The Live Rounds: Season 7 Predictions

[abelard]

I think for the most part the right choices were made in the KOs.  The one person I'll miss is Katriz but whatever.  BUT going into the lives, as people have been saying, it's not *just* about the voice, not just about who can sing better than their opponent, it's about all kinds of other factors like likeability, looks, personality, consistency, the anticipation factor (how much you're looking forward to seeing the person perform the next week), having "wow" moments, and showing potential to be star. 

 

Keeping that in mind, here's my prediction for the top 6 this season, just based on my gut instinct about how these people will do in the lives all-around:

6. Taylor Phelan (Team Adam)

5. Bryana Salaz (Team Gwen)

4. Luke Wade (Team Pharrell)

3. Ricky, Ryan or Taylor from Team Gwen could all come in third -- I actually think two of these three will crash out in the early rounds due to nerves, but at this point I can't call which two will fall and which one will shine (again, just my gut instinct about these three)

2. James David Carter (Team Blake)

1. Reagn James (Team Blake)

 

Funnily enough, two of my favorite singers are not on this list: Craig and Anita.  I guess I just think my own tastes are too "niche" and these two will not really win over broad swaths of the audience. 

[meep.meep]

I bet that Blake's going to have Craig sing Toby Keith songs during the live rounds.  Just like he did with Danielle and Pam Tillis songs.

 

And one of his knockout battles was Dixie Chick vs Dixie Chick.

[ToxicUnicorn]

Team Adam: I like Matt and Damien, but I don't love them.  I actively do not like Mia's performances and I can't remember Chris at all.  I mean, I'm staring at the Voice contestant page and I don't have the faintest memory of seeing or hearing the guy.  

 

Team Gwen: Male Taylor with the hat, Bryana, Anita, and former a cappella Ryan.  Would someone please remind me which Sing Off group Ryan was in?  It's driving me nuts.  The other three are memorable.  I'm taking a wait and see approach with Ryan.  In his favor: 1) He did nail that look at the end.  Nice to see him taking the note from Taylor Swift.  2) The way Gwen and he are so excited about working together is very endearing, in an early Christina-Jacquie kind of way.  Against him?  I haven't been impressed by his vocals yet at all.  The rest are squarely in the middle of the pack for me.

 

Team Pharrell: To me, this is the team with the deepest bench.  Jean, Danica, Luke, Elyjuh - they are all far along in terms of being able to sing.  I don't like Sugar so far and do not know what is so great about her voice, although I'm willing to take it on faith that the judges hear something.  My problem with all of them, though, is that they all need to tone down the drama - with the possible exception of Jean.  I liked Jean's version of Chandelier and found her performance mesmerizing.  A part of my brain was telling me that she was over the top and it couldn't possibly be better than her rehearsal, but it didn't matter, I still couldn't look away.  That was the first time I've ever liked that song, partly because it was delivered with phrasing that made sense and partly because I finally could make out the words.  

 

While melodrama week after week would be exhausting, I think Jean has the most potential and the most distinct talent that can be cultivated in the time frame of the show.  I'm fascinated.  She easily makes my early top 3.

 

Team Blake:  Female Taylor, Female Reagan, James David Carter and Craig Wayne Boyd.  I have this sneaking suspicion that Blake has assembled his strongest team ever - and he did it sort of under the radar.  I like all of these contestants, although they all could use some polish from Blake (or roughing up, in James' case).  Still, he's good at that sort of thing.  It should make some decent entertainment.

[Janie1130]

Craig reminds me of Travis Tritt (whom I love and miss tremendously in the country music world). So, right now he's my top pick to root for.

[Padma]

Team Blake:  Female Taylor, Female Reagan, James David Carter and Craig Wayne Boyd.  I have this sneaking suspicion that Blake has assembled his strongest team ever - and he did it sort of under the radar.  I like all of these contestants, although they all could use some polish from Blake (or roughing up, in James' case).  Still, he's good at that sort of thing.  It should make some decent entertainment.

I think you may be right. I love the way Blake does this every season. He's so relaxed during the blinds, seems to have the weakest team (leaves plenty of space for Adam et al's rejected 4 chair turns), then somehow by the time the lives start--he's solidly and completely in it. 

 

I know he wants to be more than "the country coach" but I think the country singers on his team are the strongest. I'm so hoping he'll help Craig to drop Gwen's styling, even if it means just singing in jeans and his black t-shirt (imo, a great look for him). The black leather jacket and dated chain looked so dumb. And I hated his straight, no-length-in-particular hair. Hopefully, Blake won't defer too much to Gwen in that respect and will bring him back--a bit--to where he was.

 

I'm glad there are a couple of singers who perform with guitars. I always like that --and it gives them freedom to drop the band if the arrangements are just too OTT. The pacing so far has been perfect. Maybe it's not the strongest season vocally, but it seems to be coach-wise. I'm really looking forward to the lives now.

[Sammich63]

I was perusing my DVR guide to see the description of  next Wednesday night's episode, which is day 3 of the lives.  The description states that only two from each team will move forward to the next week based on viewers' votes.  I thought there was usually three from each team who move forward.  Am I not remembering correctly?  I know season 6 was different because there were two battle rounds before the live rounds.  It seems to me I remember in season 5 that three contestants moved forward after the first live performances (Cole/Austin/Ray; Jacquie/Matt/?; James/Tessanne/Will; Caroline/Jonny/?). 

[Cramps]

Two are probably voted through and then the coach will probably choose a third to put through.

[mercfan3]

Since i've been watching, three contestants have moved forward at the playoffs. In all the seasons but 6 (I've been watching since season 4) it was that the audience picked two and the coaches pick one. 

 

The description may be because on monday and tuesday people will be voting for their top two. And on wednesday we'll get the results and the coaches will pick the third. I doubt we'll have a top 8 instead of a top 12. 

[photo fox]

Predict and speculate to your heart's content.  The poll will be closed on the 12th at the start of the first live results show.

[BogoGog24]

The voting audience automatically votes 2 people from each team through and the coach chooses one to "save" and advance to the next week if they didn't get enough votes from the audience. So in total 3 people from each team move on to next week. 

 

It's too hard to predict at this moment who's going to win. There are at least 2-3 frontrunners on each team. On Team Adam there's Taylor P, Matt, Mia, and maybe Chris. Team Gwen has Taylor 3 Names and Bryana. Pharrell has DaNica, Elyjah, and Luke. And Blake has Reagan, Craig, and possibly James David Carter. I think we need to see how all of the contestants fair on the first live show and see who survives the first round before being able to really make a solid prediction about who will win. Right now there are many who can. 

[viajero]

While I would like to see someone like Reagan, Taylor Phelan or Jean win, I don't think it will happen.   All three have shown a willingness to change songs up with their own interpretations. But this usually backfires at some point when they take a risk that doesn't pay off. Voters can be pretty unforgiving.

 

Therefore I think the winner is likely to be either Craig or James from Blake´s team. He's going to keep asking them to do straight up covers of classic songs that are well within their range. Plus they both have story lines that have been proven successful on this show:  sympathetic older guys who have been struggling for years in the business.

 

Bryana might be a dark horse if she can survive the playoffs and make it into the live rounds.  She has a bit of that Danielle Bradbury aura about her.  But I´m not sure it will work as well on this show for a pop singer as it does for a country singer.

[ketchuplover]

Taylor Swift FTW!

[DownTheShore]

Way too many Taylors on this show!