Monday, December 9, 2013

The Voice Season 5: The Top 5 Give it a Go

James Wolpert performed With or Without You by U2-- O-M-G! I love this song. I love that James didn't sound like Bono singing that song because it made the performance stronger. His voice soared on the important parts. Adam said he was proud. Blake said that's one of his favorite songs too and Blake felt he needed a moment like that in the competition and said it's possible he dug himself out of the whole from being in the bottom 2 last week.

Will Champlin performed Carry On by F.U.N.-- Adam made an awesome song choice for Will. I loved Will's performance! It was so real and so authentic and he just went for it. You could tell that Will was really into the song choice. I loved the high note at the end. Adam said he is really proud of him and he could tell he felt good about it. Cee Lo said I'm pleased you felt so swaggy up there. I love anthems like that. Blake said letting your heart open up is gonna go a long way in this competition.

Jacquie Lee performed Angel by Sara McLachlan-- Christina made a little bit of a mistake choosing this I think. I found it a little slow and boring for Jacquie. Christina said she was blown away. She loved the dynamic she displayed and thought it was her best performance. Cee Lo enjoyed the sincerity of it all.

Cole Vosbury performed Shameless by Garth Brooks (written by Billy Joel)-- Loved this vocal, loved that the song was a mix between country and rock and roll and soul. It was perfect. Blake said he did an incredible job. Blake said that Cole suggested doing the song Shameless. Cee Lo said you perform every song like it's yours and that's what's special about you. You're a bonafied rock star.

Tessanne Chin performed Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon and Garfunkel-- Wow, what a vocal, she may have just stamped her performance in the finals. Adam said I don't know what to say, that was crazy. Adam said knowing what's going on in your life, that's probably the most flawless and graceful performance I've ever heard on this show. Blake said, it's hard to argue with what Adam just said, you're an incredible singer.  

My predictions for the top three: Tessanne Chin, Cole Vosbury, and Will Champlin over James Wolpert by a sliver.

Monday, December 2, 2013

The Voice Season 5: The Top 6 Take it Up a Notch

Coach's Choice:

Blake chose Rich Girl by Hall & Oates for Cole Vosbury-- Cole has a great voice and it didn't falter, but I found the song lyrically repetitive. I hope he has a second song to sing that can really showcase him just a little bit better than this did. Cee Lo said he loves Cole and considers him a friend. Adam said he is a big Hall & Oates fan and loved that version.

Adam chose Redemption Song by Bob Marley for Tessanne Chin-- Tessanne sang that song with so much conviction, grace, and experience. It was like she lived the words. Adam said that he was so immersed and lost in the song, and people understand the potency and power of not just Bob Marley but of Tessanne Chin.

Matthew Schuler from Team Christina chose The Story of My Life-- I thought this was a much better than last week for sure. I didn't think that there were as many vocal inflections as there could have been and therefore the vocal read a little flat for me. Christina and Adam both seemed very happy with the performance.

Will Champlin from Team Adam chose A Change is Gonna Come by Sam Cooke-- Will's performance was certainly genuine. It had more of a rock feel as opposed to a soul feel, I would have liked more of the soul feel. Adam loved the optimism that came across in his performance as well as in his heart. Cee Lo loves that he has heart.

James Wolpert from Team Adam chose I Fell in Love With a Girl by The White Stripes-- Adam liked the simplicity and dialed back version of the song. Blake liked that the song had an acoustic feel to it. Like Blake, I am unfamiliar with the original song which Adam described as a crazy punk rock version. Again, this was a little bit of a boring song choice for me.

Christina chose Cry Baby by Janis Joplin for Jacquie Lee-- I love Jacquie's enthusiasm and emotion that she brings to every song. She has to be careful that she doesn't come across as screaming though. Christina loved her courage and said she left her heart on the stage. Cee Lo said he is convinced that she is a medium of some sort. He said she has made the most dynamic song choices of any artist. Adam said if this is you without your heart broken, what will you be like if it is?

Cole Vosbury from Team Blake chose Better Man by James Morrison-- Cole dedicated this song to his first love who he lost. Blake said if you don't get that girl back, something is wrong. Cole's vocal was so sincere and so warm. I truly felt his emotion shine through in that song. Cee Lo said his ears, eyes, and heart work because he sees how great Cole is now.

Tessanne Chin from Team Adam sang Unconditionally by Katy Perry-- I have to admit that near the beginning of the live shows, Tessanne fell off a little bit for me but she is back with a determination that is unmatched by almost any other contestant. I am feeling a Tessanne Chin finale. Adam said Katy Perry song's are usually big production numbers and I would normally be worried about that, but not with you.

Christina chose When a Man Loves a Woman by Percy Sledge for Matthew Schuler-- I am not sure about this, I didn't love it. It sounded a little dated for me, I like Matthew with a little bit of an edge. Christina told him to hang in there cause she has great ideas for him. Blake said he liked that he took it back to basics.

Adam chose Hey Brother by Avicii for Will Champlin-- I am so happy that he didn't do the song Wake Me Up! I liked this performance; the grit in his voice was awesome. Adam said he is such a powerful vocalist, and I always want to hear more from you. Blake liked the song and thought Will was cool.

Jacquie Lee from Team Christina chose The Voice Within by Christina Aguilera-- What a performance! She really brought it home, and she really displayed a maturity beyond her years. Christina said hearing Jacquie perform that song took her back and she sees so many similarities between her and Jacquie.

Adam chose I Would Do Anything for Love by Meatloaf for James Wolpert-- I loved that performance; James is so dramatic and yet for some reason, it works. He captures my attention every time and now I Would Do Anything for Love is going to be stuck in my head.  Adam said that James is sick and he got through it. Cee Lo told James he did a great job and really does rock opera so well. He said it's not overbearing and his confidence is so cool and it's another impressive performance on his part.

Who is at risk of going home?
 My heart says none of them.... my mind says Matthew and Jacquie are leaving us tomorrow and Team Adam and Team Blake will battle it out in the finale.


Sunday, December 1, 2013

The Voice Season 5: Eight Become Six, but did the right 2 go home?

James Wolpert performed Somebody to Love by Queen-- I like this performance but I think the judges went a bit overboard saying it was the best performance on The Voice. I think the performance was better than the vocal and there were other vocals tonight that were better than this. I call his performance, middle of the pack. 

Tessanne Chin performed Underneath it All by No Doubt-- This performance had so much authenticity and flavor that it was easily one of my favorite performances of the night. This was an awesome vocal; she was one of the best of the night. 

Caroline Pennell performed the Dog Days Are Over by Florence + The Machine-- This should have been better than it was ultimately. Vocally, this song is intricate and unusual like Caroline but the chorus chewed her up and spit her out. It's like the song was too big for her for some reason and the song controlled her rather than she controlled the song. Unfortunately, I do understand why Caroline went home. 

Cole Vosbury performed I Still Believe in You by Vince Gill-- This was another strong vocal from Cole that just absolutely melted my heart. Blake chose an amazing song for him. The thing I continue to absolutely love about Cole is his versatility. He can sing everything-- one week he is singing a Miguel song and the next week he is singing a Vince Gill song. It's just absolutely unreal to me. I need to constantly remind myself that for his blind he performed the theme song to The Jefferson's and only Cee Lo turned for him. 

Matthew Schuler performed It's Time by Imagine Dragons-- I have liked Matthew since the beginning, but he is extremely lucky he didn't get sent home after this not well put together performance. This just was not the right song for him. It didn't come together as it usually does. Matthew is a unique talent, but this wasn't his bag at all. 

Will Champlin performed At Last by Etta James-- One of my favorite of the night. Will has probably experienced the most growth of any contestant in the competition. His vocal was strong, and I feel much like Adam in that he's so ambitious. He seems to continuously push for that higher note. Right now, I would like to see him in the finals. 

Ray Boudreaux sang Gimme Some Lovin' by The Spencer Davis Group-- This was a high energy performance and Ray's vocals were right now. I cannot explain why Ray went home except to say that maybe the public didn't catch on to his very original style. Like some of the judges, I loved Ray's swagger in this performance, and I truly wish him the best going forward. I am sorry to see him leave the competition at this stage. 

Jacquie Lee sang Who's Loving You by Smokey Robinson/ Michael Jackson-- Not the best I have seen or heard Jacquie but she continues to remain a contender. At only 16, she is the real deal. I love the notes she hits and her poise and maturity is impressive. She has this innate ability to convey adult emotions, and all the judges clearly understood that and commented on it.