The coaches finalized season 6’s top 20 contestants after one last night of battles, in which some contestants made some risky song choices.
The Battles
Clarissa Serna vs. Dani Moz
Shakira paired contestants Clarissa Serna and Dani Moz because they’re both powerhouse female singers, and there’s only room for one on her team. The girls chose Pink’s “Perfect,” which Shakira felt was the perfect song to showcase the power of their voices. They had a little trouble with stage presence in rehearsal, and advisor Chris Martin reminded them to make use of the stage and to sing the song like the anthem it is.
Both ladies were noticeably nervous at the start of their performance, but they quickly settled in and put on a great show. The coaches pointed out Clarissa’s poise, but were all impressed by Dani’s range and stage presence. Shakira chose Dani as the winner.
Dawn & Hawkes vs. Kat Perkins
Team Adam’s first pairing of the night was Dawn & Hawkes versus Kat Perkins. This was a bit of a surprise pairing, because Kat has such a powerful voice, while Dawn & Hawkes have a softer, mellower sound. They decided on KT Tunstall’s “Suddenly I See” because they thought the call-and-response aspect would suit their performance. In rehearsals, Kat needed to try not to over-sing, while Dawn & Hawkes needed to up their chemistry, to pull attention away from Kat.
Chris decided performing with just the acoustic guitar would show off all of their voices more, and everyone was thrilled with the new arrangement. All three performers sounded great together onstage, but Kat’s powerful vocals and energetic performance sort of bulldozed over Dawn & Hawkes, and as a result, Adam chose Kat as the winner.
Music Box vs. Melissa Jimenez
Another strong female pairing for the final night of battles was Team Usher’s Music Box and Melissa Jimenez. He paired them because they are two incredibly talented women, from two different ends of the spectrum, musically. They chose Alicia’s Keys’ “Girl on Fire” because they felt that song gave them the best opportunity to rock out and show off. They sounded great in rehearsals, but they were lacking a real connection with the song. Chris told them to act like they wrote the song, and they were singing about themselves.
Both girls had it in them to have a true diva moment, but they both seemed to fall short of what they were capable of, and it was a bit of a lackluster performance. Usher was having a hard time choosing between the two contestants, and Blake prompted him with “What does the fox say?” referencing Usher’s ridiculous hat. In the end, Usher saw how much blood sweat and tears Melissa put into her work, and chose her as the winner.
Kaleigh Glanton vs. Ryan Whyte Maloney
Team Blake contestants Kaleigh Glanton and Ryan Whyte Maloney were paired by their coach because they are both amazing singers, but Blake is still trying to get a grasp of the artists behind the voices. They chose “Easy” by Rascal Flatts and Natasha Bedingfield because it’s already a duet, and Blake was unsurprisingly pleased that they would pick a country song without his prompting. He also felt that it was a great choice for their voices, and would allow them to show some depth.
They both sounded great in rehearsals, but they weren’t really connecting with the song. Chris reminded them that it’s a song about a break up, and they are supposed to be heartbroken (perhaps an emotion that hit a little close to home for Chris Martin, in light of his recent “uncoupling”?) It was a decent performance, but Kayleigh got a little nervous and pulled back, and Ryan sounded a little forced at times. In the end, Blake chose Ryan as the winner because he has been more consistent overall.
Brittnee Camelle vs. Jake Barker
Adam Levine paired Brittnee Camelle and Jake Barker because he stole both of them from Usher’s team in the last round and needs to learn more about them. They took a risk choosing their former coach’s song “Climax,” but they hoped it would pay off. It is a very high song, and Jake struggled with his falsetto, but it was more a matter of having confidence in the fact that he could actually hit the notes. Chris told both performers to try not to look so afraid of each other during the performance because it’s a sexy song.
After rehearsals, Adam felt their biggest hurdles were that Melissa had some notes fall flat, and Jake needed to have more confidence. It was a really great performance, with both artists overcoming the difficulties of a tough song with ease. Brittnee’s voice really cut through, but Jake’s falsetto blew everyone away, and as a result, Adam chose him as the winner.
Bria Kelly vs. Madilyn Page
Usher paired his two youngest contestants, Bria Kelly and Madilyn Paige, because though they are drastically different artists, their differences fuel each other. The girls chose The Pretenders classic “I’ll stand By You.” In rehearsals, after having both girls try to shake out some of their nerves, Chris and Usher each took one girl aside to mentor them individually. Chris tried to get Madilyn to overcome her nerves, and Usher reminded Bria that she needs to control her voice.
It was another lackluster performance, with neither girl really sticking out, but Usher decided he would rather work with Bria, and named her the winner. But Blake was quick to use his steal to grab her as the final contestant on Team Blake because he could see how much her confidence has grown.
The Voice top 20 will perform tonight in the live play-offs at 8 p.m. on NBC, after which each coach will eliminate two contestants from his or her team.
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