Season 5’s knockout rounds wrapped up last night, with coaches stealing back contestants they’ve previously lost, and some coaches expressing their enthusiasm in the best way they know how: by being weird.
Night 2 of the knockouts saw the remainder of the contestants battle for a part in next week’s live shows. By the end of the night, the teams were pared down to five contestants each.
Knockout pairings
Lina Gaudenzi vs. Preston Pohl
The first knockout pairing of night two of the knockouts was Team Adam’s Lina Gaudenzi versus Preston Pohl. Adam paired these two because they are both very soulful performers, and he wanted to see who was the most unique.
Lina chose to perform Etta James’ “I’d Rather Go Blind” because she wanted to show off a more bluesy side to her voice that she hasn’t gotten to show off yet on the show. In rehearsals, Adam felt the performance had great potential, but that she was dancing around the song, rather than just singing it. They changed the arrangement to allow her to build momentum throughout the performance, and it really paid off when she took the stage. It was a very passionate performance, and showed off the strength and uniqueness in her voice.
Preston chose Bob Marley’s “No Woman No Cry”, because he wanted to show off his more laid-back side. Adam said that he’s normally nervous about someone singing such a laid back song, but it’s all in how it’s done. He cautioned Preston that he sings inward, and he needs to project outward more, and try to connect with the audience. The song turned out to be a great choice, as it really showed off the warmth and raspiness that make his voice stand out. It was such a happy, fun performance, that it was difficult not to smile along with Preston.
Adam was impressed with how much growth Lina had shown just in the short time he had to work with her since he stole her in the battles, and he said that made the decision much more difficult for him. But in the end, he chose to stick with Preston, and unfortunately for Lina, there was no steal this time.
E.G. Daily vs. Ray Boudreaux
Coach Blake paired contestants E.G. Daily and Ray Boudreaux because they both have blues influences, and offer powerful yet distinct tones to their voices, but he wanted to see who would be the best to bring to the live shows.
E.G. chose Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me” because she wants to be an adult contemporary country soul rocker, and this song encapsulates all of that. In rehearsals, Blake praised her voice, especially its sexy, romantic, softer side, and therefore felt that she should reel in the chorus a bit, to show off that softer side. She tried to capture that in her knockout performance, but unfortunately, her voice betrayed her, and broke more and more at the end of the song.
Ray chose Otis Redding’s “Hard To Handle” for his knockout performance, because he’d love to have a long career singing soul music. Ray continued to impress coach Blake in rehearsals, and he loved how Ray approached the performance, saying it was “100% Ray”. The song really suited his voice well, and showed off just how unique, yet carefully-controlled, his voice is.
Blake appreciated how both contestants really took to heart the advice he had given them in rehearsals, but he was unable to get over the voice breaks in E.G.’s performance, saying that they were “eating him alive”. And despite the fact that Ray “makes [him] feel like less of a man” because of his “studly” voice, Blake had to go with technicality and chose Ray over E.G.
Anthony Paul vs. Jacquie Lee
Coach Christina paired Anthony Paul and Jacquie Lee because they are both young pop singers with a lot of potential, and she wanted to see who can deliver under the pressure.
Anthony chose Jason DeRulo’s “The Other Side”, because he wants to be a pop/R&B artist, and this song would enable him to show off his pop side. His rehearsals didn’t go very well, as Christina felt like he was a better vocalist than this song was allowing him to be, and he in turn felt like he was letting her down. They tried to change the arrangement to better show off his voice, but it may have made it even worse. For his knockout performance, the arrangement was terrible, and he was pitchy for pretty much the entire performance.
Jacquie chose “Stompa” by Serena Ryder for her knockout performance, because the song has a bluesy/rock feel, yet is still current, and that’s the kind of artist Jacquie wants to be. Her biggest problem in rehearsals was her stage presence, and Christina wanted her to look like she was actually enjoying the performance, and to use the stage more. She did much better in the knockout performance, and though her motions did seem rather forced at times, her voice was killer, and really shined with this song. And at the end, in the more passionate part of the song, she lost herself in the music and her movement was much more natural.
It was pretty clear who won the knockout, and Christina reiterated that it was really Anthony’s song choice that killed him. She commended Jacquie’s powerful range and soul, saying there’s a lot in the young performer that reminds her of herself. Since she feels there is more she can do with Jacquie, she chose her as the winner of this knockout battle.
Stephanie Anne Johnson vs. Tamara Chauniece
Team Cee Lo contestants Stephanie Anne Johnson and Tamara Chauniece were paired for the knockouts because Cee Lo felt that they both have strong voices and soulful abilities, but he wanted to see who has the most power and versatility.
Stephanie chose Norah Jones’ “Don’t Know Why”, because she wants to be a more Bonnie Raitt-style artist, and wants her music to “sound like soul food tastes”. She brought a style to this performance that we haven’t heard from her before, sounding almost like a yodel, and Cee Lo loved it in rehearsals. Her challenge would be that this version was not as vulnerable as the original, so she would have to connect to the audience in spite of that. This new style really suited Stephanie, and allowed her to stand out from the rest of the pack, while still allowing her to show off the power in her voice.
Tamara took a risk with a reggae version of Alicia Keys’ “No One”, because she felt she needed to bring a totally different element to her performance. In rehearsals, Cee Lo suggested she loosen up her vocals a little bit, sort of in a Lauryn Hill style. He also advised that pulling off the reggae style would require a lot of commitment and direction. In the performance, her vocals were on point, as always, but the reggae version didn’t do her as much justice as the original probably would have.
Cee Lo and the coaches felt that Stephanie’s performance was a little all over the place, and showed her nerves. This was in contrast to Tamara’s perfect control, which, based on this performance alone, made Cee Lo go with Tamara. But in a Voice first, Christina pushed her button to steal Stephanie back for her team, after eliminating her in the battle rounds.
Check out the rest of the knockout battles on the next page!
James Wolpert vs. Juhi
Adam paired unique contestants James Wolpert and Juhi because they are the more different contestants on his team, and he wanted to see which one of them would thrive in the competition.
James took a big risk choosing Boston’s “More Than A Feeling”, because it is a very difficult song to sing, with Adam calling it the “most challenging song in the history of rock and roll”. James admitted that the song pushed the limits of what he can do vocally, but he really wanted to take the chance. He blew Adam away in rehearsals, and if he could manage to budget his breath, and control his pitch, his performance could be a showstopper. Whether nerves got the best of him, or perhaps – unrecognizable without his signature glasses – he lost his nerd juju, his performance was kind of all over the place, and his pitch was not great.
Juhi chose to perform Creedence Clearwater Revival’s version of Marvin Gaye’s “Heard It Through The Grapevine” because she likes the vibe of the song, but also because she felt like she could relate to the songs message, after Cee Lo chose someone else over her in the battle rounds. Juhi has a very unique style to her voice, but in rehearsals, Adam made a point that sometimes she masks her great voice and range with style, and he wants to hear the singing more than the style. Her knockout performance started out a little rough, as she stylized the song so much at points that she garbled the words. She got better as the song went on, and was able to show off the surprising range and the pleasant rough edges in her voice.
Adam made a point of noting to the other judges that James sang that song perfectly in rehearsals, and tonight was just a rough night for him. He commended Juhi for taking the notes that he had given her in rehearsals, but basing his decision on the fact that “in my own career I’ve faltered and come back from mistakes”, Adam chose James as the winner of this knockout battle.
Austin Jenckes vs. Brandon Chase
Team Blake’s final knockout pairing was Austin Jenkes and Brandon Chase. Blake paired them because they are both emotional singers with a country influence, and he wanted to see which one could move the audience with his voice.
Austin chose Edwin McCain’s “I’ll Be” as a tribute to his deceased father. He considers himself a sing-songwriter, in large part a result of his father’s influence, so he decided sing it as a relationship song between father and son. Blake was touched by Austin’s emotional performance in rehearsals, and suggested he sing it with the band, because just accompanying himself on the guitar seemed to put too much pressure on him, and he couldn’t focus on just the song. After making a point about changing the lyrics of the song, Austin sang the original version, though certainly knowing his story changes the meaning behind it. It was a solid performance, though lacked any real memorable moments.
Brandon chose the Eli Young Band’s “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” because he really related to its message about continuing to pursue your dreams, and he wants to be a country singer who sings about genuine things. Brandon made some changes to the arrangement of the song that surprised even Blake in rehearsals, and he felt that if Brandon could pull it off, he would be hard to beat. Unfortunately, he didn’t entirely pull it off, because while he has a good voice, he ran into some pitch problems, and also looked down for most of the performance, not really connecting with his audience.
Blake heard pitchy-ness from both of his performers: Austin was sharp, and Brandon was flat. This is a big issue for Blake, because he feels that when an artist is sharp, that means they have places to go, and need to just reign themselves in a bit. However, when an artist’s pitch is sharp, it means he’s not hitting the notes, and has he shown all that he can do? Because of this, Blake chose Austin as the winner.
Caroline Pennell vs. George Horga Jr.
Coach Cee Lo paired Caroline Pennell and George Horga Jr.because he believes they both have a youthful and commercial energy, but he is looking for one of them to emerge as the total package.
Caroline chose Ingrid Michaelson’s “The Way I Am”, because she wants to be an indie-pop artist, and she feels like this is her theme song. In rehearsals, Cee Lo encouraged her to jump out of her comfort zone and project more, because she is a strong singer, and he wants her to prove to the audience that she can and will grow in this competition. The song was perfect for her voice, and her effortless performance made Blake want to “buy a cat, and a pink blanket, and build a fire in the house, and just curl up with a cup of hot chocolate and [at Christina’s suggestion] Adam.”
George selected “Closer” by Ne-Yo for his knockout performance, because he wants to be a pop/soul artist like Bruno Mars or Justin Timberlake. Cee Lo could hear his true talent in rehearsals, and noted that the more confident George is in singing the record, the more it becomes his. He also encouraged George to make sure he performs the song, because it is a dance song after all. George does have a smooth voice, if a little breathy at times, but this song did him absolutely no favors, as dance songs don’t usually translate well on TV.
Cee Lo has developed a bond with both of his young team members, and can see how far they’ve come and how much they’ve grown in the competition thusfar. He felt George’s song didn’t have a lot of personality, but that he could certainly dominate the dance/pop genre if that’s what he chose to do. He saw Caroline come into herself with this performance, and saw a twinkle of star power in her eye, and because of that, he chose (in Cee Lo terms) Sweet Caroline over Georgie Porgie.
Matthew Schuler vs. Will Champlin
The final knockout battle of season 5 was between Team Christina contestants Matthew Schuler and Will Champlin. Christina paired these two because they both know how to deliver an energetic rock performance, but she wanted to see which one could really ignite the audience.
Matthew chose Florence + the Machine’s “Cosmic Love”, because he loves indie-rock, and he thought he could bring something really interesting to the stage with this intense song. Christina was taken aback by his song choice, and recognized that it would be a real challenge. But she felt that the sky was the limit for Matthew, as long as he knows when to restrain himself, and makes sure he doesn’t over-exhaust his voice. He certainly was able to do something interesting with this song, keeping the energy high, making the style his own, and absolutely killing the performance, blowing everyone away with his powerful vocal slides.
Will chose “When I Was Your Man” by Bruno Mars, because he felt it was important to make it clear what kind of an artist he is: a mixture between soul and pop. He struggled a bit with the song in rehearsals, because he was trying to match Bruno’s vocals in his own rock style. But Christina convinced him to take a softer, more vulnerable approach at times, to show a vulnerability that we have not seen from him so far in the competition. His performance started off a little rocky, but he really settled into the song, nailing both the vulnerability and rocker intensity, surprising everyone who expected powerhouse Matthew to wipe the floor with little Will.
Christina was blown away by both her contestants, as were the rest of the coaches, who gave them a standing ovation. Christina was impressed by how well Will was able to overcome his hang-ups from rehearsals and come out in the knockout performance like a champ. Matthew managed to slay a song that is all push push push on the vocals. She chose Matthew as the winner, because he has been unstoppable from the very beginning of the competition, but Will barely had time to start stuttering a thank you to Christina before Adam stole him back for his team after losing him in the battles.
Next up: The Live Playoffs
The live shows will kick off next week with a three-night playoff event. The contestants will compete for America’s votes on Monday and Tuesday nights, with the results to be revealed on Thursday night. Coach Christina will be joined by Flo Rida for a live performance.
The Voice live playoffs air next Monday at 8 p.m., Tuesday at 9 p.m., and Thursday at 9 p.m. on NBC.