The Voice 7 FINALLY GOES LIVE! Tonight, Team Adam and Team Blake will perform for YOUR VOTES. Tomorrow night, Team Pharrell and Team Gwen are up. On Wednesday, The Top 12 will be revealed.
Tonight Adam Levine and Maroon 5 perform their current single, “Animals.”
VOTING RULES: Do you have a smartphone? Download The Voice App and YOU CAN BEGIN VOTING as soon as the show begins! Other methods begin after the show is over. THE VOTING WINDOW CLOSES AT 12 PM THE NEXT DAY. Ten votes per artist, per originating phone number, email address. 1 iTunes song download per artist.
Click for The Voice 7 Live Playoff Song Spoilers
This is something we’ve never done before–host, Carson Daley about the new app and voting during the show. But you’re not the first! Ha ha.
First up, Adam Levine and Maroon 5 perform their latest single “Animals.” What we need right about now is a few bloody corpses. That’s for those of you who remember the gory, creepy music video.
Carson introduced the performances as “stripped down.” Blake and Adam played down the “live” aspect of tonight’s performance when advising their teams. Just treat it like another performance! Gwen says the LIVE studio is ELECTRIC and very different than the taped sessions. Pharrell is super proud of his team.
Taylor Brashears – Team Blake – Long Time Gone by Dixie Chicks – Taylor quit the food truck business. Blake chose the song because it’s got a lot of sass. Taylor is really excited to sing it–she relates to the story of a young girl trying to make it in Nashville. Loretta Lynn shared her blind audition on her Facebook page! “I smell what your stepping in.” jokes Taylor, who appreciates Blake’s attention to detail. He wants the song to sound fresh within a vintage context. Taylor whips out a fiddle for the intro. It throws her off a little. OK. Somebody told her to work the stage and it looks a little awkward. She seems a little off her game. It’s a decent performance, but not her best, unfortunately. I love this girl and her old school vibe. I’m rooting for her. Pharrell loves what she brings to country. Gwen called the performance effortless. She notices her massive thigh tattoo. Adam loves her confidence. Taylor lifts her skirt and shows off her tattoos. Blake says “great job.” Blake says her “ornery” side is cool. – Download from iTunes – 1-877-553-37o1 – Sprint Text #1 to 8642 – NBC.com.
Adam Levine and James Valentine are in the skybox with Carson to talk about Maroon’s tour, beginning in February. James is GO THE VOICE. Cause it’s been very very good for the band.
Chris Jamison – Team Adam – “Don’t” by Ed Sheeran – Adam picked this one. He thinks it’s perfect for Chris. But the singer is a little worried about handling the wordy rhythmic tune. Adam advises cardio to develop his lung capacity. “Girls are gonna flip out,” says Adam HASHTAG SO HOT. Chris is handling the tricky tune ably. He’s comfortable on stage and his breath control is impressive. OK. A couple of warbles here and there, but considering the short time frame, he’s handling it. I’m not sure this is a competition song, though. There’s no where to TAKE the song. To be honest, performing a forgettable song second? This could be a tough night for Chris. Blake notes how tough the song is to sing. Pharrell agrees, “great job.” Gwen loves the way he uses his body. He manged to perform AND continue breathing. Adam thought he kept control. Thought it had a nice arc. He feels Chris has an “intangible” quality. Him. No HUGE ups for Chris from Adam, who did him no favors with that song choice. THAT WAS A HARD SONG TO SING. – Download from iTunes – 1-877-553-37o2 – Sprint Text #2 to 8642 – NBC.com.
Jessie Pitts – Team Blake – Holding Out for a Hero by Bonnie Tyler – Jessie used to sing this song when she was a kid. The tune is rearranged, slowed down for her indie style. Blake compares her ability to bring something new to the stage to Lorde. He’s advising her carefully, because she needs to be firmly in the pocket for her individual quirks to work. The performance is surprising. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much. But the arrangement is sweet, beautiful and she sings confidently. For the first time, I’m hearing an artist who goes beyond karaoke. She nails a big note at the end. Pharrell loves the way she “finds the pocket…the sweetest of the spots.” Gwen feels she’s so natural. And she loves her skirt. Gwen thought she’d be jealous of Blake. She’s not! She’s happy for him. Adam calls it her best performance, by far. Blake congratulates her. He agrees it was her best yet. He calls her an “original.” “You brought everyone inside your heart,” he says. – Download from iTunes – 1-877-553-37o3 – Sprint Text #3 to 8642 – NBC.com.
Carson interviews a Starbucks veteran. Yes, to celebrate Veterans day, the audience is filled with Starbucks employees who are vets. Hey vets! You get FREE coffee from Starbucks tomorrow!
James David Carter – Team Blake – Two of a Kind (Workin on a Full House) by Garth Brooks – Garth Brooks is one of James David’s heroes. Blake compares him to Rascal Flatts. He thinks the upbeat song will show a different side. The two work on some pitch issues he’s having. James suggests speeding up the tempo a bit. Well. Yee Haw. This is boring. Another mid-tempo song that goes nowhere. It’s one of those bar sing-along-songs. Fun to sing, great to clap along with. NOT A COMPETITION SONG. James David is giving it the old college try, though. Is Blake sabotaging him or what? UNDERWHELMING. Pharrell is reaching for nice things to say. You know, because the coaches are throwing softballs tonight. Gwen says he “sounds like a record” she says “your whole face was working the room.” Whoa. James corrects Adam for not calling him JAMES DAVID. Sheesh. Blake calls him a “rock” cause he always sounds great. He practically coaches himself! That doesn’t mean you don’t need to try, Blake. Download from iTunes – 1-877-553-3704 – Sprint Text #4 to 8642 – NBC.com.
The viewers will advance TWO contestants. The coaches will pick the third. Starting THIS WEEK any song to hit the Top 10 will get a multiplier.
Matt McAndrews – Team Adam – God Only Knows by The Beach Boys – Matt’s mom played this song for him, initially. He doesn’t seem to have much of a connection to it. “I hear it’s one of the greatest songs ever written.” But somehow, he DOES connect to it. This rendition is lovely. His sweet tenor is a PERFECT match for the song. There’s his mom in the audience, watching. WHOA. He sings the Beach Boys parts on the bridge as he conducts an imaginary orchestra. That kinda blew me away. THAT WAS NOT EASY PEOPLE. He pulled it off–adding some of his own little vocal twists here and there. He loses it a bit when he moves around the stage. But this is very very VERY nice. Good job Matt. Blake thought it was sung perfectly. He loved the song choice. Risky. “That was so awesome,” says Pharrell. He thinks the Brian Wilson fans are super pleased. Gwen was really moved. He has personality and uniqueness oozing out of him, she says. Adam notes his magical quality, his sincerity, uniqueness, and fearlessness. The coaches DON’T seem to be blowing smoke in this instance. Download from iTunes – 1-877-553-37o5 – Sprint Text #5 to 8642 – NBC.com.
Reagan James – Team Blake – “Try” by Colbie Caillat – Jeez. She’s still in high school. I keep forgetting that. Blake loves the pro-woman message of the song. Reagan is contributing so much to this session with Blake. She’s young, but obviously knows what she wants. Preternaturally talented, this one is. On stage, she accompanies herself on guitar. Her poise and confidence are so impressive. On the second verse she puts down her instrument to take the stage, working up to her BIG MOMENT. It’s coming. Just wait. Lovely phrasing, great breath control. Oh. She loses it a little on the big note. But still pretty terrific. THAT’s The kind of song you sing in a competition. She’s only 15 people. Wow. Pharrell notes her effortlessness. “Beautiful the way you floated across the stage.” Gwen is touched that she listened to her (about choosing age-appropriate songs). Blake reiterates that she’s one of the most important artists to appear on The Voice. Download from iTunes – 1-877-553-37o6 – Sprint Text #6 to 8642 – NBC.com.
Pharrell is singing a song called “Hunter” tomorrow. HE LOVES FEMINISM. Or something. Blake celebrates his 18th Number One Hit. He wishes his wife, Miranda, a Happy Birthday.
Taylor Phelan – Team Adam – “Cool Kids” by Echosmith – Taylor picked the song. And Adam is 100% down with it. He has a personal connection to the tune. As a child who moved around a lot, he struggled to fit in. Adam and Taylor work on creating an “arc” for the song. Adam thinks his sincerity sets him apart from the cooler-than-thou indie crowd. Taylor takes the stage with an electric guitar. Yep. This song is right in his wheelhouse. Current, fresh. I could hear this on the radio. Right now. Perfect song for his range. He marries cool to passion. That’s it. It’s a fantastic combo. I love this guy. As an alt/rock fan, I’d buy his records. Pharrell is so proud of him. Yeah, you were a dumb ass to let him go. Gwen says his performances are like watching a peer. Adam is so proud of his whole team! Aw. His kid is babbling in the background. Adam feels so lucky that he had the opportunity to steal him. Download from iTunes – 1-877-553-37o7 – Sprint Text #7 to 8642 – NBC.com.
Mia Pfirrman – Team Adam – Young and Beautiful by Lana Del Rey – Adam wants her to stretch, and not be stuck in a pop box. “She needs to take a risk,” he says. Mia is up for the challenge of a dark tune. Adam suggests she dial back the embellishments. I love this girl’s deep, rich tone. But I’m not sure she really understands the song, which is about a young woman fear that she won’t stay desirable as she ages. But man, she does some amazing vocal runs. Her big notes are breathtaking. Still, she’s not really able to dig into dark material. I doubt aging is something she worries about at this point in her young life. Blake admires her ability to come out on stage and be so “broken down.” Pharrell agrees. She took over the room, he says. Adam notes how receptive she’s been to his coaching. He’s amazed that she was able to hold back. Potent. Powerful, he says. – Download from iTunes – 1-877-553-3708 – Sprint Text #8 to 8642 – NBC.com.
Damien – Team Adam – I’m Not the Only One by Sam Smith – Damien says the song is about the original artist’s wife cheating on him. Uhm. No. (MOST of the universe knows, at this point, that Sam Smith is gay). The performance is very nice. But I’m sure I’ll forget this 5 minutes after I hear it. There’s a distinct lack of star power here. A couple of nice little vocal runs here and there. A nice tone. But Damien rarely rises above the competent church singer that he is. PLEASE DON’T START CRYING. Adam is giving him a standing ovation. Alrighty then. The crowd seems to love it. To be honest, Damien lost me at “Sam Smith’s wife.” For reals. Understand the artists you cover, dude. His observation is probably based on the music video. But still. RUNNING OUT OF TIME FOR COACHES COMMENTS. Pharrell compares his vocal runs to an elevator, how they go up and down with ease. She notes that he has some kind of truth that speaks to people. Adam had noticed how into it Pharrell was. The whole COUNTRY felt that, just like Pharrell – Download from iTunes – 1-877-553-3709 – Sprint Text #9 to 8642 – NBC.com.
Craig Wayne Boyd – Team Blake – Some Kind of Wonderful by Grand Funk Railroad – Craig gets the pimp spot! Craig has been selling out shows since his TV debut. Which is nice, considering he’s been pounding the pavement in Nashville for 10 years. Blake picked the tune because of his southern rock bonafides. And Craig’s growly southern thang is strong. So is his charisma. Wow. He’s impressive tonight. He reminds me of Bo Bice. It’s that voice coupled with the ability to excite a crowd. You can tell Craig brings his 10 years of experience to the stage with him. Welp. I hope Blake mixes it up songwise, though. A couple of current things wouldn’t hurt. Pharrell advises him to STAY ON HIS PATH. Yep. Because he knows what he’s doing. Blake calls it the performance of the night. Download from iTunes – 1-877-553-3710 – Sprint Text #10 to 8642 – NBC.com.
The Voice App voting standings flash on the screen before we leave:
Team Blake:
1. Reagan James
2. James David Carter
3. Jessie Pitts
4. Craig Wayne Boyd
5. Taylor Brashears
Team Adam
1. Matt McAndrew
2. Chris Jamison
3. Damien
4. Taylor Phelan
5. Mia Pfirrman
It’s a no brainer that the singers who performed early would have more votes. right? Also, revealing these tallies encourages viewers to vote hard for those who performed near the end (probably producers favs). These vote reveals are meaningless and manipulative.
