The Voice Season 3: Top 10-- Best episode ever of The Voice?

Something happened tonight when I was watching The Voice. I realized that for the high production value that The X Factor has, they don't possess the talent to go along with it. I think that every act on that show should take lessons from these ten. Somehow, there's a part of me that wishes that every single one of them could be awarded some type of prize for their talent. Each one has something special, and I could not label any performance weak.

Sylvia Yacoub sang Girl on Fire by Alicia Keys-- Cee Lo thought it was a great song choice and loved her increasing confidence. Adam said he was actually pretty blown away. Blake said spot on, and Christina thought she was on fire. This was a great song for Sylvia to sing, it showcased her vocals well.

Terry McDermott sang Summer of '69 by Bryan Adams-- Cee Lo said you're genuinely everything I love about rock n' roll. Adam said, I get mad when I watch you cause I really wanted you on my team and Blake stole you. Blake thanked Terry for choosing him as his coach. I believe that Terry is born to be a rocker. He just lives, bleeds, and sweats rock n' roll.

Melanie Martinez sang Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes-- Blake said he'd love to be able to work with Melanie. Christina and Cee Lo both thought it was cool (Cee Lo: ubber cool). Adam said she dazzled everyone. I like the risk she took singing this, it was so strong, and I liked the phraseology.

Cody Belew sang Crazy in Love by Beyonce-- Adam said you're cocky and awesome in the best way. Christina said he worked it like a true diva, and Cee Lo said Cody brings him so much joy. Cody is just a pleasure to watch because he was born to have an audience, born to be on stage, and to feel comfortable doing it all. Not the strongest vocally, but his performance skills compensate.

Bryan Keith sang New York State of Mind by  Billy Joel-- Blake felt that Bryan's attitude was like Michael Buble and that he is becoming a big fan. Christina felt the song was a perfect fit. Cee Lo said he has a man's voice, and Adam felt he made the song his own. Bryan felt every lyric and every note. This performance was so sincere and not only did he connect with the song, he made me connect with the song.

Amanda Brown sang Stars by Grace Potter-- Blake said I didn't know that song but that performance is how I wanted to be introduced to it. Christina praised how emotional it was. Cee Lo said you impressed me again, I'll always feel like I discovered you, but I could never be selfish with a voice like yours. Adam felt happy that Blake said what he said. Amanda is definitely back in this, her vocals and her emotion drew me in to the point that I was in another place when I was listening to her.

Nicholas David sang Lean on Me by Bill Withers-- Adam said bravo my friend. Blake said this might be the best episode of The Voice that we've ever had. Watching you tonight was like watching a legend. Christina said that was so good for my soul, genius song choice Cee Lo, home run. Cee Lo said I heard the voice of a generation, an immaculate impassioned performance. I felt like a child in the presence of my maker. Nicholas just surprises me every week because initially I didn't even like him. He has grown on me because he is just so sincere and committed to everything he does.

Trevin Hunte sang Scream by Usher-- Adam said, Trevin, you can sing the dictionary. Cee Lo said, I will ride and die with you Trevin, you're risk paid off. I enjoyed getting to see Trevin have fun and act like an 18 year old. His talent remains.

Cassadee Pope sang Over You by Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton-- Christina said she felt the sincerity. Cee Lo said your voice was so flawless tonight. Adam said this style suited you, it felt really good. Blake said that Cassadee looks like a true artist. I have to agree with Adam and Christina; this performance was beautiful on Cassadee.

Dez Duron sang Feelin' Good by Nina Simone/ Michael Buble-- Cee Lo said he loved it, wonderful rendition, I'm impressed. Blake said, we all know you're a star, congratulations on figuring out where you fit musically. Christina said, you dug deep. I was floored when I heard Dez sing, I just didn't think he had all that. He totally put that performance away in the first phrase of the song. This was so powerful.

Who do you think is most vulnerable for eliminations? Who is a shoe in for the elite eight? Leave your opinions in the comments.

The Voice Season 3: The Live Shows Continue (Part 2)

Team Christina:
Adriana Louise sang Firework by Katy Perry-- Blake said that she takes big steps every time she takes the stage. The song is tough to sing, as Adam and Christina pointed out, it goes from low to medium to high. I give Adriana props, she is a force in this competition. I found it screechy at points, but I think she is one of the strongest members of Team Christina.

Team Cee Lo:
Cody Belew sang One More Try by George Michael-- Wow!!! Cody was phenomenal; I could see him being like a George Michael of today. Adam said it was a great song choice, and Cody said it was Cee Lo's idea. Blake called him a threat and said he is one of his and his wife Miranda's favorites. He said that Cody has grown with each performance. Christina said Cody made it his own and made her smile. Cee Lo said he was so proud of him.

Team Christina:
De'Borah sang Who Knew by Pink-- Cee Lo said he loved the mix of hip hop swagger and the gospel soul part of her voice. Adam said said she referred to herself in the video as "regular De'Borah" and that there is nothing regular about her because there is only one of her and what she does is special. Blake said her voice always sneaks up on him. Christina said she is so real, so raw, and she commands the stage. I love the passion and the heart; I agree with Christina, she is the real deal. 

Team Cee Lo:
Diego Val sang Bailamos by Enrique Iglesias-- Adam said he wasn't fully engaged in the song, but it was a good performance. Blake appreciated his coolness on the stage. Christina agreed with Adam. Cee Lo felt that this would give him a chance of sing something safe in his native tongue, and the song was sexy. Honestly, I like Diego's coolness, he has a very laid back casual feel to his voice. I could see him being like Juanes as an artist, similar style. 

Team Cee Lo:
MacKenzie Bourg sang That's What Makes You Beautiful by One Direction-- Adam felt that he was a throwback to Buddy Holly. He doesn't necessarily think he will win, but he likes him as a character on The Voice. If I'm being honest, MacKenzie is charming and all, but I wasn't excited with this performance. I think for the first time in this competition MacKenzie could be in trouble.

Team Christina:
Devyn Deloera sang Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis-- As far as level of difficulty, this song is as hard to sing as Firework. Cee Lo she was a better singer than the performance was. I don't think Devyn deserves to go home, but this wasn't as good as it could have been and should have been.

Team Cee Lo:
Nicholas David sang You're My First My Last My Everything by Barry White-- Adam said after hearing Nicholas sing that, he wants to go make a baby. Blake said Nicholas is his favorite singer on Team Cee Lo. Cee Lo said he deserves to go all the way, and that he has such a timeless quality to his voice. Nick deserves to automatically advance, what he does is that special.

Team Christina:
Sylvia Yacoub sang The One That Got Away by Katy Perry-- No lie, I haven't been a fan of Sylvia's, but this was a strong performance. Cee Lo even called it his favorite performance of the night so far. What I actually appreciated about this performance is that it wasn't screamed like Adriana's and Devyn's performances were at points. She may be the dark horse from Team Christina.

Team Christina:
Dez Duron sang Wanted by Hunter Hayes-- Blake and Adam both said his vocal runs have great accuracy and precision. Christina gave him a standing ovation, and said he is the whole package. I think a lot of other critics who's reviews I have read were way too harsh and critical on Dez. I thought he did great, and I am not just saying that cause he looks good, honestly.

Team Cee Lo:
Trevin Hunte sang How Am I Supposed to Live Without You by Michael Bolton-- Yes, omg, side note, Purrfect the Cat is back! Blake said every time you get on the stage, you move me, and you have everything it takes to win The Voice. Christina found him captivating. Trevin should, without question, automatically advance.

Team Christina, who I think is moving forward:
De'Borah, Sylvia Yacoub, and Dez Duron

Team Cee Lo, who I think is moving forward:
Trevin Hunte, Cody Belew, and Nicholas David

The Voice Season 3: The Knockout Round

This season on The Voice because "the steal" was added, another round was added to the competition overall. The "Knockout Round" is when a mentor chooses two people from his or her own team to go up against each other. The difference from the Battle Round is that they are not singing the same song in a duet of sorts; they are singing a song of their own choosing in a solo performance. The mentor then deliberates, chooses who he or she wants to move on to the live shows and the other contestant is immediately eliminated.

Team Adam:

Joselyn Rivera singing Love on Top by Beyonce vs. Kayla Nevarez singing Shark in the Water by VV Brown-- Kayla sang an unfamiliar song and played it safe with her vocals and Joselyn sang a well known but difficult song and took a risk. My choice is Joselyn.
Knockout goes to: Joselyn Rivera

Joe Kirkland singing Mean by Taylor Swift vs. Bryan Keith singing Everything I Do I Do it For You by Bryan Adams-- Adam talked about Bryan's emotional connection with the audience; it's really unparalleled, there aren't many people who have that this year. Joe made a valiant effort, but this was a no contest, for me, and Adam.
Knockout goes to: Bryan Keith

Amanda Brown singing Paris Ohh La La by Grace Potter & The Nocturnals vs. Michelle Brooks Thompson singing Spotlight by Jennifer Hudson-- Christina called them both singer's singers. Adam questioned who he could be the better coach for and he picked Amanda Brown. To me, Michelle is a great singer, but Amanda has the passion to win this entire competition. I would pick Amanda.
Knockout goes to: Amanda Brown

Loren Allred singing You Know I'm No Good by Amy Winehouse vs. Nicole Nelson singing If I Ain't Got You by Alicia Keys--Nicole was stronger for sure in my opinion, but all the coaches were saying that Loren had a breakout performance which I don't exactly understand. Christina even went as far as asking Loren, where have you been all my life in this competition? Adam believed either lady could win the competition, noting that Nicole has impressed him since the beginning, whereas, Loren surprised him. I would go with Nicole because she's consistent.
Knockout goes to: Loren Allred

Melanie Martinez singing Bulletproof by La Roux vs. Sam James singing Walking in Memphis by Marc Cohn-- The coaches were split on this decision. Blake said he'd probably pick Sam, and Christina liked the haunting sound of Melanie. I like Melanie's sense of individuality, but I would go with Sam. Adam didn't agree.
Knockout goes to: Melanie Martinez

Team Cee Lo:

Avery Wilson singing Yeah (3x's) by Chris Brown  vs. Cody Belew singing Jolene by Dolly Parton-- Before I knew what they were singing and before they started singing, Avery Wilson was my favorite to win this knockout all the way. After they sang, I knew Avery had lost his chance. Cee Lo said, ultimately, Cody came out stronger. This was such a wasted opportunity for Avery.
Knockout goes to: Cody Belew

Mackenzie Bourg singing Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen vs. Daniel Rosa singing Back to December by Taylor Swift-- I think Adam was the only one really paying attention during this performance. Adam said it was engaging, magical, and revealing of Daniel's new found confidence. I did like Mackenzie, but I found this to be too forced. I am disappointed and surprised that Daniel didn't win out here.
Knockout goes to: Mackenzie Bourg

Terisa Griffin singing Saving All My Love For You by Whitney Houston vs. Trevin Hunte singing Against All Odds by Phil Collins-- They were both amazing; they're natural talents. Christina said that Trevin's talent is God given (it most certainly is!). Cee Lo called his voice: grace, and said Terisa's rendition of the song was beautiful. Wow, I would've been happy with either one, but Trevin, as Terisa acknowledged, has something special.
Knockout goes to: Trevin Hunte

Mycle Wastman singing Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me by George Michael vs. Nicholas David singing Put Your Records On by Corinne Bailey Rae-- Mycle's voice is great, but nothing more than ordinary. Nicholas has something special; there wasn't another choice.
Knockout goes to: Nicholas David

Caitlin Michele singing Bring Me to Life by Evanesence vs. Diego Val singing Are You Gonna Go My Way by Lenny Kravitz-- I was torn on this knockout because Caitlin picked the perfect song for her voice. Diego's personality sold his performance. The song had lots of attitude.
Knockout goes to: Diego Val

Team Christina:

Devyn DeLoera singing I Have Nothing by Whitney Houston vs. Laura Vivas singing I Need To Know by Marc Anthony-- Well, Laura's performance was a complete and utter mess. Devyn's song may have been ambitious, but at least it was realistic. Ultimately, Christina's connection with Devyn helped her make a choice.
Knockout goes to: Devyn DeLoera

Adriana Louise singing Already Gone by Kelly Clarkson vs. Celica Westbrook singing Never Say Never by Justin Bieber--  Celica has definitely grown in this competition, and her song selection was actually quite smart. Adriana has a mature voice that could make her the best singer on Team Christina.
Knockout goes to: Adriana Louise

Alessandra Guercio singing Take a Bow by Rihanna vs. Dez Duron singing Stuck on You by Lionel Richie-- Adam said that Alessandra has grown since they first saw her. I completely agree with that; she's someone that we could potentially see on Broadway in a few years. Christina felt more comfortable going forward with Dez and chose him instead. This was a decision I was actually pretty torn on. The fact that Alessandra has grown in each round should mean something. I say Dez is going to have a hard time going forward if her doesn't step it up. And I say that because I like him.
Knockout goes to: Dez Duron

Chevonne singing Dancing with Myself by Billy Idol vs. De'Borah singing You Found Me by The Fray-- Both made amazing song selections, and both have stage presence that's unparalleled in this competition, it's really something you cannot buy. What it came down to was the voice, and De'Borah had the stronger one.
Knockout goes to: De'Borah

Sylvia Yacoub singing Fighter by Christina Aguilera vs. Aquile singing Grenade by Bruno Mars-- Anyone who knows anything about music knows that singing a Bruno Mars ballad is ambitious. He has a big voice, and it's full of emotion. Aquile did a solid job, but he didn't kick butt. Sylvia won because Aquile faltered, had he done better this round, he would have had a real shot at winning.
Knockout goes to: Sylvia Yacoub 

Team Blake:

Gracia Harrison singing I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing by Aerosmith vs. Liz Davis singing Gunpowder & Lead by Miranda Lambert-- I've liked both of these country ladies since their blind auditions, but clearly Liz has several things going for her: maturity, she knows who she is as an artist, and her voice was a little bit stronger. I wholeheartedly agree with Blake moving forward with Liz.
Knockout goes to: Liz Davis

Rudy Parris singing Forever by Chris Brown vs. Terry McDermott singing Maybe I'm Amazed by Paul McCartney-- Rudy actually surprised me because he showed up to play, his version of Chris Brown's Forever was impressive. Terry is just incredible though; there's no denying that he's the real deal. Terry would have had to self destruct to lose this battle.
Knockout goes to: Terry McDermott

Collin McLoughlin singing Break Even by The Script vs. Michaela Paige singing Love is a Battlefield by Pat Benatar-- Blake felt there was good and bad in both performances which I do agree with. No one really impressed me or did anything impressive. Michaela sounded manic though singing Battlefield which is one of my favorite songs of all time. The coaches were split down the middle in their thoughts as was I. Blake felt there was something special about Michaela and seemed to choose her on intuition.
Knockout goes to: Michaela Paige

Julio Castillo singing Somebody to Love by Justin Bieber vs. MarissaAnn singing Lady Marmalade by Patti LaBelle-- Julio can really blow but he seemed disengaged throughout the performance. It's like he was using his voice but he had no stage presence. MarissaAnn was extremely engaged, but somehow this song did nothing for me. Blake felt that MarissaAnn didn't do enough to sway him, and he had already put in so much time with Julio that he had to go with him.
Knockout goes to: Julio Castillo

Cassadee Pope singing Payphone by Adam Levine vs. Suzanna Coffel singing Could You Be Loved by Bob Marley-- Cassadee has a great rock voice, maybe not the right song for her, but a strong performance nonetheless. Suzanna's performance was just too laid back to be considered.
Knockout goes to: Cassadee Pope

The Voice Season 3: The Battles Continue

The second night of battles was less impressive overall, but one feature that really bothered me was the fact that they didn't really show us full battles for every contestant. Some of them were abbreviated just like in the blind auditions when they showed contestants being chosen but the viewer didn't really get to see them sing.

The first battle of the night was two contestants from Team Cee Lo, Cody Belew and DOMO who were asked to tackle Lady Gaga's hit Telephone-- Cee Lo said this battle would be between the singer who can dance (Cody) and the dancer who can sing (DOMO). Blake commented on the fact that there were no stage presence problems for these two performers. Christina said the song was more suited to DOMO. Cee Lo said that both of them focused too much on the dancing and therefore he had to choose the person he preferred personally, and he went with Cody. I agree because Cody has more potential and DOMO is too one dimensional.
Battle goes to: Cody Belew

Christina's Team had the next battle of the night and it went to two smooth singers, Aquile and Nathalie Hernandez. I was kind of upset that she pitted these two against one another because they're both so good, but they do have similar voices. Christina gave them the song, You Give Me Something by James Morrison. Cee Lo thought Nathalie's voice was sweet while Aquile's was commanding. Adam felt that Aquile is ready while Nathalie will be soon, but isn't yet. Christina said she put them together because they compliment each other so well, but she decided to go with Aquile.
Battle goes to: Aquile

The two "quick," barely shown battles of the night:

Christina's Team-- Celica Westbrook vs. Lisa Scinta sang My Life Would Suck Without You by Kelly Clarkson
Battle goes to: Celica Westbrook

Blake's Team-- Charlie Rey vs. Rudy Parris sang Bad Day by Daniel Powter
Battle goes to: Rudy Parris

Final battle of this show was between two young women from Adam's Team-- Melanie Martinez and Caitlin Michele who sang the current chart topper, Lights by Ellie Goulding-- I liked both of these singers from the blind auditions, but my preference as far as voice and power is Cailtin. Both of them sang well, and following their performances none of the judges would show their hand and say who they preferred more. Adam claimed it was all because they wanted to steal one of them and it was strategic. Being kind of different himself, Adam chose 17 year old, Melanie Martinez, and Cee Lo and Blake expressed interest in Cailtin hitting the steal button.
Battle goes to: Melanie Martinez
Cailtin Michele is stolen by Cee Lo

The Voice Season 3: Week 4 and the Blind Auditions are a wrap

Week four was the final week of blind auditions on The Voice (even though in reality it all happened in a day.... I'm guessing because they've been wearing the same clothes for four weeks). I've decided this week to arrange the final eight contestants by how many chair turns they received. No one received four by the way. I noticed going over my notes that very few contestants did receive the four chair turn.

3 Chairs:

Nathalie Hernandez sang White Horse by Taylor Swift-- I loved her version of this song, it had so much control.
Who did she choose? Christina
I want her on my team because she touched me with her voice.

Kayla Nevarez sang American Boy by Estelle-- This young woman exhibited so much confidence throughout her performance. She had a swagger and her voice was great.
Who did she choose? Adam
I want her on my team because she believes she can win.

Celica Westbrook sang A Thousand Years by Christina Perri-- Sixteen year olds are not supposed to be able to sing like this. Celica got up there and sang a mature song like a pro.
Who did she choose? Christina
She's 16, and with a voice like that comes lots of promise, I need her on my team.

2 Chairs:

Caitlin Michele sang Cosmic Love by Florence and the Machine-- All I could think about throughout her performance was how powerful her voice was. Adam was right when he said maybe there were pitch problems, but there's so much potential that can you pass it up?
Who did she choose? Adam
Potential equals power in this competition, she's on my team

Nicole Johnson sang Mr. Know it All by Kelly Clarkson-- Nicole is a country girl at heart, she even sang a country version of the song. I don't know how good she will be, but she is definitely with the right coach.
Who did she choose? Blake
I'm still undecided on whether or not I would choose her for my team.

Chevonne sang Brass in Pocket by The Pretenders-- Chevonne has an interesting story; she sang backup for Lady Gaga on her last tour. She struggled with eating disorders, so she's experienced pain, and with that comes a real grasp on the music. I also liked her song choice, it was gutsy.
Who did she choose? CeeLo
I'd love to have someone who could potentially be a pop star or a rock star on my team.

Rudy Paris sang I'll Be Watchin You by The Police-- I was waiting for this performance to go somewhere but it didn't.
Who did he choose? Blake
I would like to hear him again, especially before I commit.

1 Chair:

Cody Belew sang Hard to Handle by Otis Redding-- Seeing as Cody was the last contestant chosen as CeeLo had one open spot on his team, I expected it to be memorable. I'm not sure I quite believed this performance on him but he does have a good voice, and he was more than happy to make CeeLo's team.
Who did he choose? CeeLo
He had lots of enthusiasm, so I'd like him on my team.