S07.E13: The Knockouts, Part 3

[Tara Ariano]

The knockout round continues. Taylor Swift serves as an adviser.

[Cramps]

YouTube videos are up on the nbc site. Anita vs. Craig's battle. Also Allison getting some fun/good coaching from Taylor. (Sorry I can't post the links on my phone). It is by far Craig's best performance, really blew me away, but Delilah/Gwen has cut his hair!

[mercfan3]

If Gwen is the one that dressed him up, she did a good job. 

[kj4ever]

YouTube videos are up on the nbc site. Anita vs. Craig's battle. Also Allison getting some fun/good coaching from Taylor. (Sorry I can't post the links on my phone). It is by far Craig's best performance, really blew me away, but Delilah/Gwen has cut his hair!

Oh wow I really dug Craig.  That will be an interesting choice for Gwen to make!

[Cramps]

I actually much prefer the way Craig was dressing himself.

Gwen seems quite smitten with Anita, and We see a lot of Blake enjoying Craig...

[viajero]

I really liked both Anita and Craig in that preview.  I kind of hope they both go through.  My only problem with this is that it might make it more difficult for Reagan to make it out of the playoffs if she's surrounded by popular country contestants on Blake's team (assuming she wins Monday night).

Edited November 2, 2014 by viajero

[Noreaster]

Here's the Anita/Craig knockout link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nouX8UFaSyE&list=PLlYqpJ9JE-J_xvckk0Hxu0_lvo65Fy6ia

 

I thought both were really good and deserve to remain in the competition.  Problem is neither one is really to my tastes.  

 

This is probably just me, but I'm starting to find Pharrell's facial expressions annoying.  He likes to glance over at the other coaches a lot and seems to be too easily impressed.  I'm realizing if he looks blown away, that doesn't really mean much.  

[Cramps]

Noreaster- funny you should say that. I thought The looks Pharrell gives Gwen about Anita seemed fake, the kind of looks you give your friend who is excited about something that you don't fully get, but which you want to be nice and supportive of, because it means something to them.

I thought he genuinely seemed excited about Craig, and actually seemed to be looking at Blake for acknowledgment and validation. If you look closely near the end of Craig's song, it looks like Pharrell goes over to Blake and says something to him. I was wondering if he was encouraging him to steal Craig back.

[BogoGog24]

I think Gwen will choose Anita but Craig has a good chance of being stolen. The thing is, I feel like it could go either way with Craig. Blake will either steal him because he's a pretty good old-school country rock singer, which is right in Blake's wheelhouse, or Craig will not get stolen because he's too throwback. I could see it going either way. 

[Oscirus]

That seems like a weird matchup for gwen given that she loves Anita and was practically begging for a country singer last round.

[mercfan3]

That seems like a weird matchup for gwen given that she loves Anita and was practically begging for a country singer last round.

 

It means she just stole Craig to give Anita someone to beat without losing one of her team members. 

 

I think Pharrell just has fun. He obviously knows what sells in the real world..but I don't know that he understands what is good for a reality singing competition. 

[poppy-]

It 'Em Up Style.  That just cracked me up.  Because when I think Reagan I think New Jack Swing.

She won though, fair and square.  Man is that other kid going to cringe when he watches himself 10 years from now.   He's good but the song, the lower register, the babyface.......... no.   

 

I really can't see any criteria where a judge doesn't think Craig wiped the floor with Anita.

 

OUCH for the poor contestant who was so bad she was not just montaged, she went unnamed.

[Koffee Kup]

I absolutely hated Anita in the knockouts, she murdered that song.  I am glad that Blake stole Craig back.

[BogoGog24]

Taylor vs Allison - I'm not really a huge fan of Taylor as a person but she's decent as a singer. I think she did way better than Allison in this round. I'm glad Gwen called out Allison for getting shouty at the end. Understated performances do not always win over the big belty songs but this time understated prevailed. I don't predict Taylor going that far though because I think some people think she has an attitude about her. Once the lives start, it becomes more about just the voice. The artist needs the whole package and needs to be likable. I don't find Taylor likable.

 

Ryan vs Beth - There were pros and cons to each's performance. Ryan was too Bieber-esque with his stage moves and Beth got squeaky in her high register. But overall I think Ryan gave a better vocal performance.

 

Jean vs Menlik - Personally I think Jessica Sanchez did a way better version of Chandelier. Jean's was okay. I feel like Simon Cowell would have described her performance as "self indulgent." It looked like a bad high school theater act she was doing up there. Way too overdramatic. I think Menlik has a good voice but it's true that he always had a dead-eyed look about him. Again, whole package counts. Anyone else think Menlik smokes weed? That's how he always seemed on the show.

 

Chris vs Blessing - Neither performance really wowed me. Brielle Von Hugel did a far better version of Dock of the Bay on Idol in Season 11. I feel like Chris added too many runs and embellishments. It lost the soul. Blessing has a nice tone but there always seems to be a disconnect in his performances. Maybe they should have switched songs.

 

Matt vs Rebekkah - Why why WHY was Matt montaged? WTH? He's one of the most popular contestants on the show right now. I'll bet they only montaged him because of that other girl we never saw. I have to wonder what was so atrocious about her that she got montaged all 3 rounds. Poor girl. They could have at least shown this round, especially since many people were looking forward to hearing Matt tonight. And they could have let that poor girl have at least 2 minutes of screen time this season before she got the axe. It sucks because she worked just as hard as everyone else to get on the show.

 

Reagan vs Grant - The only thing i find impressive about Reagan is how mature and poised she is for her age. This song has been done to death, it is like the kiss of death on Idol. And her vocals got out of control towards the end. Don't see anything special about this girl's voice at all. But she could have burped the alphabet for her performance and she still could have beat Grant. Did we ever see this kid before until tonight? I think he needs a few years.

 

Anita vs Craig - Love Craig. I knew Gwen would choose Anita but glad Craig was stolen (for the second time now). His styling is also much better now. He looks a lot like Chad Kroeger from Nickelback. I'd love to hear him sing a Nickelback song lol.

 

I think Matt and Craig are my two favorites going into the lives. 

Edited November 4, 2014 by BogoGog24

[mercfan3]

I actually really loved Anita. But I liked them both. 

 

I still say Craig owes a big thanks to Gwen for his new look. He IS a good looking guy, and I didn't even notice. He doesn't look cartoony any longer, and has a legitimate shot at this now. (He could make a Will Champlain type run.) 

[Valny]

I fell asleep towards the end and I woke up and the beginning of Blacklist was on, so I didn't see who Blake stole. I only remember seeing the preview when he says "I got my girl back!" Who did he get?

[TacoBoutIt]

I saw a Youtube comment saying that Ryan Sill looks like Kristen Merlin and now I can't unsee the resemblance.

 

I actually like Craig's old look but I do understand why he needed a change.  I too see the resemblance to Chad Kroeger.  I'm glad that Blake stole him back though.  Although what bothers me is that in the battles he said something "there can only be one male country vocalist on my team".  Clearly that's not the case.  (I do understand that there is probably producer influence in the battle and knockout pairings)

Right now I think Gwen has the best team, which pleasantly surprises me.  She improved her team a lot and I think most of them have the potential to grow even more.

Edited November 4, 2014 by DammitJanet

[BogoGog24]

I hope at some point the truth comes out about why Rebekkah was montaged all 3 times, whether it comes from her, someone BTS, or wherever, I'm sure many viewers want to know. First off, it's normal for battles to be montaged but have knockouts ever been montaged? Second, usually when they montage a battle, they show a few seconds of EACH contestant. They only showed Matt. That seems fishy. I'm wondering if there was some BTS thing that went on, like maybe a contractual thing and that was why they couldn't show her. I hope she or someone from production explains. There has to be some real legit reason why she was montaged so many times, especially since they did not show even a few seconds of her knockout.

[Dots And Stripes]

I felt a little embarrassed for Craig with the way Gwen went on about wanting to give him a new look. The plus side is I'll actually remember him now, although I may forever know him as the Chad Kroeger look-a-like. (Thanks,BogoGog24) I can't be bothered to learn who most of these singers are at this point. My favorites at the end of the knock outs are wrecking ball guy and country James Taylor. I'm sure I'll learn their names eventually.

 

I knew they were going to save Blake's save for the last battle. Then the editors made it super obvious he was taking about his old team member. At least the "my girl" thing was a nice fake out from Blake.

 

I would watch a show full of Blake and Taylor Swift talking to one another. I totally need Swiftomine after watching her as a mentor. She was completely invested and clearly takes her craft seriously, even if I still think her vocals leave a lot to be desired. 

[Cramps]

Valny- Blake stole Craig back. He had made an analogy saying that seeing Craig perform with his new look, on another coach's team was like seeing your ex after you dump them out on a date with another guy and all of a sudden they seem so much hotter.

[CaliforniaLove]

Good tv would have been Taylor Swift making Blessing Offer do "Shake it Off".

In other news, Gwen would so take T. Swift in a battle royale.

[anonymiss]

I was proud of Ryan. THought he was another lousy pretty boy but he showed a lot of improvement and delivered a good vocal of Ne-Yo's "Miss Independent." His competitor was shrieking at the end--awful. Agreed with Adam's comments completely--especially his self-awareness of being "the king of squirrel-yness."

 

Brava to Jean. I HATE Sia's voice and therefore have never remotely enjoyed Chandelier--until sung by Jean. It was also the first time I understood the lyrics.

 

I laughed at how Pharrell so honestly said the male reggae singer was "in his own world, and who can argue with that?"

 

Swifty is always painfully off beat when she subjects people to her dancing. 

 

Totally disagreed with Blake. Reagan was so off pitch. Grant did great. Funny how he looks like an old kid. He already has the bags under his eyes and threat of a receding hairline! His seriousness and Buddy Holly hair and style reminds me of Rivers Cuomo.

 

Anita was awesome.

Edited November 4, 2014 by anonymiss

[braziliangirl]

Rebekah tweeted something: http://www.nbc.com/the-voice/artists/season-7/rebekah-samarin

She's not happy!

I really like Anita and she's very charismatic but I thought this song was bad. But I'm glad Gwen chose her. I don't think the other judges would steal her like Blake did with Craig and I still want to see more of her.

Edited November 4, 2014 by braziliangirl

[MelsW]

Yay for Gwen calling out Allison for getting shouty. The judges, specifically Adam and Blake, tend to zero in on pitch issues but never mention the screeching or shouting, which there is plenty of every season. I did a big fat eye roll when Taylor said she was singing Landslide, which for me ranks up there with I Believe I Can Fly in the Top 5 Overdone Songs on Singing Competitions. I preferred Taylor over Allison but I am not sure of her staying power once the Lives start. We’ll see!

 

Menlik never impressed me and tonight was no different. TSwift advised he keeps his eyes open when performing: he didn’t listen and he should have. Also, Blake comparing his arm swing to a grandfather clock arm? Hilarious. I can’t say I am sad to see Menlik go.

 

Rebekkah definitely got shafted with the montages. She is this year’s Kristin Merlin, without the benefit of making it to the lives.

 

I love Craig’s haircut. Gwen did him a monster favor and now he no longer looks like an extra from Dazed and Confused. I am glad Blake stole him back, he’s one of my current favorites. I like Anita too, so I was glad they both moved on.

[Primetimer]

Coach Taylor Swift is happy to have a seat-warmer; Gwen proves surprisingly bad at makeovers.

Read the story

[leighdear]

Beth, Allison & Jean all shared the same problem for me: I couldn't understand a freakin' word out of their mouths.  While I know the song Allison sung, "Sin Wagon", I couldn't recognize any of that mush that supposedly were lyrics.  Same for Beth and Jean, but worse because I don't know either of their songs.  

 

I complain about this every season, every round.  How am I supposed to care about HOW you sing, if I can't understand WHAT you sing?  I need both things to be entertained. 

 

Those exaggerated "styles" that render normal words incomprehensible drive me nuts.  Is there some sort of musical Universal translator for pretentious singers that I can order? 

Edited November 4, 2014 by leighdear

[MelsW]

Was I the only one who guffawed when Blessing announced to TSwift that he would be singing a John Mayer song?

[DownTheShore]

For me, Craig just taking off that fringed jacked was enough of a "new look"; I don't think that cutting his hair makes him look better.

 

I was hoping Menlik was going to do better than he did, just because it was a kick to see someone so Satanic-looking up there, compared to the indistinguishable, generic crew of singers that makes up the majority of the contestants.  While I liked his performance, to me it was just another reggae song.  They may have a lot of meaning to those singing them but I view them as melodic rap, which doesn't really showcase the singer's voice, since the emphasis is on the rhythm and the words.

 

I have been turned off on Jean since she played the dead-mother card and it turned out that her mother actually died about 12 years or so ago.  To me, the song she sung was full of so many vocal embellishments that I have no idea what it was about.  I would have given that round to Menlik, just because his singing was less fussy.

 

I wasn't really impressed with Chris' "Dock of the Bay" and it just seems that Blessing never quite fulfills his potential with the songs - there are always too many Stevie Wonder overtones.

[glow]

nevermind

Edited November 4, 2014 by glow

[NikSac]

Was I the only one who guffawed when Blessing announced to TSwift that he would be singing a John Mayer song?

No, you weren't. :)

[jjjmoss]

Beth, Allison & Jean all shared the same problem for me: I couldn't understand a freakin' word out of their mouths.  While I know the song Allison sung, "Sin Wagon", I couldn't recognize any of that mush that supposedly were lyrics.  Same for Beth and Jean, but worse because I don't know either of their songs.  

 

I complain about this every season, every round.  How am I supposed to care about HOW you sing, if I can't understand WHAT you sing?  I need both things to be entertained. 

 

Those exaggerated "styles" that render normal words incomprehensible drive me nuts.  Is there some sort of musical Universal translator for pretentious singers that I can order? 

Well...I found Jean's version easier to understand than the original one by Sia. So one could argue that it's Sia's fault.

[zxy556575]

Huh. Until just now, I thought the song was called "Tin Wagon." FIgured it was some sort of country metaphor for alcohol that I'd never heard of and couldn't be bothered to look up. So, yeah. Add me to the list who couldn't understand the lyrics.

 

Grant did great. Funny how he looks like an old kid. He already has the bags under his eyes and threat of a receding hairline!

 

I am extremely unobservant but even I was mentally scolding the makeup people for not doing something about those dark circles under his eyes. Poor kid.

[mercfan3]

It's always funny, when hearing people discuss singers..how some things mean more to them than others. I don't care about lyrics, I care about sounds. And although I usually can understand what people are saying..I don't really care if I do, so long as I like the sounds they are making. Even the emotional connection to music is through sound, not lyrics, for me. (The sound itself tells a story.) 

 

So whenever I hear the criticism it's funny to me, because I never even noticed it. 

Edited November 4, 2014 by mercfan3

[Ketzel]

The most unintentionally funny moment on the show, to me, was the Kohl commercial featuring the show stylists who are So Very Proud of themselves. Good Lord, ladies, the contestants on this show are consistently the worst-dressed I have ever seen on a singing competition. You have mad skillz, you do* - I have never seen any team more effective in making young girls look old and frumpy, guys who could lose a pound or two look massive, women a few years over  the age of twenty-five look like they are in their forties, curvy women look like they are stuffed into sausage casings, young hipster men look over-styled to the point of obnoxious cliché. And I think you can be especially proud of the fact that most of the clothes don't even seem to fit the people wearing them properly!

 

*but even you have to take a back seat to whoever is doing the atrocious hair styling and makeup.

Edited November 4, 2014 by Ketzel

[mercfan3]

It's funny that you say that. I've seen the same article of clothing on different contestants. The yellow Jacket Michelle wore during Clarity and the Yellow Jacket that Jacquie wore during Stompa..same jacket. Fit each girl completely different though. (Also, Bria Kelly and Michelle Chamuel wore the same red pants. Usher and Matthew Schuler wore the same shirt.) So it's no wonder it doesn't always fit..

[poppy-]

There is something Florence & the Machine about Beth's look and style....... damn that is a hard voice to compete with, but I bet she tries in the lives. I too LOLed at Pharrell's "you were in your own world and who can argue with that?" to the Bob Marley singing guy.  I do appreciate he doesn't overpraise and is fairly honest.

 

Every time I get sick of Adam, he pulls me back in with charming self-deprecation.  I smiled at his comments about Craig's masculinity. But the double edged sword there is that telling the kid 'you remind me of me at your age' and telling him he's just a kernal rings painfully true.

 

I normally roll my eyes at Gwen's style advice, but her telling Reagan to throw on some sneakers was a good moment.  Blake really didn't do a thing for her, that I could see.

[treebyleaf]

I'm not super into any of the contestants at this point, although I loved Anita Antoinette's KO performance and am looking forward to her next songs.

 

The one I'm most interested to watch (although is not necessarily my fave music-wise) is Ryan Sill. He's a freakin' awesome vocalist -- better than the other "pretty boys" that have been on the show in recent seasons -- but his personality and stage presence seem a little smarmy, like he's a Voice "teacher's pet". He comes across as a bit of a suck-up to Gwen, although that could be editing (and I can only imagine the verbal flubs I'd make if I were sleep deprived and followed around with a camera as I interacted with Gwen Stefani)!

 

I'm interested to see if he can learn to have better stage presence and "let loose" a little when performing. If he could I think he'd be a bigger threat to some of the other more seasoned performers who bring more of a personality to the stage.

[blueray]

Matt vs Rebekkah - Why why WHY was Matt montaged? WTH? He's one of the most popular contestants on the show right now. I'll bet they only montaged him because of that other girl we never saw. I have to wonder what was so atrocious about her that she got montaged all 3 rounds. Poor girl. They could have at least shown this round, especially since many people were looking forward to hearing Matt tonight. And they could have let that poor girl have at least 2 minutes of screen time this season before she got the axe. It sucks because she worked just as hard as everyone else to get on the show.

 

I was so annoyed when I saw that they did that. I was looking forward to his performance. And was wondering if there is a way to get it on the internet. Also I had no idea who that other girl was, that sucks that she was montage for both rounds.

[hincandenza]

Yeah, I did the math last week and said "Wait, 6 + 3 + 6 = 15... they'll get three episodes of Knockouts, have a recap episode (tonight), and two unlucky people will be the only ones montaged in the entire Knockout rounds".  So imagine my surprise when they still showed half of that battle- meaning all of one person out of 32 got shafted in the Knockouts- and it was the same person who got overlooked in all the other rounds.

 

Seriously, that is ludicrous, and Rebekkah has every right to be pissed off.  The show's treatment of her was completely unprofessional and despicable, and I don't know how bad she could have been and still gotten a chair turn; we've seen some pretty lousy performances aired so I don't believe she could have been so terrible that they had to montage her throughout.

 

And that's my biggest takeaway of this season so far: the show treated one contestant like dogshit for no apparent reason. 

 

 

That said, the show is still an entertaining diversion, and I've been surprised how much Gwen has won me over as a competent judge: her seemingly superficial commentary in earlier rounds belies that she's doing something right because i think she has the strongest team going into the Live rounds.  Similarly, I'm now a huge fan of Taylor Swift as a person after seeing her this season.  She's written some catch pop songs but I was never remotely a "fan" really- but now I've seen she's a smart, skilled, music-loving woman, and I have nothing but mad respect for her.

 

Some found it overly dramatic, but I loved Jean's performance of Sia's "Chandelier".  Like Ricky last week, I could hear the words clearly (props to those above pointing out that people like Allison and others torpedoed themselves by making it so hard to hear the words) and "Broadway" or not I really felt she poured herself into that song.  For example, there's one moment near the end when she's up by the front of the stage and does this shaky leg stutter walk- which is exactly what someone who's been drinking too heavily would do.  I thought it was just a great and moving performance.

 

I'm torn on Reagan, who stood out to me last night as the best performance behind Jean, and whom I've enjoyed all three times she's sang.  On a superficial level, she's ready to succeed in a media-savvy music business: she's photogenic, has a great figure and booty (and yes, I know she's 15, so I guess I'm going to the 'special hell' along with Randy Jackson), has absurd confidence and "swagger" on stage, and on top of that a lovely voice that isn't just a raspy Jessie Pitts sound.  She reminds me of a Melanie Martinez with more vocal range and stage presence. 

 

She's not a finished product yet, but she's got a lot of potential.  But man... there's something about her when she's not singing, I just get this "better-than-you" diva vibe that doesn't lend itself to growth or good coach feedback.  That's probably all in my head, some people just have resting b**** face, but I'm worried she's going to be one of those crash-and-burn singers that have a couple of good performances then just... implode.  Every year there are two or three people I get really excited about who then bomb out, like Sarah Simmons a few seasons back for example, so I'm reluctant to get attached to Reagan.  But so far, she's in my top 5 going into the Live rounds.

[LoneHaranguer]

 

I don't care about lyrics, I care about sounds. And although I usually can understand what people are saying..I don't really care if I do, so long as I like the sounds they are making. Even the emotional connection to music is through sound, not lyrics, for me. (The sound itself tells a story.)

So what story do you hear when you listen to "99 Luftballoons"? Since it was the German version that was popular, most people have no idea what story the lyrics were actually telling, and I don't think you can get it from the sound.

[hks]

For the most part, I think the decisions made in this episode were correct. And again, for the most part, I think Taylor Swift gave some good advice. (Nothing as stupid as telling Griffin to do those ridiculous "La lalalala's during his performance of Beiber in the first KO episode). 

 

Beth Spangler, "Too Little, Too Late" vs. Ryan Sill, "Miss Independent":

I haaaated Beth's performance, and I am not sure if it was the song choice or that she made the song sound annoying. It sounded super annoying.  Ryan seems too generic for me, and is not yet equipped to add the moves to his music, but I thought he sounded good with the song. 

 

Grant Ganzer, "Apologize" vs. Reagan James, "Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!)"

Neither did all that great, but Reagan is better and more entertaining overall, so she's the right choice.

 

Anita Antoinette, "Rude" vs. Craig Wayne Boyd, "Can't You See"

Since that song is the ubiquitous song of the year, and I know the lyrics TOO well, it really annoyed me that Anita did the gender shift.  The "gonna marry that boy...marry him anyway" was distracting at best, and "Can I have your son..." ruined the song flow.  And it made no sense with the meaning of the song.  Maybe I care too much about song lyrics, but regardless, it distracted me to a point that I almost hated it.  However, Anita performed it well enough that I still give her the win.  At the very least, she belongs on Gwen's team.  Craig's makeover was useless. I think he looked a 1000 times better before. I'm glad he's back on Team Blake - because the fact Gwen only had (bad) fashion advice for him was a kiss of death if he stayed on her team.

 

Blessing Offor, "Your Body Is A Wonderland" vs. Chris Jamison, "(Sittin' On) The Dock Of They Bay":

Both performances were good, I think either could have been the winner there.  (And yes, I too did a nervous laugh when Blessing said John Mayer's name in front of Taylor. Almost like contact embarrassment).

 

Allison Bray, "Sin Wagon" vs. Taylor Brashears, "Landslide"

I liked the coaching portion of this battle better than the performances. Don't get me wrong, I thought both ladies did a great job, although Taylor's tone was better, and I think she was the right choice.  I just really liked seeing Swifty coach about the performance aspects. Making Allison take her shoes off was perfect, and I love that she saw that.

 

Jean Kelley, "Chandelier" vs. Menlik Zergabachew, "Could You Be Loved"

The differences between these two performances was remarkable. I couldn't ever get behind Menlik. He has a great voice, but I didn't like how unwilling he seemed to be to stretch his abilities. He kept talking about how much he only wanted to do reggae, and how comfortable he was singing it - and it was clear when he performed it, he was lost in it.  He's definitely an excellent reggae singer, and it's good to know yourself. BUT, his lack of comfort moving beyond that made him a lackluster performer.  Jean Kelley on the other hand -- almost TOO much of a performer. I actually loved her performance, her voice sounded amazing. However, I'm also into musical theatre, and I'm wondering if that's why I loved it.  She basically did musical theatre - It was fun to watch, but a bit much. Still, she deserved the win. 

Edited November 4, 2014 by hks

[viajero]

I really can't see any criteria where a judge doesn't think Craig wiped the floor with Anita.

 

I can.  I thought Anita did a great job with that song, both vocally and in her performance.  Craig also did a great job and I’m glad both are going through (and on the Teams they should be on).  Where I actually give Anita the edge is that she put a lot of her own flavor into that performance, while Craig did pretty much a straight up cover.

 

I personally thought there were four standout performances in this episode, which in order of personal preference were:

 

1. Jean

2. Reagan

3. Anita

4. Craig

 

Yes, Jean was a little theatrical, but it felt natural to her interpretation of the song.  I think this was Jean’s breakout moment, just like Ricky Manning has his breakout moment in the previous episode. We’ll have to see if either one can keep it going in the next round.

 

I also liked pretty much everything about Reagan’s performance.  She did a difficult song that has been butchered by all too many singing competition contestants and not only pulled it off, but made it actually sound fresh and not so overdone.  Blake got it right when he said something to the effect that she seems to put a little magic Reagan dust on everything she sings, no matter what the genre.  She may not be as polished as some of the more experienced contestants (Crag, Luke, David), but she is showing the raw talent and artistry that might take her far in this business.

 

Most of the rest of the performances weren’t bad, so overall it was a good episode.

 

For the first time in several seasons, I think all four teams have potential winners heading into the live shows.  Plus I have at least one contestant I’m rooting for on each team.  After a slow start in the blinds, this is turning out to be one of the more entertaining seasons of this show.

 

The team I’m most nervous about heading into the next round is Gwen’s, simply because I really like four of her contestants (Taylor John, Bryana, Anita and Ricky) and hate the idea of losing one of them so soon.

[TacoBoutIt]

There is something Florence & the Machine about Beth's look and style....... damn that is a hard voice to compete with, but I bet she tries in the lives. 

 

...did perhaps you mean to say Jean?  On that topic, a Florence Welch cover of Chandelier would be fabulous.  I don't really see the similar vibe but I think it's part of my issue with Jean because I can't really pinpoint her.  I for some reason, can never remember her voice.  I always remember that she sounds great but to me, she doesn't have the type of voice that leaves an impact on me and makes me want to listen to it again and again.  I do think Chandelier was a step in the right direction for her.  I think it's interesting that both Jean and Sugar are on Pharrell's team.  I believe is the second time that a battle pairing both make it to the lives on the same team but this is the first time that a battle pairing end up in the lives on the same team but different from their original team.

[Padma]

This has become my favorite panel of judges/coaches and I loved how Taylor Swift worked with everyone. She had excellent suggestions and I like her deadpan humor. I know variety is nice, but I really hope they'll bring her back like this next season. (Plus, I liked how she shut Adam's nonsense down about his "bionic parts". Really, he was just babbling and she was good to stop him rather than try to play along. She and Pharrell have the least chemistry, but I liked her with Gwen, and , of course, Blake.)

 

I haven't checked the team lists, but from memory it seems each one hasa dominant style and kind of different "personality" from the other three. This should make the music more interesting in the next round. (Sorry to rock fans but I can't say that I miss it this season.)

 

And, to guys who want to make out with Gwen? I have three word for you: black leather jacket. She seems to love them although I thought both Ryan and Craig looked dated, especially Craig with that chain. Taylor S. made the biggest difference just getting Craig to take off that jacket and perform in his black tshirt. He looked really good that way, pre haircut and straightened hair. Ryan was so not my type--just a pretty, innocuous boy band-er--but darn it! if he didn't win me over with his Neo song, strong vocal and apparent sweetness and sincerity. Maybe he's working it, but it really seems genuine and his performance was good. I could see Gwen getting very invested in him (and getting out of the suit was good, but, please, no more black leather jackets).  Hopefully Blake will "unstyle" Craig a little bit. 

 

I can't remember any season where the singers showed this much improvement across the board (Adam's team, imo, so far least of all.)

Edited November 5, 2014 by Padma

[Noreaster]

I was mostly bored watching this episode.  The highlight for me was Blessing. His vocals weren't perfect but I thought he was very entertaining and did a fantastic job changing up the song.  I also thought Jean sounded great, but agree with others that she was overdramatic. I want to like Anita and she's clearly very talented, but I did not enjoy her doing slower-tempo reggae with that song. Actually preferred Menlik's style of reggae though he was nothing special. Craig did a great job but again not my thing. I don't care about any of the others. Taylor's makeup bothered me. 

 

I'm finding Gwen's and Pharrell's remarks interesting.  Gwen with her comments on what contestants should wear and Pharrell mentioning that they should change Beth's genre.  It makes sense that they're focusing on the commercial appeal of the artists but in a way, they want to change them.  I'm really curious to see how the coaches approach the live shows.  

I hope at some point the truth comes out about why Rebekkah was montaged all 3 times, whether it comes from her, someone BTS, or wherever, I'm sure many viewers want to know. First off, it's normal for battles to be montaged but have knockouts ever been montaged? Second, usually when they montage a battle, they show a few seconds of EACH contestant. They only showed Matt. That seems fishy. I'm wondering if there was some BTS thing that went on, like maybe a contractual thing and that was why they couldn't show her. I hope she or someone from production explains. There has to be some real legit reason why she was montaged so many times, especially since they did not show even a few seconds of her knockout.

I doubt we'll ever find out the reason for any of the montages. I think most people don't care. It could have been Matt screwing up royally for all we know (though I think it's unlikely since the clip of Matt sounded good and Adam was very enthusiastic).  

 

I was bummed about the Matt/Rebekah montage but only because I wanted to see more of Matt. I don't care about Rebekah. I mean, it sucks for her of course, but that's what all these contestants agree to when they sign up for the show. At least, we're not coming away with a negative portrayal of her. I think this montage is mostly unfair to Matt.  He goes in with a 30-second clip vs. the few minutes (rehearsal + performance + promo/preview) that every other contestant advancing to lives got. 

 

As far as the history of knockouts on the show, they were introduced in season 3. There were no knockout montages in seasons 3-5, but there was also no celebrity advisor that needed airtime.  The show fit all the knockouts (16-20) into 4 hours (two 2-hr episodes).  In season 6, there was a celebrity advisor in battles #2 (which substituted the knockouts) and the show fit in 15 battles + 1 montage in 5 hours. The season 7 format is the same as in season 6. 

Edited November 5, 2014 by Noreaster

[mercfan3]

So what story do you hear when you listen to "99 Luftballoons"? Since it was the German version that was popular, most people have no idea what story the lyrics were actually telling, and I don't think you can get it from the sound.

 

The song sounds child like..almost playful. (Kind of annoying, actually.) But there's a dichotomy there, where there's a hint of darkness too it. Similar to Pumped Up Kicks. 

 

Obviously, it's not going to be exact..heck..it may not be even close to what the song is about, but that's what I feel when I hear it. Which is what I mean by telling a story..like..an emotional story. (Although some songs can tell an actual story through just sound, but that's typically classical. Music you hear on the radio has a structure too it that is repetitive so it doesn't work that way for me.) 

 

I mean..my point was it's amazing what is important to people when it comes to music. I know plenty of people who care most about the lyrics. But I don't. 

[jjjmoss]

This has become my favorite panel of judges/coaches and I loved how Taylor Swift worked with everyone. She had excellent suggestions and I like her deadpan humor. I know variety is nice, but I really hope they'll bring her back like this next season.

 

Well, I'm a huge fan of hers, but clearly a motivating factor for her was her album release, and appearing on the show being good promo for it. Similarly, Coldplay's Chris Martin happened to be the sole guest mentor shortly before his band's album came out.

So maybe in like 4 seasons. 

[Cramps]

The most unintentionally funny moment on the show, to me, was the Kohl commercial featuring the show stylists who are So Very Proud of themselves. Good Lord, ladies, the contestants on this show are consistently the worst-dressed I have ever seen on a singing competition. You have mad skillz, you do* - I have never seen any team more effective in making young girls look old and frumpy, guys who could lose a pound or two look massive, women a few years over the age of twenty-five look like they are in their forties, curvy women look like they are stuffed into sausage casings, young hipster men look over-styled to the point of obnoxious cliché. And I think you can be especially proud of the fact that most of the clothes don't even seem to fit the people wearing them properly!

*but even you have to take a back seat to whoever is doing the atrocious hair styling and makeup.

Amen! We always laugh when they say "If you wasn't to look like this contestant...shop at Kohls" and it's inevitably someone whose styling we've been trashing. Edited November 5, 2014 by Cramps

[gaPeach]

Craig's makeover was useless. I think he looked a 1000 times better before. I'm glad he's back on Team Blake - because the fact Gwen only had (bad) fashion advice for him was a kiss of death if he stayed on her team.

 

I too thought he looked much better in what he wore (I love fringe) and his hair style.  When Taylor told him to take his jacket off and he just sang in a tshirt and jeans I thought he looked great.  So to come out with a terrible hair cut (what is that anyway?) and a black leather jacket with a hoodie on underneath....ugh!   I liked the long hair with the fringe jacket much better.  I am glad Blake got him back.

[hammaboo]

 

I hope at some point the truth comes out about why Rebekkah was montaged all 3 times, whether it comes from her, someone BTS, or wherever, I'm sure many viewers want to know. First off, it's normal for battles to be montaged but have knockouts ever been montaged? Second, usually when they montage a battle, they show a few seconds of EACH contestant. They only showed Matt. That seems fishy. I'm wondering if there was some BTS thing that went on, like maybe a contractual thing and that was why they couldn't show her. I hope she or someone from production explains. There has to be some real legit reason why she was montaged so many times, especially since they did not show even a few seconds of her knockout.

 

In looking at her Twitter (from the link above) I wonder if it has to do with her pushing that NOVI Productions, which looks like her and another person.  I wonder if that heavy promotion she was doing countered something in the contract that you sign for being on The Voice or that it was maybe so blatant that it pissed the wrong person off.  But it looks like that only goes as far back as 10/20, so maybe not.