Hey guys and happy Monday! It’s time for another night of Battle Rounds, so join me here in ten minutes and lets hope we get a good night of television!
Here we go guys! THIS IS THE VOICE (dodododo)!
We fade in with a quick recap of last weeks episode we get the first pairing of the night.
Austin Ellis VS. Josh Kaufman from Team Adam
“Happy” by Pharrell. Hmmmmm, not sure about this pairing. Josh was a huge standout in the blind auditions, which means this could be rough for Austin. The two of them sounded fine during the rehearsals, but Josh was standing out more and feeling it. In the final rehearsals, Aloe tells Josh he needs to connect more and Austin needs to be more consistent with his pitch. After some final words, the battle begins. Austin is overdoing it in parts, while Josh lets himself breath in the song. I think Josh has this to be honest, he is straight out blowing Austin away. Josh has a tone that makes him much more unique and versatile than Austin and for that reason, I’d personally pick Josh. Overall, it was a pretty strong battle from both of them!
Josh wins the battle and continues on Team Adam.
Alaska and Madi VS. Audra Mclaughlin from Team Blake
“When Will I Be Loved” by Linda Ronstadt. I’m not familiar with this song, but the three sounded fine in rehearsals. I do agree with Kimberly who thought Audra was telling more of a story. In the final rehearsals, Audra was having some issues and so were A&M. Blake seems to be favoring Audra, which isn’t a good sign for A&M, but lets see how they do after the break. First, the opening harmonies were gorgeous, second, A&M are amazing! But so is Audra… This is tough, both are singing their faces off! Wow what a killer battle, yes it might have gone a little over the top at points, but I still dug it.
Audra wins the battle and continues on Team Blake. No steal for them? Poor girls.
Deja Hall VS. Music Box from Team Shakira
“Eternal Flame” by The Bangles. Seriously? You want to be called Music Box? Anyway, Deja has a really pretty voice in rehearsals, while on the other hand MB has a big loud voice. This is quite a clash of voices, they both are so opposite yet so equal. In the final rehearsals, I feel like Music Box was out singing Deja, but Deja’s voice still is pretty strong also. This song is pretty overdone on these shows, but Music Box starts out her verse with power and perfect diction, but then Deja comes in and while she might be a little wobbly, she still is pretty spot on. Music Box possesses more grit and feeling then Deja. I think Music Box will win this, she just seems more ready and has a stronger voice then Deja.
Deja wins the battle and continues on Team Shakira I was pretty sure it would be Music Box winning, but it doesn’t matter as Usher Steals Music Box
Madilyn Paige VS. Tanner James from Team Usher.
“Everything has Changed” by Taylor Swift. Madilyn was one of my favorites during the blind auditions. I hope she delivers tonight and moves on. Tanner is a pretty strong singer, but I think Madilyn can outsing him. Jill thinks Madilyn’s voice is fragile and can break, which I agree with, she needs to work on her control, if she doesn’t, Tanner could easily take this round. This one could be interesting, folks. The way the two start the song is perfect. By facing away from each other, they are able to focus on their vocals and then when they turn to each other their vocals begin to soar. The two of them are pretty equally matched! This was just so adorable! I have no idea who Usher will go with, but I hope its Madilyn, because her quiet delicate tone lets her performances seem very sincere and real.
Madilyn wins the battle and continues on Team Usher. Okay, I’m gonna say it, Madilyn is one of my personal favorites this season. I do feel bad for Tanner not getting saved though.
Dawn and Hawkes VS. Josh Murley from Team Adam
“Stuck in the Middle With You” by Stealers Wheel. I loved Dawn and Hawkes’s audition and Adam seems to have a soft spot for them, which isn’t spelling good news for Josh. In rehearsals, D&H were shining a lot more then Josh, which is a little unfair as its really two voices against one. In addition, Josh isn’t really connecting to his lyrics. I think Dawn and Hawkes have this to be honest. This song doesn’t really fit either of them, and restricts them both from taking any moments. Josh is trying hard and it’s coming off a little overbaked for me. Dawn and Hawkes seem comfortable and sound absolutely amazing together. This seems pretty open and shut to me.
Dawn and Hawkes win the battle and continue on Team Adam. Adam made the right pick. The duo have a ton of potential and I think have a good shot of making the top 12. Shakira Steals Josh. That came out of nowhere. I think Josh is great, but I personally wouldn’t have used a steal on him. Anyway, good luck on Team Shakira, Josh!
Bria Kelly VS. Tess Boyer from Team Usher.
“Piece of My Heart” Janis Joplin. Bria gave arguably the best performance of the auditions and is another of my favorites, but Tess’s voice is absolutely KILLER! At least this battle is equally paired. In rehearsals, Jill thinks Tess needs work and needs to let go if she wants to take down Bria. I agree, it will be tough for Tess to take down Bria and to be honest, I’m skeptical she will. Bria is just a beast and I don’t think anyone except maybe Christina, Sisaundra or Clarissa can take her down. This battle should be epic though! This song fits both of them pretty well and they both soar with their vocals. Bria hits a note towards the end that solidifies why she was the number one voice going into the battle rounds on my top 10 list. This was pretty amazing, Tess and Bria both killed their lines. This battle should end in a steal.
Bria Kelly wins the battle and continues on Team Usher. If Usher holds onto her and she makes it to the live rounds, I think she has a legitimate shot of winning. Blake steals Tess!. I bet Blake wanted Usher to pick Tess so he could steal Bria, but either way this round has a happy ending.
And with that, we are out. Thank you all for joining me tonight and if you think I’m cool, I’d love a follow from you guys at @adamhsamuel. Until next Monday, have a good night, guys!
Side note- All the contestants I put in my top 10 auditions shown so far have advanced to the Knockouts. Tomorrow, we still need to see Christina, who will round out my top 4 predictions. Who are your favorites so far? My personal favorites are Madilyn, Clarissa, Bria and Christina. Sound off with yours in the comments!
