S23.E14: The Playoffs Premiere

[shantown]

Quote

The playoffs are back, further bolstering the competition following the knockouts; the 10 artists remaining across Team Chance and Team Blake hold nothing back as tough decisions are made when Blake and Chance can each advance only two artists.

Airs May 1 at 8:00pm on NBC

[wmdekooning]

When Chance (the Rapper) chose RAY! over Jamal.

Okeh, when he chose RAY(!) , my partner and I just looked at each other. Not in shock or anything, just blank looks…

[Quickbeam]

5 hours ago, wmdekooning said:

When Chance (the Rapper) chose RAY! over Jamal.

Okeh, when he chose RAY(!) , my partner and I just looked at each other. Not in shock or anything, just blank looks…

We were surprised. It seemed like an odd choice. 

[PhD-Purgatory15]

Had this season's contestants known the 4 judges would have so much power this season compared to "America", do we think any of them might've passed on appearing? Or possibly some contestants (in musical genres that aren't always strong vote getters) are actually happier that it played out this way?

As for the 4 that advanced, I think it was pretty much set up for NOIVAS & Grace to get Blake's two picks even with Mary Kate being the Playoff Pass winner. It always felt like Kaylee & the girl that Blake stole were pretty much there to fill out numbers on his team. Their song choices on Monday night pretty much sealed each of their fates. So then it was 3 legitimate contenders for two spots: NOIVAS was the only guy so he automatically was going to stand out. All four of the females brought a similar energy/stage presence where he is a real wild man/performer. He was always going to stand out, and doing Come Together I think was a really strong song choice.

I could've seen Mary Kate get the second spot if NOIVAS wasn't as great as he was. Blake loves to advance young, probably not quite ready female performers when he can. She gives me Emily Ann Roberts vibes (a young bluegrass/country singer who was on Blake's S9 team years ago at age 14 & is just now starting to get some traction in Nashville almost a full decade later). 

Grace. Well, I couldn't picture Blake not taking a country singer into his final season's live shows so this made all the sense in the world too. I do question how well she would do (and will do)  in the votes though. She doesn't have much of a personality to speak of, she already feels like a Nashville insider (w/ a publishing deal that Blake conveniently mentioned Monday night). The only thing going for her, is that there isn't a male country singer left. Unless you consider Niall's Ross somewhat country adjacent. That fact alone has to help her cause..

Sorella is proving themselves to be more than just ready for Disney. Again, it's a little strange/bordering on unfair when harmonics (as Chance likes to say) is put up against excellent solo singers. But they absolutely earned their spot in the Final 8. They haven't really put a foot wrong yet.

Really, Kala, Jamar, & Ray were all really solid (Manasseh too, although I was in another room when she was singing) so Chance had it rough on his second choice. Personally, I would've gone with Kala. I don't even particularly like MFV, but I thought she crushed that out of the park. If not her, I think I would've gone w/ Jamar over Ray if I was picking just between the guys, because I love how smooth and effortless Jamar's voice is. I think Ray is absolute lock of all locks to get eliminated next week in America's first vote.

Edited May 3, 2023 by PhD-Purgatory15

[wmdekooning]

12 hours ago, PhD-Purgatory15 said:

Sorella is proving themselves to be more than just ready for Disney.

I believe they were just born too late. Were this sometime before the end of the variety show (1980s?) they would be on teevee every week. Chance has reduced the likelihood of winning having stuck with Ray(!).

Sorella gives him a fighting opportunity.

Manasseh I wasn’t wild about her song, not so much that it was a bad song, but that she sounded kinda “strangled“, not to mention Gospel songs don’t make it on “The Voice”…

 

Edited May 4, 2023 by wmdekooning

[DanaK]

Most enjoyed:

Noivas (advanced)

Kala 

Jamar

Grace (advanced)

Ray (advanced)
 

I’m really impressed by Noivas. I think I’ve liked him from the start or close to it. He comes across as a quiet meek guy until he sings and then he’s a powerhouse. Country could use someone like him, especially since it has so few people of color, but I’m not sure what lane he gravitates to. If he wins or gets close to it, I can see him becoming a real star if he gets the right support

Some people wobbled too much for me, like Manessah

I don’t know about Sorelle. Their performance felt like too much this week and their act generally gives me a corny old timey vibe, like a poster above saying an act from the 80s. But it generally feels older than that, like the 50s or 60s, or maybe something you would see on a 70s variety show

[DanaK]

I’m not sure I understand the decision for so few live weeks; it looks like only 2 live weeks when the viewing audience gets involved before the 2 night finale. They’ve been cutting down on the live performance nights for a couple of seasons now and that reduces the chance of these performers getting enough exposure and gaining fans via voting. It’s just self sabotaging. Maybe the ratings have just decreased too much for NBC and they want to get the show off sooner

[seacliffsal]

I don't think the show will last much beyond Blake's departure, so that goes along with your idea.

5 hours ago, DanaK said:

I’m not sure I understand the decision for so few live weeks; it looks like only 2 live weeks when the viewing audience gets involved before the 2 night finale. They’ve been cutting down on the live performance nights for a couple of seasons now and that reduces the chance of these performers getting enough exposure and gaining fans via voting. It’s just self sabotaging. Maybe the ratings have just decreased too much for NBC and they want to get the show off sooner

 

[Vermicious Knid]

Quote

But it generally feels older than that, like the 50s or 60s, or maybe something you would see on a 70s variety show

The Mandrell Sisters. 

[CountryGirl]

I can see why Blake kept Grace, although she's bland as can be and her fake twang (you are from Michigan, miss) while singing grates.