The Voice 10 Recap Playoffs Part 2
The Voice 10 LIVE PLAYOFFS continue tonight with Team Adam Levine and Team Pharrell Williams. Their Coach Comebacks will be revealed. Each coach brings ONE eliminated contestant back to the competition. Twelve MORE contestants sing tonight. YOU Vote for your favorites The Top 12 will be revealed on Wednesday.*Vote for your favs at NBC.com, the official The Voice App and by downloading the contestant’s song on iTunes. Any singer that enters the Top 10 will have their votes multiplied by 10.
Click for Tonight’s Song Spoilers
Host Carson Daly is promising “stripped down” performances so we can concentrate on the vocals.
We’re kicking off the night with Pharrell’s “Comeback Artist.” He was impressed with how Dan Passino, was able to hold his own and give an amazing performance against Team Xtina’s formidable Alisan Porter in the Knockout round. Dan is back for another shot.
Daniel Passino – Team Pharrell – When I Was Your Man by Bruno Mars – Dan explains that he’s an opera singer, but pop music makes him feel something. Pharrell believes he’s a born entertainer. Putting his music school skills to work, he collaborates with Pharrell to produce the track. Not as corny as his past performances–the quality of the song pick helps–there’s a nasal quality to his tone that’s distracting. Also, his falsetto isn’t as impressive as it needs to be on the softer notes, although he does hit a glory note that will probably be good for at least a few votes. Adam is impressed. “I am super into what you do,” he says. Blake brags that the talent level on The Voice is so good, that even the “comebacks” are phenomenal. Xtina loved his tenderness. Pharrell says he just wrote his future in the competition. Eh. He performed first, and he wasn’t all that amazing. I think he’s going to have a tough time, depending on how the others perform. – Download from iTunes
https://youtu.be/6po0r1q8RUU
Emily Keener – Team Pharrell – Still Crazy After all These Years by Paul Simon – Emily is going to play piano this week. She was so flattered that Pharrell was talking about her on the Today show. He calls Emily an “old soul” and believes “she could be a part of the future for music.” He tells her to take people for a ride, but be as honest as she can in the process. She’s dialed back the quirky phrasing this week. I’m not sure why. Maybe in deference to a classic? The performance is a snooze. The big problem? She’s way too young to sing this song. It’s about an older person reflecting back on his life. She’s 17 and has no clue. She sings in a monotone, until she breaks out a lovely note in her head voice. But so what? Her interpretation is empty. “You did an incredible job with that song,” Adam says. Liar. Xtina especially loved the verses. Pharrell is amazed at how The Voice finds “these 17 year old anomalies” He begs viewers to “vote for this amazing unicorn of a singer.” Talk about crazy. All the coaches right here. – Download from iTunes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axpRh0Z9HtI
Host Carson Daly pimps Red Nose Day with a humorous red nose. Blake pulls away his drink. He’s wearing one too. Hardeeharhar.
Laith Al-Saadi – Team Adam – With a Little Help from My Friends by The Beatles – On the other side of the coin, a real grownup singing a song…like a grown up. Adam wants Laith to incorporate his “shredding” into the performance. The song is a too obvious and karaoke. I would be perfectly happy to never hear this song performed on a competition reality show again. The dude is a seasoned performer with impressive guitar skills, but I doubt he’ll advance. To stand out, he needed to be more adventurous. His name alone will probably hold him back, unfortunately. “Awesome,” says Blake. Xtina loved his guitar playing and felt he let loose this week. Pharrell urges classic rock fans to vote for Laith. Adam is happy that Laith lit up the room in a different way. – Download from iTunes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nll5FdDiD_M
Moushumi – Team Pharrell – Love Yourself by Justin Bieber – Apparently, Indians around the world are watching her progress. Pharrell wants Moushumi to push herself, push her airy voice harder, Tap into other parts of her voice. It’s an interesting song choice, but her affect is flat. Her vocal is super-whispery, until the second verse where she goes full voice and the song comes alive a little. She changes up the vocal with a few runs in her head voice. If she had more time to work on her delivery, she could improve. But I don’t think she’ll make it out of the lives. Adam thought the song was overproduced in parts “I think you’re interesting” was faint praise from Adam. Xtina liked it more. She liked the way she changed things up. Pharrell congratulated the band on bringing it. (take that Adam!)- Download from iTunes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5p9PPgiUDeg
So far tonight zzzzzzzzz. Let’s pick it up people.
Lacy Mandigo – Team Pharrell – Love is a Battlefield by Pat Benatar – Her metalhead father introduced her to Pat Benatar’s music. Pharrell is worried that she’s concerned with the wrong details. Don’t worry about her hair, her outfits he tells her–just get out there and lose yourself. Why is the backing track so loud? I still don’t get what Carson means when he says these performances are “stripped down.” This would be pretty great in a karaoke bar. Her timing is off. I think she’s pretty nervous. That band is SO LOUD. She needed to bring something unique to this familiar and classic song. She hits a long note and it comes off like yelp rather than a fierce and passionate rock scream. Blake says she morphs from a cute little girl into a monster. No. She a little doll, a cute little kitten playing rock star. Xtina congratulates her on giving her all. Pharrell notes how he is her third team. “It means that you weren’t meant to go home.” Until now. – Download from iTunes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgPXp2Sp90w
Owen Danoff – Team Adam – Hero by Family of the Year – He went to college for film scoring and has only recently concentrated on his vocals. Owen is looking forward to performing his first contemporary song on the show. Adam has very little advice to give him in rehearsal. “It seems like you’ve really turned a corner,” he says. This is a lovely performance. It’s an interesting song choice, because, like many classic folk songs, it’s structured without a chorus or a bridge. If the singer can’t build tension from verse to verse, the song will fall flat. Owen is pulling it off. Not with a big voice or complicated adlibs. But with a plaintive vocal, Owen is able to convey emotion and tell a story. Blake felt he made the song his own. Pharrell loves his tone. He calls the performance a “magical moment.” He’s impressed that he didn’t need to oversing. Adam doesn’t’ think there’s anyone else in the competition that can own a song like he does. – Download from iTunes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5y_y9LgBQ8
Shalyah Fearing – Team Adam – Listen by Beyonce – Ha ha. Adam name checks Jennifer Hudson, rather than Beyonce. She’s another team hopper. Xtina -> Pharrell and now Adam. Bleh. Do we need another by-the-numbers version of Listen? I’m a fan of Shalyah, but I wish she’d picked something she could really make her own. She’s oversinging. Stupid Adam praised her voice cracking when she reached for too much during rehearsal. LESS IS MORE! It’s one thing to let loose. It’s another to lose control of the vocal. Adam coached that performance all wrong. Geez, they’re standing for that? It was so overwrought. Blake enthuses that she’s turned into the “freaking front runner.” Xtina thanks her for bringing the excitement. Pharrell begs America to vote for her. Adam compares her to Owen. Their styles are so different, but they both sing like they mean it. – Download from iTunes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZJGI-xMbWc
Adam reveals his comeback. He let go of Nate Butler during the Knockouts. He’s glad to get him back. I thought his “Let’s Stay Together” during the round was less than stellar, though.
Nate Butler – Team Adam – Sara Smile by Hall & Oates – Adam advises Nate on his timing. “You crushed this!” Adam says at the end of rehearsal. Nate has a beautiful tone, but he has no groove. The sexy soulfulness of the original is completely lost here. There were more talented contestants left behind in the cuts. I don’t understand bringing this dude back. His switch from chest to head voice has no finesse, either. Blake calls him “smooth and silky.” Noooooo. “The element of surprise is money for you,” he says. (!?!!?) Adam is impressed with the subtleties and nuance he brings to his performance. Are we listening to the same performance? – Download from iTunes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jq3dEtaWSow
Caity Peters – Team Pharrell – I’ll Be Waiting by Adele – Caity is nervous about her first live TV experience. He thinks picking an Adele uptempo is a good choice for her. Normally, I love Caity. But she seems a little nervous here. She’s underpitch in spots. It’s an odd song choice. She fares the best on the chorus, but the song is too big for her. Adele’s phrasing is everything, and Caity just doesn’t cut it here. Xtina felt she brought everything to life, while Pharrell felt she completely released her spirit tonight. – Download from iTunes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xV-WOor1lek
Caroline Burns – Team Adam – All I Want by Kodaline – Caroline is one of the younguns. Lots of people ask her what her coach smells like. (what?). Adam tries to get the singer out of her comfort zone. Barely 16, she looks like a 12 year old. Having said that, this is her best performance to date. I haven’t been that impressed with her so far. But for the first time, she brings a sense of urgency to her performance. Her voice is much bigger than we’ve heard before. Bringing a mature phrasing and dynamics here, it’s the kind of successful risk that advances a singer to the finals. Blake compares her to season 4 winner Danielle Bradbery, also a 16 old who was freakishly calm when she competed. I knew he’d go there eventually Pharrell felt she reached a different level. Adam thinks great things are ahead for the young singer. – Download from iTunes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3D0dEK4_Aw
Brian Nhira – Team Adam – Alive by Sia – Adam believes Brian can win the whole thing. Bring the gospel, Adam tells him. The high notes are out of Brian’s reach. Maybe lowering the key would have helped, although I imagine Adam felt stretching the upper limit of his register would add to the intensity of the song. Brian is pouring emotion into the performance, which makes up somewhat for the imperfect vocal. Not entirely though. Lord, he’s so off key on the chorus. Maybe more rehearsal would have helped. Or that lower key. Sia is so hard to execute, says Xtina. “Loved it,” she says. “You stayed in key the whole time,” Pharrell says. LIAR LIAR PANTS ON FIRE. Adam congratulates him on tackling such a tough song. – Download from iTunes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UR9ud6RG_x0
Hannah Huston – Team Pharrell – Ain’t No Way by Aretha Franklin – Aw. Her preschoolers put together a little book for her, and it made her cry. There were strident moments as Hannah pushed into her upper register, but the drive, emotion, and subtle phrasing brought the song together. I didn’t need to be perfect. All the soul and passion was right there on the service. Hannah knows how to bring a song a live, and more importantly, put her own stamp on it. The singer has got something really special. Dare I say her performances impress me more than Queen Alisan’s. Blake says it’s easy to get caught up when she takes the stage. Pharrell says it’s amazing how she she steals all of our hearts. Indeed, she was easily the best of the night. Download from iTunes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEA7sgrHtV4
