The Voice Final Battle Round Performances

This week concluded the last batch of the Battle Rounds on NBC's The Voice.  Coaches Christina Aguilera, Cee-Lo Green, Blake Shelton and Adam Levine paired up singers in their teams to battle against each other to secure the coveted spots for the show's live performances. Yet again, I agreed with 50% of the coaches' decisions:

1- James Massone vs WADE singing Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors"

James has a perfect boy band voice- great tone, great intonation and wonderful potential. He honestly just needs a little bit of training and he'd be a lot better. WADE has more vocal agility-- his tone quality is smooth and velvety with a nice falsetto. Although he took a lot more melodic risks, his pitch fell flat a couple of times. James, however, was very straightforward and delivered a solid albeit basic performance.

• My Choice: WADE - for overall vocal ability and style
• Cee-Lo's Choice: James- better consistency and uniqueness of tone

2- Nicole Gallyon vs Mathai singing "Love Song" by Sara Bareilles 

This battle showcased an obvious winner. Nicole has a beautiful voice and is a very talented pianist. Mathai however is the full package. She has a lot of spunk, character and style. She is a young singer and clearly not as experienced as Nicole, but her natural ability outshone Nicole's cerebral delivery. Also, Nicole needs to learn how to support her high notes a little bit better.

• My Choice: Mathai - curious to see how she will grow
• Adam's Choice: Mathai - stage presence, style and uniqueness

3- The Line vs Moses Stone sing "(Can't Get No) Satisfaction" by The Rolling Stones

The Line are extremely talented and very marketable. They come across very professional, polished and vocally strong. Moses demonstrated exceptional growth, versatility and swagger. He is truly a wonderful artist. The Line however can very well be the next big thing in country music. Hands down the best performance of the night!

• My Choice: The Line- for their strong vocals and marketability
• Christina's Choice: Moses- for his potential, style and versatility

4- Jordan Rager vs Naia Kete sing "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz

Naia has a cool vibe in her vocal stylings. Jordan is very clean, consistent and kind of stiff. Some of Naia's ornamentations showcased some of her pitch issues and lack of control. Although some of her notes were off, Jordan's solid straightforwardness was kind of boring. This was my least favorite performance of the night.

• My Choice: Naia - I've never seen or heard anything like her!
• Blake's Choice: Naia- for her cool vocal style

5- Orlando Napier vs Karla Davis singing Lionel Richie's "Easy"

Orlando is a clear artist with a distinct vision and style. Karla is an undiscovered gem. Her voice has a lot of character, beauty and flexibility. Orlando's stylings are more developed, his phrasing/adlib is incredible and overall is an excellent vocal artist. Karla however has amazing potential.

• My Choice: Orlando- clearly more professional and very marketable
• Adam's Choice: Karla- curious to see how far she can grow, great voice

6- Justin Hopkins vs Tony Vincent sing "Faithfully" by Journey

During their coaching sessions, I was almost positive that Justin was going to be my favorite. However, Tony's performance really sold it to me. His passion resonated with every single lyric and inflection. Justin's voice has an awesome raw element that is powerful and beautiful. Although Tony is somewhat theatrical, his technique, range and ability are just phenomenal. 

• My Choice: Tony- solid technique and professional delivery
• CeeLo's Choice: Tony- stronger connection to song and performance

This week concluded The Voice's Battle Rounds and next week America will get to watch the finalists in each team compete against one another in a live setting. I wonder how the change in dynamics will affect each singer. One important thing that I learned from tonight's episode is to make each and every single note count. Use every single inflection in your voice to resonate your passion behind every single lyric in the song. 

You never know.. you might just make CeeLo cry. I loved CeeLo tonight- he was such a teddy bear!

Tune in next week for my first vocal review of the season's live performances!

Vocal Review of The Voice - Battle Rounds Week 3

During Week 3 of The Voice's Battle Rounds, the coaches continued to pair interesting combinations of singers from their teams to compete against each other. The singers had a chance to be coached by a plethora of industry professionals and performed to secure their spot onto each team. It looks like this week I agreed with 50% of the coach's selections.

1- Nathan Parrett vs Pip - "You Know I'm No Good" by Amy Winehouse

Pip is very MT (musical theatre). Nathan has a darker, richer sound. Overall, Pip came across more polished and showcased great range. Nathan demonstrated great potential but was not nearly as relaxed.

• My choice: Pip, for having better confidence, ownership and stage presence
• Adam's Choice: Pip, for being more versatile and capable.

2- Erin Martin vs The Shields Brothers sing "What's Love Got To Do With It" by Tina Turner

Erin's voice sounds extremely affected-- I don't believe that is her natural voice and am convinced that she manipulates her sound in order to sound unique. The Shields Brothers are very straightforward but showcased great power and solid harmonies.

• My Choice: The Shields Brothers, for their tight, beautiful harmonies and great energy.
• CeeLo's Choice: Erin, because she's gorgeous, unique and special.

3- Ashley De La Rosa vs Jonathas sing "No Air" by Jordin Sparks

Ashley is fresh and very talented but comes across as screamy when she sings in her higher register. This push in her voice affects her consistency of pitch. Jonathas has a more naturally connected sound. He glides through the melody with more ease and finesse.

• My Choice: Jonathas, because of his smooth delivery and vocal ability
• Christina's Choice: Ashley, because of her youth and potential

4- Jermaine Paul vs Alyx sing "Get Outta My Dreams Get Into The Car"by Billy Ocean

Alyx has a great sound and potential for her age, but lacks strong performance chops and personality. Her tone is rich and powerful. Paul is clearly seasoned, stylistically strong and beautifully confident. 

• My Choice: Jermaine, because he is ready to go.
• Blake: Jermaine, because of his ownership and confidence.

5- Katrina Parker vs Angel Taylor sing "Bleeding Love" by Leona Lewis

Katrina's voice is strong, soulful and full of depth. Although she comes across as guarded, she has a great sound. Angel has a cool texture to her voice but I also question her vocal technique. She might be affecting her voice as well.

• My choice: Katrina, for her consistent strength and vocal abilities
• Adam's Choice: Katrina, for her power and Adele-like attributes

6- Erin Willett vs Gwen Sebastian sing "We Belong" by Pat Benatar

Gwen has a beautiful seamless sound with great highs and lows. Erin's voice is soulful, powerful and almost like a thick piece of chocolate cake. This battle was the hardest for me to decide because both girls have great voices and did a wonderful job executing their performances.

• My choice: Gwen, for her special sound and authenticity
• Blake's Choice: Erin, for her depth, power and soul.

Tonight's Battle Round Performances shared one common thread: delivery and confidence is key. There are so many beautiful voices in this world, but what truly makes you special? Find your inner confidence and let it shine through your voice. It's okay, be a diva. ;)