The Voice, Ep. 11.22 & 11.23: Finale

The Final 4

Billy (Team Adam)

"My Way" by Frank Sinatra
OK, the first song I don't agree with for him. Don't like this choice at all. That said, he can make anything sound good. I liked the a capella at the beginning. He had some really nice vibratos. Sounded great, but not my favorite performance just because of the song. You could tell the song really meant something to him and he got quite emotional at the end.
My Grade: A-

"Bye Bye Love" by The Everly Brothers (duet with Adam)
Adam always picks the most interesting songs to do with his singers. Their voices sound really good together. Perfect pitches and they just melded together so beautifully. Not my favorite song, but they really had fun with it and it was pretty entertaining.
My Grade: A

"Because of Me" (iTunes Recording)
How cool that this was going to be a Maroon 5 song and Adam thought it would be better for him. No competition - this is my favorite original song of anyone (big surprise). Great song, and he sounded amazing.
My Grade: A

Josh (Team Adam)

"Pick Any Small Town" (iTunes Recording)
Not much to say about this. Stereotypical country song, sung by a stereotypical country singer. Nothing great or exciting...just "meh".
My Grade: B

"Smooth" by Santana & Rob Thomas (duet with Adam)
OK, now THIS is an awesome choice! Thank you for not doing a country song, Adam! I love seeing Josh do something different for a change, and this was perfect!!!! Now, THAT was a great performance! ...even if it's something that Josh would never release on an album, ever.
My Grade: A+


"Jack & Diane" by John Mellencamp
Another deviation from country. This is the version of Josh that I can get behind. Definitely Adam's influence there. He would not be doing this song, or "Smooth" with Blake. I wasn't blown away by the vocals or the arrangement, but it was a lot more fun to listen to than his cookie cutter country.
My Grade: A-

Wé (Team Alicia)

"Ave Maria" by Stevie Wonder (duet with Alicia)
Sorry Alicia, but I think you were pretty off on your opening part. This whole performance seemed really disjointed for some reason. The changes from high notes to low notes were so clunky. Their harmonies weren't even that great. It was a cool idea to have the 2 pianos facing each other, but beyond that, it just wasn't that great. I think it's a little weird that they always wear their hair the same way as each other.
My Grade: C-

"Wishes" (iTunes Recording)
I wanted to like this original song, but it wasn't that great. She sounded OK, but I just wasn't that impressed. It was so repetitive and kind of annoying.
My Grade: B

"Don't Rain on My Parade" by Barbara Streisand
Oh no, no, no, no, no! Oh, this is just horrible. I cannot stand this stupid song! Yuck! I don't even know if I'm going to be able to listen to the whole song without fast forwarding. OK, positives: she showed a different, more fun side of herself; vocals were OK. Besides that...painful, just painful.
My Grade: C

Sundance (Team Blake)

"Darlin' Don't Go" (iTunes Recording)
At least he has some originality going for him, as compared to Josh. He's not my favorite, but that voice is undeniable. The passion that pours out of him on every performance is another area that Josh is kind of lacking.
My Grade: A

"Treat Her Right" by Roy Head and the Traits (duet with Blake)
That's kind of cool that he is doing one of his dad's songs. That was a fun performance! His dad was in tears!
My Grade: A

"At Last" by Etta James
Interesting song choice, but I kind of like what he did with it. This song seemed like it was 10 minutes long, didn't it? I was kind of falling asleep with it. It was good vocally, but not one of his better ones.
My Grade: A

Results

4th Place: Josh (Team Adam)

3rd Place: We (Team Alicia)

2nd Place: Billy (Team Adam)

WINNER: Sundance (Team Blake)

Wow, I guessed each one correctly! Vastly different than my guesses in the battles and knockouts. I really wish Billy had won :(

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The Voice, Ep. 11.20 & 11.21

Live Playoffs: Top 8

Team Adam

Brendan - "Angel" by Sarah McLachlan
He had an amazing week last week. This could be a great follow-up to that. I'm glad he's sticking with this lane rather than the week he tried to go back to his rocker roots (didn't love that). He started out a little unsure sounding. Something seemed a little disjointed between the music and his singing. Not sure what it was. He just didn't seem to be owning it. He looked a little uncomfortable. He did finally start getting into it at the chorus.
My Grade: B+

Josh - "Danny's Song" by Loggins and Messina
This is quite different from what we usually see from Josh. I actually kind of liked it. It was a nice change of pace. I think his voice really sounded good.
My Grade: A-

Billy - "I Surrender" by Celine Dion
Love this song. I just love what Adam has been able to do with him. He just gets better every week - which doesn't even seem possible. So beautiful, kind of haunting, tons of power, and spot-on pitch. He closed out the show with such an epic production. Can we say 'winner'? I hope so!
My Grade: A++

Team Alicia

Christian - "To Worship You I Live" by Israel and New Breed
I'm not sure what to say about this performance. It was good, but it wasn't my favorite. I love his message and passion, though. Vocally, it was a bit too strained and over-the-top.
My Grade: B

Wé - "Scars to Your Beautiful" by Alessia Cara
I love this song and I think it's perfect for her. Another very strong performance that makes her seem way beyond her years. She was rocking the song as if it were her own.
My Grade: A

Team Blake

Sundance - "Love Can Build a Bridge" by The Judds
Very nice and tender performance. A complete opposite to his performance last week, but a nice change of pace. He really knocked it out of the park at the end. Wow, such a huge voice. This might be my favorite performance of his.
My Grade: A+

Team Miley

Ali - "I Will Always Love You" by Dolly Parton (and Whitney Houston)
Beautiful performance. Her voice really sounded amazing. She just floated through the notes. This is one of my favorite performances from her. Such a perfect song for her. She had the strength of Whitney, but she made subtle differences that made it her own. She totally nailed the big chorus that everyone knows this song for. It was a huge moment for her.
My Grade: A+

Aaron - "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" by Bryan Adams
Love this song. I hope he can have a nice moment with it. And maybe, just maybe, he won't be in the bottom for the 4th week in a row. I don't know why, but this song always brings tears to my eyes. I love how he started the song. I think this might be the most comfortable he's looked on a song in awhile. He was actually showing some emotion that seemed really genuine. I like that he dialed back the gravelly sound - it really suited the song just the way he did it. This is one of my favorite performances of his, by far! Totally getting some goosebumps as the music ramps up. His voice wavered a little on the really big note towards the end, but I think he was just really in the emotion, so it's excusable. He kind of had a weird shaking moment at the end, but overall, this was pretty great.
My Grade: A-

Duets

Aaron & Wé - "Four Five Seconds" by Rihanna
Interesting pairing. Their voices couldn't be more different. Their voices kind of competed with each other rather than complimenting each other. It was OK, but not my favorite.
My Grade: B+

Sundance & Josh - "Feeling Alright" by Joe Cocker
This seems like a pretty obvious pairing. Sundance is just in a different league than Josh. Josh is a pretty typical country guy. Sundance at least brings something different to the table. I do think that by singing together, it did up Josh's game a little bit. I still think that Sundance kind of wiped the floor with him.
My Grade: B+

Billy & Christian - "Unsteady" by X Ambassadors
Yes! Awesome song choice! Love it! Oh, the harmonizing at the beginning! Goosebumps! And the goosebumps just aren't stopping! Oh Billy, that voice! Duets like this are why I love the Battle Round the most of all the rounds in the competition. They always bring out the best performances. This was so good!
My Grade: A+

Ali & Brendan - "It's Only Love" by Bryan Adams and Tina Turner
Wow, this was amazing! I love them together! They're very different, but they fit together very nicely. Great song choice that complimented them both.
My Grade: A+

Results

The Voice, Ep. 11.18 & 11.19

Live Playoffs: Top 10

Team Adam

Billy - "Anyway" by Martina McBride
You know I'm not much for country, but this was excellent. This is the kind of country that I can get into. This is a really pretty song. Adam is right - he can pretty much sing anything, and any genre. His big notes were so huge. I love when he holds those notes out for what seems like forever. So beautiful - and so incredibly on-pitch. He is always right on the note, so perfectly.
My Grade: A+

Josh - "Real Good Man" by Tim McGraw
We go from Billy's version of country - which I love, to Josh's version of country - which I can't stand. 2 complete opposites. I was so bored by this because it is just not my thing. He's a dime a dozen. There's always someone like him every season. Just ho hum. His vocals are good, though.
My Grade: A-

Brendan - "True Colors" by Cyndi Lauper
Ooh, I like this song choice for him. I love that he slowed it down. This is really the type of thing he needs to be doing. Unfortunately, the performance was drowned out with saxophone (one of my pet peeves - not my favorite instrument). I loved seeing him vulnerable and stripped down like this. He's great with the guitar, but this was a nice change of pace. This was an absolutely beautiful performance. I also loved his little break, where he smiled. So cute.
My Grade: A+

Team Alicia

Christian - "Million Reasons" by Lady Gaga
I absolutely love this song. I hope he can do justice because Lady Gaga is absolutely vocal perfection on this song. His voice sounds great, but the background vocalist harmonizing with him is kind of distracting. I would rather just hear him.

Wé- "God Bless the Child" by Billie Holiday
Do NOT care for this song - at all! Yuck! Not my favorite performance, by any means. Vocally, still great, but the song stinks. That last high note was pretty incredible. What a range she has.
My Grade: A

Team Blake

Courtney - "If I Could Turn Back Time by Cher
She started out really out of tune. Parts of this were good, but something just seemed off. I don't know if it's just me, but there seemed to be so many notes that just didn't land in the right spot. She was out of breath in weird spots. I wanted to like this, but it just didn't quite do it for me. Her performance was good and she moved around the stage well, but her singing just wasn't up to the level it needed to be to be a really great and powerful performance.
My Grade: C-

Austin - "Missing You" by John Waite
This is an interesting song choice. I really enjoyed this a lot! It's nice to hear him branch out a little bit. His voice sounds really great in this style and on this song especially.
My Grade: A+

Sundance - "Me and Jesus" by Tom Hall
A little bit too twangy, but this was actually kind of fun. This was a great song for his voice. Wow, he was really having a hoe down at the end. I thought he might pass out! That was so fast!
My Grade: A

Team Miley

Aaron - "Rocket Man" by Elton John
I really hope this keeps him out of the bottom. 2 weeks in a row is not good, and if he ends up there again, he will probably go home. Miley is really smart. I thought what they did last week should have worked. I loved it. This week she noticed that his performance songs are kind of dark and his "save me" songs are more upbeat and those are getting him through. She's very smart to pick up on that. This is a classic song that so many people know, and I love that he's getting a chance to do his own thing with it. I think he maybe needs to show a bit more personality when he sings. This song is a little more upbeat, but he still looks the same way he does on the darker songs. I think maybe people just aren't connecting with his very laid back personality. He also needs to work on his diction. His words tend to really slur together and it's very difficult to understand at times. But man, I do love his voice. I was hoping for a little better with this song. It was good, but I'm afraid he might find himself in the bottom again.
My Grade: B+

Ali - "Without You" by Harry Nilsson
This is a great song...but I only know Mariah's version. This is a great song for her big voice. I think she needs to do more songs like this. She really brought the house down to end the show. Such a strong voice. She was borderline screaming, but it was more just her natural voice than what some others might have done on the song. Incredible.
My Grade: A

Results

Bottom 3: Austin, Courtney, Aaron
No, no, no. Sorry Aaron, but I think I might have to go with the more consistent Austin on this one. The voting window looks really, really close between Austin and Aaron. It keeps going back and forth between 39% and 40% for each of them.

Instant Save: Aaron! Wow, 3 weeks in a row! That's incredible.

Going Home: Austin (Team Blake), Courtney (Team Blake)

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The Voice, Ep. 11.16 & 11.17

Top 11


Team Adam

Josh - "Drunk on Your Love" by Brett Eldridge
He is starting to get really mediocre in my opinion. I don't feel like his voice has sounded all that great the last few weeks. He sounds like any old male country singer on the radio. Which I guess is what they're going for, but it's just so "meh" to be and sound like everyone else.
My Grade: B-

Billy - "All I Ask" by Adele
Not my favorite Adele song, but there isn't anything that he can't sing and sound amazing on. If you can sing Adele well, you can sing anything. He showed so much emotion and vulnerability. Very nice.
My Grade: A

Brendan - "The River" by Bruce Springsteen
I didn't care as much for his performance last week, but now he's back to doing the kinds of songs I like him doing.

Team Alicia

Christian - "Rosanna" by Toto
It's nice to see people branching out with songs we don't hear all the time on this show every season. I actually like this song for him. Very solid performance. I would have liked him to maybe make it more his own and modernize it a little more, but it was still good.
My Grade: A-

Wé - "Love on the Brain" by Rihanna
I am loving this song right now. It's very current. Again, there isn't anything this girl can't slay. Another epic performance.
My Grade: A

Team Blake

Sundance - "No One" by Alicia Keys
Now here is a very unexpected song choice. Again, it was a very clean performance. For the most part, it was a little on the boring side...until he got to the chorus at the end and he really took it up a notch! Wow, I really, really like how he made the ending his own. Very, very cool. And really beautiful...maybe better than the original?
My Grade: A

Courtney - "What I Did For Love" from Chorus Line
Not loving this song. Her notes are kind of all over the place. She ended it pretty well, though. Overall, it was pretty boring.
My Grade: B-

Austin - "Turn the Page"  by Bob Seger and the Silver Bullets
I'm growing to like him more and more every week. I'm not sure what it is about him. He makes every song sound like it's his. The end of the song was really impressive. He really rocked it out and gave it his all with that scream.
My Grade: A

Team Miley

Ali - "9 to 5" by Dolly Parton
What an interesting choice for her. I don't care for her outfit, but I like her on this song. I won't say that I was totally blown away, but it was a great performance, nonetheless. It might have been interesting to hear her change up the song a little bit.
My Grade: A-

Aaron - "Hurt" by Nine Inch Nails
Yes, yes, yes! GREAT song choice! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! This is such an amazing song, and I think he is going to sound amazing on it. He kind of has the Johnny Cash rasp and gruffness (I mention it because Johnny Cash recorded a version of this song as well). I like seeing this kind of softer side of him, but yet there's that rock edge still there. I'm going to have to vote this week because we can't have someone who can perform like this in the bottom 2 again. He did such a great job with this song. This is the Aaron from his blind audition that I've been missing the past couple of weeks. This was so haunting and emotional = lots of goosebumps. <3
My Grade: A+

Darby - "You Don't Own Me" by Lesley Gore
OK, didn't realize this song was "old" and "vintagy"...didn't know that Grace wasn't the original artist. I knew it had a throwback feel, but didn't realize it was a cover. Probably the best song that Darby has done so far. For once, her quirky voice actually doesn't annoy me. It really works on this song. I absolutely hate her outfit again. Who does she think she is, Joseph with his technicolor dreamcoat? It was a bit shrill and screechy at the end again, but I enjoyed this a lot better than most of her performances.
My Grade: B


Results

Bottom 2: Darby (Team Miley), Aaron (Team Miley)
Noooo! Not again! Aaron should not be in the bottom. He did so amazing last night. Can he get the instant save again? Not so sure. Fingers crossed! Does any of this have to do with Miley? Pretty interesting that she has 2 in the bottom.

Darby sang Elton John's "Your Song". I couldn't understand a word she was singing. It was OK, and pretty on par with what she has done up to this point. Meanwhile, Aaron did "Budapest" - which is absolutely perfect for his voice and I never realized how much he sounds like George Ezra, who originally did this song a year or so ago. Like, he really, really sounds like the original. I sure hope this is enough to keep him around. But, with 2 times in the bottom 2 in a row, things are looking good for him even if he stays. I'm not sure why he's not connecting with the voters.

Instant Save: Aaron! Woohoo!

Going Home: Darby! Woohoo!

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The Voice, Ep. 11.14 & 11.15

Live Playoffs begin - Top 12

I, for one, am hoping for a much better night of performances than we got last week. I don't know what happened last week, but people were off their game. Song choices were a huge factor, and I think the first live show brought out some nerves. I sure hope they all do better tonight.


Team Adam

Billy - "The Show Must Go On" by Queen
He's really brave to tackle this, but if anyone this season can do it, he can. He sounded incredible. It was a big production and he commanded the stage. He totally rocked it out. Best of the night for sure. I think Adam might have liked it...he was standing on his chair :)
My Grade: A+

Josh - "Why" by Jason Aldean
I liked his approach to this song. I don't know that we've seen him without his guitar this whole competition. It was kind of nice to see him out in the crowd on the chair, up close and personal. His vocals were great as usual. The end was especially good. He knows how to work the stage and the crowd.
My Grade: A

Brendan - "Whipping Post" by The Allman Brothers
This is a very different Brendan than we've seen from him so far in the competition. I don't know if I like this Brendan as much as the old Brendan. I think on a different rock song, I might have liked it better. I just don't care for this song at all. I don't know if this was a smart move for him or not, changing up his style so drastically. His voice just isn't meshing well with the music. He's screaming with such grit and while it doesn't sound horrible, it just seems to be clashing. Not his best.
My Grade: D

Team Alicia

Christian - "The Scientist" by Coldplay
LOVE, love, love this song! Such a good choice. I hope he can do it justice. Rehearsals sounded a bit rough. This song just always gives me goosebumps. He's no Chris Martin, but he gave it his best shot. That first "nobody said it would be easy" was beautiful. I'm not sure I liked all of the note changes he made. It sounded a bit hectic at times. He really got to bouncing around at the end. He was definitely feeling it. I wanted to really love this. It was good, but I think he could have done a little better.
My Grade: B+

Sa'Rayah - "Livin' On A Prayer" by Bon Jovi
Yes, Sa'Rayah! Yes! Last week's song choice was very yucky. But this? This is perfect! Very unexpected, but such a good choice. Enough of the diva power ballads of 30 years ago. It's nice to hear something different. Well, I guess this song is probably that old too (yikes!). She did some interesting things with it...but maybe tried too many things. She couldn't seem to find the tempo at the beginning. But what she did do was nail that power chorus. The ending was really good...until the last 2 notes where she really screeched. It was building up to be really great, and then her voice kind of went out.
My Grade: B

Wé - "Take Me To Church" by Hozier
Yes! Great song choice! It was nice to see her on the piano at the beginning. And then at the chorus, she just let loose. Incredible performance as usual.
My Grade: A+

Team Blake

Sundance - "My Church" by Maren Morris
I like this type of song for him. I don't think his voice sounded great at the beginning. He sounded out of breath from the start. The background music and singers were too loud. He can belt it out, but the rest was kind of distracting. The second half of the song was better than the first. Still not his best performance, though. He was doing a lot of shouting instead of singing.
My Grade: B-

Austin - "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" by Aretha Franklin
Interesting song choice. A country dude doing an Aretha song...couldn't be more different. But, you know what? This actually worked. And it didn't just work a little bit, it was really good! This guy is the real deal. He's a real artist. He knows what works for him, and he knows how to take a risk and make it really pay off. Great performance.
My Grade: A

Courtney - "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" by Aerosmith
Something just seemed a bit off with this performance. I'm not sure what it was. It was like the tempo was a bit off and she was a little bit shaky at the beginning. I think she was maybe getting a bit emotional at the end and it caused her notes to be really off at times. She had such a strong performance last week and Blake saved her, but this performance just wasn't quite up to that standard. She did have a couple of really big notes that she nailed, though.
My Grade: B-

Team Miley

Darby - "Ruby Tuesday" by The Rolling Stones
Boring. Once she got to the chorus, she was just shouting. And what the heck is she wearing? That horrible flowered outfit, with a mic absolutely covered in flowers. Just yuck. There wasn't really much to like about this performance.
My Grade: D

Aaron - "Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings" by Father Saint Misty
I've never heard this song, but I trust him. He usually has really good taste in music and always sounds good on anything he does. He always leaves me captivated. I do kind of wish that I could understand his words a little better. Another strong performance. I wish I knew the song, but I feel like it's kind of his song.
My Grade: A

Ali - "Did I Ever Love You" by Leonard Cohen
Wow, she brought the house down with that performance! Beautiful voice.
My Grade: A


Results

Bottom 2: Aaron (Team Miley) and Sa'Rayah (Team Alicia)

They sing for the instant save, and...

Instant Save: Aaron
Going Home: Sa'Rayah

Woohoo! I'm a little surprised that it came down to these 2. I thought Aaron would connect a little more. Sa'Rayah gave a really good "save me" performance, but it was with an unknown song (at least to me). Aaron did "Lego House" by Ed Sheeran, so right away I thought that was a good idea. He didn't do as well with it as I would have liked, but it was enough for him to get the save. Hoping for a better week for him next week, and hopefully people will come to their senses and boot Darby.

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The Voice, Ep. 11.13

The Live Shows begin!

20 become 12. Because of the election, there is no separate results show. Live voting the same night as the performances determined who will make the Top 12.

Team Alicia

Christian Cuevas
Pretty consistent with what he's done previously. I don't know if we've gotten to see him play the guitar before, so that's new. I actually really enjoyed this, and I think he did a nice job.
My Score: A

Kylie Rothfield
Pitch, pitch, pitch! She was all over the place. I like the artist that she is trying to be, but she has a lot of work to do. The second half of the performance was better than the beginning, but I'm just not really impressed with her.
My Score: B-

Wé McDonald
I don't know this song, and I'm not really loving this performance. Ooh, I think she's a little pitchy there, which is really unlike her. Yikes...I am not liking this at all. Normally, she is flawless, but she is so off. Most definitely not her best performance. She is capable of so much better. Did the live show bring out her nerves?
My Score: C

Josh Halverson
First notes out of the gate weren't great (which seems to be his thing). Not sure why he picked this song...not my favorite thing he could have done, as I don't really know the song. He sounds OK, but I don't know if it screams "vote for me!"
My Score: B

Sa'Rayah
Can her hair get any bigger? Is she trying to be La'Porsha? At least she is singing it well. Another yucky song choice. She is borderline screaming which is a major pet peeve of mine. Pretty impressive, though.
My Score: A-

Team Blake

Dana Harper
Another terrible song choice. Come on, people! I said last week that I loved where she was going with her song choices, but this one was not right for her. "Maneater", really?! And not the Nelly Furtado version either...because that would have actually been interesting! This was just really boring and it didn't show off her vocals at all. Just shows that Blake didn't know what to do with a non-country artist. She might have picked the song, but he could have told her to maybe pick something else.
My Score: B

Austin Allsup
First exciting performance of the night. He performed like he was giving a concert. Great vocals, great performance. And it wasn't even that great of a song. That just goes to show what a great performer and singer he is.
My Score: A

Jason Warrior
I don't know what is wrong with this season of singers, but song choice is a horrible, horrible problem. "One Dance"? Really? This is not a song that lends itself well for a competition at all. It sounded like he was screaming the whole thing. There is no need to scream this song...it's not that kind of song, and it's not that good of a song that needs to be belted out at the top of your lungs. Not his best by a mile. Very disappointing. That was just painful.
My Score: C

Sundance Head
Another song I don't know. Not knowing the song makes it so hard to get into a performance unless it's done really well. Vocally, this was OK, but not his best. Pretty boring, but we know he is capable of better, so he will most likely be safe.
My Score: A-

Courtney Harrell
BEST SONG CHOICE OF THE NIGHT BY FAR! Roxette's "Must Have Been Love". Loved this song for her! She rocked it out. The high notes were a tad bit shrieky. That note that she held out at the end, she held that thing forever! I can forgive the shriekiness because it was a good song choice.
My Score: A-

Team Miley

Sophia Urista
Interesting song choice, but it's kind of working for her. I'm actually loving this performance! I think this might be my favorite of the night so far!
My Score: A+

Darby Walker
I don't know what to think about this performance. What a strange song...but then again, she's kind of strange. Her voice can sound so affected sometimes. It's hard to think that that's how her voice actually sounds. I can take it in small doses, but it can just be too much. She had some really pitchy things going on tonight as well.
My Score: C

Aaron Gibson
I love Aaron, but I don't love his song choice tonight (like so many others). I hope he will make it through because I love his voice. His voice sounded a little more gruff tonight than it usually does. I wanted to really like it, because I've liked so many of his other performances, but because I didn't know the song, I just couldn't really get into it. Definitely not his best performance vocally.
My Score: B-

Belle Jewel
What the heck is this? Where are they finding these songs tonight? We're not at a 50s lindy hop. This is 2016. Please sing like it. Not bad vocally, but...
My Score: B-

Ali Caldwell
I love her voice, but again....she needed a better song. The song did really allow her to show off her power and her range, which was nice. She brought the house down. Unlike some others tonight, she didn't scream and wasn't too screechy. Her high notes were on pitch as well.
My Score: A

Team Adam

Brendan Fletcher
Great song choice! One of so few tonight! I absolutely love his voice. He just performed it. He didn't try to go outside of what he's good at. He just performed it and did it well. I loved his emotion on the last phrase. Ooh, chills!
My Score: A

Simone Gundy
Another good song. Beautiful performance. I like the subtle changes she made to make it her own. Her runs were gorgeous, and not overdone.
My Score: A

Josh Gallagher
For country, this is a pretty decent song choice. Wow, so that's what he looks like without a hat on! I almost didn't recognize him. Ooh, that was a really flat note. When he hit the chorus, it was so beautiful. I love his higher register so much more than his lower. I liked the way he whipped the guitar back and just rocked out with the mic at the end. That was a nice touch.
My Score: A-

Riley Elmore
And the award for the worst song choice of the night goes to...Riley! Not even close. There have been some awful songs tonight, but this one puts them all to shame. Hate, hate, hate, loathe this song. I'm sorry, but this kind of song and style has no place on this show. You can continue to put him through, but he is not going to sell albums after the show. Sorry. If the more popular styles can't produce stars on this show, you're sure not going to do it with this. I hate to be so blunt and mean, but come on. This style is just painful on the ears. I am going to be so incredibly upset if he takes a spot over Billy or Brendan.
My Score: F (sorry, I can't even score it higher because of the vocals)

Billy Gilman
I can always count on Billy for a good song choice...but not tonight. Again, it's 2016...can we sing something from the last 3 decades? Roy Orbison, really? At least he sang it well and kind of made it more modern. This guy has some amazing pipes!
My Score: A

RESULTS

Team Alicia  America Saves: Christian, Wé Alicia Saves: Sa'Rayah Going Home: Josh, Kylie Team Blake  America Saves:  Sundance, Austin Blake Saves: Courtney Going Home: Dana, Jason

Team Miley America Saves: Aaron, Ali Miley Saves: Darby Going Home:Sophia, Belle Team Adam America Saves: Billy, Josh Adam Saves: Brendan (Thank you, Adam!!!!!!!!!) Going Home: Riley, Simone

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The Voice, Ep. 11.12

The Knockouts wrap up...

Team Adam

Brandan Fletcher vs. Nolan Neal

Brandon - "Soulshine" by Allman Brothers
I really like this guy. He has such a great, husky voice.

Nolan - "Love is Your Name" by Steven Tyler

This was an OK performance, but I wasn't really blown away.

My Pick: Brandon
Winner: Brandon (woohoo! I'm finally right! I really thought he was going to go with Nolan because he was so glad he came back after last year and said he could win)


Team Alicia

Michael Sanchez vs. Sa'Rayah

Michael - "Just the Two of Us" by Bill Withers
Definitely would not have picked this song, but it does let him show off his piano skills. He really rocks it out on those keys. I don't know if this was his best vocal performance that we've seen, but it was definitely the loudest one.

Sa'Rayah - "Ain't Nobody" by Chaka Khan
What an atrocious song choice. Yuck! I really can't handle this. I'm going to have to fast forward pretty soon, it's just painful. She might have a good voice, but song choices like this make me question her taste and what direction she would want to take her own music. If it's in this direction, then, no thanks.

My Pick: Michael
Winner: Sa'Rayah (of course, there was no way Alicia wasn't going to keep her...and we lost ANOTHER good one)

Team Blake

Austin Allsup vs. Gabe Broussard

Austin - "Breakdown" by Tom Petty
I really like this guy. Another great performance. Not much to say, other than it was really good.

Gabe - "It Will Rain" by Bruno Mars
I really like this song for him. He is such a talented kid. I love his voice. He really felt this song and gave an amazing performance. Love him! Blake would be stupid to not pick him...but he's not country and Austin is, so we can see how this is probably going to go. Plus, Blake met Austin 10 years ago and he's just been really connected to him. There better be a steal if that happens.

My Pick: Gabe
Winner: Austin (and of course...I was wrong, except, I was right...and NO STEAL?! boo!)

Dana Harper vs. Karlee Metzger

Dana - "You Give Me Something" by James Morrison
Great song choice, that we don't hear too often...nice! Very smooth performance. It's not a flashy song, but what she did with it showed off her amazing voice.

Karlee - "Invincible" by Kelly Clarkson
I'm having a hard time understanding her words for some reason. Ooh, that was a very pitchy high note. I really wanted to like this performance, but she really kind of fell apart. Yikes.

My Pick: Dana
Winner: Dana

Team Miley

Darby Walker vs. Maye Thomas

Darby - "Shake it Out" by Florence and the Machine
Of course, she would sing this awful song...it's right up her alley. I haven't really been a fan of her up to this point, and this certainly doesn't help. And I hate her taste in clothes.

Maye - "Closer" by Tegan & Sara
She's definitely not my favorite, but this was a pretty good performance.

My Pick: Maye
Winner: Darby (of course)

Aaron Gibson vs. Josh Halverson
Noooo! Don't put these 2 against each other! Are you kidding me?! We're going to lose one of them?! Alicia better use her last steal on whoever doesn't get picked. It looks like this is the last pairing, so we might just get lucky.

Josh - "Whiskey and You" by Tim McGraw
It always takes him a few bars to get into the song. It always starts so slow and you can't tell if he's singing or just whispering. But when he gets into it and gets to the chorus, I really love his voice. There's just something so haunting about the way he sings.

Aaron - "Die a Happy Man" by Thomas Rhett
Aaron might just be my favorite singer in the competition right now. That means he's probably doomed because I've lost every other good singer I like so far, it seems. He is just so amazing, I can't even stand it. Love his voice. He's kind of got the same raspiness that Brandon has. So sexy. And he plays guitar, so I'm already a sucker. He just makes it all look so easy.

My Pick: Aaron
Winner: Aaron (woohoo!)
Steal: Alicia

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The Voice, Ep. 11.11

The Knockout Round continues...

Team Adam

Billy Gilman vs. Ponciano Seoane

Ponciano - "I See Fire" by Ed Sheeran
Nice song choice! We don't hear this Ed Sheeran song so much. I like the song choices that he has been making. I really like what he did with the song. His voice sounded great. He's really improved since his kind of shaky audition. This was a really nice performance.

Billy - "Fight Song" by Rachel Platten
Big song for Billy, but he sang it flawlessly. I really liked the way he built it up to the huge end. He can belt with the best of them. Great performance.

My Pick: Billy
Winner: Billy

Team Alicia

Belle Jewel vs. Christian Cuevas

Belle - "Don't Dream it's Over" by Crowded House
Nice, and very interesting song choice! Love it! I'm not going to lie, I HATED her audition. But this. This! I actually loved this! It's all about song choice. This was such a great and unexpected song choice. You don't hear this song 5 times every season. I don't think I've ever actually heard it on any singing show, so it's so refreshing! She sounded great. Her voice is actually beautiful. Who knew?!

Christian - "Superstar" by Luther Vandross
No, no, no, no. Ugh! Hate this song! Brings back memories of Ruben Studdard. The music starts, and I'm already bored and annoyed. I liked his audition, but if this is the kind of songs he's going to sing, I'm done.

My Pick: Belle
Winner: Christian (of course...)
Steal: Miley

Team Blake

Bindi Liebowitz vs. Courtney Harrell

Courtney - "River Deep Mountain High" by Tina Turner
Another song that has been done WAY TOO MANY TIMES! Someone make it stop! Ugh! This girl definitely has some pipes. I hate the song choice, but she sounded amazing. I do really like her voice.

Bindi - "Son of a Preacher Man" by Dusty Springfield
I really like this girl. I like how she has just a tiny bit of grit to her voice. Not enough to be annoying, but just enough to make her interesting. I'm not sure that this song was big enough to compete with Courtney's.

My Pick: Bindi
Winner: Courtney

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The Voice, Ep. 11.10

The Knockout Round Begins! Key advisors for all of the teams are Tim McGraw and Faith Hill.

Team Adam

Dave Moisan vs. Simone Gundy 

Dave - "Like I Can" by Sam Smith
Love the song choice! It definitely lends itself to his falsetto. Uh oh, didn't start out too good. Luckily, when he got to the chorus, it got better. Unfortunately, it's not going to be near strong enough to beat the likes of the belting diva, Simone :( This song ended up not being so great for him. So bummed that Adam had to pair him up against someone who he stood no chance again. His falsetto really let him down tonight. It definitely wasn't his best. It was very pitchy. She doesn't even have to sing, and I know that he has no chance, and there is no way anyone is going to use their one save on him :(

Simone - "Midnight Train to Georgia" by Gladys Knight
Of course, she would pick such a horrendous song. And of course, Adam is going to love it, and Dave doesn't stand a chance with a classic, overdone song like this :( If I have to hear this song one more time, it would be too many. There are other songs out there, you know. Her voice was strong and beautiful, as expected. No surprise here, she slayed it. It was like David vs. Goliath. This time, Goliath won :( I will say that her version is probably one of the best I've heard.

My Pick: Dave (just because)
Winner: Simone (duh!)

Jason Warrior vs. Riley Elmore

Riley - "Haven't Met You Yet" by Michael Bublé
Well, I have to say I actually like this song. It is 1000x better than his audition song. I like that he went with a more mainstream pop song, instead of the crooner junk he normally does. Unfortunately, he jazzed it up more than Michael Bublé did it. I just do not care for his voice or his style at all. He's a nice, cute kid, but just, no, sorry. He sounded pitchy and I don't think his voice sounded as polished as it did in his audition or in his battle.

Jason - "I Want You" by Luke James
His voice sounds amazing tonight. I didn't really care for the song choice, but he sang it well and it showed off his vocal range quite nicely. That high note was pretty ridiculous. And just when you thought he was done, he just kept going up higher. He nailed it, pitch perfect. Thank goodness, because it sounded atrocious in the rehearsal.

My Pick: Jason
Winner: Riley (just because he's different...ugh!...I knew it)
Steal: Blake (wow, yes!)

Team Alicia

Kylie Rothfield vs. Whitney & Shannon

Kylie - "Hound Dog" by Big Momma Thornton
Yuck...what an awful song choice. Just. No. I've liked her up until now. I did not like this one bit. She sounded shaky in some parts and just off in others. Yes, she was growling and being tough, but I was not impressed with her voice or performance at all.

Whitney & Shannon - "I Won't Give Up" by Jason Mraz
Yes! What a great song for them! Wow, singing apart, they really struggle. The beginning was a little bit rough and shaky for each of them. They seemed so nervous. But, when they come together, they are so strong and beautiful. I really, really, really hope they get picked.

My Pick: Whitney & Shannon
Winner: Kylie (of course...blah)

Courtnie Ramirez vs. Wé McDonald

Courtnie - "If I Were a Boy" by Beyonce
Nice song choice. She started out so low and quiet, that it sounded a little flat and shaky, but as soon as she opened up and got into it, it was amazing. Unfortunately, some of her long held-out notes were a shade under pitch. It was still a pretty good performance. I don't think she can match Wé though.

Wé - "No More Drama" by Mary J. Blige
Another really great song choice. That deep voice just surprises me every time, even though I know it's coming. I cannot believe how young this girl is. Her tone is so rich. It cuts like a knife. Absolutely stunning and mind blowing. I didn't think she could top her audition song, but this might have just been better than that. Incredible. She's in a league of her own. Courtnie doesn't stand a chance. If Wé is in the Major Leagues, Courtnie is playing T-Ball.

My Pick: Wé
Winner: Wé

Team Blake

Josh Gallagher vs. Sundance Head

Josh - "My Maria" by Ronnie Dunn
His tone is really nice. He nailed the falsetto, which you don't hear too much from male country artists (or maybe you do, how would I know). It was a nice performance, but of course, just a bit too country for me. Nothing particularly outstanding about his performance.

Sundance - "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus
At first, I was interested to see what he would do with this song. Unfortunately, he totally ruined it. This is the first performance of his that I really haven't liked. I mean, it was OK, but I just didn't care or his voice on this song. Except for the end of the song! He had a really nice ending that really showed off his voice.

My Pick: Sundance (I was going to say Josh until the end of Sundance's song)
Winner: Sundance
Steal: Adam - NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Seriously?! Adam...shame on you! I don't care how badly you want to beat Blake with a country steal! There are soooooooo many better singers to be stolen coming up and who will now be sent home. Ugh! I could NOT be more disgusted right now! What a waste...they only have 1 steal, and he used it on a mediocre country artist. Blah!

Team Miley

Ali Caldwell vs Lauren Diaz

Lauren - "Rise Up" by Andra Day
I was hoping for a little better from her. She had some nice moments, but there were some weird things going on that seemed like she should have done something different with her note choices. Her big notes were really nice.

Ali - "No Ordinary Love" by Sade
Not loving this song choice. I think she seemed to own the song more than Lauren did. She looked really comfortable on stage. She sounded great, even though the song was kind of annoying.

My Pick: Ali
Winner: Ali

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The Voice, Ep. 11.9

The Battles are wrapping up...

Team Adam

Bindi Liebowitz vs. Brendan Fletcher - "Take Me Home" by Marc Broussard
I don't know this song, but they are both doing a really good job with it. Just by looking at them, you wouldn't necessarily think they would be a good match, but their voices blend so well. I really, really love his tone. But I also really like her. Oh man, I hate to name my favorite in this one, because I'm afraid I will be proved wrong again. I haven't done the math, but this is the last battle, and I think there is probably one steal left, so most likely they will both be sticking around.
My Pick: Brendan
WINNER: Brendan (Wow!)
STEAL: Blake steals Bindi

Team Alicia

Gabriel Violett vs. Whitney & Shannon - "More Than Words" by Extreme
I love this song, I can't wait to see what they do with it. I could listen to Gabriel's voice all day long. And those harmonies by Whitney and Shannon? Just so heavenly. Another tough one. They are both so good. I don't love Whitney and Shannon as individuals so much, but when they sing together, it's magical. Poor guy, standing in between of them, he didn't really know which one to look at. I love the range that he shows. He hit some really high notes. The last few notes with all of them harmonizing were so beautiful.
My Pick: Gabriel
WINNER: Whitney & Shannon (of course, because duets do so well on this show)

Team Blake

Austin Allsup vs. Preston James - "Bad Moon Rising" by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Austin's got a voice that could easily become a classic. Preston totally matches him, even though he's half Austin's age. You just do not expect that voice to come out of that kid! I really, really like him. He did not hold back one little bit. Austin just seemed to be so comfortable and laid back. What an even matchup this is! I really don't know what's going to happen with this one. Really, only 1 should continue because they are so similar, but I don't know which one that should be. Austin's got the experience, but Preston is so fresh and up-and-coming. I think I'd like to see what more Preston can do.
My Pick: Preston
WINNER: Austin (and...wrong again)

...and now we go on to the Knockouts

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The Voice. Ep. 11.8

Battle Rounds continue

Team Adam

Johnny Rez vs. Nolan Neal - "Sledgehammer" by Peter Gabriel
I absolutely LOVE Johnny's voice! Love, love, love! They sound great together. Nolan is good, but I don't really see anything outstanding or special about him. Johnny has something really special.
My Pick: JOHNNY! (I sure hope I'm not jinxing him because I've been wrong on just about every battle so far this season. I'm going to be REALLY UPSET if he doesn't get the win...and LIVID if he isn't stolen.)
WINNER: Nolan (Nooooooooo! Wrong again! You've got to be kidding me! And NO STEAL! Ugh!!!!!!!!!)

Team Alicia

Josh Halverson vs. Kylie Rothfield - "House of the Rising Sun" by Animals
This is one of the songs that I can hear a hundred times sung by anyone and it always sounds slightly different, but I always end up loving every version ("Hallelujah" would be another one). I love each of their voices. Josh's voice can at times appear a little weak and shaky, but when he really gets into it, it's really smooth and cool. I was surprised by Kylie's grit and how deep she really dug and she has a really nice range. I loved the way she floated so effortlessly between some of the notes and so quickly. I really like both of them. I think Kylie won with her sheer power, but Josh has something haunting and mystifying about him.
My Pick: I can't choose, I love them both!
WINNER: Kylie
STEAL: Miley steals Josh

Team Blake

Blaine Long vs. Josh Gallagher - "Stranger in My House" by Ronnie Milsap
I don't know the song and neither one of these guys are really sticking out to me. They sing perfectly fine but really nothing special at all. Just "meh".
My Pick: It's a dead even tie
WINNER: Josh

Christian Fermin vs. Gabe Broussard - "The Reason" by Hoobastank
Yes! Great song choice! One of my favorites and it never gets done on singing shows, but I don't know why. Gabe started out a little shaky and not quite in key, but Christian kind of did the same. When Gabe started the chorus, it was amazing. And then the 2nd phrase was Christian's and it was so beautiful. Christian also had the first big note and it was awesome, but Gabe followed it and duplicated it. It's so back and forth and they are both doing a great job! I think I like Christian's voice a little bit more than Gabe's. He really dug deep. OK, but now Gabe just did it too! Wow...so close.
My Pick: Christian (by just a little)
WINNER: Gabe (wrong yet again...this is just unreal)

Team Miley

Darby Walker vs. Karlee Metzger - "Brand New Key" by Melanie
Oh my gosh, this song! It's the song from that one commercial (don't remember what it was for) that gets stuck in your head! Both of them have a quirky voice that really fits the song well. Darby is probably more memorable, but her voice could get annoying after awhile. I think Karlee is probably more versatile.
My Pick: Karlee
WINNER: Darby (wrong, yet again...although I had a feeling she would be Miley's pick)
STEAL: Blake steals Karlee

Aaron Gibson vs. Sa'Rayah - "I'll Take Care of You" by Etta James
Aaron's voice is so surprising and unexpected. He doesn't look like he should have the bluesy rasp. This is a really tough one because they are both so good. I think she could tend to be a screamer, so I think I would go with him because he's so unique...which means of course that Miley will pick Sa'Rayah.
My Pick: Aaron
WINNER: Aaron (Wow, I finally got one!)
STEAL: Blake and Alicia push to steal, and Sa'Rayah chose Alicia

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The Voice, Ep. 11.7

The Battles continue...

Team Alicia

Dave Moisan vs Michael Sanchez - "Valerie" by Steve Winwood
I don't really like this song, and I don't think it did either of them any favors. They are both really high energy singers, and they slowed the song way down. I like them both, but Michael is a little on the strange side. I love Dave's high falsetto! What a cutie! Michael is such a surprise because you just don't expect that voice at all. The performance ended up being pretty good. I still would have liked to see a different song.
My Pick: Dave
Winner: Michael (wow, I'm horrible at picking this season!)
Steal: Adam! Woohoo! What a great fit; Dave is going to benefit so much from being on Adam's team!

Team Blake

Courtney Harrell vs Ethan Tucker - "Gravity" by John Mayer
He's got a very interesting tone. I wasn't blown away by her. I think there were some iffy notes on her part. I enjoyed his performance a lot. Hers seemed to be a little too over-the-top. I think she kind of overshadowed him a little bit.
My Pick: Ethan
Winner: Sophia (another one wrong)

Team Miley

Lane Mack vs Sophia Urista - "Money" by Pink Floyd
This song definitely suits Lane better than Sophia. He's got such a rich growl. He uses it just right and doesn't overdo it. She had a couple nice moments, but she would have done a lot better with a different song.
My Pick: Lane
Winner: Sophia (man, wrong AGAIN!)

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The Voice, Ep. 11.6

Night 1 of the Battle Rounds! My favorite round of the competition!

Team Adam
Advisor: Sammy Hagar of Van Halen

Natasha Bure vs Riley Elmore - "Cry Me a River" by Michael Bublé
I'm sorry, but I just can't stand Riley's style. That is just the opposite of everything I like. Yes, he can sing, but it is not for me at all. On the other hand, I LOVE Natasha's voice. This song is just terrible. I can barely listen to it. If Natasha doesn't go through over him, I'm going to be devastated. I mean, the song was tailor-made for him, so Adam's going to pick him, right?! Ugh! I sure hope there's a steal (unless Natasha wins, that is).
My Pick: Natasha (duh!)
Winner: Riley

Andrew DeMuro vs Billy Gilman - "Man in the Mirror" by Michael Jackson
I really like both of these guys. This is going to be a tough one. Billy sings so smoothly, and Andrew floats so easily through so many notes. Their harmony was spot-on and so crystal clear. Picking a winner between these two just isn't fair. This was one of the best duets of the night (Jason and Christian being right up there, too). They both performed the heck out of the song and brought their own personality to it. Yikes, I don't know which one I like better!
My Pick: Andrew (by just a little bit...and I'm going to be wrong again)
Winner: Billy (please let there be a steal!)


Team Alicia
Advisor: Charlie Puth

Christian Cuevas vs Jason Warrior - "Hello" by Adele
I am very interested to see how this song sounds when done by 2 men. I love Jason's tone and it really works well on this song. I liked his slight variations to the notes. They were just slight enough to still sound like the original, but also show a little bit of his own style. Christian sounded a lot better than he did in the rehearsals. Their voices blended well. They both have really big and powerful voices, but in different ways. Wow, this is going to be tough.
My Pick: Jason
Winner: Christian
Steal: Adam! Woohoo!

Lauren Diaz vs Wé McDonald - "Maybe" by Janis Joplin
Wé is just incredible. I still can't get over how meek and mild her speaking voice is, and then she sings and it is so deep and rich and powerful. And she has a range, too - she hit a really beautiful, high note. Lauren was pretty good, too, but she seemed to be trying a little too hard. It just comes so effortlessly to Wé.
My Pick: Wé
Winner: Wé
Steal: Miley and Adam (really?!); she picks Miley


Team Blake
Advisor: Bette Midler

Dan Shafer vs Sundance Head - "Feel Like Makin' Love" by Bad Company
Another terrible song tonight, but at least they did something different with it. I hate country, but wow, can those guys harmonize! They could go on the road, for sure. For an old guy, Dan's actually really good. I think I could actually listen to him sing more songs. Sundance is a little too country for me. And I can't handle that extremely long, gross beard.
My Pick: Dan
Winner: Sundance (another wrong pick, wow, I'm really off this season)


Team Miley
Advisor: Joan Jett

Ali Caldwell vs Courtnie Ramirez - "Hit or Miss" by Odetta
Not crazy about this song at all. I know I would like both of them better on a different song. Courtnie really went way over-the-top, and I didn't really care for it all. On a different song, I'm sure I would like her better than Ali, but not so much on this song. Courtnie just really seemed to do a lot of high-pitched screeches and it was kind of painful.
My Pick: Ali
Winner: Ali
Steal: Blake and Alicia (seriously?!); she picks Alicia

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The Voice, Ep. 11.5

The final blind auditions...

Team Adam

Johnny Rez, 25
I love his singer/songwriter voice. Great tone and great pitch. I really, really like his voice a lot. His lower register needs a little bit of work, but his upper register and his falsetto are great. Whew! I was so worried no one was going to turn around for this guy! Adam and Blake waited until the last few seconds!
Chair Turns: 2 (Adam and Blake)

Natasha Bure, 17
She is Candace Cameron Bure's (aka DJ Tanner from Full House) daughter! Ooh, love her voice! Goosebumps! She did so many cool runs and it was just really cool and beautiful. She made it seem really easy.
Chair Turns: 1

Ponciano Seoane, 25
Wow, Adam didn't waste any time turning around for him. I think he's got a great voice, but I don't know if I'm that excited about him. After Adam and Miley turned, he seemed to have some pitch issues. I think he's got some potential, though. It will be interesting to see what he does after this. I did like what he did with Phillip Phillip's songs. Cool that he sang that, I don't know that I've ever heard anyone do any of his songs.
Chair Turns: 2 (Adam and Miley; Blake and Alicia's teams were full)

Team Alicia

Whitney, 25 & Shannon, 23
They are sisters who sound exactly the same when they talk and when they sing. They have absolutely beautiful voices! So angelic! They picked a perfect song for their voices. Absolutely loved their harmony. I totally got goosebumps. Wow!
Chair Turns: 4

Kylie Rothfield, 23
Nice song choice! I kind of like what she did with this OneRepublic song, even though I love the original so much. She gave it a real jazzy vibe, but it really worked with her voice. And she played electric guitar, too. Wow. I didn't think anyone was going to turn around! They would have been crazy!
Chair Turns: 2 (Blake and Alicia)

Team Blake

Courtney Harrell, 36
I actually really loved her performance. Interesting song choice (James Bay's "Let it Go"), but she really rocked it out! She started out kind of soft and gentle, and then she really got into it and it was totally incredible!
Chair Turns: 2 (Blake and Alicia)

Blaine Long, 40
It took me a few seconds to figure out what song he was singing. It sounded so different. It turned out to be "Have a Little Faith in Me". I like his voice. He's got a very country tone and even a little bit of twang. It was a very nice performance.
Chair Turns: 3 (Adam, Blake, Miley; Alicia's team was full)

Team Miley

Maye Thomas, 27
Wow, she sounds just like Daya, who sings this song. Really strong performance. I like her.
Chair Turns: 2 (Adam and Miley)

Josette Diaz, 17
Interesting Justin Bieber choice, but it worked. Beautiful tone. I love her teal guitar! She is really talented. I can see her going far.
Chair Turns: 1 (all other teams were full)

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The Voice, Ep. 11.4

Blind Auditions continue...

Team Adam

Simone Gundy, 26
Really nice voice. Lots of power, but very controlled. I think she was off when she went for the big high notes in the middle. She recovered well and had a nice finish.
Chair Turns: 2 (Adam and Miley)

Nolan Neal, 35
He tried out last year. I liked him last year, but I do think he got better this year. He actually kind of made me like "Tiny Dancer". Boy did he rock out that ending!
Chair Turns: 4

Team Alicia

Gabriel Violett, 28
Another really surprising voice. He sang a pop song, but I could see him doing country, and even some classic rock. He had such a clear and strong held-out big not. I loved what he did with the song.
Chair Turns: 2 (Blake and Alicia)

Michael Sanchez, 25
Where are these guys coming from?! Each guy on the show tonight has had a certain look, and then their voice and their song choice is completely opposite of what you would expect. I can't say that I loved his style and what he did with the song. He looks to be a good entertainer. It will be interesting to see what else he can do.
Chair Turn: 1

Halle Tomlinson, 18
Hate the song. Hate the style. Adam was in love with the first note and he couldn't stop smiling through the entire song.
Chair Turns: 2 (Adam and Alicia)

Team Blake

Josh Gallagher, 25
I wasn't too impressed at the outset, but as he got more into the song, I really started to see some personality. He hit a very nice high note. Not all that different from mainstream male country artists right now, but he was good.
Chair Turns: 2 (Blake and Alicia)

Austin Allsup, 32
I didn't know if I was going to like him or not, but man, he's got a really nice voice! I didn't know the song, but I liked it. Oh wait, now I know the song! Wow, it sounded so different! That's crazy!
Chair Turns: 1

Team Miley

Aaron Gibson, 25
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! What an interesting take on REM's "Losing My Religion"! I love the grit in his voice! I never would have expected this out of him. The song sounded so new but yet still you could tell what song it was. That was awesome! I have no idea why Adam didn't turn around! This guy would have been perfect for him.
Chair Turns: 3 (Blake, Alicia, Miley)

Darby Walker, 17
She has a good voice, but I feel like we've heard a lot of singers like her.
Chair Turns: 3 (Blake, Alicia, Miley)

Khaliya Kimberlie, 16
Wow, how is she only 16? I think she's got something special. I really like her voice.
Chair Turns: 2 (Blake and Miley)

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The Voice, Ep. 11.3

The Live Auditions continue...

Team Adam

Bindi Liebowitz, 23
Nice voice. I think she reminds me of Rihanna a little bit. I actually loved her tone. She had just a little bit of grit and a little bit of vibrato that worked really nicely together. The more she sang, the more I liked it.
Chair Turns: 2 (Adam and Blake)

Elia Esparza, 23
Always love hearing some classic Selena. She has a really nice voice. She had a very nice tone and a very nice range.
Chair Turns: 3 (Adam, Blake, Miley)

Team Alicia

Josh Halverson, 31
He started out so slow, I wasn't sure what he was going to do with it. He's definitely different, but I don't know if it's a good different. I did like when he really got into the chorus. I think he has a nice voice, but I would like to hear him sing some more things.
Chair Turns: 3 (Blake, Alicia, Miley)

Team Blake


Team Miley

Lane Mack, 30
Definitely was not impressed. He just kind of shouted and didn't really have a style. It's a dime-a-dozen and could be heard at any small country bar anywhere, I'm sure.
Chair Turns: 1

Karlee Metzger, 22
OK, she sounds like Regina Spektor at times, and like Ingrid Michaelson at times. It was OK, but we've heard a lot of singers like her before.
Chair Turns: 2 (Blake and Miley)

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The Voice, Ep. 11.2

Blind Auditions, Night 2

Team Adam

Andrew DeMuro, 25
I didn't know this song, but I enjoyed his voice and his performance. He had a nice stage presence, and a really nice and easy delivery.
Chair Turns: 2 (Adam and Blake)

Billy Gilman, 28
Yep, that Billy Gilman. I'm shocked he's doing this show because he was a popular little kid singer. He said he really wanted to be a pop star, but he still sounds kind of country to me. He really does have an extremely beautiful voice. Wow, he actually opened for Miley's dad, Billy Ray!
Chair Turns: 4

Brendan Fletcher, 26
Whoa, I did not expect that smoky voice! Super sexy! So soothing! And he's not too bad to look at, either.
Chair Turns: 3 (Adam, Alicia, and Miley)

Team Alicia

Wé McDonald, 17
Um...where did that manly voice come from?! Yikes! Wow, just wow. Nice to hear that she has an upper register also. She has got some major pipes! Crystal clear tone. Pure power without screaming. I don't necessarily love her very deep, low voice, but man, that girl can sang! And then when she talks, she is so meek and squeaky! What a difference!
Chair Turns: 4

Lauren Diaz, 24
Gutsy to sing one of Alicia's songs. She did a pretty great job. I won't say that I loved it, but there's potential there. I think she might sound even better on a different song.
Chair Turns: 3 (Alicia, Blake, and Miley)

Team Blake

Ethan Tucker, 26
OK, I didn't expect a reggae "Roxanne". It was actually pretty cool. I wouldn't say he's got an amazing voice by any means. I was really hoping no one was going to turn around. Of course, Adam had to at the last moment, along with Blake.
Chair Turns: 2 (Adam and Blake)

Dan Shafer, 56
He actually has a very nice voice. I was surprised how smooth and effortless it sounded. He really floated to those high falsetto notes.
Chair Turns: 1

Team Miley

Sa'Rayah, 28
Big hair, big voice. Bringin' us all to church. Pretty voice, but a little too over the top for my taste. She was a little screechy, but not too bad.
Chair Turns: 2 (Alicia and Miley)

Sophia Urista, 31
She is super spunky. I really like her style. I love what she did with "Come Together". We've all heard it a billion times, but it sounded fresh and new. I don't think I've ever heard anyone quite like her.
Chair Turns: 2 (Alicia and Miley)

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The Voice, Ep. 11.1

Here we go! Blind auditions for Season 11!

2 new coaches this season: Miley Cyrus and Alica Keyes - should be interesting.

As always, I'll be recapping and critiquing the singers who make it through for each team.

Team Adam

Riley Elmore, 16
All he had to say was "I like jazz music" and he lost me. I had to fast forward when he started singing "The Way You Look Tonight". One of my ALL-TIME MOST HATED SONGS! Oh, so painful to my ears. I guess if you like that sort of thing, he was the bees knees and sounded exactly like a recording of Frank Sinatra. I don't need to see or hear any more to know that my ears are going to have to suffer through a whole season of him. Grrr....sorry dude. And of course, he chose Adam over Blake :(
Chair Turns: 2 (Adam and Blake)

Team Alicia

Jason Warrior, 21
Hated the song choice, and he took way too long to get it going. He's got a very strong and powerful voice, that's for sure. It got really entertaining when he finally got into it and he really let it rip.
Chair Turns: 2 (Adam and Alicia)

Dave Moisan, 33
"Sex and Candy" - interesting and unexpected song choice for this wholesome looking medical device salesman (love that song by the way). He gave it a very interesting feel. It was a little bit more along the lines of the Maroon 5 version. I really like his voice! Love the falsetto! A lot like Adam's :) He's pretty cute too, so that doesn't hurt. I love what he did with this song!
Chair Turns: 4

Christian Cuevas, 20
He only sang a couple notes, and chairs were flying around. Not sure what they heard so quickly. He did end up having a pretty great voice.
Chair Turns: 4

Team Blake

Sundance Head, 37
Um...I KNOW that name! Why do I know that name?! I think he might have been on American Idol? But he sure didn't look like the Duck Dynasty family back then. I'm pretty sure I would remember him. Quick jump to Google, and...yep! American Idol, Season 6! Man, I'm good! Soulful, country voice.
Chair Turns: 2 (Adam and Blake)

Dana Harper, 26
She is Derek Harper's (NBA player) daughter. I was surprised when she started singing because her speaking voice is so deep, but she sang in a fairly high register. I mean, she sang Nick Jonas's "Jealous" for goodness sake. I was prepared to not like her, but I like the smooth approach she took to the song. I didn't care for when she did swoop down into the basement, but thankfully she didn't stay there long.
Chair Turns: 3 (Adam, Blake, and Alicia)

Gabe Broussard, 15
I really like his voice, but I'm not really sure what genre he fits into. I think he could probably sing a lot of things. He seemed so confident and he was technically so perfect. Yet, he was soulful and very energetic. Very nice! And he's only 15!
Chair Turns: 1 (Blake and Miley)

Team Miley

Courtnie Ramirez, 17
She's got a huge set of pipes for just a young thing. Taking on Jessie J is no small task. I can't believe the coaches are taking so long to turn around!
Chair Turns: 2 (Alicia and Miley)

Ali Caldwell, 28
She was a member of the girl group Xhale. Her timing seemed to be kind of all over the place. Her voice was OK, but it was borderline screechy at times, in the midst of a lot of power. And we all know how I hate that. She won't be one of my favorites based on that performance.
Chair Turns: 4


And the award for "most bummed he didn't make it":

Chris Cron, 34
He was in the band Melee?! Are you kidding me?! One of my favorite songs is "Stand Up" - mostly known for being in the movie "Sydney White". And he's singing INXS - love it! Ugh...there was one note that he held out for an extremely long time. It was powerful and...just slightly flat. Uncomfortably flat. He didn't move it up and just sat on it. The coaches all kind of cringed. That was it. It didn't matter what he did after that. They all basically said they couldn't get past that note. I sure hope he comes back.

Just in case you want to hear how amazing he can be:

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The Voice, Ep. 10.24 & 10.25: Finale

Laith Al-Saadi (Team Adam)

"White Room" by Cream
Epic song choice. I actually really like this song for him. If he would stick with the classic rock, I think he could really have something there. And his guitar playing suited the song perfectly.
My Grade: A-

"Morning Light" by Laith Al-Saadi (original)
Pretty good original, but it sounds like a lot of other bluesy songs.
My Grade: B-

Duet w/ Adam: Beatles' "Abbey Road" Medley
Did not care for this music at all! Blech!
My Grade: C

Adam Wakefield (Team Blake)

"When I Call Your Name" by Vince Gill
Definitely didn't love this song choice. Way too country for me. It would have been better with just the piano and not that dumb steel guitar.
My Grade: B+

"Lonesome, Broken, And Blue" by Adam Wakefield (original)
This was just OK. Not really that impressed.
My Grade: B+

Duet w/ Blake: "The Conversation" by Waylon Jennings and Hank Williams, Jr.
Didn't really care for the song choice, and the song seemed way too long.
My Grade: C

Alisan Porter (Team Christina)

"Somewhere" from West Side Story
I love Alisan, but this was kind of a snoozer at the beginning. Not a great song choice to end the show by any means. She sang it well enough, but geez...who picked these songs this week?!
My Grade: B

"Down That Road" by Alisan Porter (original)
I'm not sure what she's wearing, but the song was beautiful and so moving. I could hear this song on the radio. It's so well done. You could tell this song was her heart and soul.
My Grade: A+

Duet w/ Christina: "You've Got a Friend" by Carole King
Another really crummy song choice. What is with these song choices? On the bright side, they sound nice together. But man, did I hate this song.
My Grade: B


Hannah Huston (Team Pharrell)

"Every Breath You Take" by The Police
This song already has a very dark feel because of the lyrics, but wow, she really did change this one up! It really worked and was pretty amazing! Her voice is just stellar.
My Grade: A

"I Call the Shots" by Hannah Huston (original)
She owned this song, for sure. I can't say that I loved it, but her vocals were on fire.
My Grade: B

Duet w/ Pharrell: "Brand New" by Pharrell Williams and Justin Timberlake
OK, just when I thought these song choices couldn't get any worse...they come out with this! Yuck!!!! Hated it! Absolutely atrocious.I couldn't even listen to the whole thing. I didn't even think their vocals were that great.
My Grade: D

FINAL RESULTS

4th Place: Laith (Team Adam)
3rd Place: Hannah (Team Pharrell)
2nd Place: Adam (Team Blake)
WINNER: ALISAN (Team Christina)!!!!!

I (and so many others) called it WAY early on. Alisan was the clear winner this season. I'm glad she pulled out the win. The female coach curse is officially broken! Congratulations to Christina on her first win!

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