The Knockout Rounds begin on the Voice

By: Jacob Elyachar

Dozens have auditioned…but only a selective group of elite performers had the chance to be mentored by Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Usher or Shakira.

Out of this selective group, only 32 performers survived the Battle Rounds and now moved on to the Knockout Rounds.

The Knockout Rounds will determine who will represent their coach during the Live Shows and who will take a step closer to achieve their dream as a recording artist for the Universal Music Group.

Did your favorites make it? The Knockout Rounds’ recap starts right now!

Tonight, Team Adam and Team Shakira faced the Knockout Rounds.

Adam’s first pairing was Amber Carrington and Midas Whale.  Amber chose Avril Lavigne’s “I’m With You” because of her emotional connection to the hit, while Midas Whale took a risk and tackled Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground.”   Amber’s “I’m With You” with a good vocal and she showed great stage presence, but there were some pitch problems.   Midas Whale gave an interesting spin on it that impressed Usher.   However, Adam decided to eliminate Midas Whale and advance Amber into the Live Rounds.

Shakira’s first Knockout Round pairing was between her unique singers: returning singer Garrett Gardner and country darling Tawnya Reynolds.  Garrett delivered an impressive cover of Alex Clare’s “Too Close” while Tawnya showed sass with her cover of “Hell on Heels.”  However, Shakira decided to send Garrett through to the next round while sending Tawnya home.

Powerhouse singer Amy Whitcomb and newcomer Caroline Glaser was the second pairing of the night.   Amy Whitcomb’s cover of “House of the Rising Sun” was a train wreck, while Caroline’s subdued approach of “Little Talks” impressed her former coach, Blake, and the Maroon 5 front man.  In the end, Adam chose Danielle to advance to the Knockout Rounds.

Kris Thomas and Mary Miranda’s battle showcased different styles of music.  R&B-Soul singer Kris Thomas chose Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World” because of its beautiful message and he delivered a strong vocal performance.  However, Mary Miranda stole the round with her soulful rendition of “Every Breath You Take” and sang the song in English.  Unfortunately, Mary’s risk did not pay off as she was eliminated from the competition and Kris advanced to the next round.

Soul singers Judith Hill and newcomer Orlando Dixon battled it out for the next spot on Team Adam.   The Voice frontrunner delivered an astonishing cover of Willie Nelson’s “Always On My Mind,” which in parts was a master class vocal.   Orlando tried to counter with K-Ci and JoJo’s “All My Life.”     However, Orlando’s performance could not beat Judith Hill and won the round.

Rocker Karina Iglesias and future Latin superstar Monique Abbadie were the third battle of the night.  Karina made Lenny Kravitz proud when she tackled the rocker’s hit: “Are You Gonna Go My Way” and blew everyone out of the water with her amazing high notes and stage presence.  Monique decided to take a risk and performed Celine Dion’s “The Power of Love,” which was so much better than Amber Holcomb’s abysmal cover on Idol.   Adam stated that both singers had technical problems but would choose Karina.  However, Blake thought that Monique had a lot more potential.  Shakira decided to choose with Karina and but praised Monique’s efforts.

Adam’s final round of the night belonged to Warren Stone and Sarah Simmons.  The single dad and firefighter tackled Cutting Crew’s “(I Just) Died In Your Arms,” which was very unconvincing.  Sarah Simmons’ “Wild Horses” was haunting and stole the show.   All three of Adam’s fellow coaches were in unison and would have chosen Sarah as the winner if they were in his shoes.   The “Moves Like Jagger” sided with his fellow coaches and picked Sarah as the final singer to represent him in the Live Rounds.

The final round of the night belonged to Team Shakira’s Sasha Allen and Shawna P.  According to Blake, this was “The Best Knockout Round” he has seen so far.  Sasha came out of the gate with a superior cover of Etta James’s “At Last” that showcased a lot of runs.   While Shawna P tried her hardest with her cover of “Maybe I’m Amazed,” she could not match Sasha’s superb vocals and was eliminated from the competition.

Tomorrow night, Team Blake and Team Usher will try their luck with the Knockout Rounds.