The judges may have made their initial picks based purely on The Voice, but now that we’re getting into the nitty-gritty of the contest, all of the typical rules apply–with youth and beauty generally winning the day. The Patrick Thompson/Tyler Robinson fight barely seemed fair at all, with the song choice squarely in Patrick’s wheelhouse, and Blake’s constant harping on Tyler not to sing runs, It makes me wonder why he chose Tyler at all.
The Casey/Tim pairing was a bit unfair as well. When Tim refused to take all of Adam’s notes, I figured that was the end of him. Blake said he preferred Casey because he could already see some growth. Really, that was a nice way of saying he wouldn’t pick an old dog that wasn’t open to new tricks.
Frenchie has much more control over that big ole voice of hers than I remember on Idol, unlike Tarralyn, she understands that the key to great singing is a blend of hitting those big notes and singing with nuance. It will be interesting to see how far Frenchie makes it in this competition. She got some really great advice from Christina and Sia too-who pointed out that she had a tendency to sing sharp.
I agree with Blake–it was a shame to pit Vicci against Niki. They are both such great singers, I would have preferred they both advance in the competition. But if a singer had to go tonight–Vicci won it by an edge. Her vocals have a very special and unique quality.
It was a fun show tonight, but I would have collapsed all the talky reality bits and stuck to the performances. They could have doubled the rounds to 8, with short introductions to each battle. Some of that stuff was just superfluous.
- Download the Battle Round performances from iTunes HERE.
Here’s how tonight’s Battle Round will work: Contestants from the same team will face off in duets. The coaches will pick who moves on and who will be eliminated.
Christina speaks to the 8 members of her team. She picks the first pair:
Tarralyn Ramsey with Frenchie Davis They’ll sing Beyonce’s “Single Ladies”. Tarralyn is not surprised because they are both powerhouse vocalists. Sia joins Christina to help advise the pair. “I never worried about the words” jokes Christina. Sia tells Frenchie that she has a tendency to sing sharp. Tarralyn vows not to do a “great” rehearsal. She wants to keep her best tricks in her back pocket. Christina tells the duo they should be helping each other. Yeah right.
The singing begins! Taralyn QUIT SCREAMING AT ME. Pitch please. So far, Frenchie is winning. Tarralyn is confusing off key screaming with singing. Frenchie has more finesse. Cee Lo: I enjoyed that so much. Frenchie you got the big love going on. Adam: The best thing is when you forget it ‘s a singing competition. I forgot. Blake. It reminded me of Rocky. Christina: You got everybody worked up and having fun. I don’t want to pick this one! (she chats with Sia)
Winner: Frenchie Davis! (Good choice)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5fEZ_ACY4E
Blake Shelton is next!
Patrick Thomas and Tyler Robinson will sing “Burning Love” by Elvis. Blake brings in his advisor, Reba McEntire. Tyler has never heard “Burning Love”. That’s not good! Blake tells Tyler not to overdo the runs. Patrick asks Reba what she’s thinking about when she sings. She thinks of the words. This does not seem like a fair fight. Patrick is a country singer–the tune is in his wheelhouse. Tyler is a pop/soul guy and seems out of his element.
The singing begins! Patrick has this beat. His rich country voice is a perfect fit. Tyler’s voice is reedy, and the runs aren’t working here–he’s also off pitch. Bye Tyler. Christina: I was not expecting that. You both stepped up to the plate. Cee Lo: Both of you are surgically technical great singers. Cee Lo picks Tyler. Adam: You are both incredible. Adam also goes with Tyler! Hm. Reba says they both rocked it. Blake was happy that Tyler took his notes, but Patrick is the winner.
Winner: Patrick Thomas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdHd6nGBFJI
Adam is next!
Casey Weston and Tim Mahoney will sing “Leather and Lace” Casey is 18, Tim is much older. Interesting duo. Adam Levine brings in Adam Blackstone. Casey has never heard “Leather and Lace”. Adam tells Tim his voice has to be like butter. He needs to work on his phrasing. Casey is a badass, says Adam. Tim isn’t ready to take all of Adam’s advice. Adam is going to pick the singer who performs best, regardless of what came before.
The singing begins! Both singers are good. But, Casey’s got the stronger, more intriguing voice. And let’s face it–she’s younger and prettier too. Blake: If I was Adam, I’d go with Casey because I see development. Christina: They blended really well. Lovely. Cee Lo: You remind me of a young Stevie Nicks. But Tim is more strangely unique. It’s interesting to me. Adam says he was nervous, but in the end, he brought it. He tells Casey that it’s hard to mess with Stevie Nicks, but she did it.
Winner: Casey Weston
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryRci2bkEow
Cee Lo is next!
Vicci Martinez and Niki Dawson will sing Pink’s “Perfect”. Cee Lo brings Monica on as an adviser. Monica thinks it will be challenging to pick between these two confident singers.
The singing begins! Wow. This is a tough one. They are both terrific. Can’t they both stay? They get a standing O. Adam: That was by far the best duet of the night: Blake: Refuses to pick, and thinks it was a mistake to pair them together. Christina: This is a hard one. Cee Lo says Niki did an exceptional job, but Nikki “you’ve got this war dance…you have this gut wrenching affect on me.” He picks Vicci.
Winner: Vicci Martinez
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPpJOjNhKO8
