The Top 12 posed together before “The Voice” went live tonight! (Photo property of NBC)
By: Jacob Elyachar
Tonight, the 12 remaining artists took to the stage to not only make their coaches (Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, CeeLo Green and Christina Aguilera) proud…but also to impress the audience.
Which rising star stole the show? Did anyone hit any flat notes? Read on to find out…
Up first to face America was Team CeeLo’s Caroline Pennell. She tackled Avicii’s “Wake Me Up.” The 17-year-old tackled an acoustic version of the song and I think CeeLo made a great decision with picking this song. The only concern that I had with this song was that the backing singers had briefly overpowered her during the chorus. Despite that, it was a solid vocal. B+
Team Christina’s Josh Logan had a lot to prove tonight. In my honest opinion, he should have been sent home and Stephanie Anne Johnson should have had his place…but it was Christina’s decision. He tackled one of my all-time favorite Michael Jackson songs: “Man in the Mirror.” As much as I liked the fact that Josh did not use his guitar, his vocal runs were not good! I wished he showcased more of his vocal tricks! C
Another artist that had a lot to prove tonight was Team Adam’s James Wolpert. While he started his comeback last week with his first Live Round performance, he still had a lot of ground to cover after his Battle and Knockout Round performances. He tackled The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside,” which was a little rocky during the first few bars…James actually delivered an intriguing vocal (but there was too much screaming!) B
Austin Jenckes is a terrific addition to Team Blake. The three-time champion gave Austin…Travis Tritt’s “It’s a Great Day to Be Alive.” He delivered a sturdy performance that featured superb high notes and was the first artist of the night to put a smile on my face! A-
Last week, Jacquie Lee stormed the competition and proved that she was an artist to watch! This week, the divalicious coach chose Jack White’s cover of U2’s “Love is Blindness.” Jacquie is a vocal dynamo that combines both her fiery vocals and her astonishing stage presence that knocked it out of the park! WOWZA! A+
Team Blake’s Ray Boudreaux had the most difficult task of performing after Jacquie. Blake chose John Legend’s “All of Me” for him to sing. This song is probably one of my favorite songs of 2013 and unfortunately, Ray did not impress me. I wished that he performed the song with a piano because it bored me to tears! D+
Kat Robichaud is this season’s firecracker! Every time she appears on the Voice stage, she takes viewers on a wild ride! Rocker Kat returned on the scene when the “Forget You” singer sang Awolnation’s “Sail.” I loved her fire, passion and soul that she infused into the song! Thank you Kat for taking us to the Church of Rock tonight! A
Air Force veteran Jonny Gray ended Team CeeLo’s night with a cover of Phil Collins’ “Another Day in Paradise.” I had high hopes for Jonny but it was very pitchy and hard for me to follow his performance. While Phil would have been proud of his effort, nerves CANNOT get the better of any artist at this stage of the competition. C+
Tessanne Chin tackled Emeli Sande’s “My Kind of Love.” This was a vocal master class! If this girl does not make it to the finale, I will cry! A+
Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” is a song that has been covered on multiple singing competitions. Jason Castro performed a simplistic version on American Idol: Season Eight while classical crossover singer Branden James took it to operatic heights on America’s Got Talent. Matthew Schuler inserted gospel into his cover and it gave everyone goose bumps! I have a feeling that Matthew will be riding this performance all the way to this year’s finale. A+
Team Blake’s final performer, Cole Vosbury, was able to bond with Blake as they shared the loss of family members. I want to give props to Blake for making Cole…one of the best male singers of the competition. He slayed Miguel’s “Adorn” with his raspy vocals and showcased beautiful vocal runs that received the first all four coach standing ovation of Season Five! A+
Will Champlin closed with the show with Imagine Dragons’ “Demons.” Will had the challenge of following three A-plus vocal performances. Not only did he take the bull by the horns, Will perfectly showcased his vocal skills and his run at the end of the song…was spectacular! Go Will Go! A+
Tomorrow night, your votes are revealed and for the first time this season…The Instant Save comes into play! Also, Sara Bareilles will provide the entertainment during the Result Show.
