchfoot’s “Dare You To Move,” claiming it’s one of his favorite songs ever and loves the uplifting nature of the message. He’s also going to play guitar during his performance. Rihanna suggests getting rid of the guitar for part of the performance, feeling it takes away from his presence. Meanwhile, Tim goes with the Ednaswap and Natalie Imbruglia song “Torn.” Pharrell feels that Tim is squeezing his voice a bit. When he hits the stage, Evan really delivers a booming performance that gets across the Switchfoot song. Tim’s unique vocal shines through again in the beginning, but he feels a little strained when hitting the “Torn” chorus.
The Decision: Gwen loved the first part of Tim’s song, but felt he struggled with his ad-libs and says that Evan isn’t holding anything back. Blake feels Evan is a great vocalist, while Tim has a more unique sound. Pharrell feels that Evan gave it his all and his intuition really came through and eventually chooses Evan.
Sixth Battle: Team Gwen: Riley Biederer vs. Regina Love
The Prediction: Riley was a standout in the Battle Rounds, but Regina’s got the big voice that just powers through if given the right material. Regina is the more seasoned performer with the bigger voice and is the favorite.
The Battle: Regina Love was one of Gwen’s steals and the gospel vocalist chooses Gladys Knight and the Pips’ “Midnight Train to Georgia,” and man is it up her alley. Gwen suggests she takes a few liberties and vary off the source material a bit. Meanwhile Riley Biederer shows off a more soulful side with Beyonce’s “XO.” Rihanna loves what Riley did with the song and is blown away by the rehearsal. Riley goes first and delivers a performance stellar musically and rife with personality and presence onstage. It’s a crime if she doesn’t stick around. Meanwhile, Regina just takes things to a different level, providing the performance of the night with “Midnight Train to Georgia.”
The Decision: Adam says Regina just crushed it, and Riley killed it with her best performance to date. Blake says Regina blew the roof off the place, while Riley showed more diversity as an artist. Pharrell says he got goosebumps and chills with Regina’s performance and he feels that Riley is making this a difficult decision. Gwen eventually chooses Regina, but luckily Pharrell steals Riley back.
It should also be noted that Team Blake got the dreaded montage segment, with Zach Seabaugh advancing over Chris Crump.
The Rankings:
7. Jeffery Austin (Team Gwen)
6. Emily Ann Roberts (Team Blake)
5. Evan McKeel (Team Pharrell)
4. Shelby Brown (Team Adam)
3. Riley Biederer (Team
2. Mark Hood (Team Pharrell)
1. Regina Love (Team Gwen)
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