Tonight, the Knockouts begin on The Voice season 20. In the Knockouts, the coaches pair up members of their teams. Each artist will perform a song of their own choosing. After the performance, the coach picks a winner. The loser is either eliminated or stolen by a rival coach. Each coach gets one steal.
Assisting coaches Kelly Clarkson, Blake Shelton, John Legend and Nick Jonas as Mega Mentor will be rapper and television personality, Snoop Dogg.
The four saved contestants will sing for viewer votes and will join the remaining 16 artists to perform in the Live Playoffs.
The Voice 20 Top 16 Knockout Spoilers: Matchups, Song Choices, Results
Who is Performing on The Voice 20 Week 1 Knockouts? Find Out! (Video)
REMINDER: NO SPOILERS IN COMMENTS. Keep spoiler talk under spoiler posts above, thank you.
Team Kelly – Ryleigh Modig vs Corey Ward
Ryleigh wants to be a versatile artist. Snoop Dogg calls Ryleigh dynamic, and he’s impressed how she projects and holds a note. Kelly advises her to be more intimate in her delivery. Snoop Dogg tells her to find her groove, and the band will keep up with her. Kelly likes Ryleigh’s spirit. She calls her captivating, and that’s what makes her special. Kelly is excited that Corey is covering one of her songs. Corey likes to sing songs that he connects to emotionally, and he’s happy he get to sing this one in front of Kelly. Kelly likes Corey’s take on the song. She calls his interpretation “beautiful and magical.” She tears up listening to his cover, especially since she can relate to the lyrics even more now. Snoop Dogg gives him kudos for making the songwriter cry. Kelly says this will be a difficult decision for her.
Corey Ward – Already Gone by Kelly Clarkson – Corey delivers a heartfelt performance while showcasing the nice tone to his voice. He doesn’t nail the lower notes, but he belts out some impressive high notes. He emoted the song well, and he gives an overall strong performance.
Ryleigh Modig – Use Somebody by Kings of Leon – Ryleigh takes Kelly’s advice, and she showcases an intimate quality in the opening verse. Like Corey, she starts off the song more subdued before she gets into the higher notes. She has a pretty voice, but Corey has a bigger range. Nonetheless, she delivers a poignant performance.
Blake says Ryleigh’s vibrato is great, but he likes how Corey got lost in the moment. He would pick Corey. Nick says he connected with his vulnerability. Nick says Ryleigh brought her A-game, and he doesn’t know who he would choose. John likes how Ryleigh showcased her artistry, and he gives kudos to Corey making the song his own. Kelly says Ryleigh has a cool voice no one else can duplicate. Kelly says Corey gave her the coolest experience a songwriter could have. She hopes neither of them goes home. Kelly says for today, she will go with her gut decision. Kelly picks Corey. Nick, John, and Blake all want to steal Ryleigh! John points out he pressed his button first. Nick says he can be helpful since he started his musical career at a young age too. Blake says he wants to see her win the show. Ryleigh picks John!
Team Blake – Ethan Lively vs Jordan Matthew Young
Snoop Dogg is surprised Ethan is only 17 years old after hearing his deep voice. He thinks Ethan can have a career as a country music singer. Ethan says he grew up listening to classic country songs. Blake advises Ethan to be more in-the-pocket in his performance. Jordan discusses how he lost a friend to substance abuse. He’s picking a song that he can relate to this. Blake calls it a great song choice for him, but he advises him to loosen up a little bit. Snoop Dogg says the opening of the performance can be more “psychedelic.” Blake wants to find out which two can survive under the pressure.
Jordan Matthew Young – She Talks to Angels by Black Crowes – Jordan’s gritty voice suits the song, and he’s hitting the notes well. However, his stage presence is lacking a bit. Maybe he’s not as comfortable without his guitar? Nonetheless, he delivers a strong vocal performance.
Ethan Lively – Help Me Hold On by Travis Tritt – Ethan showcases his authentic country voice, and the song is one he is clearly comfortable with. It seems like a very safe song choice for him as it’s not one that challenges him much. However, it was a great fit for him. As for this Knockout Round, I believe Jordan gave the better vocal performance.
Nick says he likes Jordan’s soulful vocals, and he says Ethan makes him smile. John says Ethan’s voice is cool, and he knows who he is as an artist. John says Jordan was in the zone and gave the more compelling performance. Kelly says it’s shocking Ethan is only 17 years old. Kelly was more impressed by Jordan’s performance, so she would pick him. Blake says Ethan’s voice is so “crazy and cool.” He doesn’t think anyone in country music today is in Ethan’s lane. Blake likes Jordan’s raspy and gravelly voice. Blake says he’s picking the artist he believes is ready for the music industry today. Blake picks Jordan. Ethan is eliminated.
Team Legend – Pia Renee vs Ciana Pelekai
Pia’s mother recently passed away. She says it’s difficult to suddenly go through The Voice process without her. John advises Pia to keep the notes high instead of going high and then low. Snoop Dogg tells her to channel her inner Whitney Houston. Ciana has been looking forward to singing this song. Snoop Dogg thinks her rap part of the song could be stronger. John agrees, and he tells her to be more rhythmic.
Ciana Pelekai – Cuz I Love You by Lizzo – Ciana opens with a big, belting note. She’s impressive there, but the rapping part is inconsistent. Ciana gives an uneven performance. She hits the high notes well, but the rapping in the verses wasn’t as good. Nonetheless, the coaches seem impressed.
Pia Renee – What the World Needs Now is Love by Jackie DeShannon – Pia delivers a beautiful performance with a heartfelt delivery. Her voice shines as she builds to the higher notes toward the end. It’s a gorgeous vocal, and I think she easily won the battle.
Kelly says Pia was so beautiful, and she tells Ciana she was a little pitchy. She thinks Pia was more authentic. Blake gives kudos to Ciana for fighting for her spot in the competition, but he was more impressed by Pia’s calm delivery. Nick says Ciana came out swinging, but he felt like he was listening to Whitney Houston during Pia’s performance. John tells Ciana she should be proud of her performance. John shares with the other coaches that Pia lost her mom recently, and she conveyed that in the emotion of the performance. John picks Pia. Ciana is eliminated.
Team Nick – Keegan Ferrell vs Dana Monique
Keegan can relate to this song since he admits he’s a shy guy. Snoop Dogg wants him to give the audience the same feeling he has when listening to the song. Nick says listening to Keegan reminds him why he chose to steal him. Dana says the song is one she can relate to as well, and she feels a girl power vibe from the song. Nick says Dana is “so electric and fun to watch.” Snoop Dogg says he felt like Tina was in the room for a minute. Snoop Dogg tells her to “set up the pieces” before getting into the big notes. Nick says they are both different singers, and he plans to just go with his gut when it’s time to choose between the two.
Dana Monique – Nutbush City Limits by Tina Turner – Dana delivers an upbeat performance while showcasing her big voice. She has great stage presence, and she keeps the energy up throughout the entire song. It’s a fun performance, and she delivered it like a seasoned pro.
Keegan Ferrell – Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me) by The Temptations – Keegan has a cool tone to his voice, and his smooth delivery of the song is effective. His performance is very different compared to Dana’s. While she was energetic from beginning to end, Keegan delivers a more heartfelt performance. It’s a nice performance, but Dana was the better performer tonight.
John loves the tone of Keegan’s voice. He said Dana went “full throttle,” and he thinks she nailed it. Kelly likes Keegan’s sweet tone, but he had to go up against Dana Monique. She was very impressed by her performance; she would pick Dana. Blake says Keegan looked happy singing that song. He also gives kudos to Dana on a strong performance. Nick says Keegan has a “phenomenal” voice, but he’s thrilled to have Dana on his team. He says having her trust means a lot to him. Nick picks Dana. Keegan is eliminated.
Team Legend – Victor Solomon vs Gean Garcia
Victor is dedicating his performance to his girlfriend. John likes the runs Victor is doing, and he said he and Snoop Dogg both felt his performance. Snoop Dogg says he delivered the song like he was hearing it for the first time again. John and Snoop Dogg advise him that he shouldn’t end the song on a falsetto note. Gean was stolen by John, and he’s excited to prove himself. The song he’s singing tonight makes him think of his mom and all the sacrifices she made to raise him. John says Gean has a beautiful voice, but he needs to enunciate better. Snoop Dogg wants the performance to be more climactic.
Victor Solomon – My Girl by The Temptations – Victor delivers a charismatic performance. He’s at ease as he shows off his cool, R&B vocals. His stage presence is excellent; he seems very comfortable with the song. Overall, it was a great performance from Victor.
Gean Garcia – Afterglow by Ed Sheeran – Gean is accompanied with his guitar. His performance is heartfelt, but he seems a bit timid. He has a nice tone to his voice, but the performance comes across a bit amateurish compared to Victor. Nonetheless, it’s a very nice performance. Victor did outperform him tonight though.
Kelly loves where Victor went vocally. Kelly calls Gean’s tone magical, and she would choose him since he used to be on Team Kelly. Blake says he was really drawn to Gean’s performance, but he was impressed by Victor’s dance moves and vocals. He says “Victor was the victor.” Nick thought Gean did a great job, but Victor sang the song like it was his own. He would pick Victor. John says Gean came into his own, but he and Snoop Dogg were both impressed how he made the song his own. John picks Victor. Gean is eliminated.
Team Blake – Andrew Marshall vs Pete Mroz
Andrew is dedicating his performance to a friend of his going through similar problems he did when going through chemotherapy. Blake says Andrew gave an emotional and powerful performance. However, he heard a quiver in his voice that caused some pitch issues. Snoop Dogg says he should become the lyrics. He wants him to feel the lyrics instead of just hearing the lyrics. Pete is hoping to show he can perform a modern song well. The lyrics also remind him of his father. Snoop Dogg advises him on how to deliver the cadence of the faster parts in the verses.
Andrew Marshall – I Won’t Give Up by Jason Mraz – Andrew begins the song quietly, and he hits a nice falsetto note before the chorus. He amps it up and belts out some really impressive notes. He’s singing his heart out by the bridge and then into the chorus again. It was a heartfelt and strong performance.
Pete Mroz – Before You Go by Lewis Capaldi – Pete delivers a strong performance too. He’s connected to the emotional lyrics, and he hits some impressive notes toward the end of the song too. Overall, both Pete and Andrew did a great job. It’s an even battle, but it’ll be surprising if Blake didn’t choose Pete since they have personal history.
Nick was impressed by both contestants, and he is unsure who he would pick. After Blake jokes he is contactually obligated to choose, Nick says he would pick Andrew. John agrees that it was an even match-up. Kelly says there’s something really special about Pete. She says he makes it look effortless. Kelly compliments Andrew’s falsetto, and she likes his versatility as a vocalist. Kelly says she would pick Pete since she gravitates more to his voice. Blake thought Pete stepped up to the plate with the faster phrasing, but they both had great moments. Blake picks Pete. Nick steals Andrew! Nick is happy to have Andrew back on his team.