Before I dive into this week’s power list, I’d like to share a couple of thoughts on last week’s results. Adam Levine got the team that he wanted, I suspect. He had a very strong team, which meant there would be some tough cuts. Preston Pohl is an amazing, old-school talent, but he didn’t have the potential to sell as many iTunes, or amass the fan base that Will Champlin could. Grey was obviously not one of Adam’s favorites, and had an impossible task to break out.
I wonder if Blake Shelton was expecting both Austin Jenckes and Cole Vosbury to be saved by America. If one of them hadn’t, I think he would have chosen to save both Shelbie Z and Ray Boudreaux. He wanted Ray in any case. The way things shook out, he’s got a team full of Americana artists…and Blake’s winning streak is about to come to an end. Poor Nic was meant to be a lulzy distraction.
I was surprised that Cee Lo Green sacrificed both of his African American singers for rock singer, Kat Robichaud. Her performances are uneven. Amber Nicole had a bad night, but she has a ton of potential, and would have added some diversity to the team. In any case, he’s got a potential winner in Caroline Pennell.
I was personally disappointed that Stephanie Ann Johnson didn’t make the team. With some coaching, Stephanie could have been an interesting contestant. But probably not as popular as the conventional Josh Logan, who is more in line with what fans of singing competitions go for.
Team Adam and Team Christina are the strongest teams going into the finals. But it only takes one to win, and like I said, Cee Lo has that one in Caroline Pennell.
Here’s my power list for the week, in order of how strong the contenders are going into tonight’s competition.
12. Kat Robichaud – Team Cee Lo – Her playoff song was a dud. She and Cee Lo are going to have to come up with something better if she’s to stick around another week. Pick a familiar song and dial back the antics. She actually needs to play it a little safe this week to win back the audience.
11. Ray Boudreaux – Team Blake – It’s time for Ray to break out that adorable little daughter of his. I think she’s more popular than he is, at this point. Picking familiar songs, while turning on the sex appeal may help. He’s certainly got the vocal goods.
10. Jonny Gray – Team Cee Lo – Jonny may be too rare for a conventional singing competition. His vocals are unusual, and to be honest, I don’t trust Cee Lo to pick the right songs for him. Unfortunately, Jonny may not be much better, which is going to be a problem.
9. Josh Logan – Team Christina – We know Josh can sing up a storm, and riff like crazy with those soulful vocals. Now it’s time for the singer to show some vulnerability. Quit showing off those tricks and use that remarkable voice to tell us a story. Josh has to connect to the audience before he can go deep.
8. Cole Vosbury – Team Blake – Cole is the kind of singer who can sit on a stool and blow an audience away with his tender, nuanced vocals. But will his soft style be overshadowed by showier performers? This singer has a real challenge ahead of him.
7. Austin Jenckes – Team Blake – Austin’s dad committed suicide when he was a boy–a backstory the singer has ridden about as far as he can take it. Now, in order to stay in the game, he’s going to have to sing well. Austin doesn’t have the best voice in the competition, but he’s good at connecting and expressing emotion. Song choice is going to be key here.
6. Tessanne Chin – Team Adam – Adam has to make sure to keep Tessanne current. “Many Rivers to Cross” is a lovely song, but it’s a little old fashioned. If Adam can position Tess as a contemporary pop/R&B singer, and she keeps delivering those amazing vocals, she’ll be in it for the long haul.
5. Will Champlin – Team Adam – In a competitive field of contenders, can Will prevail? His performances are consistently good, but he had to be saved by Adam to advance. Will could wind up a mid-packer behind the likes of Matthew, Jacquie, Caroline and James. But this early in the game? If Adam and Will choose the right songs, and Will continues to deliver great vocals, he could break out of the pack.
4. Matthew Schuler – Team Christina – Less will be more when it comes to how Christina coaches this talented indie singer. Matthew hast great taste and even better instincts. He knows what’s best to show off his incredible tone and phrasing. He has potential to go far if Christina trusts his judgement.
3. Jacquie Lee – Team Christina – Young Jacquie’s strong, soulful voice and confident girl next store personality appears to be resonating with The Voice fans. Her performance of “I Put a Spell on You” was a surprise hit with fans. With room to grow, she could be the Dark Horse contestant who passes the competition in the left lane.
2. Caroline Pennell – Team Cee Lo – Caroline is a strong contender. Her winsome personality and indie charm would be enough to make her a favorite. Her strong vocals are what will keep her a top vote getter and iTunes seller. Watch out James.
1. James Wolpert – Team Adam – His performance of Joni Mitchell’s “Case of You” went viral, and was the only performance to hit the iTunes Top 10, so I’m putting him at the top of the list. But can he maintain the pole position? That remains to be seen. He’s got some stiff competition.
