Meghan, India, Kimberly, Koryn, Sawyer and Josh took to the stage and sang for a spot in the Semi-Finals. (Photo property of NBC & United Artists Media Group)
By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com
Last week, The Voice’s nail-biting save saw America rally behind Team Christina’s India Carney as they successfully eliminated 2/3 of Team Blake!
Now, only six artists remain!
Tonight, The Voice Top Six took to the stage twice and delivered performances that got them closer to that recording contract with Universal Music Group.
Who rose to the occasion? Who might be in danger of leaving? Read on to find out…
Last week’s Instant Save winner India Carney kicked off the night with her tribute to her mother: Common & John Legend’s Oscar-winning song “Glory” from Selma. Christina advised her to embrace the pain and struggle during her performance. I loved how she beautifully balanced Common’s rap with her impressive vocals. I got major chills from her superb interpretation and as a certain Idol judge would squeal: “India’s Peaking at the Right Time!” A-
Team Adam’s last man standing was the next artist to take the stage! Joshua tackled U2’s “Desire.” It was always a huge risk to have the band perform with the artists on stage. Joshua’s vocals were smooth, but there were sections in the performance that the horn section drowned his voice. While he recovered nicely, I hope that he can put on a spectacular second song. B
Summers Hawthorne joined her daughter, Koryn, at her child’s rehearsal with Pharrell. Ms. Hawthorne beamed with delight and tears in her eyes as Koryn took to stage and performed R.E.M.’s “Everybody Hurts.” Since she first appeared at her Blind Audition, she has blossomed and evolved as an artist faster than any other contestant on the show. Her rendition of “ Everybody Hurts” might be her ticket into the finale. A
Kimberly Nichole showed off her tender side for her tribute song for her mother, Gloria. Kimberly’s mom is a huge fan of Christina Aguilera and it was great to get to know Mrs. Nichole (and hear her sing) during the pre-performance segment. Every time that Kimberly perfectly executed her notes, I smiled. This girl has so much potential in her that I wish that Clive Davis, David Foster or L.A. Reid would sign her or that Diane Warren would write songs for her! A+
Team Blake’s last girl standing—Meghan Linsey sang the blues. She chose James Taylor’s “Steamroller Blues.” I loved seeing Meghan’s sass, passion and fire erupt from this song. The grit was fantastic and she truly shined on this song. Well done, Meghan! You got a B+ for your first performance.
Sawyer Fredericks closed out round one with his tribute to his mother! The Team Pharrell artist went back to his childhood and chose Daisy Mae Erlewine’s “Shine On” as his first song of the night. While this was a pleasant vocal, I needed Sawyer to emote more emotion…because this would have been a perfect moment for him. B-
Kimberly Nichole’s final song of the night was an epic Michael Jackson song! The front-runner chose “Dirty Diana,” a song that her coach slayed during the 2011 Forever Michael Tribute Concert. Christina advised Kimberly to be careful of the machine gun lyrics and wanted her rocker to let loose at her rehearsal. Kimberly not only sounded sultry, but she looked sexy as hell. I hope that the Jackson family was watching this performance, because they would be proud of Kimberly’s take on the King of Pop’s Bad classic. A++
After Xtina announced the return of Jacquie Lee to The Voice, Joshua paid tribute to his wife with the Beatles’ “In My Life.” There was a John Mayer-vibe about this performance that kind of turned me off from this performance. Like Sawyer before him, I was unable to connect with this performance. I think it was the audience’s abysmal rhythmic clapping that turned me off from Joshua’s performance. I hope that he has a strong choice for tomorrow’s Instant Save sing off…because I have a feeling that he is going to be singing for the save. C
Aerosmith’s “Dream On” has been covered multiple times on Idol, the X Factor and the Voice. Only three artists perfectly captured the essence of the Steven Tyler-penned tune: Caleb Johnson, Jeff Gutt and Team Adam’s Amanda Brown! Because of the legacy of those three performances, Koryn had a strong uphill battle on her hands. While she tried to tackle the Steven Tyler monster, she was unable to hit those magnificent high notes that the former artists hit when they performed the song. D+
A few weeks ago on Idol, comeback kid Rayvon Owen slayed Sam Smith’s “Lay Me Down.” While Mr. Owen delivered a superb cover of the song, he should really watch how a Voice artist takes a song and blows it out of the water. I loved India’s gorgeous tone that was showcased throughout the song and as Adam stated, this was her best performance on the show! I really hope America puts this lady into the Top Five! A+
It’s very risky to tackle a soul giant: Al Green’s “Take Me to the River.” Soul legends Mavis Staples and Sam Moore set the norm with the tune when they performed the song on last year’s Kennedy Center Honors. Unfortunately, Sawyer did not hit that high standard with his cover. I also thought Pharrell and the Powers-That-Be were extremely in the wrong when they added dancers into the performance, it distracted me from the performance! C-
Meghan Linsey closed out the night with her mother’s favorite song: “Amazing Grace.” While I enjoyed hearing the first couple verses of the gospel hymn a cappella, I wished Meghan did the entire song a la Bo Bice…because it would have solidified her place in this year’s finale. B-
Tomorrow night, alums Craig Wayne Boyd, Vicci Martinez, Jacquie Lee & Avery Wilson return to The Voice as your Top Five is decided!
I do not own the clips that are featured in this article! They belong to the respective shows and their networks (CBS, FOX & NBC)
