The coaches began the process of cutting their teams in half in preparation for the live shows, and we saw the show’s first-ever three-person knockout battle.
It seems like The Voice season 8 only just began, but we are already watching the contestants compete for a spot in the live shows. The mentors are gone, but this week, the coaches were joined by adviser Nate Ruess from Fun! Nate didn’t seem to be the most helpful mentor (Chris Martin and Taylor Swift before him both seemed to have more to offer), but perhaps his contributions will improve in future episodes.
The Knockouts
Ashley Morgan vs. Sonic
Christina paired powerful vocalists Ashley Morgan and Sonic for her first knockout battle of season 8. Sonic chose Alicia Keys’ “A Woman’s Worth” because it’s super sultry, and she felt it showcased who she wants to be as an artist. Ashley chose Pat Benatar’s “Heartbreaker,” but struggled in rehearsals to show any intensity or emotion in her performance. Ashley may have been the stronger vocalist, but Sonic out-performed her, and Christina chose her to advance.
Sarah Potenza vs. Brian Johnson
Blake paired Sarah Potenza and Brian Johnson for his first battle. Brian chose James Morrison’s “Nothing Ever Hurt Like You,” because it’s a more upbeat track than what he’s performed before, and is exactly the kind of song he wants to record. Blake and Nate warned him to show some dynamics and not play it safe, because Sarah certainly wouldn’t. Sarah chose The Voice alum Matt McAndrew’s “Wasted Love” for her performance, and Blake even brought Matt in to check out her performance. Both artists gave very strong performances, but Sarah’s was just a more powerful song, showing off a beautiful range and dynamics, and Blake chose her as the winner. Luckily, Adam stole Brian for his team.
Clinton Washington vs. Nathan Hermida
Team Adam contestants Clinton Washington and Nathan Hermida chose Hunter Hayes’ “Wanted” and Sam Smith’s “Leave Your Lover,” respectively. Clinton chose “Wanted” because he thought it would set him apart from the rest of Team Adam, which is largely R&B. Nathan chose “Leave Your Lover” to open up more and show more emotion in his performance, which Adam has been coaching him on. Clinton had some pocket issues, and Nathan had some pitch issues, but both gave strong performances. Nathan’s performance spoke to Adam a little more, and Adam chose him to move forward.
Sawyer Fredericks vs. Paul Pfau vs. Mia Z
In a Voice first, Pharrell put together three contestants: Sawyer Fredericks, Paul Pfau, and Mia Z for a three-way knockout battle. Fellow Team Pharrell finalist Anthony Riley had to withdraw from the competition for personal reasons, which left Pharrell with an odd number, so he made the most of it. Mia chose BB King and Eric Clapton’s “Hold On I’m Coming.” Paul chose John Mayer’s cover of Ray Charles’ “I Don’t Need No Doctor.” Sawyer chose Howie Day’s “Collide.” It was a very tough choice, but Pharrell chose Sawyer and Mia as the winners.
Meghan Linsey vs. Travis Ewing
Blake paired his stolen contestants Meghan Linsey and Travis Ewing. Meghan took on Aretha Franklin’s “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” because she wants to be a soulful pop artist. Travis chose Gavin DeGraw’s “I Don’t Want To Be,” because he related to its message. Blake advised Meghan to have something big planned for the end of her number, and advised Travis to pick his moments, and work on breath control. Travis did his best, but Meghan absolutely sang for the rafters, and won the battle.
Koryn Hawthorne vs. Kimberly Nichole
Christina paired Koryn Hawthorne and Kimberly Nichole for the last battle of the night, because of their similar voices, and their natural sass and attitude. Koryn chose Pink’s “Try,” because she felt it would be perfect for where she is now in the competition. Kimberly chose Sting’s “If You Love Somebody Set Me Free” because it’s an uptempo song that would allow her to have more of a good time. Both performances were incredible, but Christina chose Kimberly as the winner, dashing Pharrell’s hopes of stealing her back. But he made the best of it by deciding to steal Koryn, instead.
Tune in for another night of knockouts Tuesday night at 8 p.m. on NBC.