The Voice top 8 contestants gave it their best last night to win America’s votes, and there were a few performances that rose to the top.
Blake Shelton kicked off the show with a performance of his new single “Boys ‘Round Here,” and host Carson Daly introduced him: “Nothing celebrates Memorial Day like this rarely sober national treasure.” Normally joined by wife Miranda Lambert’s group Pistol Annies for this number, this time Blake was joined by season 2 The Voice contestant Gwen Sebastian. The song itself is very catchy, and is sure to become an anthem for good ol’ boys everywhere.
The Contestants
Judith Hill
Judith Hill had the first performance of the night, with a surprising song choice: “#thatPOWER” by Will.I.Am ft. Justin Bieber. She wanted to show off more of her unique personality, so she repurposed the popular song into her own funkier version. It sounded good, but it seemed like, given all the work she must have put in to change up the song, she could have just picked a different song for greater effect. Style-wise, she took the stage in a silver feathered cape, and an even more terrifying reincarnation of Sanjaya’s ponyhawk.
Holly Tucker
Holly tackled The Band Perry’s “Done,” which was recently featured on the American Idol finale, performed by The Band Perry and Idol finalist Janelle Arthur. The song was a great choice for Holly, allowing her to not only show off her killer pipes, but show off a different side of herself than she’s shown thus far in the competition. This was the sassiest Holly’s been all season, and though Blake cautioned her in rehearsals to not sing it “too pretty,” she nailed it in the live performance.
The Swon Brothers
The Swon Brothers chose The Eagles’ “Seven Bridges Road” for their own personal Memorial Day cookout. The Swons sat onstage around an actual campfire, sitting on logs with their backup vocalists. The Eagles’ harmonies suited the Swons’ already-outstanding harmonizing perfectly, though they did rush it a bit during the a cappella part at the very beginning. Their harmonies are so tight that it’s like listening to different facets of one single voice.
Sasha Allen
Sasha Allen, Shakira’s last woman standing, took a big risk this week with “Without You” by David Guetta and The Voice’s own Usher. She couldn’t just copy Usher’s version right to his face, so she changed up the arrangement, and it ended up sounding more like a Broadway ballad. Her voice is amazing, and this performance showed that, but the arrangement ended up sounded a little awkward and stilted. She would have been better off sticking closer to the original version.
Sarah Simmons
Sarah had to get really pissed off this week with Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used To Know,” but she was able to bring some real-life emotion to the stage to sell the song’s attitude. It was a great song choice for her, and really showed off the gravelly tone in her voice. The staging was odd, as Sarah meandered across the smoky stage, between backing musicians performing on different individual platforms. It was hard to find Sarah at first, and isn’t she the one we should be focused on?
Michelle Chamuel
Usher sported some fake glasses all night to support his only remaining contestant: Michelle Chamuel. Michelle took on Bruno Mars’ “Grenade,” and turned it into one of the most compelling performances of the season. She started out singing to herself in a mirror, representing that she is serving as the voice for those without a voice. The song started with minimal accompaniment, allowing Michelle’s voice to stand out as the most powerful instrument on the stage. She put so much heart and so much intensity into the performance, that she had all the judges in the palm of her hand.
Danielle Bradbery
Country prodigy Danielle Bradbery sang The Judds’ “Grandpa (Tell Me ‘Bout The Good Old Days).” She struggled a bit with the lyrics in rehearsals, and perhaps as a result of that, she seemed a little less confident and comfortable with this performance. That said, all of the judges still praised her incredible talent and maturity, and said again that regardless of how she does on the show, Danielle is going to be a country superstar.
Amber Carrington
Amber needed a big performance this week, and her show-closing take on Adele’s “Skyfall” was exactly that. Looking gorgeous and very serious as she was trying to match up to Adele, Amber proved that she is just as good as the other powerhouse ladies in the competition. Coach Adam said that this was the first time anyone has ever sung Adele on the show and done her justice. Blake said that though the song choice and performance were great, you can’t cover up country, and Amber is country.
Group Performances
Four of this season’s most impressive female vocalists: Judith Hill, Michelle Chamuel, Sarah Simmons, and Sasha Allen came together to perform Rihanna’s “Diamonds.” They were “diamonds in the sky” themselves: dressed all in sparkles, standing atop a giant staircase in the center of the stage. The choreography for this number was very awkward, as the girls seemed to creep down the stairs at weird times. All of their voices sounded beautiful on their own, but they are standout vocalists, and didn’t blend particularly well.
Team Adam’s Amber Carrington joined Team Blake’s Danielle Bradbery, Holly Tucker, and the Swon Brothers to perform Sugarland’s “Something More.” Country artists are taking over the competition this season, and with good reason. All of these artists sound great individually, but their voices and personalities mesh very well in these group performances. They all looked stereotypically denim-y, which matched well with coach Blake’s denim jacket.
Tune in tomorrow at 9/8c to find out which two contestants will be going home.