The Voice 24: AZÁN vs Taylor Deneen “Do It” battle results in a double steal
The Voice season 24 Battles week 3 kicked off on Monday with a refreshing night of song choices, as two of the Battles featured songs that have never been done on the show before. One of those Battles came from Team John Legend and featured singers, AZÁN and Taylor Deneen, who share similar styles. (Read our Recap)
In their pre-performance package, the two singers connect, and are thrilled to be together. John says he paired them because “stylistically they match up well, calling them “soulful, sultry.” They also are the perfect pairing as AZÁN is from Texas, and Taylor is from Oklahoma. AZÁN is thrilled to be on Team Legend, remarking, “This is a man I’ve been listening to since I was a kid.” AZÁN was more of a dancer and opener prior to recording her own music. She was a high-stepper in high school, and plans to implement dance moves into the performance. To Taylor, her audition “didn’t feel real.” After seeing John in concert two years ago, she dreamed about working with him, and now that dream has come true. She wants to permanently end up in Los Angeles with her musical boyfriend.
Great stage presence and flawless runs
The two soulful singers perform “Do It” by Chloe x Halle. It is a fun choice, even though the uptempo song, which lacks huge vocal moments, may not be best for a competition setting. John picked it as it is more “playful” than what they sang in the Blind Auditions. He likes the “melodic changes” the singers give the song, but suggests Taylor be “more seductive.” John loves that AZÁN “sells the song” with her stage performance, and appreciates Taylor’s “musicianship.” He says the winner of the battle will be about “style.”
Taylor begins the battle showcasing a beautiful lower range and has a very classic sound. AZÁN has a brighter, more modern sound with an extremely flexible range. She also brings loads of sass in her stage performance. The two elevate each other in this Battle with amazing harmonies, but it’s AZÁN who draws more attention through her stage presence as well as her unique take on the song. Taylor is a very good vocalist in her own right though, and she hits a few runs flawlessly in the latter end, showcasing an amazing falsetto. Either way, I still lean towards AZÁN as being the more complete vocalist and performer.
Team Legend picks Taylor Deneen, two coaches STEAL AZÁN
Reba McEntire says, “you were just performing like you were on tour.” Niall Horan calls Taylor “brilliant,” and says AZÁN “grabbed that song.” He liked AZÁN slightly better. Gwen Stefani remarked, “Azan you have a little more stage presence,” adding, “Taylor is 23, and I’m thinking like when you’re singing you become this woman.” She would lean towards Taylor. John says they “performed together like they were a group. It felt so natural.” He notes everyone picking up on Azan as a “charismatic performer” and says Taylor “came through” without being “intimidated.”
John chooses Taylor as the winner of the Battle, calling her a “stunning” singer. But then Niall hits his button to steal AZÁN, and quickly Reba follows. Niall says, “I have no one like you on my team,” describing her a “dark horse” in the competition. Reba says, “I hit my button because I wanted one more chance to tell you how good you are.” AZÁN chooses Niall. As she walks off the stage, AZÁN funnily tells Reba, “Don’t forget about me in Knockouts.” It isn’t a bad idea to keep your options open, as it only gets harder to survive in the competition as a steal.
This battle was not the only stunning battle of the night as Team Legend’s Olivia Rodrigo battle between big-voiced teen Kaylee Shimizu and angsty pop singer Elizabeth Evans also resulted in a steal for Elizabeth. Two other battles could have resulted in a steal because of the talent of both singers, and were from Team Niall. In one, raspy country singer Noah Spencer edged out indie pop singer Reid Zingale. And in the other, compelling balladeer Alexa Wildish edged out cool alternative pop singer LVNDR. Overall, night 4 was the strongest night of Battles this season.
