The Voice’s top 12 brought their A-game last night, even suffering through some technical difficulties to put on some awesome performances.
It was a hot one last night on The Voice, and it wasn’t just due to the top 12’s performances. Los Angeles is in the midst of a heat wave, and the air conditioning in the studio was not working. While host Carson Daly thanked the audience for sweating it out in their seats, and warned that if the building got to a certain temperature the lights may go out, Usher was more concerned about whether the sprinklers would go off, and how much of a party that would be. Eventually the air did come back on, but not until after Carson took his jacket off and rolled up his sleeves, and Usher took his shirt of entirely.
Team Usher
Vedo
Usher brought in his friend and choreographer to help mentor his team. After seeing Vedo perform Michael Jackson’s “Rock With You” in rehearsals, they warned that his dancing didn’t really suit the tone of the song. Usher taught Vedo that he doesn’t want to seem like he’s in a dance battle, but rather treat his microphone like a beautiful woman and try to seduce it.
There certainly was some very purposeful, though at times awkward, dancing in Vedo’s performance, but fortunately it didn’t affect his vocals at all. The Michael Jackson tune was a perfect choice for him, and he even threw in a few MJ breath catches for authenticity. After Carson pointed out how difficult that song was in the heat with a leather jacket on, the coaches all agreed he did a great job.
Josiah Hawley
Josiah took a chance by deciding to sing an acoustic version of The Script’s “The Man Who Can’t Be Moved.” He wanted to stand out, and coach Usher felt this would be a good idea, because while everyone else would be loud, Josiah had the opportunity to have a moment by being intimate. He admired Josiah’s bravery to choose to go with the more intimate performance, but warned him that it would be very important for him to be pitch perfect.
Josiah performed in the middle of the audience, with teenage girls awkwardly waving their arms around behind him. His voice sounded great, and he hit the high notes without any pitch problems. The coaches agreed that he sounded the best he ever has. Blake made a crack about him having been in Adam’s closet, because he was wearing a white t-shirt, and Usher actually admitted that Adam is the goal he has in mind for Josiah: he wants to develop a younger Adam Levine.
Michelle Chamuel
Usher chose Robyn’s “Call Your Girlfriend” for indie artist Michelle because it spoke to who she wants to be, and gave her room to be creative. Music has always been a personal thing for Michelle, but she is loving collaborating with Usher for this competition. The choreographer gave her a few tips on her stage presence, as she admits to struggling with stage fright.
You’d never know it from her performances though, as she bounces around the stage exploding with energy, looking like she’s having the time of her life. Her voice wasn’t exceptional in this performance, but her stage presence was so exciting and charming, you can’t help but like her. The coaches not only said she was one of their favorites, but Usher said he wanted to go all the way to the end of the competition with her, which is high praise.
Team Blake
Holly Tucker
In rehearsals, we learned that Holly has recorded several of her own albums, which proves to Blake that she’s serious about her music. He chose Martina McBride’s “Broken Wing” for her to stand on her own, but he cautioned her to make sure she connected to the message of the song in order to effectively tell the story.
Holly may have worn her sparkly 70’s disco finest, but her performance was all country. She made the song her own, though, adding in a lot of runs, and some impressive vocal work at the end. The coaches commended her poise and elegance (not to mention the big note at the end), and Blake was proud of how much she is improving and gaining confidence each week.
The Swon Brothers
The Swon Brothers made coach and country boy Blake proud by paying tribute to country legend George Jones with his song “Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes?” This song would showcase the Swons’ diversity by slowing it down, but also diversity for Team Blake, since they’re the only duo on the all-country team and in the competiton. The acoustic song would be a big challenge for The Swon Brothers, because it would show off every note they sang.
This performance proved to be a huge change from their previous ones, not only in tempo, but also in setting: One Swon was at a candlelit piano, the other sitting and playing guitar, both seated in front of a picture of George Jones on the screen behind them. Rather than sing everything in harmony, as they usually do, Zach and Colton each sang solo on the verses, and came together in a beautiful harmony for the chorus. The judges loved it, felt it was their standout performance, and a beautiful tribute to the legacy of George Jones.
Danielle Bradbery
Team Blake’s Danielle Bradbery, the youngest contestant in the competition, is just a regular girl, new to performing, only now she’s being asked to sing the national anthem at her hometown baseball games. Blake chose Carrie Underwood’s “Wasted” for her, for the sole reason that he just hasn’t yet found the limits of what she’s able to sing.
Danielle sounded just like a baby Carrie Underwood, undoubtedly making the country diva proud as she belted out the song. What’s most impressive about Danielle, however, is how carefree and comfortable she seems onstage, at such a young age, and with so little performance experience under her belt. Shakira compared her to a 16-year-old Margaret Thatcher, a “Mini Iron Lady.” Adam begrudgingly admitted that at this point, Danielle is the one to beat in this competition.
Team Shakira
Garrett Gardner
17-year-old rocker Garrett Gardner bonded with coach Shakira in rehearsals over being bullied when they started their music careers. Shakira chose the Backstreet Boys’ greatest song of all time “I Want It That Way” to give him the chance to mix it up and surprise people with a rock interpretation.
While it was a smart choice to have a dreamy high school bad boy sing a boyband song, the performance wasn’t particularly outstanding. The tempo was quite a bit faster than the original version, which didn’t really allow Garrett much of an opportunity to make the song his own and add in his distinctive growls. The coaches were not wowed by it, but they all like him, and they liked that he took a chance.
Sasha Allen
Coach Shakira chose Heart’s “Alone” for her powerhouse vocalist Sasha, to give her a chance to show off on the high notes. Shakira felt Sasha sounded a little too Broadway in rehearsals, which made sense, because Sasha did appear in Hair on Broadway. She wanted Sasha to overcome her Broadway background, and focus on delivering a more pop and modern performance.
Sasha still sounded pretty Broadway in her performance, or quite dramatic at the very least. She put a lot of emotion into the song, at times almost too much. Her vocals were on point and impressive as always, and she nailed the song’s big notes. Usher acknowledged that she didn’t stray far from the theatrical, but he felt like she took everyone to church. Shakira promised that if American votes for her Sasha, she will write a song called “My Sasha.” More on this story as it develops.
Kris Thomas
Crooner Kris Thomas took on The Jackson Five’s “I’ll Be There” because coach Shakira felt it would show off his vocal abilities, especially his strength in jumping from full tone to falsetto and back again. She had to talk him through the dynamics in a few parts, but felt he would do the song justice.
“I’ll Be There” proved to not be the best song choice for Kris because even though he has a very high voice, it’s not “10-year-old Michael Jackson” high. While the song did show off his range, it was pitchy at parts, and he seems to have a lot of trouble jumping up to his falsetto. Adam, Shakira, and Blake all had good things to say, but Usher, while he admired the risk he took with that song, was unable to overlook the technical issues.
Team Adam
Sarah Simmons
Team Adam’s Sarah Simmons considers herself an alternative artist and likes to experiment with different sounds. She’s taken every opportunity she could find to sing, everything from musical theater to rock bands to beauty pageants. Adam assigned her Brandi Carlisle’s “The Story” to give her a chance to rock out a little more, especially after last week’s emotional performance.
The song proved to be a perfect choice for Sarah’s unique voice, perfect for showcasing that grit and delicate falsetto that makes her stand out from the pack. She started off small, then built up to a raucous scream at the climax of the song, before coming back down and ending on a sweet delicate note. Blake loved how the song showed off the extremes of her voice, at times even within one breath. Adam praised her “refined diversity,” and says that he envies what she can do.
Judith Hill
Early standout Judith Hill took on the Carole King classic “You’ve Got a Friend,” and in a Team Adam first, chose to accompany herself on the piano. This could be a risk, but it’s a great benefit as long as it doesn’t take away from her performance. Adam prompted her to lose herself in the performance, and to show her personality because that’s what sets her apart in the competition.
Sitting alone at a white piano, Judith didn’t need any accompaniment from the band because her passionate piano performance was just enough to set off her beautiful vocals. She seemed so comfortable and so at home onstage, it was like watching a Judith Hill concert. The coaches had nothing but praise, and Adam gave her extra props for doing such an incredible job accompanying herself for the performance.
Amber Carrington
Amber Carrington chose to sing from her heart this week, singing Martina McBride’s “I’m Gonna Love You Through It” and dedicating it to her mom, who passed away from cancer. She was obviously very passionate about the song choice, and coach Adam was excited to see what she could do because though her heart is in country, she can really sing anything.
She certainly proved she could sing a country song with this emotional performance. At times, it seemed like she was right on the verge of crying. All of the coaches were pleased with her performance, but Adam and Usher in particular were blown away. Adam called her a mind-bogglingly good vocalist, and they both said that she will have a great career whether or not she wins the competition. Blake even admitted that Adam has a star on his team with Amber.
Tune in tomorrow night at 8/7c on NBC to see what two contestants will be going home.