Michelle Chamuel stole the show with her cover of Bruno Mars’s “Grenade.” (Photo property of NBC & One Three Media)
By: Jacob Elyachar
The Voice is down to eight acts!
Did Shakira and Usher make decisions that could cost them their final players? Which members of Team Adam and Team Blake lose their momentum?
Read on to find out!
After Blake Shelton debuted his latest single: “Boys ‘Round Here” and featured Voice alum Gwen Sebastian, Team Adam’s Judith Hill was the first artist to take the stage. This week, Judith surprised everyone by covering will.i.am and Justin Bieber’s “#ThatPower.” It was an interesting song selection for her and she showed personality, but there was something early on in the song that disconnected my interest in her performance. Unfortunately, at this stage of the game, you can take risks but do not songs like that and I think this could cost Judith a place in the competition. B-
College student Holly Tucker was the first member of Team Blake to take the stage. She chose The Band Perry’s “DONE.” During the rehearsal, Holly revealed that she was also finishing up classes on the show in addition to her Voice responsibilities. While Holly stated it was overwhelming, she delivered an outstanding cover that would have made the Band Perry proud. A-
Judith returned to the stage to perform with Michelle Chamuel, Sarah Simmons and Sasha Allen and tackled Rihanna’s “Diamonds.” Their harmonies were superb and all four women looked like superstars up there. However, during their solos only Judith, Michelle and Sasha shined, while Sarah seemed out-of-place vocally in the song. A-
The Swon Brothers continued their Voice journey as they tackled the Eagles’ “Seven Bridges Road.” The remaining duo in the competition dedicated their performance to their home state. The boys took a risk by singing the first half of the song a cappella and it paid off as they delivered an amazing bluegrass version of the 1980 Eagles hit. During the package, Blake stated that the boys were the next generation of the Eagles…and he is right. A-
Team Shakira’s only contestant remaining Sasha Allen tackled David Guetta and Usher’s “Without You.” Sasha’s vocals were fantastic and the vocal runs were outstanding. She did a great job on the song and received some great praise from the judges (especially Usher). B+
Adam chose “Somebody That I Used to Know” for Sarah to perform. Both Season Two’s Lindsey Pavao and Season Three’s Daniel Rosa have already covered the song and had great success with the song. Unfortunately, the notes were all over the place and her screeching were not welcomed. If the Maroon 5 singer wanted Sarah to go into the finals, he needs to let her pick her own songs. This was a complete mess. D
The Voice’s country singers joined forces to tackle Sugarland’s “Something More.” This was a great group performance from start to finish. Everyone was spot on with their pitch and their harmonies were fantastic. A
Michelle Chamuel represented Team Usher in the Top Eight. She gave an outstanding performance of Bruno Mars’s “Grenade.” This was the best performance of the night because Michelle successfully interpreted the song and gave her best vocal since her time on the show! A+
Blake chose the Judds’ “Grandpa (Tell Me ‘Bout the Good Ol’ Days)” for Danielle Bradbury to sing. This was one of the most difficult songs that Blake has thrown at her and she rose up to the challenge as she dedicated her performance to her deceased grandparents. Blake stated that she took him back to when things were good and less chaotic. B+
Team Adam’s Amber Carrington closed the show with a cover of Adele’s “Skyfall.” At first, Amber was hesitant in tackling the track, but she was up for the challenge. In addition, Adam stated that he wanted her to be very dramatic because it is a James Bond theme song. This was an enchanting vocal and she took it to the heavens. A+
Tomorrow night, Sheryl Crow will provide the entertainment and two more artists will exit the stage!
