(Photo property of NBC)
By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com
The Voice: Season 13 Blind Auditions are over! Let the Battle Rounds commence.
Before we get to tonight’s battle recap, here is the official line-ups for all four teams:
Team Adam Levine: Dave Crosby, Brandon Showell, Dylan Gerard, Hannah Mrozak, Adam Pierce, Anthony Alexander, Emily Luther, Brandon Brown, Whitney Fenimore, Jon Mero, Michael Kight, & Gary Carpenter.
Team Miley Cyrus: Janice Freeman, Brooke Simpson, Ashland Craft, Shilo Gold, Addison Agen, Moriah Formica, Sophia Bollman, Karli Webster, Chloe Kohanski, Ilianna Viramontes, Katrina Rose, & Megan Rose.
Team Jennifer Hudson: Chris Weaver, Shi’Ann Jones, Lucas Holliday, Maharasyi Hansa, Davon Fleming, Kathrina Feigh, Alexandra Joyce, Eric Lyn, Stephan Marcellus, Ignatious Carmouche, Meagan McNeal, & Jeremiah Miller.
Team Blake Shelton: Mitchell Lee, Esera Tuaolo, Keisha Renee, Red Marlow, Adam Cunningham, Noah Mac, Anna Catherine DeHart, Dennis Drummond, Rebecca Brunner, Natalie Stovell, Ryan Scripps & Kristi Hoops.
To help their teams prepare for battle, the coaches recruited an all-star group of advisors. Team Blake worked with Rascal Flatts, while Adam invited Joe Jonas to assist him. Jennifer Hudson called on longtime friend and Voice Australia coach Kelly Rowland to help, while Miley Cyrus kept it a family affair and invited her father, Billy Ray Cyrus, to coach her all-female team!
Which artists rose to the occasion and advanced to the knockouts? Who was eliminated from the competition? Which artists were stolen? Read on to find out!
Team Jennifer kicked off the night with an epic battle between her one-chair-turns Lucas Holiday and Meagan McNeal. The duo tackled Bobby Brown’s “My Prerogative,” and both of them left the audience impressed with their powerhouse vocals. This battle reminded me so much of Season Six’s Sisaundra versus Biff’s “It’s A Man’s World.” Their high octane vocal battle made me smile and received a well-deserved four coach standing ovation. Miley suggested that their battle should be the commercial for JHUD Productions and called Meagan a “crowd pleaser.” Adam thanked them for making their day, while Blake simply stated to Jennifer: “God be with you right now.” It was a tough decision, but Jennifer awarded Lucas the first spot on Team Jennifer’s Knockout team.
Team Miley’s first Battle Round of the season was Team Miley’s growlers: Moriah Formica and Shilo Gold. She tackled the girls to tackle Lenny Kravitz’s “American Woman.” Billy Ray Cyrus called them: “The new female Brooks & Dunn” during the rehearsals and Miley wanted them to make this performance memorable. Moriah felt so at home on stage as she channeled her inner Orianthi and showcased her outstanding stage presence. Meanwhile, Shilo Gold continued to prove that she is one vocalist to keep an eye on. Both Adam and Jennifer loved Moriah’s rock and roll voice and recommended that Miley advanced Moriah to the next round. She listened to her fellow coaches and advanced Moriah to the next round.
Blake welcomed his mentors, Rascal Flatts, to The Voice. He paired his most potent singers together! California natives Keisha Renee and Noah Mac sang the Elvis Presley version of “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry.” I fell hard in love with Keisha Renee’s outstanding vocals, and I truly admired Noah Mac’s storytelling ability. Jennifer stated that Noah’s voice reminded her of “an old soul,” but truly enjoyed Keisha’s vocals. Meanwhile, Miley added that Keisha could win the show and Adam stated that they were “apples and oranges.” Blake decided to advance Keisha to the Knockout Rounds. However, Jennifer activated the first steal of the evening and stole Noah Mac from Blake.
Jennifer’s second pairing of the night was Chris Weaver and Kathrina Feigh. She assigned the powerhouse singers to tackle Ariana Grande’s “Dangerous Woman.” She charged both artists to deliver a memorable performance. From the first note, Chris blew everyone away with his impressive vibrato and baritone vocals. But, Kathrina kept pushing her vocal register further, and the vocal blend of both of their voices was exquisite! Miley felt like they were performing the song a cappella and was impressed that Kathrina kept up with Chris. Adam called Chris “a force of nature,” while Blake commended them on their vocal control.
Miley’s second pairing of the evening was Brooke Simpson and Sophia Bollman. Miley gave two of her most significant voices-a colossal challenge: Bob Dylan’s “You’re A Big Girl Now.” She also advised them to let their vocals explode on stage. Sophia has a sturdy voice and is a great storyteller. Meanwhile, Brooke’s voice is a brilliant piece of ear candy. I also loved the girls’ harmonies and how they shifted their vocals into turbo. Adam called Brooke a mini Shakira, but along with Blake gave the edge to Brooke. Jennifer praised their unity and loved their performance. Miley decided to keep Brooke on her team.
Adam’s first battle of Season 13 (and the final battle of the evening) involved Adam Pierce and Whitney Fenimore! Whitney was shocked to see Joe Jonas sitting alongside Adam Levine, while Adam Pierce was ecstatic to make it to the Battle Rounds after getting a “NO” in Season 12. They tackled Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty’s “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around.” While it was hard to get Phillip Phillips and Elise Testone’s duet from American Idol out of my head, but both Adam and Brooke delivered an epic guitar duet that would make Tom Petty and former Team Adam advisor Stevie Nicks proud. During the coaches’ commentary, Blake championed Whitney, while the ladies loved Adam Pearce. He decided to advance Adam Pearce to the Knockout Rounds, while Miley and Blake went toe-to-toe for Whitney. Whitney decided to go with Team Miley!
Tomorrow night, “The Voice: Season 13” Battles continue!
