Jennifer Hudson made a guest appearance as the Top 10 performed for a spot in the Top 8 on The Voice Monday.
Music exec Rob Fair – the man who first signed Christina Aguilera – joined Hudson as guest mentors on a night kicked off by Aguilera and Blake Shelton singing their new duet “Just A Fool.” Arguably the best song off Xtina’s new album, Lotus, “Just A Fool” is a beautiful ballad that the duo performed without too much extra flair (other than their two voices complementing each other perfectly) – a contrast to the Cee Lo/Xtina duet last week.
Top 10 Performances
Amanda Brown
Twitter: @Amanda__Brown
After a shaky performance of “Spectrum” last week, Cee Lo’s “Favorite Mistake” made a beautiful comeback with an emotional rendition of Grace Potter’s “Stars.” We were definitely wowed by Amanda’s ability to have a “moment” with a lesser known song.
Cassadee Pope
Twitter: @CassadeePope
The former Hey Monday vocalist showed her softer side with Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert’s “Over You,” donning a beautiful white dress (or was that just a really long top?). Written about Blake’s brother, Cassadee brought her own emotion to what’s already a tear-jerker.
Cody Belew
Twitter: @CodyBelew
Christina asked for more personality from Cody Belew last week, and he delivered with Beyonce’s “Crazy In Love.” Leather, chains and a bit of gyrating made for the most entertaining performance of the night. The song didn’t showcase his voice, but it did put Cody’s personality front and center, evoking several diva “heeeeeeeys” from Xtina.
Nicholas David
Twitter: @TheFeelin
“Lean On Me” might as well have been made for Nicholas David because he owned that performance behind a piano and surrounded by a choir. As Blake said, that was like “legendary chicken soup” that brought Cee Lo to tears (which then brought us to tears).
Sylvia Yacoub
Twitter: @SylvsYacoub
Back at the piano, Sylvia Yacoub took on Alicia Keys’ “Girl On Fire.” Though it seemed a bit rushed at first, Sylvia rocked it once the song picked up, adding her own runs near the end. Solid performance from the Egyptian songstress.
Bryan Keith
Twitter: @Bryanpeeps
New Yorker Bryan Keith paid homage to his hometown with the great Billy Joel’s “New York State Of Mind.” With a timely tribute to the Big Apple, Bryan continued to show his soulful, easygoing side.
Trevin Hunte
Twitter: @Tamor_11
Trevin Hunte blew our minds with Usher’s “Scream.” What?! Yes, he left Michael Bolton home and acted like a swaggy 18-year-old (apparently the Biebz has infiltrated my vocabulary) with background dancers and all.
Terry McDermott
Twitter: @TerryMacMusic
After a mentoring session with Producer Scott Hendricks, Terry McDermott performed Bryan Adams’ “Summer of ’69,” with his coach, Blake Shelton, air-guitaring during the performance and giving him a standing ovation. As always, Terry rocked the classic rock, reminding Cee Lo of all his “favorite things about rock ‘n roll.”
Dez Duron
Twitter: @DezDuron
The former Yale football player closed out the night with “Feeling Good” while looking super classy and James Bond-esque. Though it was good, we’re not sure if his vocals can compete with the likes of Amanda Brown, Trevin Hunte and Bryan Keith.
Melanie Martinez
Twitter: @MelanieLBBH
The youngest singer left in the competition, Melanie Martinez melded power and vulnerability in her performance of The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army” as her photography flashed behind her on the stage.
The two artists with the lowest number of votes will be eliminated on Tuesday’s show. Vote on Facebook, NBC.com, by purchasing a contestant’s song on iTunes (if an artist’s song is in the top 10 on iTunes, his or her votes will be multiplied by 10) or by phone or text (Sprint users only) up until 10 a.m. ET Tuesday to choose the artists to continue on to next week.
Who should move on to the Top 8 next week?
Photo Credit: The Voice Instagram
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