The Voice 5 final 3 perform for the last time for YOUR VOTES! I’ll be live blogging the performances right here.
Click to Download iTunes Performances
Personally, I think Tessanne Chin outsang and outdelivered the competition. She deserves to win. And she probably will. But I’ll reserve my judgement until the iTunes charting settles in. Jacquie Lee is her closest competition. Girl’s got a big voice, but she lacks control and emotional nuance. Will clawed his way into the Top 3, but I don’t think there’s enough fight in the world to take the crown.
I felt bad for Will when Adam declared his team mate Tess, the winner, even before he sang his last song. It may be true that Will making the Top 3 is a win for him, because he doesn’t have a chance in hell to take it all (OK. That’s not literally what Adam said. But pretty much) But it still felt unnecessary. Tess really doesn’t need Adam’s overt pimping to win. I think her talent is going to take care of that. He could have been more diplomatic tonight and not played favorites. Even Christina didn’t go there. She concentrated on praising her team member Jacquie, rather than slighting the others. Will has got to feel like the red-headed step child right about now.
The song selections tonight were rather, uhm, unimaginative. The coaches are deliberately playing it safe for the sake of their team members. Maybe it’s good game play, but it’s really bad TV. None of tonight’s contestants delivered even close to their personal best, resulting in a rather unremarkable night of performances.
However, we’ll get to hear the winner perform the Ryan Tedder penned “winners single” so there’s that!
The show begins with the Top 3 on stage with Carson Daly. Jacquie Lee, Tessanne Chin and Will Champlin. And of course we have to begin the big final with a SEASON RECAP. Zzz.
The coaches take the stage, for a performance of “Pour a Little Sugar On Me”. Members of Def Leppard are performing with the band.
First, the Final 3 will perform their Blind Audition performances. Each song begins with an introduction by the contestant’s coach.
Tessanne Chin – Try by Pink – Team Adam – Adam reminds us that all 4 judges turned for her. Eh. I never understand the point of reprising songs, except that it’s one less song a contestant has to learn. This time, Tessanne, elegantly dressed, works the hand waving crowd. There’s not much to say about Tess that hasn’t already been said. She’s incredible. The last chorus is literally spine tingling. She’s the real deal. She’s beautiful in a black jumpsuit. Adam revels in Tessanne’s ability. Every moment working with her has been fun, incredible and educational, he says. What she has is rare. Cee Lo is proud of her. She has evolved under a pressured environment. 1-855-864-2301
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Carson ALREADY making a trip to the skybox. Why don’t the coaches ever switch chairs? Then of course, they do.
Will Champlin – Not Over You by Gavin DeGraw – Team Adam – Adam is proud of Will’s resilience. I remember being not very impressed with Will’s Blind audition. Part of the problem is that the song itself is bland. Therefore, I remain unimpressed. Although, Will is staying in tune tonight, so there’s that. Thing is, Will will probably find success performing bland pop rock songs for the Hot Adult Contemporary market. I like his retro early 80’s suit. He looks and dresses like he belongs in a New Wave band. Adam says Will works too hard. It’s a little stressful! But inspiring. Christina notes that he overthinks sometimes, but he’s overcome his struggles. – 1-855-864-2302
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Jacquie Lee – Team Christina – Back to Black by Amy Winehouse – Christina was captivated by the little girl with the big voice – Jacquie caught my attention with this performance too. She doesn’t have the grit and world weary experience of Amy. But there’s something about her tone and effortless bluesy sound that gets to me. Did she come out of the womb sounding like that? She has so much potential. In 5 years she could be amazing. Yep, she overcooks some of the big notes, especially in the last chorus. Christina gets so much joy watching Jacquie. AND SHE’S ONLY 16! Christina mentions once again how she identifies with the young singer. – 1-855-864-2303
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Duets are next!
Tessanne Chin and Adam Levine – Let it Be by The Beatles – Adam chose one of his favorite songs to perform with Tessanne. This is actually better than I expected. Their voices blend nicely. It’s obvious the two have developed a special camaraderie over these months. Adam plays the guitar solo on the bridge. Ooooh. The third verse shifts into a reggae beat. It’s an interesting touch. Yeah, I like this–really nice chemistry between the two. Adam steps back and allows Tess to shine. Very nice.
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Jacquie Lee and Christina Aguilera – We Remain by Christina Aguilera – Christina picks her current song from the Hunger Games soundtrack. A little mercenary maybe? What a great way to boost sales of the original song! Oh Christina. This is a little wonky. Two competing diva voices usually don’t result in a good thing. DID CHRISTINA FORGET THE LYRICS TO HER OWN SONG? I think she did there for a second. She recovered. The big riffing happens at the end and it approaches caterwauling.
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Will Champlin and Adam Levine – Tiny Dancer by Elton John – Adam sounds fantastic on this song. Better than Will, if I’m being honest. I like Adam’s phrasing and his pure tone. It’s obviously a song he loves a lot. I don’t really care for the embellishments Will is adding–this song doesn’t need a ton of riffs. It’s a song that means a lot to me, so I’m going to be picky. Will is off pitch on the harmonies. He’s not wearing this song well.
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Will Champlin, Tessanne Chin and Jacquie Lee – I’ll Be There by Michael Jackson – There some really off pitch moments in this trio, especially from Jacquie and Will. Tessanne is the best here, but it’s an unfair fight. Their voices don’t blend very well. But it’s a group number, learned quickly and likely under-rehearsed, so I give everyone a great big pass.
New Solo Songs
Tessanne Chin – Team Adam – “I Have Nothing” by Whitney Houston – Oh geez. This song is so overdone. But the thing is, Tessanne is up to the task. She may pull this off and sell a billion iTunes. Vocally she’s killing it. But this is one of those iconic numbers that’s tough to make your own. If a singer rearranges it, fans get upset. Here, Tess keeps the original arrangement. She doesn’t back away from the song one bit and nails it. Amazing. But she doesn’t bring much to the song that Whitney didn’t. Still, I think it’s a performance that could resonate with viewers. Adam is completely blown away by Tessanne’s talent. “Where is the ceiling for Tessanne?” says Adam. Whoa. He declares Tess the winner of the show. Poor Will. And he has to follow Tess with a lame Bryan Adams song.
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Will Champlin – Team Adam – (Everything I Do) I Do it For You by Bryan Adams – Adam tells Will not to change up the melody, but still put his own stamp on it. Good luck with that! I’m going to set aside the fact that I hate this song to say Will is delivering a great vocal. It’s simple and emotional. I really like the slow build and control. Sometimes he loses it in the middle of a performance. But not here. Really really nice. He nails a big note on the chorus and shift beautifully into his falsetto. Aw, his wife is in the audience tearing up. He ventures out to kiss his wife. Very nice, Mr. Champlin. Adam is giving Will the total kiss off. “No matter the outcome, you’ve still won.” and “I don’t care what happens…” Maybe Will cares, Adam? Minimizing his chances, and passive aggressively calling him a loser at this point, will likely energize viewers sitting on the fence. Blake thought the performance was solid.
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Jacquie Lee – Team Christina – “And I Am Telling You” from Dreamgirls – This is a crazy ambitious song for Jacquie. It’s pretty likely that she’ll oversing it. But then this song is kinda meant to be oversung. Viewers have responded the best to Jacquie when she’s singing big. Really big. She’s no Jennifer Hudson. She misses the nuances of the song. But she delivers those huge notes. I won’t be surprised if she racks up big iTunes numbers. Christina blah blah blah you’re only 16 blah blah blah. She’s sure Jacquie will be a superstar. Blake calls the coach/artist pairing one of the best.
