The Voice Season 16 Recap – Top 8 – Live Blog and Videos

THE VOICE -- "Live Top 8" Episode 1615A -- Pictured: (l-r) Maelyn Jarmon, Rod Stokes -- (Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC)

Tonight, The Voice season 16 Top 8 will perform solos and Beatles duets for the coaches, Kelly Clarkson, John Legend, Adam Levine, Blake Shelton and your votes.

Apple streams will count as votes. Limit ten streams per eligible song per Apple ID. The artist with the most streams on their eligible song(s) at the close of voting period will receive an Apple Music Bonus. Check out all the song spoilers, with links to iTunes below.

The Voice 16 Top 8 Song Spoilers – What Will the Contestants Sing?
How to Vote on The Voice 16: Everything You Need to Know

It says previously recorded as the show comes on so apparently it’s not live tonight.  The show has never done beatles song before and only 4 artists move on tomorrow night.  Next week is the finale!  Voting is open now!

We go to the coaches for comments.  Blake has 5 of the top 8, Carson asks him what the secret is to keep his team intact.  Blake says he was lucky to get the right team in blinds and keep his teams in the cross battles.  Kelly told Rod he has no pressure, she told him to go for the message.  John wants Maelyn and Shawn to sing something that connects to people.  They are both incredible, and they will give emotionally compelling performances.  Adam tells us that The Beatles are the best band ever.  He loves listening to them.

Up first Andrew Sevener Team Blake “Long haired country boy”

The rehearsal doesn’t sound that great.  Blake says people love to hear him whale.  Andrew tells us the audience doesn’t know Texas country music, but it’s special to him.  The song is dedicated to a friend who passed away the few days before the battle round.  He is the only one chair turn left.

Smoke billows up as he starts to sing.  It’s Andrew wearing a cowboy hat with his guitar standing at the mic stand.  There’s a full band backing him.  He is doing a respectable job on this song, but I don’t like it.  He starts to move around the stage and interact with the audience.  He adds a here we go yall before a violin solo.  It’s a rocking performance of this country song.  That was a good performance, very strong at the end.   The whole thing:  how much energy he had, the smoke, the band was well done.  Kelly & Blake on their feet, and the audience loved it.  Kelly felt like she was at his concert, she could tell what his record would sound like.  Cool rocked out version.  John said he owned the song and the stage.  Adam tells him it was his best performance.  Blake just says Wow he doesn’t know where that came from.  But it’s good that that just happened at this moment.  He represents what country fans love- he’s authentic.

First duet

Kim Cherry Team Blake and Shawn Sounds Team Legend “Eleanor Rigby”

They talk about a bit the song Kim said it can make you feel and dark and cold.  The back up singers are carrying umbrellas.  Shawn and Kim are standing by a phone booth on the stage.  Dark lighting on the stage, and smoke billowing on the floor of the stage.  Shawn starts off he sounds like his usual smoky self.  Kim is straining a bit to sing this.  Shawn adding in a ton of runs… not loving that.  Kim adding some growling to her voice.  This arrangement is horrible, sorry but I don’t like it.  This is kind of boring not doing much.  Got a little sleepy there.

After the break Gyth, and the Maelyn/Rod duet.

Team Blake Gyth Rigdon “God Bless the USA”

Um, pandering anyone?  Blake says it’s the perfect song for this moment and for Gyth who’s an all-American type of guy.  Very patriotic, he gives a shout out to all the military.  Gyth gives a shout out to his Dad.  Blake says it’s going to be a big moment.  He’s wearing a white jacket and has a flag scarf wrapped around the mic, no guitar tonight.  He’s going for the full patriotic, God/Jesus song vote.  There are some acoustic guitars and a piano but no other music.  The girls are screaming as he gets to the chorus.   This is one of my favorite songs, but I don’t like Gyth so that makes this hard.  He’s doing a respectable job, the twang is a little much for me.  Not as strong as we’ve heard from him before but probably enough to get tons of votes from the demo though. Oh bring on white-clothed gospel choir.    Blake on his feet audience cheering.  Kelly says you can’t critique the song, it was not her favorite vocal from him.  Loves the song choice.  John says good song choice on the day of the British invasion, he agrees it wasn’t his greatest but he loved the power and emotion.  Blake refutes the others and says it was far and away his best vocal performance, welcome to the finale.  (Yep, and he didn’t need to sing that song).

Coming up Kim with her solo and Maelyn/Rod duet

The four finalists will each debut an original single next week.

Up next Team Blake again Kim Cherry “Together Again”

Blake’s not surprised she stepped up to the plate and won the Twitter save.  She found a song that will show she is a singer first. She’s a strong woman, and this song is for her Mom who she lost last year on Mother’s Day.  Blake expects to see her in the finale because you will see a special side to her.  Kim is showing her talent by starting at the piano, she’s wearing a bright orange jacket.  A little talking about mostly singing.  She doesn’t move from the pinao surprisingly, the dancers are a little distracting.  Oh now she goes away from the piano and she’s dancing with the other dancers while she’s singing.  She knows how to perform for sure.  This isn’t the tender performance I was expecting, but she is hitting some big notes and avoiding rapping completely. I thought it was okay.   Audience loved it.  Kelly thanks for her singing, she would be so good on Broadway she has a huge voice.  John thinks it’s super cool she’s wearing orange mentions her many talents (sax, piano, rap).  Blake says let there never be a question ever again that Kim Cherry is not a great singer.  She couldn’t have done better.

Um, Adam has given no comments tonight.  He’s not having to do anything but sit there.

UP coming Maelyn/Rod and ANOTHER Team Blake solo.

Duet Rod Stokes Team Kelly and Maelyn Jarmom Team Legend “Yesterday”

It’s an honor to sing Beatles.  They give some comments on the song and they are excited to sing with each other.

There is Maelyn and there is everyone else in this show.  She’s already so good, and he’s sounding good too. Better than the last duet for sure.  This is an interesting arrangement, they are both bringing their own spins and changing the melody a bit.  Maelyn especially sounds beautiful but this is a good duet.  It’s a slow song but it’s supposed to be so it works.  Tender ending.  4 coach standing oviation they deserved that.  It was so good.  Best performance of the night BY FAR.

Back to back performances by Carter and duet by Dexter & Gyth

Carter Lloyd Horne is up next Team Blake “Take me to church”

Video of his Grandma giving him encouragement.  This is going to be horrible I think based on rehearsals.  Blake says the song is a monster and breathing is an issue.  Blake tells him to mop the floor.  This is absolutely terrible I mean really bad.  The key is too low or something and he is flat.  The candles behind him will not save him.  The effects are cool but this is not, I’m sorry I’m trying to be nice but it’s really hard because this is just not good at all.  Thank goodness that is finally over.  Not even Blake is standing for that Carter looks like he knows it wasn’t good.  Kelly throws shade and says it’s a cool genre, but the song was pitchy, says don’t get down on himself.  John also says he couldn’t find the key at the beginning, it’s okay he’s a great singer.  Blake tells him none of us ever want that to happen but he did recover and he has a fanbase.

Up next Kelly’s last artist Rod Stokes “Go Rest High on that Mountain”

Rod is the only Team Kelly artist, she thinks that he stands out as a vocalist and a human.   Um, another pandering song yeah this will get voted through.  He sang it at his grandparents’ funeral.  He’s crying about his Mama.  Rod is standing at the mic with his guitar, WGWG singing about God, except he can actually sing.  He does sound a little nervous tonight, he did on the Beatles song too.  This isn’t my favorite from him but should be enough to get America votes I would think.  The pink things hanging from the ceiling are weird.  He never gets as into it as I expected but solid performance.  Kelly on her feet.  Rod’s Mom wiping tears.  John tells him it was lovely, not technically his best, but very strong emotionally.  Wow we hear from Adam, he says it would a good thing for him to do this song, a different look into who he is as a singer.  He loves him, huge fan.  Blake loved how he connected he was to the song, and the emotion can invade what happens technically but emotion wins every time. Kelly thinks they are in sync, he has a natural ability to move people.

Straight ahead Gyth/Dexter duet and Maelyn solo

Duet Gyth Rigdon and Dexter Roberts both Team Blake “Hey Jude”

They both tell us what they like about the song, it’s the meaning of hope.  They are both wearing black jackets and it’s just the two of them on the stage.  The camera angle is weird.  This is really boring, just them both standing at the mic.  Oh I spoke too soon the stage opens and they are both walking and singing now.  And now white clothed back up singers, this is an okay performance but so far most of these have been pretty boring.  This one is too.

Maelyn is up next followed by Andrew/Carter duet

Maelyn Jarmon Team Legend “Stay”

Maelyn was the only artist to get a top 10 in Itunes last week.  Maelyn thinks the song is a big risk, she is tearing up talking about her parents and what making the finale would mean.  John says Maelyn is a real artist who understands how to really arrange songs, and applies her own vision to the song.  She is looking beautiful in a red dress, dark staging.  Something about the way she sings and interprets a song just kills me.  She sounds a little more forced tonight then usual, but the interpretation is beautiful.  A little screechy too but she also has some really powerful moments.  She has so much control and really acted out that song with her voice.  There’s Maelyn and there’s everybody else she is just so far out of everyone else’s league.  4 coach standing ovation.  Adam says she was amazing, she would win The Voice.  She embodies what the show is about, she’s the best singer we have right now.  Blake says it’s hard to find new great things to say about her, her control, her poise, she’s spot on every time.  Kelly loved the lack of control on purpose she played characters, it was her favorite performance.  John said she took risks, and she nailed it.

Duet:  Carter Lloyd Horne and Andrew Sevener Team Blake “Help”

Comments about the song and what it means to them, they are trying to be corny but it’s not working.  Ooo neon stage floor for this one, what is Carter wearing?  This is actually better then some of the others tonight, Andrew in particular sounds really good.  The staging was good, the performance was pretty good too.  It’s just hard to hear all these country dudes singing the icons.

Coming up Dexter and Shawn Sounds closes the night

Dexter Roberts Team Blake “Here without You”

He picked an unexpected song choice.  He wanted to show everyone that he can be different, he wanted to take a chance.   A few months ago he was driving a rock truck and now he’s here.  He wants a big family someday.  Rehearsals sound good.  Blake says good connections and good vocals he thinks Dexter will be in the finale.  (Wouldn’t it be a kick if it’s all Team Blake in the finale?)  Dark lighting again, he is standing at the mic with his guitar.  This is really good, he is showing all the good parts of his voice, it’s on the pitch.  The arrangement is boring but this will be popular with the audience.  He’s hit some big notes and also shown his tender side.  Very good performance.  One of the best of the night, he might pull an upset.  Kelly loves his voice, she thought it was smart to step outside of the country genre.  Blake thinks it was a good choice as well, his voice is one of his favorites.  It cuts through so good.

Shawn Sounds closes the show when we come back…

Shawn Sounds Team Legend “A Song for You”

He is singing this for his students.  Oh this is a good song.  With him being the last R&B soul singer on the show he decided to take on the challenge.  John says he’s a force to be reckoned with.  This was a good song choice for him, he sounds really good.  The staging is a keyboard on the floor and he’s wearing a cool hat.  His lower range is so good, he is overdoing the runs abit but this is still good.  He has a mellow R&B voice that can also wail.  John is on his feet.  He never really gets as it into as I expected but definitely one of the best tonight.  Also 4 coach standing O as he hits a huge high note at the end.  Adam thanks Shawn for putting on a singing clinic for everybody here tonight, it was the craziest performance of the night.  Heartfelt.  Kelly says Maelyn is so great, and he heard that and came out and just sang his tail off.  John says now that Shawn gave the best two performances of the show.  Why do they keep bringing Maelyn up in Shawn’s comments?  WTH?  He says he is lucky to have them both.

See you tomorrow night for the results they are sure to be interesting!

 

About Dana Meyers 27 Articles
I have a Masters degree in Human Resources & work in that field. I like to travel, read, decorate my house, play board games and spoil my three dogs and two grown daughters. I've been an American Idol fan since the first season and have watched The Voice since season 6.