The final five contestants performed twice last night for America’s votes, coach Usher debuted his new single, and the semi-finalists visited their hometowns for the first time in The Voice history.
The contestants performed two songs each: Contestant’s choice, with a special dedication, and coach’s choice. There were a lot of standout performances this week, which undoubtedly made it very difficult for voters to pick their favorites. The contestants also got the chance to visit their hometowns, American Idol-style, for the first time ever on The Voice, though for the most part, these hometown visits weren’t as emotional as Idol‘s.
Usher kicked off the show with a sweaty performance of his new single “Twisted.” Once again proving himself to be a true showman, his performance took a classic Motown style and twisted it to make it current and his own. He sang, he danced, and he had the audience in the palm of his hand.
In a potentially interesting interactive element of the performance, fans tweeting with the hashtag “#VoiceTwisted” lit up glow bracelets worn by audience members. While the interactive idea is cool, they just looked like regular bracelets, so there was no way of telling how “interactive’ it really was.
Contestant’s choice and dedication
The Swon Brothers
The Swon Brothers were up first with a risky performance of Bob Seger’s “Turn the Page,” dedicated to their former bandmates. Usually known for their all-American, upbeat, harmony-laden performances, this performance was much more dramatic, and showcased Brother Zach Swon almost exclusively. Zach has served as lead vocalist in the past, especially in the earlier rounds, but this time is was entirely Zach, tearing up the amazing vocals, with brother Colton serving as a glorified backup singer. It was a big risk to take at this point in the competition, but one that will very likely pay off.
Sasha Allen
Speaking of risky performances, Team Shakira’s Sasha Allen chose to take on the biggest mistake any reality show contestant can make: Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You.” Seemingly dressed as Whitney’s ghost, Sasha has a beautiful voice, and gave a solid performance. However, no one will ever be able to match up to Whitney’s vocal, so no matter what, you’re already losing by comparison, no matter how many wind machines you have going. She dedicated the song to her children because the song’s message of unconditional love resonated with her, as that is how she feels about her children.
Amber Carrington
Amber dedicated her performance of Katy Perry’s “Firework” to her girlfriends back home who have supported her through breakups and her mother’s death, and signed her up for The Voice. Katy Perry herself warned Amber that it’s a tough song to sing, but she did a pretty decent job. It began as a more toned-down performance, to suit her country-tinged voice, but she ended up showing off all her power at the end. With fireworks going off on the screens behind her and pyro everywhere, it made for quite a powerful performance.
Danielle Bradbery
Danielle Bradbery dedicated her performance of Jessica Andrews’ “Who I Am” to her parents and her friend, Hailey. The performance started with Danielle singing in front of an onscreen version of her baby book, showing pictures of Danielle through the years. She sang the heartfelt song to her spotlit parents in the crowd, and then joined them in the audience to finish the song. Her mom, indeed her “biggest fan,” as the song says, looked about ready to jump out of her skin with excitement and pride.
Michelle Chamuel
Michelle Chamuel had a very heartfelt dedication of Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time” to her coach Usher and his team, saying, among other things: “you’ve allowed me to be who I am, take the time to see that, and help me appreciate it as well.” The song is a classic, and her heartfelt dedication made it even more powerful. She stuck close to the original for most of the performance, before an enthusiastic fist pump triggered the gigantic clock on the stage behind her to shatter, which brought on an all-out squatting, belting, rock show from little Michelle.
Check out page 2 for the contestants’ hometown visits, and the coaches’ song choices.
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