The Voice Top 8 take the stage tonight to perform for your votes. Robin Thicke is the musical guest. Because less fact it–there’s a lot of time to kill. Expect a fillerific show! I’ll be live blogging right here.
VOTE! Click to Download The Voice Top 8 performances from iTunes
It was another miss for Caroline Pennell tonight. I’m afraid she’s going home this week. She’s young and inexperienced–all the more reason she needs a solid coach to guide her, and Cee Lo is not that coach. He’s not a very good coach, period. He’s terrible at picking songs. But really, he can’t figure out what’s best for his singers. He can’t think strategically. Unlike Blake Shelton, who has this Voice thing down to a science. Basically, you find out what works for a contestant, and keep doing it without variation. He’s hit on a formula–plain spoken country singer– for Cole Vosbury, and it’s working. Damn, I was so sure Blake didn’t have a chance in hell to win this year. But now I’m not so sure. Christina is a good coach, but I don’t know what happened with Matthew Schuler tonight. He could not hold the pitch on “It’s Time.” But she’s doing great with Jacquie Lee, getting the young singer back on track after last week’s “Clarity” mis-fire. Adam’s doing something right. He’s still got his entire team. Although, that could change tomorrow…
Robin Thicke opens the show with a performance of his new single, “Feel Good.” I like this song, yes I do. Sexay.
A commercial for Adam Levine’s K-Mart clothes collection. I kid you not. They probably sell his fragrance too.
James Wolpert – Team Adam – Somebody to Love – James CHOSE to sing this song. It’s a bold choice, says Adam, but he’s excited. “It sounds like Freddie,” he says. Don’t go there, Adam, OK? James’ girlfriend arranged the song for his a cappella group in college. He’s sung this before. Adam advises him not to be overcome by emotion. James agrees he gets “overzealous” at times. James gets a full choir of male voices to back him up. He’s wearing a tuxedo at Adam’s suggestion, as is the choir. I’m a James fan, and have liked every performance, except the Foreigner song. Yes, James’ overenthusiastic vocals can pull him off pitch. But I love his energy, and chalk that up to a rock wail–which isn’t always perfect. This was a beautifully staged performance, and James was mesmerizing as he worked the stage, It’s a tough song to sing, but he delivered a near perfect vocal that was full of passion. Quirky yet compelling. Adam gives him a standing ovation. He’s VERY excited. Adam says he could sing in Queen. Just stop it, Adam. Dynamic, beautiful, you never lost your way, he says. It was 50 times better than rehearsal. Blake thought it was solid, dramatic, and the best he’s heard him sing. Christina thought it was fun and the staging was special, like a Broadway show. He says the choir was like an army of Blake/Adam babies. Cee Lo loves Queen and thinks he did a wonderful job. His timing impeccable. One of the best performances ever in the history of The Voice. (I wouldn’t go that far). – 1-855-864-2301
Tessanne Chin – Team Adam – “Underneath it All” by No Doubt – Adam thinks the reggae vibe of No Doubt will be perfect for Tessanne. A modern song with a Jamaican twist is a solid choice for her. Let’s see what happens. The chicks in track suits dancing behind her in the swaybot pit cracked me up. This is an awesome vocal. She’s got some swagger here, as she expertly navigates the song. I loved the “YEAH YEAH YEAH” breakdown at the end. Tess brought great verve and energy to this performance. I just hope people at home appreciate it. The good stuff she did was subtle rather than showy. Reggae as a musical style is pretty niche, too. “Many Rivers to Cross,” wasn’t exactly an iTunes hit. But, really, this is one of my very favorite vocals from her. Intricate, sassy and full of confidence. The audience goes wild! This is who Tessanne is, says Adam. He thought the song was an efficient way to tie Jamaica to America. Cee Lo calls it impeccable. Christina finally heard what she was listening for. She felt like Tessanne finally got to her truth. – 1-855-864-2302
Caroline Pennell – Team Cee Lo – “Dog Days are Over” by Florence + The Machine – Cee Lo takes Caroline out for a gelato, in order to comfort her after last week’s bottom 3 finish. Cee Lo picked the song this time. He tells her to add some grit to the song. That’s important. Her languid style could turn the performance into a bore. Her bottom 3 placement last week was a wakeup call, Caroline says. And…she didn’t rise to the occasion. Florence sings this song with a sense of urgency. That was completely lacking here, as Caroline wandered around the stage, never giving herself over to the emotion. There were a couple of interesting vocal moments in the beginning, but she was mostly swallowed up by this song, especially on the chorus. It didn’t work for her. She totally pulled her punches on a song that needed the exact opposite. Cee Lo is very proud of her. He wrote a poem for her. It sounds like a 3rd grader wrote it. He’s so weird. Adam thought it was bold move, and she did really well. He says all that matters is that she pushes herself to improve. – 1-855-864-2303
Carson and Robin have known each other for years, we learn in a skybox chat. He asks Robin a few twitter questions, about Blake’s dance moves (Chris Brown should be very scared. /sarcasm). Robin gives The Voice credit for making his massive hit, Blurred Lines a success.
Cole Vosbury, Ray Boudreaux, Tessanne Chin and Will Champlin perform “One Day”. Really nice harmonies from this group. All four are killing their solos.
Cole Vosbury – Team Blake – “I Still Believe in You” by Vince Gill – He brought Ray and Cole to the Tonight show. Jay sits in on a little chat. DNW. Nice cross promotion, NBC. Blake picked this emotional song because he wants the audience to realize how deep Cole really is. Blake advises him to sing more aggressively, and once again, he advises against playing the piano. Cole is going to fly up the iTunes chart, with this sweet, tender love song. His rasp is a little harsh on the chorus, but he embodies the story of a man desperate to make amends with a lover. Hearts are probably melting all over America. Dark Horse. Dark Horse. Dark Horse. Blake has decided the way to go with Cole is to turn him into a country artist. He’s probably right. Blake says Cole’s heart is laying on the stage (He advises him to watch where he steps!) He’s now a lock to be here for awhile, he says. Christina loved the quiet moment. She heard something really special tonight. – 1-855-864-2304
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Matthew Schuler – Team Christina – “It’s Time” by Imagine Dragons – Team Christina – Matthew just turned 21. Christina wanted to bring Matthew back to indie rock. Christina brings in her choreographer Jerry. There’s going to be an Army of dancers behind him, clapping the military beats. I love Matthew, but there were some pitch problems there. He sounded underpitch during parts, and cracked a bit on the high notes. I don’t think this is a great song to begin with. Nevertheless, Matthew has incredible energy and presence. I still couldn’t take my eyes off of him. Also, the boy has some MOVES. He’s so unique and so unusual. Matthew is never karaoke, never dull. Christina says he comes from a place of integrity. He’s asking to be heard. It was a song of freedom, she says. Cee Lo loves the sentiment of the song, and thinks he’s doing a damn good job. – 1-855-864-2305
Caroline Pennell, Jacquie Lee, James Wolpert and Matthew Schuler sing “Lego House” – On paper, this looked perfect, I’m sure. Not the greatest voice blend ever, but the performance has its moments.
Will Champlin – Team Adam – “At Last” by Etta James – Will wants to give a lasting performance that people will remember. The classics are his musical influences, and he’s going to take on a big one. He’s the first male vocalist on The Voice to tackle this song. Oh. Will went to Berklee. Adam is impressed. He wanted to go there. Hm. Adam warns Will not to think to much. And while it is a tremendous vocal, it’s missing something. Will hits some amazing high notes, and his phrasing is unexpected and great. But there is something about Will that keeps him at arms length. Maybe it’s what Adam and Christina talked about–how Will works and rehearses to the point of over-thinking. His performances don’t feel spontaneous. Basically, he lacks star quality. Adam is amazed by his range, and his hard work. He keeps working until he conquers a song. He loves his ambition. Christina loves Etta. She knows every note, and says Will did a tremendous job, and cool hearing a guy sing it. – 1-855-864-2306
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Ray Boudreaux – Team Blake – “Gimme Some Lovin” by Spencer Davis Group – Blake feels like he has hit the perfect formula for Ray. And this song is the perfect opportunity for Ray to showcase himself as an entertainer. He’s got the dancing horns. And the chick background singers. It’s supposed to be a party. Ray’s vocal is great. He’s got a gritty, swampy soul sound, but he’s got a few smooth spots that could be roughed up a bit. Thing is, he’s really not a Las Vegas entertainer type, and I don’t know why Blake is taking him in this direction tonight. He’s doesn’t’ seem entirely comfortable working the stage. He’s not Elvis. Ray’s best performances have been the intimate ones. Blake says Ray has style and swag. He compares him to Robert Palmer. But he loved when he went for the bigger notes too. Christina teases that Blake finally learned the meaning of “swag.” Christina thought it was a great performance. Cee Lo loved the energy. – 1-855-864-2307
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Jacquie Lee – Team Christina – “Who’s Lovin’ You” by Smokey Robinson/Michael Jackson – Christina is going to get “back to our roots.” Thank God. She’s giving Jacquie the opportunity to be vulnerable, while highlighting her powerful vocals. She’s giving Jacquie some fantastic notes! Like, don’t smile all the time, to think about what she’s singing about, and to connect directly with her audience. Oh. She starts off a cappella with reverb. Then the choir comes in. She hits an unexpected falsetto note. Jacquie is back! She drops down to her knees, surrounded by swaybots. She might be trying a little TOO hard here. Jacquie overcooked the song in spots, but there’s no denying her talent. She can do amazing things with her voice, and in a few years she’s going to be just incredible. Christina knows she has heart. “You just threw it up there on stage.” Adam admires her ability to convey adult emotions. “You parted somebody’s hair down there,” says Blake. Cee Lo says, “It’s like you swallowed an old lady.” – 1-855-864-2308
