The Top 5 perform tonight for your votes AND YOUR VOTES ONLY! The twitter insta-save is no longer in play, so you’ll have to vote EXTRA HARD for your favs! Two contestants will be eliminated tomorrow night.
Click to Download The Voice Top 5 performances from iTunes
Tonight’s The Voice was short and sweet. Each of the contestants only performed one song–the one song that determines whether they advance to the finals or not! And I must say, for the most part, the contestants sang as if their lives depended on it. Well, except Cole Vosbury, who never seems to break a sweat. And James, who played it safe tonight.
I doubted Tessanne Chin would make it as far as the finals. America seemed to ignore her the first half of the season. But in the past few weeks, viewers have caught on to her magnificent vocals and are buying her performances from iTunes. She’s done best with older songs that give her an opportunity to show off skill. For that reason “Bridge Over Troubled Waters” was the perfect song. Yes, we singing show junkies are sick of the song. But your average viewer will plug into the nostalgia and respond to a great vocal. “Hallelujah” being oversung didn’t hurt Matthew any when he performed it. The song sat high on iTunes for weeks afterward. Tess will make it to the finals for sure.
Christina chose wisely for young Jacquie Lee. “Angel” was a great song choice, because it is age appropriate and has a message that’s universal. And everyone remembers it from those sad puppy PSA’s. Jacquie didn’t seem out of her emotional element like she has in the past, and other than a few wobbles, her performance was impressive. She’s got a very good shot at the final.
Will has spent the season overthinking performances and coming off as a try hard. This week, Adam chose “Carry On” by Fun. for Will. Although the performance had pitch problems–Will seemed to be under pitch through most of it–he sang with total conviction. The arrangement suited Will and was different enough that it didn’t invite comparisons to the original. Will turned the song into a vocal showcase, which the original most certainly isn’t. Funny, if I had seen James’ song “With or Without You” and Will’s song “Carry On” side by side, I would have switched the songs around, figuring the quirkier song belonged to James.
Speaking of James, he delivered a very good vocal tonight, but that performance was boring! I like James when he’s quirky, working the stage, flipping songs around. Maybe out of deference to the legendary U2, or the desire to emphasize the vocal, James delivered a very copycat version of the song. It was disappointing. And I’m a James fan! He performed first. Every single singer that came after him stood out in some way. I’m pretty convinced that he’ll be one of the two contestants going home this week.
Cole Vosbury, Jacquie Lee, Tessanne Chin, James Wolpert and Will Champlin take the stage to perform “Best Day of My Life.” This sounds just like a commercial I heard once (kidding!). The audio is really wanky, particularly on Cole’s mic.
James Wolpert – Team Adam – “With or Without You” by U2 – Adam has his team over to the house for breakfast. He’s the only coach who HAS a team. Adam tells James to “think anthemic” as he sings the song, so people realize why they saved him last week. James takes the stage dressed in a natty suit surrounded by stage fog. It’s a very good vocal, but a little karaoke? At this stage, he needed to bring something special to his interpretation. He’s playing it really safe tonight, and I’m not convinced it’s going to save him. Adm doesn’t care about the competition. The performance was beyond his expectations. Christina is a little irked. Her suggestion that they sing the song as a coach performance went unheeded. Blake loves the long and thinks James did so well, he might have dug himself out of the hole. 1-855- 864-2301
thevoice5-top5-james by mjsbigblog
Danielle Bradbery is in the audience. She’s performing tomorrow.
Will Champlin – Team Adam – “Carry On” by Fun. – Adam tells Will that he has to fully commit to the song. He feels Will’s challenge is mental, not physical. Is it just me, or does Will sound a little flat? I don’t think it matters, because he sang that song like he owned it. Unlike James, the arrangement is quintessentially Will, allowing him to show off his range and ability to play with melody. I never thought of Nate Ruess once while he sang. At this point, I think James is his biggest rival, and Will outshined him. Adam is happy because Will is smiling! He’s gushing. Cee Lo liked the song choice. Great performance. Blake thinks opening himself up to the audience will go a long way. 1-855- 864-2302
thevoice5-top5-will by mjsbigblog
The Sing-Off guys are in the skybox! Hi Shawn, Ben, Nick and Jewel! Nick shows off his Blake Shelton impression.
Jacquie Lee – Team Christina – “Angel” by Sarah McLachlan – Christina thinks it’s a moment for Jacquie to be inspirational. Hit the high notes with emotion, says Christina. That song worked for Jacquie. First, because it was age appropriate, with an emotional, universal message she could relate to. And she conveyed it beautifully. Probably her most controlled vocal to date. Great use of her head and chest voice. She flipped back and forth easily. Very soulful. Christine says she did things she didn’t know she was going to do . She blew her away. She went big in the perfect places, says Christina. Her best. Cee Lo loved her sincerity. Kumbaya baby! 1-855- 864-2303
thevoice5-top5-jacquie by mjsbigblog
Cole Vosbury – Team Blake – “Shameless” by Garth Brooks (Orig Billy Joel) – Cole, Blake and Cee Lo all go for a haircut. Trim that beard! Blake knows very well that The Voice success is good A&R. Picking good songs is why he has won the last three seasons. And there goes Cole! Doing his thing! With the right song! He sings like a man who is going to sail into the final. Easy peasy. Blake is right. He sings like a guy who knows he’s got it, while the rest feel the pressure. There are a few wobbles in the vocal, but overall, Cole does a great job interpreting the song, with his Americana vibe. Cole said wanted Blake to help him figure out who he was as an artist. Well, he has, says Blake. Cee Lo calls him a bonifide rockstar. 1-855- 864-2304
thevoice5-top5-cole by mjsbigblog
Tessanne Chin – Team Adam – “Bridge Over Troubled Water” by Simon and Garfunkle – Emotions are running so high, Tess is tearful. OK. that last note wasn’t clear and perfect. But that stately, beautiful and powerful vocal just won Tessanne a spot in the semi-final. Some stuff was edited out of the package. Hm. She’s upset about something. Adam is very moved by her performance. Yes, it was a very emotional performance. Many of you doubted the song choice, but I didn’t. The song only sinks contestants who aren’t up to the challenge of performing it. Tess certainly is. She’s a masterclass vocalist. 1-855- 864-2305