The whole season has been building to this week, as the final four contestants battle it out to become the winner of The Voice season 8.
Season 8 has been one of the best yet, but it all comes to a close this week, when the season 8 winner is crowned. But before that happens, we will be treated to a whole slew of great performances, both from the contestants themselves, and from some special guests.
The Final Four
Meghan Linsey
Meghan Linsey found success as part of country duo Steel Magnolia, but after a nasty breakup with her bandmate, she decided to start over as a soul artist. Her old pal Blake may not have turned for her in the blinds, but he ended up stealing her onto his team anyway. While it’s easy to fall into a country wormhole as a part of Team Blake, Meghan has spent the season showing us that while she can handle country, she can also pour her whole heart and soul into any jazzy, bluesy, soulful ballad. She’s got a voice that won’t quit, and it just might take her to the top.
Sawyer Fredericks
The youngest contestant in the competition, 15-year-old Sawyer Fredericks, seems like a mild-mannered farm boy with glorious blond locks, but he is actually an incredibly talented, wise-beyond-his-years folk singer trapped in a teenager’s body. From his first impression in the competition, performing “Man of Constant Sorrow” for his blind audition and turning all four chairs, Sawyer has been making unique and clever song choices (with the help of his coach Pharrell), all while continuing to push himself outside of his comfort zone. There’s no one else quite like Sawyer, and that might push him ahead of the pack in the finale.
Koryn Hawthorne
Team Pharrell’s Koryn Hawthorne might be a teenager, but you’d never know it from listening to her. Her unique voice is surprisingly deep for her age, and has a unique raspy quality that makes every performance more interesting. She also has all the passion and emotion of a performer well beyond her 16 years, and she knows exactly how to execute a performance that will really pull at our heartstrings. She is a smart performer, choosing great songs that suit her, and creating her own arrangements. The future of music may lay in Koryn Hawthorne’s hands, and our votes may not have anything to do with it.
Joshua Davis
Joshua Davis has been a bit of an underdog all season. He’s not a belter, so he’s basically become “the guitar-playing guy that isn’t Sawyer.” But as Team Adam’s last hope, Josh managed to bring in the votes week after week because his voice is absolutely irresistible. It’s like warm honey in your eardrums, and any song that he has taken on has become that much more enjoyable. He has the perfect voice for contemporary radio, where it’s certainly a good time to be a romantic guy with a guitar. Joshua may not seem like the standout, but his sound is the one that we can’t help but love, and would sell a lot of albums.
Special Guest Performances
Maroon 5
Coach Adam’s band Maroon 5 will debut their new single “This Summer’s Gonna Hurt Like a Motherf***er,” from their album V. The song, an obvious attempt to nab the song of the summer title, is sure to be another fun, uptempo M5 hit.
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson has long been a friend of The Voice, appearing several times as a guest mentor. She’ll stop by this week to perform her new song “Invincible” from her album Piece by Piece.
Luke Bryan
Blake’s pal Luke Bryan will perform his new single “Kick the Dust Up.” Luke always puts on a good show, but here’s hoping that in addition to the song, we’ll get a little bit of good-natured ribbing between Luke and Blake.
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran is having a great year, but he’s still kind enough to stop by The Voice and perform his new single “Photograph” from his sophomore album X. He also appeared in the season 7 finale to perform his hit song “Thinking Out Loud.”
Meghan Trainor
This season’s Team Blake mentor Meghan Trainor will return to The Voice to perform her new single “Dear Future Husband” from her album Title.
John Fogerty
John Fogerty is a music legend. Both as a part of Creedence Clearwater Revival, and his solo work, he is a member of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. There’s no news on what, exactly, he will be performing, but it’s safe to say that whoever he’ll be paired up with is pretty fortunate.
Watch the final four contestants perform tonight at 8 p.m. on NBC, then tune in to find out the winner, and see a lot of great guest performances, at 8 p.m. on Tuesday.