An important factor that shows like The Voice needs to keep in consideration is how to remain current without losing its integrity. Part of that, when it comes to The Voice is about the personalities they bring onto the show. Whether in coach or mentor capacity, the individuals must be the right fit. Our latest Battle Round episode begins with a bit of a fun montage highlighting our mentors for the season, with Chapell Roan‘s “Hot to Go” as the underscoring. Chapelle, modern. Coco Jones, modern. Kate Hudson, not so much. Perhaps that’s why I laughed when she admitted that she should “Stop saying awesome,” leading to the blooper reel of the word on repeat. As a millennial guilty of overusing the phrase, I relate, but also, Kate Hudson and the word “awesome” don’t seem to jive. Even though Adam Levine builds her up as this “badass,” her presence as a mentor still seems confusing.
For those like me who are eager to move on to the next round of competition, you’re in luck! Host Carson Daly tells us it’s the final night of the Battles. As much as I’m going to miss Cynthia Erivo on my screen every week, I know I can turn on Peacock to watch Wicked on repeat. This final night of Battles is a setup for our next round, the Knockouts. The coaches must make smart moves. Will they though? Spoiler: they won’t.
Kelsea Ballerini Makes Rookie Mistakes on ‘The Voice’
Kelsea Ballerini kicks off the night with her free spirits, Iris Herrera and Simone Marijic. Iris is a free spirit in the sense that she has a free spirit to lie about knowing anything about Little Big Town. Simone, on the other hand, feels like a genuine fan, though “Girl Crush” really has mainstream appeal, so maybe a deeper cut next time? Little Big Town provides their advice on chemistry and harmony, something that seems distant for both singers individually. Interestingly, Simone is part of an a capella group so her voice should melt into another. It just means Iris must be at her level. Hoping they are emotionally matched, Kelsea gives her girls “Ceilings” by Lizzy McAlpine as she believes it’s a whimsical ballad that allows them to share their personalities. Kelsea nailed the modern requirement for The Voice, but it’s not highlighting the tenor of their timbre.
Individually, both Iris and Simone have interesting solo moments, with Simone’s voice purity fitting better. Now, whether they didn’t take Little Big Town’s advice or their voices are simply not meant to harmonize, the chorus comes out pitchy. Iris’s tone has an innate vibrato that seems to pull Simone out of tune. When in reality, it’s Simone’s straighter notes that are right. Iris overpowers Simone in all the worst ways. Perhaps it’s me, but the coaches really tried to make us believe that the harmonies were on fire. Have we gotten too soft? Kelsea’s decision is to give the victory to Iris. Iris has a more interesting voice, but in duet mode, her performance hurt her partner. Kelsea does a disservice to Simone by pairing them together. Will Michael Bublé treat her better? Thankfully, the Canadian crooner waits until the “Threshold of Death,” the line on stage where it’s over when the singer crosses, to use his steal. As he says, “I know what I want, and I know how to get good ratings.”
Since we can’t see everyone’s full Battle performances, the highly edited performance between Jessica Manalo and Dan Kiernan means we’re denied the opportunity to hear two dynamic singers take on Chappelle Roan’s “Good Luck, Babe.” It was a shocking moment for me not to see this Battle because both artists gave mammoth Blind Auditions, with Jessica being one of the most haunting performances of “Unholy.” This Battle should not have been left on the cutting room floor. Dan Kiernan wins, which means we lost Jessica. Has the rookie lost the plot? She gets another go at a brief Battle, this time for Robert Hunter and Page Mackenzie. The two sing Morgan Wallen‘s “Lies, Lies, Lies,” in which Page is the winner.
‘The Voice’ Lets a Star Go
It’s time to cherish our final moments with Cynthia Erivo. Again, if she has free time in her schedule, The Voice, give her a call. She’s born to be a coach. For Michael Bublé’s first pairing in the last night of Battles, he brings Dimitrius Graham and Divighn together. Occupying a similar lane, this battle is to determine which artist’s style Michael prefers more. Unlike Iris and Little Big Town, Dimitrius not only knows who the almost EGOT winner is, he thanks her for getting him through his darkest times. Now, this is not just coming from a fan. This comes from someone who has met her; they’ve had a connection. The way he describes it sounds like they were pen pals, but the old selfie proves it was more than social media pals. Divighn doesn’t have a connection to Cynthia Erivo, but he has a wife, so almost the same. The duo gets something that no other singer gets: duet time WITH Cynthia. Yes, that’s right. They give her a mic, and she sings with them from the comfort of her stool. I’m not jealous, you are.
Michael Bublé prefaces that his song choice is due to his loss of faith in modern music and production on the radio. “Leave the Door Open” by Silk Sonic, aka Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak, brought his faith back. The song has swag. It’s silky smooth, with both artists forming their own future Grammy-winning duo, Double D. Divighn pushes himself to the forefront vocally and physically, but Dimitrius’ ability to run is exceptional. The most interesting part of the feedback session is the coaches laying into them. They claim they were muddy together and even call out Divighn’s showmanship as positively outshining Dimitrius. Perhaps it would have been a different experience had you been in the room. Or perhaps both artists are at the point where nitpicking is necessary because they are head and shoulders above the rest. Easily the hardest decision in any Battle, Michael selects Divighn as his winner, moving onto the Knockouts. Dimitrius Graham walking out without a save or steal is a travesty. Bad move, Bublé.
Before we officially say goodbye to Cynthia “for good” (see what I did there), she mentors Adam David and Ricardo Moreno, two singers who have souls from two different perspectives. One has a kitschy voice, and the other has the ability to sing in Spanish. But this moment is not about them. It’s about Michael Bublé’s ego. He forces his roster to sing a track he wrote called “Home.” Michael’s fun fact: he wrote the song in the shower. Michael’s other fun fact: the song has been covered by none other than Blake Shelton, and it was a bigger hit for the country crooner. Even with him long gone from the show, he still manages to pop up into conversation. As a reminder, Ricardo, who sang a classic partially in Spanish, was Michael’s Coaches Replay. After Cynthia asks Ricardo if he feels more comfortable in Spanish, Michael reveals there’s a Spanish version of the song. Surely, this was not all a setup, right?
Adam and Ricardo do “Home” their way, even with that Blake Shelton twang attached. Adam is at ease when he begins, but Ricardo starting in Spanish makes the performance unique. His struggle is flipping in and out of language. Having to sing the harmonies in English creates a haphazard performance, something that his coach should have recognized. Adam performs the song better, but Ricardo is the more interesting option for Michael’s roster. Perhaps it was a bit late in the night, but none of the coaches seemed interested in this performance. How this one made the edit is perplexing on an evening where some Battles are cut. Adam is given the win, with Ricardo leaving The Voice.
John Legend Makes a Tough Decision
John Legend is so proud of Coco Jones. Which is fair, as she’s been the underdog mentor for Season 27. It’s fitting as the EGOT winner pits two underdogs together in Renzo and Jay Ammo. Maybe the theme of the night is who knows the mentors. I won’t say that Renzo or Jay didn’t know who Coco Jones was, but their excitement wasn’t bursting through the screen. For their Battle, they sing “Is This Love” by Bob Marley and the Wailers. It’s an exceptional pick as it taps straight into the musical roots of both singers. With a Caribbean flair, they have the ability to do something very few other singers left in the competition can do. Add Coco Jones’ advice into the mix, and they’re radio-ready. Though she only mentions Jay Ammo as having a marketable voice, I counter with Renzo’s cross-over appeal.
The performance is full of groove. Renzo is in the pocket, nailing the attitude, while Jay’s purity is a tad cleaner. His stage presence is not close to Renzo’s, making it feel as if it’s just bopping around as the star does his thing. Simply based on intrigue, Renzo is the winner, but the quartet of coaches hop to their feet for the exceptional performance. Renzo rightly gets the victory. It’s a bit of a ho-hum goodbye for Jay Ammo, though Kelsea not even considering a steal feels foolish.
For Team Legend, we’re not privy to seeing the modern-day Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton in Jordan Allen and Jacquelyn George take on “Islands in the Stream.” Certainly looking the part, Jacquelyn wins the Battle. Also, you would never have known what song it was based on the cut, as both singers were riffing to the rafters. Also, to be fair, Jordan Allen was a late-in-the-game auditioner, so it was pretty clear whoever he was up against, he would be eliminated.
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Adam Levine’s Risky Non-Country Country Risk
The nostalgia factor that The Voice brings this season is welcoming Adam Levine back to the show. They put him in Blake Shelton’s chair, perhaps because it’s the lucky chair. Or they are trying to help him tap into the country of it all. So, when granted the opportunity to pair two country artists against one another, the Maroon 5 frontman says let’s go with a non-country song! Sure, versatility and the ability to cross genres is smart, but forcing his two young country kids to sing Avril Lavigne baffles me. Trevon Dawson and Tyler Kae seem completely unaware of who Kate Hudson is. And to be fair, they seem perplexed by having to sing “I’m With You.” In today’s edition of “Are You Ready To Feel Ancient,” did you know that this Avril Lavigne track is older than both of Adam’s singers? I would like to make the comparison about modern versus “old,” as I’ve been doing so far, but am I ready to admit what year of high school I was in when Avril released that track? For the first time this season, Kate Hudson offers some solid feedback, telling them to capture the “explosion in the chorus.” She then sings by example, and she’s not half bad without autotune. Does this help either singer? Let’s find out.
When Adam tells Trevon that any great song can be country, it’s clear that he’s hoping to pull him out of his comfort zone and win over the non-country voters. It handicaps Tyler in the sense that she’s expected to perform better. Trevon does quite well vocally, offering that occasional twang into certain lyrics. Yet, from a performance perspective, he’s uncomfortable. Tyler’s voice fits the song much better, especially in that Avril “yodel” section. She could cover the song for a movie soundtrack and it would make sense. Trevon doesn’t stand out, but is he supposed to? Despite the odds stacked against him, Adam moves on with Trevon, causing Tyler to leave the competition.
Team Adam closes the Battles out with Conor James and Tinika Wyatt. It’s the four-chair kid versus the Coaches Replay momma. These two singers couldn’t be more different. The fun part about The Voice is age knows no limits here. As the lone “older” contestant on any roster, Tinika Wyatt is representing, but can she prove that she can fit into this modern world? Meanwhile, Conor fan girls over Kate Hudson because someone had to. He claims he’s seen How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days more than once, which sounds like it deserves an award of its own. He also calls her a triple threat, so Conor is very kind. He does clarify the triple is singer, actor, and entrepreneur because the dancers would be completely gaslighting. Adam selects The Bee Gees, which is not modern, but it’s certainly cool. Kate Hudson’s parting advice includes this: “You know what I loved so much is like you can tell you’re having so much fun already with this song.” Swap in any celebrity, and they, too, can be a mentor on The Voice.
“How Deep Is Your Love?” is a timeless track that brings out different flavors and experiences from both singers. Conor’s silky tone brings out his range, but Tiniki’s comfort matches the intent. It’s a lived-in performance. She knows and feels this song. Conor’s ability to implement vocal acrobatics is not something his competitor can do, making him the clear victor of the matchup. Not to lose the plot, but with more to discuss, Kelsea Ballerini still has a steal available. It’s clear that whoever Adam selects, the other joins Kelsea. Could she be strategic and steer him in the wrong direction to get what she wants? Certainly. Does she? Not at all. Adam prefaces his decision that Timika made him rethink everything, but he picks Conor for his unicorn quality. Kelsea slams her button, adding soul to Team Kelsea. As fun as Timiki is and what she represents, Kelsea wastes her steal by allowing better overall artists to leave. So who has the strongest roster moving into the Knockouts? It’s hard to say, but they definitely let go of the wrong artists. Is that Replay button still active?
The Voice airs Mondays at 8:00 pm on NBC. All episodes are available to stream on Peacock.
The final round of Battles prove shocking as great artists leave ‘The Voice.’
- Release Date
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April 26, 2011
- Directors
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Alan Carter
- Franchise(s)
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The Voice
- Cynthia Erivo proves she’s ready to be a full-time coach.
- ‘The Voice’ finds the balance of modern and nostalgia.
- Kelsea Ballerini makes a rookie mistake using the steal too late.
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