The Voice is now down to the final Elite Eight musical artists, and three coaches from past seasons returned to give the eight competitors advice and mentor them. Usher is returning as the advisor for Team Adam, while Gwen Stefani will serve as the advisor for both Team Pharrell and Team Christina. CeeLo Green is back, as the mentor for Team Blake. Shakira will not be back, because she recently gave birth to her second child.
Host Carson Daly began The Voice by recapping the musical performances from last week, and introducing the coaches and the returning past coaches who will serve as mentors for each team. Then, Carson said “Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for your Top Eight!” The eight remaining competitors took The Voice stage and the guys sang Hey Brother and the ladies sang Wake Me Up to open the show.
When The Voice came back after a commercial break, Carson Daly introduced Hannah Kirby, and the viewers of America got to see her meeting with CeeLo. She will be singing We Don’t Need Another Hero from the movie, Mad Max: Beyond the Thunderdome. CeeLo advised her to sing a theatrical performance of the song. He said “I’m so excited for you!”
Hannah Kirby was the first performer of the night on The Voice to sing. The studio audience clapped along from the beginning of the song. Hannah sounded great, and she looked at home on the stage. Children came out onto the stage, dressed in white and black colors, to sing and dance along with Kirby and serve as the chorus.
Christina said “It had CeeLo’s stamp on it. Again, powerhouse vocals — you hit all the high notes. Those kids were awesome — nice touch!”
Pharrell told her “Every week, we look forward to seeing what you do. I don’t think there’s any better definition of living the dream.”
Adam said “You’re always great.”
Blake told her “Every single syllable, every note, was absolutely perfect. You’re one of my all-time favorite artists.”
Back from another break, Joshua Davis of Team Adam got to meet with Team Adam’s mentor, Usher. Joshua is Adam’s only remaining team member. He will be singing the touching and tender song, Fields of Gold. He said that the song is about him, and wondering if what he has been doing has all been worth it.
Joshua Davis accompanied himself on his guitar. His voice sounded so melodic, and the song was a perfect choice for him to sing tonight. It was a mellow, but heartfelt song, and Joshua sang the tar out of it, making it his OWN.
Blake said “That type of performance is where you shine.”
Adam said “In the Top Eight, there are many powerhouse vocalists. You did something different, with class and distinction. You did a stunning job, and I’m proud of you.” Then, The Voice took another commercial break.
After The Voice came back, Carson Daly introduced Kimberly Nichole from Team Christina, and she got to meet the team mentor, Gwen Stefani. Kimberly Nichole will be singing Radiohead’s hit song, Creep, but with a bit of a Jazz touch to it. Creep is a great song, but will the changes lessen the impact of the lyrics?
Kimberly NAILED the song! The impact of it might not have been as great as with an arrangement that stuck closer to the original version, but it is a great song, period, and Kimberly Nichole made this version of the song her OWN, much as Joshua Davis had with the song he sang.
Pharrell said “I was honored that you were on my team, I’m honored that you’re still on the show.”
Adam said “That was refreshingly different, and also worked. Wow!”
Blake told her “I can’t say enough how naturally talented you are.”
Christina said “You have to know that was CRAZY! You’re an artist! You embody what this competition should be about. You made the song your own; you’re a true artist. I love you to death.”
When The Voice returned from another break, Blake Shelton sang his latest hit, Sangria. He also sang it during the Academy of Country Music Awards show a week ago this past Sunday.
Next on The Voice after more commercials was Meghan Linsey from Team Blake. She will singing the George Harrison/Beatles classic, Something. CeeLo said he liked the “soulful” feel that Meghan gave the song.
Meghan told CeeLo she had performed the song at the Apollo. She gave an AMAZING performance of it, and had the audience spellbound as she sang. The song showcased her powerful, soaring vocals, and she did her best to woo the voters and viewers of America with her take on the hit song.
After yet more commercials, when The Voice came back on, it was India Carney’s turn to perform. India sang her favorite song, Somewhere Over the Rainbow. She sang it with such emotion during the rehearsals. If she can do that later, she will be easily moving on to next week.
India’s performance was MAGICAL! When this song is sung by someone who is a terrific singer, it rarely fails to be a showstopping tune, and tonight was no exception. India KILLED it, sustaining some of the notes she sang an uber long time. She got a standing ovation from the audience and coaches.
Blake said “That had magic in it! It was magic.”
Christina told her “I know that is your favorite song. I was there with you, and taken on that journey. You took me there — that was gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!”
Then, on The Voice, Matt McAndrew sang Counting on Love, a new single off of his latest album. He had been a member of Team Adam. He had the audience really pumped up, and into his performance, clapping along as he sang.
More commercials followed McAndrew’s performance, but when The Voice came back, it was time for Sawyer Fredericks, 16, from Team Pharrell, to perform. He said he has 11 guitars. Fredericks will be singing the Lynryd Skynyrd song, Simple Man.
Sawyer did an AWESOME job singing this hit song! He should also be easily moving on to next week with the outstanding performance that he gave tonight. He had the audience cheering as he sang. Fredericks WAILED, really belting the song out.
Adam told Sawyer he loved “the purity” of Sawyer’s voice, “in its raw form.”
Pharrell said “I want every Sawyer fan out there to vote tonight. Every teenage kid that wanted to do something a little bit different, I want you to vote for this guy. Support him!”
After another commercial break on The Voice, Carson Daly introduced Team Blake’s Corey Kent White. The song that Blake chose for Corey to perform tonight was When I See You Smile.
White did a great job singing this classic country hit. He is the last one of Blake’s three musical artists to perform during this episode of The Voice. The audience cheered and clapped as Corey sang. He held them in the palms of his hands.
Adam told him “That was great! I love that song! It was awesome.”
Blake said “Not only is that your best performance of the season, but it is a breakout moment for you. It just happened, right here.”
There was just one musical artist left to perform when The Voice returned, and that was Koryn Hawthorne, 17, from Team Pharrell. After meeting Gwen Stefani and getting some good advice from her, Koryn sang an emotional, touching version of Girl On Fire.
Koryn Hawthorne changed up the arrangement, especially at the start of the song, and she slowed down the pace of it. Her voice sounded powerful and solid throughout, and as she got further into the song and felt more and more confident, she opened up and displayed her strong and powerful pipes.
Adam told her “You are the dream that made the show. I see a grown woman singing this song. It’s such an evolution.”
Christina said “It’s the point of the competition where people either make it or are broken by it.”
Pharrell said “You were inspiring. I think everybody in this room, and in the country, was inspired when they heard you sing.”
Tomorrow night, on The Voice, two of the musical performers who sang tonight will be eliminated by the end of the Results Show. The Elite Eight will become the Super Six. With so many fantastic performances tonight, the balance between who will stay and who will go might hinge on just a handful of votes. Be sure to watch The Voice tomorrow night to see who moves on, and which two get eliminated!
Written By Douglas Cobb
Sources:
NBC Universal Media Village
The Voice Official Site (NBC)
