Pharrell looks on as Adam gives Christina a high five during a taping of “The Voice.” (Photo property of NBC)
By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com
The Battle Rounds continued tonight!
Before, we head to tonight’s battles…here is where our teams stand:
Team Adam: Tonya Boyd-Cannon, Deanna Johnson, Nathan Hermida, Blaze Johnson & Joshua Davis (stole from Blake)
Team Blake: Brian Johnson, Sarah Potenza, Cody Wickline, Travis Ewing (stole from Pharrell) & Meghan Linsey (also stolen from Pharrell)
Team Christina: Sonic, Joe Tolo & Ashley Morgan (stolen from Pharrell)
Team Pharrell: Mia Z, Anthony Riley, Paul Pfau & Hannah Kirby (stolen from Blake)
Who will join these artists in the Knockout Rounds? Who will get a steal? Read on to find out!
The first two artists that battled it out were Team Pharrell’s Briar Jonnee and Caitlin Caporale. He assigned them to tackle his last season’s advisor: Alicia Keys’s “Fallin’.” Both ladies made huge strides in their vocal presentations, however…Caitlin captivated me throughout the entire Battle Round. Adam called the battle “crazy” and Christina added that it was one of her favorite battles of the season. This decision left Pharrell totally confused and the coaches were not being helpful. In the end, Pharrell chose Caitlin to represent his team in the Knockout Rounds.
For Team Adam’s first battle of the night, the Maroon 5 singer chose Barry Minniefield and Jack Gregori to duel. The two baritones tackled the late Joe Cocker’s “Feelin’ Alright.” Adam compared this battle to be a boxing match. In addition, Adam stated before the end of the pre-Battle package that whoever has the most fun would win this battle. While both of them gave out good energy, Barry entertained me throughout the battle and his vocals gave me chills. I was glad that Adam picked Barry to move on to the next round.
Christina had a pair of divas-in-training (Katelyn Read & Treeva Gibson) duke it out for the night’s third battle. The “Beautiful” singer chose Florence Welch’s cover of rock classic “Addicted to Love.” During the rehearsals, both Xtina and guest advisor Nick Jonas had a hard time getting the girls loose (they even asked them to scream and Christina gave a blood curdling scream as well). While I loved hearing the mysteriousness in Katelyn’s vocals, Treeva’s powerful progression impressed me the most during the battle. Christina decided to pick Treeva to move on to the Knockout Rounds.
For Pharrell’s final battle pairing of the night, he paired Kimberly Nicole and Lowell Oakley together! Lionel Richie and Pharrell picked Big Mama Thornton’s “Hound Dog.” I could not keep my eyes off of Kimberly Nichole! Her vocals were astonishing and every vocal jab that she gave to Lowell was unbelievable and took me to church. Unfortunately, Pharrell took his sweet time and made the wrong decision by choosing Lowell Oakley! Luckily, Christina made the right decision and stole Kimberly! Who knows? Kimberly might be the first Team Xtina contestant to win this whole series.
Both Team Blake’s Brenna Yaeger and Kelsie May were star-strucked when Blake introduced them to his advisor: Meghan Trainor. The four-time Voice winning coach chose his mentor: Reba’s “Fancy” for his duo to sing. This song was one of the most complex tracks that any Team Blake member performed as Brenna fell out-of-pocket during the first rehearsal. During the final rehearsal, Blake added that both girls were timid and that the girls were singing in unison on the chorus. When the battle aired, both Brenna and Kelsie hit their marks with solid vocals. At the end of the battle, Blake chose Kelsie to move forward…while Brenna headed home.
The final battle of the night belonged to Team Christina! She had a Big Apple showdown between India Carney and Clinton Washington. Xtina thought that their voices matched and chose Rihanna & Mikky Ekko’s steamy “Stay” as their battle track. I loved watching their dynamic on stage and they oozed out gorgeous vocals. This battle proved why I love Christina as a coach; she brought the best in both of her artists. Not only did I have chills from the battle, but also it was great to see all of the coaches give them a standing ovation. While Christina chose India to move forward, both Adam and Pharrell leaped at the chance to steal Clinton! He enlisted with Team Adam.
Tomorrow night, the Battles conclude and all eyes will be on Pharrell as he has one final steal!
