‘The Voice’ coaches began finalizing their teams for the live shows after an intense night of knockout battles, which pitted coach against coach as they fought over some promising contestants eliminated by their coaches.
The Voice‘s knockout rounds kicked off last night. This round, like the battles, pairs two contestants from the same team, only this time, each contestant will be picking his or her own song to sing. Song choice is everything in this round, and the contestants need to pick a song that will not only show off their vocals, but make them stand out from the rest of the pack.
In a change from previous seasons, the coaches will each have one more steal to use in the knockout rounds, for one more chance to grab a contestant they may have missed out on in the last few rounds.
After the battle rounds, each coach has eight artists on his or her team, including two stolen contestants. Those contestants will be paired together again, to pare down the teams to five contestants each in preparation for the live playoffs next week.
Knockout pairings
Amber Nicole vs. Josh Logan
The first knockout pairing of season 5 was Team Christina’s Amber Nicole and Josh Logan. Both very different artists, they were paired together because they are both such strong singers, and Christina wanted to see which performer could do a better job of commanding the stage.
Amber was first up, and performed Jessie J’s “Mama Knows Best”. Christina focused on her stage presence and character in rehearsals, and it paid off in spades in the knockout performance, where Amber had sass for days, in addition to a hugely powerful voice. Her great portrayal of the song’s character was actually the first thing Cee Lo commented on.
Josh chose Stevie Wonder’s “Living for the City”, because he connected with its message about the struggles one goes through as a full-time musician. His biggest challenge in rehearsals was getting out of his own head, and just focusing on the music. Josh’s voice is eerily similar to Stevie’s, so this was a great song choice for him. He also got to show off the nice rasp in his voice with some of the high notes. The judges continue to be surprised to see new sides to Josh’s performance, and this week was no different.
Christina said this was a very hard decision, but she did have certain ideas going into the live rounds, and because of this, she chose Josh as the winner. Cee Lo and Blake were quick to hit their buttons to steal Amber, and after a surprisingly impassioned argument from the normally mellow Cee Lo, Amber chose to take a risk with him, and join Team Cee Lo.
Kat Robichaud vs. Monika Leigh
Cee Lo paired his team members Kat Robichaud and Monika Leigh because they are both strong female vocalists, and he wanted to see who could really bring a show-stopping performance.
Kat chose Alanis Morrisette’s girl-power anthem “You Oughta Know”, because it represents all she wants in a performance: “ballsy, female angsty rock ‘n roll.” Though Cee Lo warned her to be careful not to trip over the song’s wordly lyrics, there was no stopping Kat once she took the stage for the knockout, tearing through the performance with a fury that included some kicks, crazy eyes, and a dramatic fall to the floor.
Monika chose Ray Charles’ “Hit the Road, Jack” because she wanted to show off her bluesy side, in addition to her more rock ‘n roll side. Cee Lo cautioned her in rehearsals to make sure she sang the song well, and not just focus on style, because she was sounding winded, and her runs were struggling. Unfortunately, her knockout performance was not much better than rehearsals, and the song proved to be too much for her, and did not do her voice justice.
Cee Lo praised Kat’s performance, saying that “people want to see someone that can’t help themselves”, and calling her “unmistakably genuine”. He felt that the sultriness of Monika’s performance was “lost in translation, and that she is a better singer than that performance allowed her to be. Based on this performance alone, Cee Lo chose Cat as the winner. Unfortunately for Monika, none of the coaches used their steal for her.
Holly Henry vs. Nic Hawk
Blake paired his contestants Holly Henry and Nic Hawk, because they both their own twist into what they’re singing, and he wanted to see which performer could really make their song their own this week.
Holly Henry chose Radiohead’s “Creep” because of the haunting melody, the slow build, and the emotion it would allow her to portray. She had a bit of a pitch issue in rehearsals, and Blake warned her that while this was the perfect song choice for the type of artist she ultimately hopes to be, it is a very challenging vocal, and she would probably have to work harder than she’s ever had to work as a vocalist. Unfortunately, pitch problems continued to haunt her in her knockout performance, and the song got away from her a little bit.
Nic took a big risk and chose coach Christina Aguilera’s hit “Genie in a Bottle”, but changed the arrangement to make it more of a neo-soul song. The new arrangement showed off his vocals, but he also ran into trouble with pitch problems. Blake pointed out that while his belted notes were fine, his low-range stuff was all over the place. The arrangement was interesting and suited his personal style, but he did have some missteps here and there with his pitch.
Blake was happy and sad, because he felt there has been no better display of who artists who know what they want to be. Tough choice that it was, he chose Nic as the winner, because he felt he better addressed the notes he had been given in rehearsal.
Ashley DuBose vs. Tessanne Chin
Team Adam’s first knockout paired powerhouse vocalists Ashley DuBose and Tessanne Chin together, because Adam felt they would both occupy a very similar spot on his team, so it was unnecessary to keep both of them.
Ashley chose Train’s “Hey Soul Sister”, because thusfar in the competition, viewers have seen a more serious side of her, and she wanted to show off a more fun, upbeat side. Adam was initially hesitant about her song choice, but after hearing her perform it in rehearsals, he liked what she did with it. It was a sweet and smiley performance, with a lot of runs, but compared to her previous performances, this one came across as a bit underwhelming.
Tessane chose Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” because she feels the message is amazing, and she wanted to show off her vocals with this song. She struggled with a hoarse voice in rehearsals, and while she was frustrated, Adam told her that even at her worst, she still sounds crazy-good. The song proved to be a great choice to show off her vocals, and she rocked it out, showing off just how powerful of a vocalist she is, with her own unique arrangement.
This was a tough choice for Adam, but he said he needed to go with the person whose performance was the strongest right now, not just who may have the strongest performance next week. Because of this, he chose to keep Tessanne on his team, and he feels she can win the whole thing. Unfortunately, there were no steals for Ashley.
Keep reading for the rest of night one of the knockouts!
Briana Cuoco vs. Shelbie Z.
Coach Blake paired his contestants Briana Cuoco and Shelbie Z because while they are both always well-prepared to perform, he wanted to see which contestant could bring the passion to the stage.
Briana chose No Doubt’s “Don’t Speak” because she wanted to show off her rock side, after having shown off her bluesy side in the auditions. Blake felt this song was a risky choice for her, and both liked and disliked it because of that. He also cautioned her to not try to jazz it up too much, because simple and straightforward performances usually translate best on TV. The risky song choice didn’t really pay off very well for Briana, since she had some trouble with pitch. Her arrangement wasn’t bad, but the song seemed to get away from her a little bit.
Shelbie Z chose Carrie Underwood’s “Last Name”, because as a frequent competition singer, she wins every time she sings this song. She struggled with breath control in rehearsals, and while Blake felt this song was a great choice to show off who Shelbie is as a country artist, but it will be a big red flag if she messes up, because this should be a song she can nail.
This was a tough choice for Blake, as he feels these are the two hardest-working artists on his team. But he chose Shelbie as the winner, because he felt that she just outsang Briana.
Grey vs. James Irwin
Team Adam contestants Grey and James Irwin were paired together because Adam felt they are both wonderful singers, but wanted to see who could really take it up a notch and show more emotion.
Grey chose Kelly Clarkson’s “Already Gone” because it is a breakup song, which suited her style perfectly, because she likes to be a storyteller in her performances. In rehearsals, Adam advised Grey to make sure she stayed on the beat for this song, and also commented on a strange downshift in the middle of the song, where her voice transitioned from grit to falsetto mid-note. She kept the downshift for her knockout performance, and while each of the coaches pointed it out, they felt it was unique and interesting for the most part.
James chose to perform The Script’s “Break Even”, because he wanted to show Adam that he is able to hit the high notes in the chorus. While Adam felt his rehearsals were technically flawless, he wanted to be more moved by his performance. The song did show off a new warmth in James’ voice, and he did nail the high notes, but the performance sounded a little too radio-perfect, and didn’t show much in the way of emotion.
Adam struggled to choose between these talented artists, saying James has everything it takes to make it as an artist, and Grey could win the whole thing. But since this is a competition, Adam chose Grey to remain on Team Adam.
Destinee Quinn vs. Olivia Hencken
Christina paired country artists Destinee Quinn and Olivia Hencken, because she only has room for one country artist on her team.
Destinee chose Carrie Underwood’s “See You Again” because it’s an emotional song, and she has recently lost two family members. She was a little pitchy in rehearsals, and Christina wanted her to focus on living in the moment. Her emotions seemed to get the best of her in the performance, because in addition to being off-pitch throughout, her voice kept breaking at the end, as she struggled to contain her emotions.
Olivia chose Linda Ronstadt’s “You’re No Good”, because it showcases country, pop, and rock, which are all things she wants to pursue as an artist. In rehearsals, Christina warned Olivia to “Take it away from Karaokeville”, because she was trying to make every single moment of the song a standout moment. Christina cautioned her to choose her moments, to make the high notes stand out that much more. Olivia really took Christina’s advice to heart, and while she struggled with pitch as well, her performance built from beginning to end.
Christina felt nerves got the best of both of her contestants, but after hemming and hawing, and wondering if maybe Shakira wanted to come back and take her place, Christina chose Olivia to remain in the competition, because she felt her voice was just a little more seasoned than Destinee’s.
Cole Vosbury vs. Jonny Grey
Coach Cee Lo paired contestants Cole Vosbury and Jonny Grey, perhaps because he can only have one long-haired hat-wearer on his team, or because while they each have different styles, Cee Lo felt they both have a grassroots feel, and wanted to see who could make the biggest connection with the audience.
Cole chose the relatively unknown song “Let Her Go” by Passenger. He chose this song in part because he’s only done fun songs thusfar on the show, and wanted to show a different side, but also because this is the exactly the kind of song he writes: a simple melody accompanied by an acoustic guitar. Cee Lo loved how well Cole’s song choice represented who he is as an artist, and how well it showed of his higher register. It turned out to be a great song choice for his voice, and he sold it with a passionate performance, with a surprising run at the end to show off his higher register.
Jonny chose The Beatles classic “We Can Work It Out,” because The Beatles represent who he wants to be as an artist, because they respected everyone they worked with. Cee Lo felt that this song would work to his advantage, because just about everyone is familiar with it, which would give him a good opportunity to get the audience involved. His stage presence was his biggest weakness, so his song choice could prove to be a real boost. He gave a good, if unremarkable performance, mostly pacing back and forth across the stage. His stage presence still needs work, but his voice sounded good.
Cee Lo struggled to choose between the two, because he felt Cole showed a lot of control and poise, but found Jonny’s voice and activism to be reminiscent of Bob Dylan. He chose Jonny as the winner, but Adam and Blake wasted no time in pushing their buttons for the steal. Adam expressed regret over having missed out on getting Cole on his team earlier in the season, but Cole was unable to resist Blake’s intent to see where Cole wants to go as an artist and help him get there. In the end, Cole chose to join Team Blake.
Check out the rest of the knockouts tonight at 9 p.m. on NBC after The Biggest Loser.