And that’s a wrap on The Voice season 22 Battles! Tuesday’s episode featured three full battles and 2 dreaded montages. (Read our Recap)
The episode ended with a Blake Shelton country face off. Twenty-two year old Bryce Leatherwood, a 3-chair turn, battled married couple and 2-chair turners The Dryes. Both have a more classic country sound, so this pairing made sense.
The trio sang “Red Dirt Road” by Brooks & Dunn. This song felt weird as a trio and the arrangement a bit disjointed. Katelyn Drye started off with a booming twangy country tone. This battle showcased her power more than her blind audition. Bryce is a technically sound country singer, and the audience typically eats up this very classic simple approach to country music.
The Dryes sound better here than on their audition of “Islands In The Stream.” They feature a nice blend and Katelyn Drye is the best vocalist of this entire battle and is the only singer who delivered emotion. Bryce is a contender for sure though, and he’s got a lower range while still being able to hit the higher notes. But, I would lean towards The Dryes in this battle.
A rough start
Camila Cabello mentions that the tempo was out of the pocket and Blake agrees. The contestants say they couldn’t hear, but nevertheless, they recovered like pros. Camila says The Dryes “hit every note,” but Bryce’s “calm confidence” made her resonate with him more. Gwen Stefani loved The Dryes “chemistry” and loved how “warm” Bryce’s voice was. She leaned towards him as well. John Legend said Bryce approached it with “ease,” but it could’ve used more “fire.” He thought The Dryes brought an “electric” dynamic, so he would go with them. Blake wishes they could do it over due to the pocket issue, but gives them kudos for moving on. He compares Bryce to “an old man” up there, mentioning how he seems experienced for his age. He also states that The Dryes are veterans.
One act moves on, the other is saved!
In the end, Blake picks Bryce Leatherwood as the winner. He thinks he is “unshakable.” He also loves how country his last name sounds. However, it isn’t over for the married duo. Blake saves The Dryes as he wants them to have a “do-over.” Both acts move on to the knockouts which will start on Monday. It appears Bryce could be a country front-runner, and Blake’s fans tend to be loyal, so it will be interesting to see how far he goes.
Overall, Tuesday’s standout battle, on a weaker night of performances, was from powerhouses Omar Jose Cardona and Lana Love. Both brought huge vocals theatrics to Frozen 2’s “Into The Unknown.” It is super frustrating that Lana didn’t get a save or steal, as she is such a pro.
