The Voice 10 Recap Knockouts Part 1 Live Blog
The Voice Knockouts begin TONIGHT. Miley Cyrus joins coaches Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Pharrell Williams and Christina Aguilera to get the remaining 32 contestants ready for another battle-like round. This time, pairs from the same team face off against each other with solo performances of their own choosing.The coaches pick the singer who will advance to the Top 20 Live Playoffs, but each coach can steal ONE eliminated singer. For winning singer’s song choices, click for ALL of tonight’s Song Spoilers. Beware, ONLY songs by Knockout winners and stolen contestants are uploaded to iTunes. Spoilery!
Angie Keilhauer vs Paxton Ingram – Team Blake Shelton
Angie Keilhauer – Take Your Time by Sam Hunt
Mentor Session – Blake is worried the song is too talky. Sam is hard to cover for that reason. Angie gushes that Miley helped to produce the entire song, helping her she switch up the arrangement a little and add some melody. Performance: This is a big risk. On singing shows, it’s important to choose songs that show off the voice, and this really doesn’t. It’s OK, but the guy she’s up against is singing Adele. She’s pitchy and warbly on the higher notes. She sounds nervous. Angie is toast.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRZ8enstFyg
Paxton Ingram – Hometown Glory by Adele – Download from iTunes
Mentor session: Miley thinks Paxton can go even harder than he usually does. She stresses confidence. A few big tricks, will grab attention more than many little ones, she says. Miley is so excited, she sings along with him as he rehearses. He ends on an impressive LOW note. Blake tells him to play every card that he has. Blake’s a little worried he’s taking on such a big song. Performance: Paxton performs with passion and delivers big notes and moments with ease. The song ends on a beautiful rich low note. He kept the integrity of the song, yet made it completely his own. He felt every note that he sang. That’s how you win a battle, folks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzBmnrB90U0
Results: Christina thought Paxton was connected, she loved his rich low notes. Pharrell didn’t think Angie’s song pick revealed her potential. He was also impressed with Paxton’s surprising lower register. He gives the knockout to Paxton. Adam thinks Paxton sounds like nobody else. Blake notes the difficulty of the song Angie chose. Blake felt Paxton’s connection to his song. Therefore… Blake Chooses Paxton. Angie is Eliminated
Owen Danoff vs Ryan Quinn – Team Adam Levine (Adam sets TWO 4 chair turns to battle)
Owen Danoff – She’s Always a Woman by Billy Joel – Download from iTunes
Mentor Session: He chose the song because it’s the kind of thing he wants to write. Adam sees him questioning himself constantly. Owen is a little intimidated by Ryan, who is certainly a front runner at this point. Performance: This is a really sweet, heartfelt rendition, with some lovely little touches that make the song more than karaoke. He manages to make the song fresh without changing the arrangement at all. A song so well-loved could really sound rote. This is lovely.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZII-YXeyy4
Ryan Quinn – Drops of Jupiter by Train – Download from iTunes
Mentor Session – He chose the song because he loves melodic music. Adam loves his thick dense voice, but he’s got to sing less, and feel more. Let the songs open him up! Miley suggests that he connect the song to his special needs students back home. Performance: I don’t love this song. Not my favorite performance by Ryan, but he’s displaying that amazing range and rich voice that brought him this far. But he’s off–not connected to the lyric like he could be. Owen felt every note that he sang.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONuar7Fb_68
Results: Blake thinks both sang great, but he believed Owen. Christina thought he lost the rhythm. Owen sang beautifully. Pharrell noted Ryan’s “star search” notes, but he wasn’t as plugged in as prior performances. He would personally choose Owen. Adam would love to work with both, but he has to decide! Adam chooses Owen after a LOONG pause. Ryan had an off night, but he still has the potential to win The Voice. I was really puzzled he’d give him up….until Christina Aguilera stole Ryan. The Voice REALLY wants to end “The Girl Curse!” Attaboy Adam, taking one for the team by giving up a potential winner.
Malik Heard vs Hannah Huston – Team Pharrell Williams
Hannah Huston – House of the Rising Sun – Download from iTunes
Mentor Session: Miley suggests she start with a mic stand to give her a rock edge. Pharrell loves that she communicates as she sings. Performance: Hannah delivers a powerful and passionate performance, but she does this fluttering fingers thing that’s totally distracting. I’m surprised she wasn’t advised to cut that out. It’s funny that she’s a mild-mannered teacher by day, and is able to do the rock goddess thing on The Voice stage. She possesses a natural gift.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16m8u8bBf3E
Malik Heard – Isn’t She Lovely by Stevie Wonder
Mentor session: Pharrell loves his range, but warns the young singer that he can’t mute his personality. Give the audience your unedited self, he says. Miley is helping him phrase to solve his pitch problems. Performance: Malik has a smooth tone and some smooth moves. Unfortunately, he’s got pitch problems. But he’s a ball of energy and full of sincerity. He’s a work in progress. Hannah outsung him by a mile, but I’d like to see one of the other coaches steal him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVh90FTrO-M
Results: Adam loved that Malik didn’t allow Hannah to intimidate her. Blake thought Hannah was incredible. Blake calls pink haired Adam, “Strawberry Shortcake.” Heh. Christina thought Hannah’s choices were cleverly placed. Hannah’s performance couldn’t have gone better, says Pharrell. Malik let his voice take the wheel he says. BUT Pharrell chooses Hannah. Malik is eliminated. Gonna miss Malik.
Katie Basden vs Lacy Mandigo – Team Blake Shelton
Katie Basden – Gypsy by Fleetwood Mac – Download from iTunes
Mentor session – She chose Adam first, and after losing a Battle to Ryan Quinn, Blake stole her. Katie changed up the song’s arrangement, which is a big risk, but Blake thinks she pulled it off. Performance: It IS a risk to mess with a classic. But this is beautiful. She updates the song nicely. There are a couple of pitchy moments here and there, but the result is still creative and musical. She reminds me a little of last year’s singer/songwriter/re-arranger Madi Davis. I suspect there are those who will still be disappointed. “Gypsy” is iconic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kn4ZN5h4HJg
Lacy Mandigo – Zombie by Cranberries – Download from iTunes
Mentor session – Lacy dedicates the song to her grandfather, whose stories from World War II moved her. Miley helps her navigate the low notes and loves the way she sings the verses. She calls Lacy a “goth zombie girl.” Blake thinks Lacy can become a star. Performance – Lacy can sing, but the performance is almost laconic–too much zombie and not enough goth. There’s an energy, a fierceness that’s missing. A little anger would go a long way.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XC5uxIqJq8k
Results: Christina thought Katie picked a good song. Pharrell loved the sweet spots in Katie’s performance. He’d give it to her. Adam thinks Katie was phenomenal. Lacy has enormous potential, he thinks. Blake rewards the person who sang the best. Blake chooses Katie. Not only was Katie’s vocal best, she transformed that song in a really interesting way. She deserved to win! Pharrell and Adam STEAL Lacy. Adam points out that Pharrell picked the other girl and an argument ensues! Lacy chooses Pharrell. Lacy admits that Pharrell has had her heart since the beginning.
There are 3 steals tonight! That leaves only 1 more steal for the next two episodes…
Alisan Porter vs Daniel Passino – Team Christina Aguilera
Alisan Porter – River by Joni Mitchell – Download from iTunes
Mentor session: Miley is impressed by her effortlessness. It will be just her and a piano. “That tenderness is what moves me,” says Christina. Miley says she can feel her family in the room. When Alisan was in the throws of her addiction, before she got sober, she wished she had a river to skate away on. Those dark times inform her performance. Miley and Alisan hit it off right away because of their shared child star experience. Performance: Alisan is such an incredible performer. Unlike last week’s shoutfest, Alisan delivers a stipped down vocal, allowing her tender phrasing to tell the story, reserving the obligatory big note for a spot in the chorus. She’s head and shoulders above everyone in this competition in terms of skill and experience.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RN5eC690xH0
Daniel Passino – Ain’t Too Proud to Beg by Temptations
Mentor session – Christina hopes he doesn’t get too lost in the moment so he can hit those notes. Miley advises him not to change the song too much–just enough so it’s not karaoke. She loves to jam to Motown in her car. Performance: Oy. This was not a good song choice. Oh right, he sang that horrible Charlie Puth song, “Marvin Gaye” for his audition. This dude is corny as hell. If somebody had to be sacrificed to Alisan, he was the one. He’s like a Pat Boone for the 21st century. 100% soul free.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWBS312nnk8
Results: Pharrell thinks Daniel slayed it. REALLY? He calls Alisan masterful. He’d give it to Alisan (Duh). Adam thinks Alisan is something special. Blake admires that Daniel swung for the fences. But Alisan won (DUH). Christina calls Daniel a dedicated and talented man. Daniel looks so sad. He knows what’s coming. Christina chooses Alisan. Daniel is Eliminated. Daniel is so tearful upset, he can’t even talk. He literally can’t get words out. Pharrell swears he would have stolen him if he could. Hm. He calls Alisan a “unicorn.”
Shalyah Fearing vs Emily Keener – Team Pharrell Williams
Emily Keener – Big Yellow Taxi by Joni Mitchell
Mentor session: She’s still a junior in high school. She’s brought her guitar. She flubs the lyric in rehearsal due to nerves. Miley thinks it should just be her and the guitar in the beginning. Performance: I actively hated Emily’s blind audition, which was entirely off key. Maybe it’s the guitar, but she’s hitting the notes pretty clean, allowing me to enjoy her unique tone and phrasing. She changes up the melody in a smart way, but still hits those humorous low notes at the end. Perfect touch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EXy_4uYyOk
Shalyah Fearing – A Broken Wing by Martina McBride
Mentor Session – Her family has been through A LOT so she connects to the song. Pharrell put these singers together because they are both teenagers. Pharrell liked a country song sung from a gospel perspective. They work on her diction. Miley says it’s OK to change the melody if she can’t hit the notes. Country music is about telling a story, she says. Performance: Shalya is only 15 and she IS ready for this jelly. She attacks the song with soul and passion and so much maturity. It’s going to be a tough decision for Pharrell.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xI76rar3mts
Results: Shalyah was the revelation for Adam. He hints he’d steal her. Blake thinks Emily is special, but he thinks Shalyah took it. And he knows that song. Christina thought it was the finale show, and Shahlya won The Voice. Pharrell finds their musical maturity astounding. Pharrell Chooses Emily. Huh? Why would he give up Shalyah? Adam steals Shalyah. That’s a weird pair. It’s surpising to me that the talented Shalyah was given up first by Christina and then next by Pharrell. She’s better than that.
Advanced to the Top 20
Alisan Porter – Team Christina – Download from iTunes
Emily Keener – Team Pharrell – Download from iTunes
Hannah Houston – Team Pharrell – Download from iTunes
Katie Basden – Team Blake – Download from iTunes
Lacy Mandigo – Team Pharrell stolen from Team Blake – Download from iTunes
Owen Danoff – Team Adam – Download from iTunes
Paxton Ingram – Team Blake – Download from iTunes
Ryan Quinn – Team Christina stolen from Team Adam – Drops of Jupiter by Train – Download from iTunes
Shalyah Fearing – Team Adam stolen from Team Pharrell – A Broken Wing by Martina McBride – Download from iTunes
Eliminated
Angie Keilhauer – Team Blake
Malik Heard – Team Pharrell
Daniel Passino – Team Christina