The Voice Season 13 Recap: Top 12 Finals Live Blog (VIDEO)

The Voice Season 13 Song Spoilers – Top 12 Finals – What Will the Contestants Sing?

Coaches Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Miley Cyrus and Jennifer Hudson can just sit back and watch their team members perform, while fans decide who moves on to next week.

The show opens with a black and white video package. Each of the Top 12 dedicate their performances: To their families, to their friends, to the universe. WORLD PEACE Y’all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPldlRR9HJ4

Host Carson Daly announces that it’s a night of “special dedications.” He describes the new XFinity 1 voting method. SYNERGY FOLKS. Brooke Simpson gets the pole position.

Brooke Simpson – Team Miley – Praying by Kesha – Brooke wants to dedicate the song to America. She describes herself as a “pop/soul” singer. “This is a song with so much heart” says Miley. A segment of Team Miley contestant pre-packages are devoted to girl talk. The melody in the verse is  a little out of her range. But man, Brooke SOARS in the chorus. Her vocal is robust, fierce. She is NOT a woman to mess with. She pours herself into the performance. She finishes with one last thrilling note, followed by a sweet coda. It’s a solid start to the live shows. “You represented the power of music,” says Jennifer. “You consumed the room.” Miley agrees with JHud and adds, “You are what this show is all about…this is what Brooke is all about.” Looks like coaches remarks will be short and sweet – Download at iTunes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEek9zqtpJc

The final four contestants will once again debut an original single in the finale. Thanks Toyota!

Red Marlow – Team Blake – The Church on Cumberland Road by Shenandoah – Oh. Red gets the death spot! It probably won’t hurt him. Red dedicates the song to his dad, who taught him how to play. Blake says song selection is everything. He wants Red to connect with the audience. Yee Haww.  Folks who like raucous honky tonk country will love this performance. Red know how to embody a traditional country spirit. I’ll say that for him. His mom and dad are in the audience. Adam says authenticity is number 1, and he’s as authentic as it gets. Blake feels his entertainer side was strong. “You can move!” he says. “You made so many country music fans happy.” – Download at iTunes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrzRlqXcFqs

Adam Levine and Blake Shelton released their new albums on the same day. Who sold the most? Maroon 5 wins! Blake has to call him “The Greatest That Ever Was” throughout the show. Those are some low stakes, right there. 

Shi’Ann Jones – Team Jennifer – Vision of Love by Mariah Carey – Jennifer wants Shi’Ann to use her whistle tone. Hm. The young singer dedicates her song to her coach. She credits JHud with coaxing her out of her shell.  Shi’Ann also has a death spot…and it probably WILL matter to her. Did Jennifer give her a Mariah song just for the high notes? She’s hitting the notes for the most part. But her youth (15) always shows. She hasn’t figured out how to phrase a song and make it her own. Blake is “super jealous” right now “That was so good,” he says. Shi’Ann always touches her heart. She’s JHud’s little mini-me.   –Download at iTunes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3Ryi25uVKk

Jon Mero – Team Adam – Why I Love You by Major – He’s dedicating the song to his church and hometown Des Moines.  Jon should stay away from the uptempo songs. Ballads allow him to show off his range and rich falsetto. His dramatic approach works here. Dang. He can drop from his falsetto to his lower register–and back–just like a boss. Very nice phrasing. His falsetto reminds Adam of Prince. Miley says it’s exactly how he needed to start the live shows. “You stepped up the game,” says Miley. Jennifer is holding her shoe. Adam calls him special–a contemporary singer rooted in the classics.  – Download at iTunes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hni5QWoVIg

Ashland Craft – Team Miley – Delta Dawn by Tanya Tucker – Gretchen Wilson tweeted kudos after her Blind Audition. It took them a bit to choose a song, which she dedicates to her parents.  Miley sang some pretty harmonies with Ashley during rehearsal. She played the guitar for one verse, before casting it aside. Why even bother? I like Ashland, but I’m not crazy about this song choice.  Instead of sounding retro, Ashland’s performance feels dated. And I think she’s a little underpitch and shouty here. Underwhelming. Jennifer is so happy that Ashland owned the stage. It’s a good thing these comments are short. Because they are pretty bland, even by Voice coach standards. Miley says, “You showed your star power…I’m so proud of you.” –  Download at iTunes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_b2VjgWXpUc

Adam Cunningham – Team Adam – Against All Odds by Phil Collins – Imagine Chris Stapleton singing “Against All Odds,” Adam suggests. His team member cringes, as do the rest of us. Eventually, Adam sells the singer on the tune, which he dedicates to his family Ugh. This isn’t good. He misses his cue at the top of the song and the performance that follows is shouty and awkward. Adam C. initially felt the song was out of his wheelhouse. Is instincts were correct. He’s working the stage. Or making an attempt. Yikes. He finishes the song on a big LOUD glory note. Horrible. Blake notes the botched entrance, but thinks he recovered nicely. He really didn’t? Adam dittos the sentiment. Unfortunately, there’s no papering over that terrible performance. – Download at iTunes

https://youtu.be/9yNmSvSdJoM

Chloe Kohanski – Team Blake – Thank You by Dido – Chloe had the highest charting song in the The Voice knockouts in the history of the show. Blake feels Chloe has a great ear. “She could be a star” he says. She dedicates the song to her boyfriend.  Ha. Did Gwen design her outfit? COWS. This is just OK. The problem with this song? The melody goes nowhere, which makes it a poor choice for a singing competition. Her pitch is iffy and her phrasing is off. She sounds loopy. I like Chloe a lot. But I did not like that. Miley calls her a “superstar.” Blake says he’s never heard a more well-rounded voice in the SHOW’S HISTORY. Ok then.  – Download at iTunes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTIYpWMD2ck

Davon Fleming – Team Jennifer – Love on Top by Beyonce – He’s dedicating the song to his city, Baltimore. He grew up hard and he’s trying to give back. Jennifer thinks the pick could be a game changer. Oh. JHud personally got the song cleared. Davon is like a happy ray of sunshine. This is a perfect song choice for him. He’s got a little dance routine down. He wiffed an adlib in his falsetto. He finds his groove on the last verse. That was a tough song to sing. He didn’t nail it–the dancing winded him I think–but I appreciated his effort. That was a lot. Adam is impressed by  his stamina. Jennifer says he took it to a whole other level. She threw her shoe, she liked it so much. – Download at iTunes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpE7nvJlOwU

Addison Agen – Team Adam – She Used to Be Mine by Sara Bareilles – She’s dedicating the song to her hardworking mom. Five hundred people showed up at her dad’s record store for a show! Now we’re talking. This performance is gorgeous. Addison’s phrasing and dynamics are perfection. She does a slow build to the chorus. Her distinctive tone makes every song she covers uniquely her own. Beautiful job. Miley loved working with her. She was hard to let go. Miley admires her calm stillness. Adam feels she can be an inspiration to many young women.   –Download at iTunes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6qcEZA92TE

Keisha Renee – Team Blake – Midnight Train to Georgia by Gladys Knight –  She moved to Houston with her family, later she moved to LA for her career. She dedicates the song to her mom. She’s been getting tons of props from country artists. So… add a banjo and fiddle to a Motown song and it becomes country? Despite my sarcasm, I like Keisha’s butter tone. She’s smooth and effortless. But, she throws too many adlibs at the end, especially for a song that’s supposed to be country. Her rendition ends up sounding very R&B. JHud doesn’t think Keisha can make a wrong note. “It’s like silk,” she says. If y’all don’t see how beautiful Keisha’s voice is, there’s something wrong, says Blake. He loads up on hyperbole calling it one of the best performances ever on The Voice stage. –Download at iTunes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jqHNToBd1U

Noah Mac – Team Jennifer – Speed of Sound by Coldplay – A local ice cream store named a flavor after him. Comfortably middle class boy is chucking college to follow his musical dreams. Wanting to “turn the song on its head,” Noah arranged and produced the background track himself. He’s dedicating the song to all those aspiring artists who struggle every day.  This performance is mesmerizing. There’s something about Noah’s soulful pop. JHud says the teen singer is ready for the industry, and I agree with her. He exhibits a musicality not often seen on these singing shows.  I’d love to hear his original music. He bettah make the finals. Adam makes a nonsensical remark about how Noah looks like he’s time travelled from the 50’s like Back to the Future…what? Blake thinks Adam’s high. “Sexiest man alive my ass,” Adam shoots back. Welp. We ALMOST got through the whole show without antics. “You are a star….I can see you on every award show,” Jennifer gushes.  – Download at iTunes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLqKEU_2JZQ

Janice Freeman – Team Miley – The Story by Brandi Carlile –  Miley compares Janice to Mary J. Blige–if she was the lead singer of the Foo Fighters. The singer dedicates the song to her husband, “He’s taught me what love really is.” Dang. Janice is singing her face off. This is the performance of the night. Her vocal is muscular, passionate, fierce. Yet it’s never too much. Her range is crazy impressive. She’s a queen! Blake is sure somewhere, Brandi is impressed. He wants to take off his boots and throw them. I’d like to see that. Miley is close to tears. “You told the story. The story is yours,” she cries. Apparently, Janice had a tough week.  –  Download at iTunes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLcM8Cis6oI