Coaches Gwen Stefani and Pharrell Williams smile during a taping of “The Voice: Season Nine” Battle Rounds. (Photo property of NBC & UnitedArtists Media Group)
By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com
We have reached night three of the Battle Rounds!
Before we dive into tonight’s battles, here is where the teams stand:
Adam Levine: Jordan Smith, James Dupre, Keith Semple & Dustin Christensen (Stolen from Team Blake)
Blake Shelton: Zach Seabaugh (still should have been Tyler Dickerson), Barrett Baber, Chris Crump & Ivonne Acero (stolen from Team Pharrell)
Gwen Stefani: Ellie Lawrence, Kota Wade, Jeffrey Austin & Regina Love (stolen from Team Adam)
Pharrell Williams: Mark Hood, Madi Davis, Siahna Im & Tim Atlas (stolen from Team Gwen)
Each coach has one final steal to strengthen their team! Which coach used their last steal tonight? Read on to find out….
As the coaches head to their seats, all eyes were on Team Blake’s Blaine Mitchell and Blind Joe. Blake paired them together because they leave blood and guts after they are done with their performances. The four-time winning coach challenged his two artists to tackle Bob Seger’s “Old Time Rock and Roll.” Blind Joe showcased the WOW factor with his performance, while Blaine Mitchell channeled his Mick Jagger and danced across the stage. As Blake chose Blind Joe, Adam used his final steal on Blaine.
Team Adam’s first battle of the night showcased both Cassandra Robertson and Viktor Kiraly. He tasked both of them when Adam assigned them to perform The Tony Rich Project’s “Nobody Knows.” I loved hearing both of their voices together, but I loved Cassandra’s powerful tone and impeccable delivery more. I am so glad that the coaches acknowledged Cassandra’s progress, but I am very disappointed that neither Blake, Pharrell or Gwen stole her! She would have been a force to be reckoned with during the Live Rounds.
Gwen put Chase Kerby and Korin Bukowski for her first battle of the night. She chose them to perform Regina Spektor’s “Samson” for the Battle Rounds. I was immediately captivated by Korin’s vocals and she definitely played towards my heart and I am so glad that Gwen picked her to advance to the Knockout Rounds. She could be this season’s Michelle Chamuel!
Pharrell’s only battle of the night centered around Evan McKeel and Riley Biederer. Evan was geeking out when he saw Team Pharrell’s advisor Missy Elliott. We knew that Evan can pull off a Stevie Wonder song, he sang a few bars of Stevie Wonder’s “Overjoyed” during the Blind Auditions. However, Riley showcased that she would not be intimidated by Evan’s voice. During the performance, Evan seemed at home on stage while Riley brought a sass attack that tripled her delicious voice. In all honesty, this was the battle of the night! Both artists brought it and secured their futures in the music industry. At the end of the battle, Pharrell picked Evan to move on for the Knockout Rounds and Gwen swooped in to steal Riley for her team.
Team Gwen’s Lyndsey Elm and Braiden Sunshine faced off with an 80s anthem: “No One Is To Blame.” This was one of my favorite pairings that Gwen did all throughout her time on The Voice. During a taping of their final rehearsal, Lyndsey showed Selena an old video that she recorded for her when her brother attended a taping of Wizards of Waverly Place. I loved seeing Selena’s reaction to the video and watching Gwen teach Braiden about stage presence. At the battle, I thought Braiden made Gwen proud with his performance, but I was extremely connected with Lyndsey’s lovely vocals and superb range. However, I was shocked and disappointed to learn Braiden’s last minute cute comments made him win the battle! Come on, Gwen! Go with your gut!
The final battle of the night were Team Adam’s Andi & Alex and Chance Pena. The two-time Voice winning coach asked them to cover the Calling’s “Wherever You Will Go.” It has been ages since I have heard this song and I thought that all three of them sounded beautifully together and were the only artists that gave me chills! Adam chose Andi & Alex, while Blake stole Chance from Adam and declared that he would taking him to the finale.
Tomorrow night, the Battle Rounds conclude with a steal from Pharrell!
