There were performances galore tonight on The Voice, from the top 8 contestants, some coaches, and Nick Jonas.
Special Performances
Gwen and Pharrell
Coaches Gwen and Pharrell took the stage to show the contestants how it’s done, performing their new song “Spark the Fire.” It was exactly what you would expect from a Gwen and Pharrell performance, that is to say, a visual assault. Gwen was wearing…clouds? Pharrell was carrying the Olympic torch? It was weird, but it was also very catchy, which is to be expected from those two.
Nick Jonas
Nick Jonas performed his hot new hit, “Jealous,” on The Voice tonight. That’s great news, right? Well, not exactly. He was joined by a gospel choir, which should have made this basically the best performance ever. But instead, it came across like some kind of weird a cappella gospel choir jam session. Nick sounded great, but oddly enough the choir sounded weird. He was joined by the top 8 contestants, but it was already such an awkward mish-mash performance that none of them were really able to shine.
Top 8 Performances
Ryan Sill
Ryan Sill can’t seem to avoid the bottom three for the life of him. Fortunately, his fans love him enough to vote him through on the Instant Save. This week, in another last-ditch attempt to get him some votes, Gwen chose Journey’s “Open Arms.” Still sticking with the rock genre that she’s really trying to make work for Ryan, while giving him a more tender vocal to make use of his boyband sensibilities. She brought in a choreographer to help Ryan with his stage presence, and god bless him, but Ryan’s going to need some more work. It didn’t help that the staging made him look like he was singing to trees, but if someone can help him look more comfortable and less like someone is holding a gun to his head, he’ll go far, because his voice is beautiful.
Craig Wayne Boyd
Blake chose The Eagles’ classic “Take It Easy” for his last remaining contestant, Craig Wayne Boyd, because it’s a mix of rock and country, which is Craig’s kind of sound. It is so much his sound, that he’s performed it hundreds of times over the years, and unfortunately, it showed in rehearsals. Blake told him the competition was his to lose, and he still needed to connect with the song. It was another great performance from Craig, but it’s unlikely to stick in the audience’s mind as much as his last few performances.
DaNica Shirey
DaNica was a little bit wary of Pharrell’s choice for her this week, Heart’s “These Dreams.” Her hesitance was in large part because she couldn’t get the original version out of her mind, but Pharrell convinced her she would be able to make it her own. Dreams hit close to home for DaNica, because she dreams about her dead father all the time, and with this week marking the four-year anniversary of his passing, this performance was especially poignant for DaNica. Her performance was incredible, and her vocals just get better and better each week. The staging was very dramatic and it made for a gorgeous performance.
Damien
Adam chose Adele’s “Someone Like You” for his most emotive contestant, Damien, because he feels Damien shares the same ability as Adele to emotionally connect with the audience. Damien really did reach right into your heart and rip it to shreds with this performance, which just so happened to also be vocally perfect. His performance had Blake calling this season the best and most talented in Voice history.
Chris Jamison
Chris Jamison’s fever has swept the nation, and the only prescription is…sexual healing? No, no. Adam chose Marvin Gaye’s hit “Sexual Healing” to prove that Chris is more than just a pretty face, but guess what? It didn’t work. When a Pretty Face is singing “Sexual Healing,” it’s real hard to not pay attention to that Pretty Face. Fortunately for Chris, his Pretty Face also has a Pretty Voice, and this was by far his best performance yet. And unlike Ryan’s earlier performance, Chris was completely comfortable onstage, even with what could have been an awkward performance.
Luke Wade
Luke Wade took on Simply Red’s “Holding Back the Years,” a song which he claimed no one his age has heard, and people older than him love. However, as someone even younger than Luke, this writer strongly disagrees, because this is a great tune that plenty of people know. Luke’s version was a little funkier than the original, and possibly managed to make the song unrecognizable to those that actually did know it. The judges enjoyed his performance, but Adam cautioned him to get out of his head, and sing from his heart.
Taylor John Williams
Taylor John Williams went contemporary this week, performing Lorde’s “Royals.” It was a perfect song for what has become Taylor’s sort’of haunting style. Gwen brought in a choreographer to help Taylor too, but he doesn’t need it. He has a natural connection with the music, and just lets his body move with it naturally. His performance style is so unique and captivating, he’s really turning into a dark horse in the competition.
Matt McAndrew
After a few weeks of powerful performances from Matt, his coach wanted him to do something a little simpler, so Adam chose Damien Rice’s “The Blower’s Daughter.” It’s a beautiful song that’s very difficult to screw up, especially since they chose a simple arrangement. You know the final performance of the night is going to be a good one, and while it was a more tender performance than the usual last-minute show-stoppers, it was still beautiful.
Stay tuned for The Voice top 8 results airing Tuesday at 8 p.m. on NBC.
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