S07.E20: Live Top 10 Performances

[mercfan3]

Yea. I think he gives Damien those types of songs because Damien is that type of singer. It's not like he could give him "Fix You" or the one Chris sang, and have it work. (There are some Bruno songs that Damien could do.) He's had plenty of AA contestants that didn't sing in that style. 

 

Although, I do agree that Damien is the contestant that Adam is least excited about, sometimes that works in their favor (Will, for example.) But that's all right as well. Adam is allowed to make connections with some contestants over others, just like all the other coaches. 

 

I never think Adam tries to sabotage anyone. I think he just...out smarts himself sometimes. IMO, that's why the worst choices actually tend to be for his favorites. 

[abelard]

The only performances that I really, really liked from last night were CWB's Walk the Line and T3N's Come Together, and I liked CWB's much, much better.  Reagan was one of my early faves and now I think she just has to go.  I will feel badly for Blake if he only has one contestant left in this thing but then again I think CWB can take it all.  Walk the Line was one of the best performances of the show's history, imo.

 

Someone upthread said Damian strikes them as a wedding singer but for me, that is Luke 100%.  Luke was smiling through that Otis Redding song like it was a novelty number.  Like people should be doing the chicken dance at the same time.  He also messed up the lyrics quite a few times.  Come on, man, pull it together!!  I wish that both Luke and Matt would stop trying to make sad, sweet songs hugely uptempo and high-energy.  These songs are NOT THAT.  When Clive Davis said, A singer must connect with the lyric of a song, I was thinking, Geez, Matt and Luke could not have missed the meaning of their lyrics more.

 

I have loved Anita up till now.  Now I think she's too repetitive, too much the same sound over and over.  And Chris...whoever posted that the song was A+ and Chris was C+ got it just right. 

 

I'm hoping Craig wins the season and that Chris goes home this week.  As for the other who goes home, I think it should be Reagan but I'd prefer her to stay, only because I'm pro-Blake this year for some reason and would rather he had both contestants make it into the Top 8.  That's a lame reason, I know.  I could do without Gwen's pretty boy, it would be fine by me if I never saw or heard that guy again.

[photo fox]

I've basically stopped watching this season, but I went out to Youtube to watch CWB based on the rave reviews here. That performance should have been right in my wheelhouse, because I love "real" country, hate "bro" country and pop country, and I usually really get into the artists who rearrange their songs. But that was just totally meh to me. I stopped listening/watching a minute in, it bored me so deeply. I kept waiting for it to kick up a notch, but it was just. so. plodding.

Maybe I have bad taste. *shrugs*

[anonymiss]

Christina Aguliara and Gwen are not friends and didn't try to fake it. Gwen is sweeter and more generous. Christina seemed kind of bitchy.

They don't need to "fake it" because they were already established as friends long ago. There are photos over the years of the two of them at each other's families' parties from before The Voice came into existence.

 

Yes, Gwen is sweet and generous but I find that trying and banal over time (esp. after seasons of that with Shakira). Loved hearing Christina sing a bit. Had to chuckle at her obvious attempts to squeeze in any singing she could to show off her voice, not that I'm complaining when she sounds lovely and her advice is on point.

[hincandenza]

Good lord, Matt killed it. That was a basically perfect performance for me. I had no idea he had THAT kind of range. Wow.

I know her persona and her appearance are often lightning rods, but I for one still think Christina is gorgeous (and I love her cleavage). As is Anita, who positively radiates; I'd kill to have her complexion. I liked, but didn't love, her song. Cole's version was better to me, and while this version had more swing and was I guess *cooler*, I didn't feel connected to it.

I also don't connect with Damien, even though he is simply a phenomenal singer. He's so pitch perfect and masterful in his runs, but I'm just not into that style of music or singing. He deserves to stay at least another week, he's never really faltered: he just is that type of singer.

Jeez, does Reagan secretly smoke? I'm an overweight man nearing forty, and I think I have more aerobic capacity than she does. Ah, I jest; it was a dense somg, but this has been a recurring issue that she should work on. Not a lousy performance, but by the time commercials started I couldn't even remember what she sang. I want her to stay, but shes been losing steam for a while, and I would be hard-pressed to name two people to go before her. I predict she's in the bottom 3, but is insta-saved this week.

Craig had such an odd but good take on that song, I think I really liked it. No wait, I know I liked it; it passed my litmus test of whether I immediately rewound and watched it again before the judge's comments. I could do without him ending every song with that same dramatic pause + long note. Still, he is so good in the niche he's in, as I've said before he's a finished product ready for his closeup. I loved Blake for recognizing that the only difference between them was Blake had his lucky break. That's part of Blake's down to earth charm.

I love Muse and consider Matt Bellamy to be almost sacred ground, so I expected to hate Ryan. Instead, it was pretty decent; like Elyjuh, Ryan has a look and personality that never seems to match what he sings. It's shallow of me to judge him by something he can't control, but he always looks so... TV version of high school.

I'm glad they've fixed Danica style issues, she's actually quite lovely and full-figured. And her voice is just amazing. I think this was the first time I felt she was really connecting to the song, and therefore the audience. But I don't love her either, since like Damien she tends towards similar, dated songs.

The first thing I thought when T3N started performing was "Royal Tennenbaums". :) Meh, he did about as much as you can do with it vocally, but that was a weird, fun, funky performance. Literally so, I think I saw him doing the funky chicken at one point. Major props for him throwing caution to the wind and just going for it, I gotta respect that.

Wait, didn't Chris get the final performance spot just a couple of weeks ago? Adam sure is pushing him with the recent/less familiar song choices, which is I think usually good: we judge someone less harshly if we aren't comparing every note to the original, like is done with Whitney covers for example.

[Dots And Stripes]

I've basically stopped watching this season, but I went out to Youtube to watch CWB based on the rave reviews here. That performance should have been right in my wheelhouse, because I love "real" country, hate "bro" country and pop country, and I usually really get into the artists who rearrange their songs. But that was just totally meh to me. I stopped listening/watching a minute in, it bored me so deeply. I kept waiting for it to kick up a notch, but it was just. so. plodding.

Maybe I have bad taste. *shrugs*

He hit a really great glory note towards the end. If you tuned out early you may not have gotten the full effect. Of course that note could have colored my perception too. I think it's mostly a bunch of mediocre vocalists that are making CWB seem better by comparison.

[MarquisDeCarabas]

I've basically stopped watching this season, but I went out to Youtube to watch CWB based on the rave reviews here. That performance should have been right in my wheelhouse, because I love "real" country, hate "bro" country and pop country, and I usually really get into the artists who rearrange their songs. But that was just totally meh to me. I stopped listening/watching a minute in, it bored me so deeply. I kept waiting for it to kick up a notch, but it was just. so. plodding.

Maybe I have bad taste. *shrugs*

If you do then so do I. I HATED it.  I generally dislike taking uptempo songs and slowing them down, but to me that song was unrecognizable.

 

As for Adam and Damien.

 

Two weeks ago he did give him a Sam Smith song and in his interview about it Damien talked about How Sam was singing it to a woman.  To which my girlfriend immediately responded or you know a man..  

 

I can't help wondering if going back to classical artists was Damien's Idea.  I'm not sure how much knowledge he has of newer artists.  He's talked before about how he's done very little singing outside of the church.

[Padma]

I thought CWB started off slow with that too, but I kept telling myself "It's not the Cash version! Give it a chance." By the end I thought it was really good, though different and less "light" in delivery which was fine, too. Looking at CWB last night, I really felt like I was watching a new star being born. (Yes, Gwen, you saved him. That's a big deal. And you got him looking better, so people could actually see he's a good looking guy. But he's coming to his own now because of Blake. Just saying.)

 

Imo, CWB's already won because Blake is clearly going to pave the way for him and give him every chance to become the Next. Big. Thing. whether he wins this show or not. Blake's right--this IS, finally, his lucky break. I love Blake's humility and the generosity with which he welcomes new artists (not seeing them as "the competition"). I think he's perfectly willing to take a non-country singer to the end (probably, like me, wishes it were Jessie still in it rather than Reagan), but why any country singer would choose someone else to be their coach is beyond me. Even with lots of competition, even if you don't go far, if you're good enough and he takes an interest, he'll help you (see Gwen S. among others).

 

As for Reagan, she proved she can ruin Rascal Flatts just like she can Elton John and pretty much everything else. If she ever sings an entire phrase on key, I hope someone will post about it here. She's not just "a little below the note", she's routinely nowhere near it at all.  Anita was simply "okay" in the group sing and they would have been a complete mess if Danica wasn't there to keep saving it. They guys were so much better, it was embarrassing.

 

I hope Danica and Anita stay. Can't stand Reagan, but if it's her, I'll be glad for Blake. I've come to feel Ryan actually deserves to go on a bit longer, even over someone I used to like a lot like Luke but whom I now think has a very soulful voice without much...you know, soul.behind it.  I -did- like it when DR asked him what the lyrics meant. I wish they all had to answer that question every week.

 

My preferred order of elimination would be:

Reagan
Chris

Taylor
Luke
Matt

Ryan

Anita

Demian (if he can get some better songs)
Danica

CWB

But I think F4 will be CWB, Matt, Luke and hopefully, Anita or Danica.

[car54]

I've decided I am really in it to see the full performance, not just the vocal performance.    I am a big fan of Johnny Cash and I've heard other versions of Walk the Line that were different that I liked, but I did not care for the beginning part of CWB's rendition.    

 

I am really kind of done with Danica--lovely voice, nice lady---but a little boring.   Gwen's pop singer boy --he is ok, but I never remember him after he sings. 

I like Regan even though I thought her Fancy was a little kareoke on speed.   Of course she picked it.  I doubt if Blake could pick Iggy Azalea out of a lineup.

I usually think Damien is a little dated but I liked his song this week.    I also liked T3N mostly because he didn't look miserable singing a song Gwen picked for him--he showed a little life and energy and it was ok.   I think Chris has a lot of potential but he seems like someone that could be molded into a lot of different things.   I enjoyed his performance but the whole time I felt like something was missing and then I realized---if it was Bruno, Bruno would be doing all that singing AND he'd be dancing his ass off too.     Adam did a good job of staging it so it looked like Chris was doing more than walking around the stage.

[Vandy10]

If you do then so do I. I HATED it.  I generally dislike taking uptempo songs and slowing them down, but to me that song was unrecognizable.

 

As for Adam and Damien.

 

Two weeks ago he did give him a Sam Smith song and in his interview about it Damien talked about How Sam was singing it to a woman.  To which my girlfriend immediately responded or you know a man.. 

 

I can't help wondering if going back to classical artists was Damien's Idea.  I'm not sure how much knowledge he has of newer artists.  He's talked before about how he's done very little singing outside of the church.

Actually, I believe Damian said it was written about a woman cheating on a man, which is apparently correct. Smith wrote it about a friend whose wife cheated on him.

 

I was rolling over laughing this episode whenever the camera panned to Gwen during Ryan's performance. She just looked so awestruck and...I don't know...fawning or something. It was so over-the-top I was dying.

 

I really liked Reagan at first, but now I think she lacks all power behind her voice. Or maybe it's breath control? I don't really know anything technical about singing. All I know is that she can be so quiet at times that even the mic (the one located approximately 3cm from her mouth) cannot even pick up the sound. 

 

Contrast Reagan with CWB, who I think has great power behind his voice. He can project without being shout-y. And (again, I don't know the technical terms) he sounds so clean/pure when he sings. He can hit a variety of notes, but it doesn't sound like a bunch of runs or warbling to me. That's the kind of voice I prefer. I wasn't blown away by his arrangement of Walk the Line, but I did love his voice. I know a lot of people would probably prefer that Blake didn't win another season, but CWB's the only one I'm actively rooting for at this point.

[MarquisDeCarabas]

Actually, I believe Damian said it was written about a woman cheating on a man, which is apparently correct. Smith wrote it about a friend whose wife cheated on him.

 

I found the article. 

 

 

Smith went on to open up about the inspiration behind his current single, I’m Not The Only One, admitting “It’s about a marriage that I’ve been an observer of. I put myself into the woman’s shoes”. And as for writing from a female perspective, he said “It came really naturally! The person I wrote it with, we both knew them and we just vibed off each other. We both had really strong opinions on what the woman was doing. It’s quite a complex song. When you listen to it you think it’s just bashing a guy for cheating, but it’s not, it actually talks more about how the woman’s a mug. She knows she’s not the only one, but she’s never going to leave. I think that’s wrong”.

Looks like my GF is technically right, but I don't think she realise Sam was singing it from A Woman's POV.

 

I swear I have heard Damien say something about how he's not completely familiar with current Music so a lot of of the Song choices may reflect that. 

[ToxicUnicorn]

I'm late, as usual.  I think the performance show was strong; I'm baffled that I don't love anyone too terribly much.  By this time last season, I had quite a few potential favorites.

 

I agree that Matt's voice and musicality is pretty ordinary.  He's got a cute, moppet quality to him, though.  I feel like his look is the biggest asset - from what little I know of contemporary music culture, his look is current.  I find he has significantly more charisma than Chris, who bores me to tears.

 

I think Taylor 3 names did a good job of Come Together.  I quite enjoy him.

 

I love Danica and Demien's voices.  Having said that, they are too predictable.  Competent, but not particularly exciting, so I don't think they will make it much further.  It's been nice to see both of them get more confident.

 

For the first time in several weeks, I liked Luke's performance a lot.  He has come a long way.

 

CWB's rendition of the Johnny Cash song worked for me, until the end.  That long note was ridiculous and self-indulgent, to me.  On the one hand, CWB seems like a nice guy who wants this so much, I have a hard time saying no to him.  On the other hand, he is just a bit too long in the tooth and ... needy ... and sort of ordinary for me to love him.  I think country's biggest stars (including Blake) have much more unique voices.  I'm willing to give him a chance, but I think he still needs to step it up.  (I do agree that his makeover this week was successful).

 

None of the others stood out.

 

Adam's clean shaven face reminded me how beautiful his bone structure is.  He also looked fresh and sparkly - that grin of his was back, and he was very complimentary.  That's the Adam I used to like.

[Ohwell]

Wow.  If CWB is long in the tooth, then I feel like Methuselah.