Tonight on NBC, The Voice season 13 Playoffs continue with Team Adam Levine. The contestants will perform–but unfortunately NOT for your votes. For the first time since season 6, the round was taped ahead (Aug 30/Sept 1).
Tonight, after his six team members perform, Adam will hand-pick three members to move on to the live shows set to begin Nov 20. The Top 12 was chosen months ago. There are spoilers. DO NOT DISCUSS SPOILERS IN THIS POST PLEASE. Do it here:
The Voice Season 13 Spoilers: Which Contestants Made the Top 12 Shows
Team Blake Shelton and Team Jennifer Hudson performed Monday night. The Playoffs finish up with Team Miley Cyrus on Wednesday. Check out tonight’s song spoilers:
The Voice Season 13 Song Spoilers Playoffs 2 – What Will the Contestants Sing?
We begin live blogging at 8 pm ET. Join us!
The show kicks off with Blake Shelton announcing that he’s People’s Sexiest Man Alive. DANG HIS PUBLICIST IS GOOD. Adam welcomes him to the club. He was bestowed the honor himself a few years ago. Oh. That was a slick bit of editing. The episode was taped last August before the SMA decision was known. Still, host Carson Daly congratulates Blake in his introduction. Editing magic!
Now on to the sangin’.
Adam Cunningham – Have a Little Faith in Me by John Hiatt – OK they attribute the song to Joe Cocker. But it’s actually by John Hiatt (who sings it better) Adam L stole Adam C from Blake, who says he let a good one go (No dude. You let Noah Mac go. That’s the one that should keep you up at night). The two bond over being new fathers. The performance itself is solid if unremarkable. Adam has a decent voice, nice runs. He’s got a bit of a rasp. Your typical southern white boy soul singer. We’ve seen it before. Blake says, “Faith…you have the holy ghost up there.” He blessed her spirit, JHud says. Miley believes he’s becoming a fan favorite. Uh. Nope. Adam calls his team member “a real amazing guy. – Download from iTunes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTbS45tIDtU
“BLAH BLAH BLAH you’re back on my team,” Adam tells Whitney backstage after she was eliminated in the Knockout.
Whitney Fenimore – If It Makes You Happy by Sheryl Crow – Adam picked the song for Whitney. Hailing from Oklahoma, she loves performing southern tinged music. Adam helps her land the notes in her lower range. And he also plays drums during her rehearsal performance. She was a steal from Team Miley. The song goes from low in the verses to high in the chorus without much of a transition. It’s easy to go off key. Accompanying herself on guitar, she’s not really bringing anything new to her rendition. Blake felt the first part of the song was a “real struggle.” Miley criticizes her enunciation. Wow. The coaches are being unusually harsh. Adam felt the soaring big notes were great. Faint praise. Yeah. those verses were a little rough and switching to those higher notes was a little rocky. – Download at iTunes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fnu3M-MjhU
Emily Luther – Lovesong by The Cure – Adam name checks the Adele cover. Emily wants to turn the song into a “James Bond” production. An aside: That moustache on Adam. He looks like a pimp. Emily, on the other hand, LOOKS fabulous. I’m not in love with this arrangement. Somewhere on Postmodern Jukebox’s YouTube channel, there’s got to be a random singer performing the song like this. Or Emily will be very, very soon. I don’t really care for my favorite alt/rock songs jazzed up like this. Having said that, Emily pretty much nails the cover. Her tone and phrasing are gorgeous. She struck a pose! Adam calls it amazing and a “great progression for you.” – Download at iTunes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7yPbb6vym8
Anthony Alexander – Perfect by Ed Sheeran – Teen Anthony has never been in a relationship before. He’s cute! Still figuring things out, maybe. Adam has to go back to basics with him, working on his timing and basic vocal techniques. He’s still so green–he should have waited a few years to audition. Anthony’s got a nice tone–which is apparently the thing that’s kept Adam invested. But this is a little painful. He goes off pitch, and his breathing needs work. He’s not confident enough at this point to own his performance. He’s trying to work the stage, and there are a few nice high notes in places. But he ain’t ready. Blake still “detects a lot of nerves.” No kidding. Miley liked his little “victory” dance at the end. “You know you nailed it.” Uh… Adam is sure Anthony can be successful in music. It’s not a matter of if, but when, he says. – Download from iTunes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3J2hlwFVyq4
Jon Mero – When We Were Young by Adele – Jon chose his own song–drawn to a song about being in the moment. Adam suggests bringing the key down a half step. Jon has sung and danced his way through the competition performing upbeat stuff. It’s time to see how he does on a big emotional ballad. And he’s definitely better without all the corny cruise ship dancing. Earning his living performing for corporate functions, he’s used to pandering to the crowd. But here, he wisely strips away the artifice to highlight his impressive range. The presentation is still a little over the top, but I think if viewers were voting tonight, he’d sail through. “Your voice is like a laser,” says Blake. “You’re more than ready for this.” Jennifer says, “You truly lived in your moment.” Adam says, “You didn’t dance today, you truly sang from your heart.” – Download at iTunes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5LSPLnowNo
Addison Agen – Angel from Montgomery by John Prine – Adam stole Addison from Miley. She’s covering the excellent Bonnie Raitt version. Only a junior in high school, this singer is NOT an old woman, obviously. Neither was Bonnie when she covered it. But even in her early 20’s she possessed A raw grit Addison just doesn’t have. Don’t get me wrong–I love her tone. Her version is pretty. But maybe too pretty. Her phrasing though. Wowsers. She’s full of surprises. There’s a wobble near the end, but it kind of adds to the emotion. “You have so much character in your voice,” says Blake. “If you don’t move forward into the lives, I’m going to have somebody cut Adam’s brakes.” Ha ha. “I’m always on your team,” says Miley. Jennifer thinks she’s a star. Addison tears up as Adam lathers her with compliments. He labels her a “unicorn.” – Download from iTunes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Oz9ocSaY0k
Time for Adam to choose his team! The first artist moving on is…Addison Agen. Of course. The next to go forward is Jon Mero. Adam says he felt “compelled” to stick with him. He delivered his best performance tonight. So there’s that. The remaining four thank Adam and state their case. The third singer to advance is…Adam Cunningham.
I would have swapped out the creative artist Emily Luther for the generic blues singer Adam Cunningham. I get that he’ll be more popular with the folks who watch and vote. But still.
Team Adam Levine – Advancing to the Live Finals
Addison Agen
Jon Mero
Adam Cunningham
