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: Week 2 of Blind Auditions as Impressive as Week 1

Starting off week two was Melanie Martinez who came out not only was a fresh look but a fresh voice. She is different from anyone else that's been on the show so far. I also loved her version of Toxic by Britney Spears; it initially didn't even sound like that song when she started singing it.
Who did she choose? Adam
Would I choose her for my team? I would because she dares to be herself without reservation.

And now came the segment of the show where they showed us some contestants (the next three) who advanced but we didn't see complete performances or judges' remarks, thus making it difficult to decide whether or not we agree with them advancing.

Adrianna Duru sang Edge of Glory by Lady Gaga
Who did she choose? Adam
Would I choose her for my team? Afraid not

Kelly Crapa sang Sparks Fly by Taylor Swift
Who did she choose? Blake
Would I choose her for my team? Out of the three that we hardly got to see, this young lady seemed to have the most potential. I'd like to hear her again, but I am tempted to say "yes".

Paulina sang You Make Me Feel So by Cobra Starship
Who did she choose? Christina
Would I choose her for my team? No, why did Christina choose her? I'm not impressed.

Single father Brian Scartocci put on an impressive show, voice and dance moves included when he performed Isn't She Lovely by Stevie Wonder. It's always a risk to do a Stevie song and Brian certainly did this one justice.
Who did he choose? Adam
Would I choose him for my team? Brian is "wonder"ful, I would absolutely love having him on my team.

Husband and wife duo, Beat Frequency definitely work well together, my issue is that their voices, particularly the wife's, are not strong enough. I give them props for choosing a song as difficult as E.T. by Katy Perry; that is not an easy song to sing.
Who did they choose? Christina
Would I choose them for my team? I want to say yes because I like their passion, but I want to say no because they need too much work.

Country singer Liz Davis came out and absolutely rocked Gretchen Wilson's Here for the Party. I loved her voice and loved her energy on stage, this is one of my favorite performances from the whole season. She's another person who deserved a four chair turn.
Who did she choose? Blake
Would I choose her for my team? I'm here to win, so Liz Davis needs to be on my team.

J.R. Aquino did Just the Way You Are by Bruno Mars; I am still debating how good this performance was. There's a part of me that thinks that Bruno Mars is so hot right now that anyone who has the confidence to try it deserves to be in. There was also something that sounded a bit karaoke about this performance.
Who did he choose? CeeLo
Would I choose him for my team? I'd need to hear him again to make a final decision.

It's been a while since I heard a singer who brought the 80s sound back full fledged and that's what Nicholas David did when he sang Ben E. King's Stand by Me for his audition. David sounded like a cross between James Taylor and Aaron Neville. It will be interesting if he gets through the battle rounds if America is going to pick up the phone and vote for him.
Who did he choose? CeeLo
Would I choose him for my team? There's something soothing and peaceful about his voice that leads me to say yes.

Hailing from the famed "Fame" school in Laguardia, New York 17 year old Alessandra Guercio blew the judges away with her take on The Climb by Miley Cyrus. I think Alessandra has such a natural ability that does need some polishing, but the talent is all there. She's the complete package in my opinion, a rare find today. I am expecting a lot from her going forward.
Who did she choose? Adam
Would I choose her for my time? Alessandra is a quick and confident yes for me.

Completely untrained vocally, 16 year old Avery Wilson left the judges speechless when he sang Without You by Usher. This kid has chops and he has the drive, confidence, and eagerness to go all the way in this competition. I was honestly shocked when he said he was only 16 years old; the poise and maturity that he displayed in the performance is definitely something that cannot be bought.
Who did he choose? CeeLo
Would I choose him for my team? "Without" Avery on my team, I don't think I'd fare as well. CeeLo may win the whole thing this year.

Collin McLaughlin made the right decision dropping out of grad school one credit short, at least for the time being. His soothing voice was just perfect on Wild World by Cat Stevens.
Who did he choose? Adam
Would I choose him for my team? I think before I commit, I'd like to hear him again, battle rounds here we come!

Here is another set of three quick performances, none of which I was too convinced about.......

Emily Earle sang Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash
Who did she choose? CeeLo
Would I choose her for my team? No, this version of Ring of Fire sounded a bit dismal.

Ben Taub sang Feelin Good by Michael Buble
Who did he choose? CeeLo
Would I choose him for my team? Only if he doesn't sound like he's trying to copy Michael Buble in every song he sings.

Todd Kessler sang Maggie May by Rod Stewart
Who did he choose? CeeLo
Would I choose him for my team? No, this performance seemed to forced and staged.

Josselyn Rivera tackled a tough song in Kelly Clarkson's Stronger. Anytime you choose a Kelly Clarkson song, it's tough because she has that huge powerful voice, and Josselyn totally lived up to it. I didn't feel the need to draw comparisons because she sounded like herself. I think she has the desire to go further in this competition.
Who did she choose? Christina
Would I choose her for my team? You can never be too short on strong female singers, so that's a yes for me.

Rocker Benji decided to take on rock classic Knockin on Heaven's Door by Guns n' Roses. I liked this performance and there aren't a lot of legit rockers in this competition so far, so Benji could really end up faring well. I loved the control that he showed going from the low notes up to the high notes.
Who did he choose? Adam
Would I choose him for my team? I think I would take a chance and say yes because the first performance was that impressive.

There's a reason that Mycle Wastman was the final performer of the night. He certainly deserved to be the main event because when he opened his mouth and sang the first few bars of Let's Stay Together by Al Green, I knew he was the real deal. Mycle is a true, authentic soul singer, and the fact that he doesn't look the part but completely sounds it is just amazing to me. My money is on CeeLo possibly winning season three of The Voice.
Who did he choose? CeeLo
Would I choose him for my team? Yes, yes, yes!