The battles are over, and it’s time for the contestants to go head to head in the knockout rounds, as they fight to make it into the live shows.
The Voice coaches had some tough decisions to make, as they are cutting their teams in half, and we’re really getting down to the cream of the crop, where no one deserves to go home. Taylor Swift brings her expertise to The Voice this week to help prep the contestants for their knockout battles. So far she’s doling out a lot of helpful tips, all while having a lot of fun with both the coaches and the contestants.
Knockout Battles
Bryana Sanchez vs. Sugar Joans
The first knockout pairing of the night was Team Gwen’s Bryana Sanchez and Sugar Jones. Bryana chose Demi Lovato’s “Heart Attack,” because it would allow her to have fun and show who she is. She has the pipes to belt the whole song, but Taylor and Gwen advised her to reel it in and save the big stuff for the end. Sugar chose Beyonce’s “Love On Top,” because she loves its old school soul and R&B sound. Taylor and Gwen recommended she tone down the growl in her voice, because when she’s not growling, her voice is so pure and beautiful. Both girls really impressed in their knockout performances, but Gwen chose Bryana, because she shows so much potential for someone so young. Fortunately for Sugar, Pharrell’s had his eye on her from the very beginning, and used his only steal on her.
James David Carter vs. Griffin
Blake paired Griffin and James David Carter, because they are the most sophisticated male vocalists on his team. James chose James Taylor’s “You’ve Got a Friend,” and decided to do his own country take on it. Blake was worried that it was too unremarkable a performance, that wouldn’t stand up to whatever big moments Griffin would have up his sleeve. Griffin chose Justin Bieber’s “As Long As You Love Me,” because it’s a catchy pop song that he could put his own twist on. Taylor encouraged him to get the crowd involved in the chorus, and turn it into more of a rock anthem. James proved Blake wrong by telling a beautiful story with his song choice, and Blake chose him to move onto the live shows.
DaNica Shirey vs. Katriz Trinidad
DaNica Shirey and Katriz Trinidad were paired because they are the powerhouse singers on Team Pharrell. DaNica chose Whitney Houston’s “Saving All My Love For You,” because Whitney is an inspiration for her. Her rehearsal performance left Taylor and Pharrell speechless, but DaNica was still doubtful. Taylor felt her insecurity fuels her talent, and makes her work harder. Katriz chose Alicia Keys’ “Superwoman” as a dedication to her mom. Her voice is effortless and powerful, but the 15-year-old is working against DaNica’s years of experience. Both performances were absolutely gorgeous and strong, but Pharrell chose DaNica as the winner, because she’s a unicorn.
Damien vs. Toia Jones
Team Adam’s Damien and Toia were paired up because they are both strong, emotional vocalists. Damien surprised with Leann Rhimes’ “How Do I Live,” (which happened to be Taylor’s pre-teen karaoke jam,) and blew away Adam and Taylor with his genuine emotion. But Adam warned him that he was at his limit for riffs and improvisations. Toia chose Beyonce’s “Crazy In Love” to show Adam the kind of artist she wants to be. She’s a powerful singer, but Adam warned her to not stray too far from the melody, and Taylor recommended she be more “Crazy” than “In Love.” Damien’s knockout performance was beautiful and poignant, but Toia came out swinging with a sassy fun performance. Adam was impressed with Damien’s song choice, and Toia’s performance, but he chose Damien as the winner, because he felt Damien was better prepared to move forward in the competition.
Jessie Pitts vs. Tanner Linford
Blake paired young contestants Jessie Pitts and Tanner Linford because they’re both second chance comeback kids. Jessie chose the Ellie Goulding’s arrangement of the Elton John classic “Your Song.” The arrangement was perfect for Jessie’s voice and style, and she was so bubbly for the entire performance, you couldn’t help but smile as you watched her. Tanner surprised his coach by choosing Train’s “Calling All Angels,” and proceeded to surprise him again by nailing the vocal. Taylor encouraged him to use his “cute boy factor” to connect with the audience, and Tanner almost passed out from being called a “cute boy” by Taylor Swift. Tanner showed a lot of growth and really impressed the coaches, but Blake felt Jessie has a better idea of who she wants to be as an artist, and chose to keep her for the live shows.
Luke Wade vs. Taylor Phelan
Team Pharrell closed out the night with the pairing of Luke Wade and Taylor Phelan, because both singers have a little bit of soul. Luke chose “Rich Girl” by Hall and Oates, because he wanted to take a pop song and make it his own. He was very grateful to Taylor for her performance advice, because he recognizes how huge she is in the music world right now. Taylor chose Clean Bandit’s “Rather Be,” because he wants to marry indie rock with ’80s synch tones. He had his guitar, but he was using it more as a “teddy bear” than an actual instrument. Fellow Taylor (Swift) asked him to try it without the guitar, and it totally changed his performance. It was the best head-to-head battle of the night, and Pharrell really had his work cut out for him. He chose Luke as the winner, but the other three coaches wasted no time hitting their buttons to steal Taylor. Taylor chose Team Adam, since Adam has been after him since the blinds.
The Voice knockout rounds continue Tuesday night at 8 p.m. on NBC.
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