S07.E22: Live Top 8 Performances

[Sammich63]

For all the Adam trashing on these forums, his contestants have been doing well--iTunes Charts tonight were really interesting to watch right after the show.

Whereas Danica probably technically has the best voice on the show and Luke has one of the most unique (in a good way, I love his voice) and yet Pharrell's coaching and arrangements have not been good-esp for Luke.

On the plus side, neither of them were subjected to performing a disaster like his and Gwen's duet.

I still think it's wrong that Adam's contestants tend to get the pimp spots every single week. I like Matt, but Chris is generic as ever to me and he consistently ends up near the end. Is this so they can have the fan girls screaming for him? Adam's three contestants should have been spread out over the night. I think Luke and Ryan are probably goners, but I'm not sure who the third one on the bottom will be. I imagine that there will be no instant save tonight since they are eliminating three contestants. I hope CWB makes is through, but I agree that he sang the wrong Eagles song. I thought he did a good job, but I enjoyed his performance last week much more. He needs an Eagles song that isn't played to death on the radio. Edited December 2, 2014 by Sammich63

[tobeannounced]

I don't really have a dog in this hunt anymore.  I fast-forwarded through most of the performances.  I hope CWB wins.  And I really think Chris is very talented.  He just needs to loosen up.

 

Adam in a pink sweater, sigh.  

 

I always love Danica so much more when she's singing in the group songs.  She actually seems to have a personality and is having some fun.  "These Dreams" did nothing for me, plus being glued to those stairs was really awkward.

 

"Take It Easy" is 40 years old?  Ugh, that makes me way too old to be mooning over Adam in a pink sweater.  And Gwen is too old for what she was trying to pull off last night.

Edited December 2, 2014 by tobeannounced

[PepperMonkey]

Haven't had a chance to watch the whole show yet... my work schedule conflicts and Hulu doesn't have it up until later in the day, so it's usually a couple days later before I can watch in entirety.

 

I watched CWB's performance because I really like him and I thought he could make a career unlike most of the past winners. But (unpopular opinion time) that was awful. So Craig: don't do that stupid thing where you purposely mispronounce the words or don't enunciate them clearly. It doesn't have to be sloppy to be fun. Also, he seemed uber nervous and off his game. I hated that performance, so I'm left hoping that Blake's fans will pull him through and he'll have a chance to redeem himself next week.

 

Unless he's sloppy again; then he can just go.

 

Also, I'm sorry, but I guess I'm on the Adam hate train too, and I'm not even sure why. He can be pleasing to the eyes, for sure, but there's something so over the top douche-y about him.

I'm over my Pharrell love, too. I was really pulling for him, but he has been a disaster in these live rounds. I'm not sure he's doing himself any favours being on the show, but I guess bad exposure is better than NO exposure?

Edited December 2, 2014 by PepperMonkey

[tmelange]

Looking at the itunes results, I have to admit that Adam seems to be pulling out all the stops and really giving most of his contestants stuff that will sell. He seems...more into the game and less into doing something unusual like he has been in the past. It seems like he wants to win badly, or at least he does in the bits and pieces of the misc. packages that I watch. Maybe he wants to take down Pharrell in a big way for all the subtle smackdowns in blinds. In any event, Pharrell may be out of the running tonight. I'm ready for Usher to come back now.

 

I simply can't root for Adam's team though, so this is a particularly boring season for me to see his team go through intact.

[mercfan3]

Adam has been amazing with song picks for Matt. Really truly amazing. Every week is itunes bait. 

Damien..not so great. But, old R&B songs and Adele have a shot at selling well.

 

I get what he's trying to do for Chris. And maybe, after the show, it'll help him. But his song picks have been atrocious. CHR is not good for selling itunes. Period. The fact that the kid can get as high on itunes with "Sexual Healing" suggests he would have done quite well with a decent song. (And has more to do with Chris' abilities and pretty face than anything Adam has done.) That being said, the one thing Adam did do for Chris in this competition is likely make him the leader amongst the younger fans. I'm not sure how much weight that will carry though, as older fans actually dominate the show. (But I'd imagine younger fans are more likely to power vote.) And still, even though I think he's the favorite..my guess is Matt and TJW also have a few younger fans themselves. 

[pivot]

Adam didn't pick that Adele song which is the one reason that Damien is doing so well on iTunes. If Chris pulls through, I hope Adam concentrates on giving him the bad 1970s soul music and lets Damien pick his own songs. Damien is pretty much the only one who I've been wowed by this season at all and that was only when he does recent songs. I can't deal with that dated soul crap.

I still can't get over how bad that Gwen/Pharrell performance. Between her plastic surgery and her try-hard performance last night, she reeks of desperation to remain young and hip. It makes her so uncool.

[rollerblade]

Itunes at 8:50 EST:

 

8 - Taylor

61 - Luke

 

Wow. I'm not sure which of these shock me more. That minor-key emoRoyals reaching 8, or Luke breaking Top 100 with that... thing he sang. (The studio version is twice as long as the live performance? lol). Must be a really slow night on itunes or something.

[pivot]

I'd say Luke is more surprising. I think audiences love Taylor's shtick this season and that performance was in line with that. I don't get but people love him.

[peachmangosteen]

I am not normally a fan of Damien type singers, but last night's performance from him was the best of this season so far, IMO. And that promo they ran for the Top 8 makes me really hope him and Danica (I'm also not normally a huge fan of her type of voice) can outlast everyone else.

 

I hate that I liked Matt and Chris because Adam is just so annoying. I was liking him more than ever this season, but he ruined it. He was such an ass in his comments after Matt sang. 

 

I'm thinking Damien/Matt/Taylor are locks for the top 4 and Danica/Luke/Ryan are locks for the bottom 4. I think CWB will get more actual votes than Chris, so I'm gonna go with Chris as the 4th member of the bottom and also the twitter save winner.

 

I'm assuming they're doing a bottom 4 and a twitter save of 1 tonight. Am I right about that?

[hincandenza]

So is it bottom 4 and instant save tonight, or just bottom 3 and gone? Seems like they should have cut 3 the first week, not when it's top 8; that's a huge chunk at once. What's the rush, this is one of NBC's highest rated shows!

I can't believe during the blinds I was raving about Pharrell; what the hell happened? Is he the idiot, or am I? It'll be grimly amusing if Mr. Super Producer loses both his people tonight before they get to the original song night Carson mentioned a couple of weeks ago.

Sounds like I'm in the minority, but I just adored T3N's arrangement of "Royals", especially the haonized minor key chorus variation. I rewatched it twice before listening to the coach's comments. But I can also agree it was more of an artist showcase than a singing showcase- which I personally like to see. Maybe I've been smoking crack with Blake, but I thought it was one of the most interesting performances of the season...

... and then a few minutes later Matt utterly blew me away with "Blowers Daughter". I didn't know the song- although as one of the countless ticket buyers that clogged movie theaters for the release of the Natalie Portman megahit "Closer", you'd think I'd remember it- but thought it was simply gorgeous, and Jesus that kid has some absurd range! Adam is pulling out all the stops with these song choices, that was a perfect Matt song. Given how I thought he killed it last week too, I guess Matt is my frontrunner now.

Luke was the only train wreck. He again forgot words (there was a point where you could see he missed a couple of lines), and his singing might displace Reagan James as this season's Sarah Simmons Award winner. What happened to Luke? Oh right; his coach. This should be his last week, as I can't think of a buffer except maybe Chris or Damien.

Ryan was okay but forgettable; he may have his fans, but this shouldn't save him this week given how strong some people were.

DaNica sang some things, I just don't connect with her at all. She's looking good lately, but sadly this should also be her last week.

Damien also doesn't move me; like the Emperor in "Amadeus", I find his singing has "too many notes". He over embellishes the songs, sapping them of their power. I think he's in danger of bottom 4, I think it'll be him or Chris.

Chris, god love him, committed to that performance. It was goofy, but I enjoyed it. I think he'll squeak through this week as well.

I thought CWB was boring and safe this week, but that might be a wise choice on Blake's part. Why take a big risk, when he can let other people knock themselves out and coast on his season for a week, then go for broke next Monday?

I think my picks and America's picks will line up this week, although only Matt and T3N would utterly surprise me in the bottom:

Top 3/Safe:

Matt

Taylor Three Names

CWB (due to momentum)

Bubble:

Damien

Chris

Bottom:

DaNica

Luke

Ryan

If they do a bottom 4 instant save sing-off, who knows but it's very plausible that after tonight Adam has all 3 singers left, Gwen and Blake each have only 1, and Pharrell (deservedly) has none.

[ChicksDigScars]

Oh have mercy, but if Adam's three go through tonight and two judges are left with one singer (and one judge is done), they're going to need to set up a cot back stage, because his head will NOT be fitting through the sound stage doors after the show tonight, When he called himself "Obi-Wan" last night, I seriously wanted to throw things at my TV. 

 

Count me in with being displeased over the Adam Levine Pimp Hour, with his singers getting the prime spots. He's the Derek Hough of The Voice. 

 

And what happened to Pharrell's team? He could seriously be the odd man out tonight. 

[mercfan3]

Adam didn't pick that Adele song which is the one reason that Damien is doing so well on iTunes. If Chris pulls through, I hope Adam concentrates on giving him the bad 1970s soul music and lets Damien pick his own songs. Damien is pretty much the only one who I've been wowed by this season at all and that was only when he does recent songs. I can't deal with that dated soul crap.

I still can't get over how bad that Gwen/Pharrell performance. Between her plastic surgery and her try-hard performance last night, she reeks of desperation to remain young and hip. It makes her so uncool.

 

That would be an upgrade to what he's been getting. "Sexual Healing" is such a bad song choice, it's comical. 

[Noreaster]

Regarding performance order, I think it's a reflection of perceived entertainment value and based on how dress rehearsals go.  It seems to me that the first 2 slots are usually relatively weak, the last 2 slots are quite strong, and the rest are mixed. For this season, I haven't cared much for Craig's and Chris's performances, but when they have been slotted later in the show, they seem to generate fairly positive feedback on these boards.  

 

These are the performance orders for the live shows this season, based on wikipedia.

(* signifies last slot, ^ signifies second-to-last)  

In order of playoffs (with 10/night), Top 12, Top 10, Top 8:

 

Reagan: 6, 7, 4, ---

Craig: 10*, 10, 6, 2

Jessie: 3, 3, ---, ---

Luke: 5, 8, 5, 6

DaNica: 7, 5, 8, 3

Sugar: 8, 1, ---, ---

Taylor: 10*, 6, 9^, 7^

Anita: 6, 12*, 2, ---

Ryan: 1, 2, 7, 1

Matt: 5, 9, 1, 8*

Damien: 9^, 4, 3, 4

Chris: 2, 11^, 10*, 5

Edited December 2, 2014 by Noreaster

[car54]

I loved Damien and T3N and Matt last night.
I think at this point if Luke is still going up on the words and not "letting go" he's probably never going to bring it--he seems to clutch when he gets to the show.

 

Damien finally sang a contemporary song and I loved it.

Matt last night was the closest to his auditions--and I really like his song last night.

I've decided that Chris may not be "the voice" but he's definitely a performer--and you give him something, and he will put on a show no matter what, and I like that.

again, I don't remember Ryan and I didn't care for Danica again.   

 

There is something a little Ed Grimley about T3N when he moves around....weird but I like him.

[Kcat1971]

As far as order of performance goes, I think sometimes the song selection can play a part.  Could they really have aired "Sexual Healing" before 9pm?

[glitterpants]

Please, The Voice, don't make people perform on staircases. It's very nerve-wracking to me and Adam.

 

Gwen and Pharrell's performance was bizarre, and not in a good way. I can't believe she actually uttered the words (letters) "O-M-G" and "L-O-L" on stage, in a song, in 2014.

 

And I'm glad that T3N is doing well on iTunes.

[realdancemom]

I've also been disappointed by Pharrell.  He seemed to have such a strong team after blinds.  Now, Luke and Danica might go home today.  I agree that Luke was one of the front runners for me and he hasn't lived up to it.  Danica has a beautiful voice but she's been boring to me.  It doesn't help when you have to just stand still on a staircase.

 

Ryan will be gone tonight.  He did better and has a nice voice.  But he's so generic.  He just seems like a college dude in show choir.

 

I like T3N's arrangement of Royals.  Sometimes, his vocals were a little off but nothing as bad as Reagan.

 

Craig played it safe and it wasn't one of his better performances.  He should get the country/Blake vote though..  I really do think it's going to be Adam with 3, Gwen with 1, Blake with 1, and Pharrell with nobody left.  I wished Pharrell could get at least one and Adam only have two but I'm not sure that's going to happen.

[KR Vermont]

Matt is a good singer with a cute retro look in his Jim Morrison hair and John Denver glasses.  I like that combination. 

 

Gwen and Pharrell's performance was just awful.

When I saw Matt in the blinds, an image of John Denver immediately came to mind. I get the Harry Potter reference, but John Denver remains stuck with me and you're the first person I've seen mention it too. :)

I've enjoyed Matt's voice (and his mop of hair and styling are cool too) and want to keep hearing more songs.

 

Gwen and Pharrell's performance was so mesmerizingly wtf weird that I couldn't even mute it.

 

Was looking forward to hearing DaNica's take on These Dreams, but was disappointed--and also distracted at the steep staircase she was perched on. Yikes.

 

I was liking Luke's song arrangement until about half-way through when the words became sparse (as Blake called it) and he held the mike out twice for the audience to sing a song that, in his package, he'd said that the younger audience wouldn't know (iirc). I was wondering aloud if he was fighting an illness and couldn't get enough air to properly finish the song, it was a curious end.

Edited December 2, 2014 by KR Vermont

[tobeannounced]

As far as order of performance goes, I think sometimes the song selection can play a part.  Could they really have aired "Sexual Healing" before 9pm?

 

To me, "Sexual Healing" seems pretty darn tame by today's standards, and I've been known to clutch a pearl or two.  But then again, there's something to be said for leaving a little to the imagination.

[ddiced35]

Just finished watching last night's show on DVR. I don't watch ANYTHING but the performances -- no "celeb" performances, no intro packages, just coaches' feedback (much shorter that way -- and no annoying coaches' babble!).

 

I fell in love with "Blower's Daughter" when I heard it on an episode of Dawson's Creek (SHUT UP!!!). It's been on my mix CDs and ipod ever since. And while Matt's version didn't bring tears to my eyes like Damien Rice's does, I really enjoyed his version and the changes he made to it.

 

But it's really the only performance I thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish. I really like CWB, but "Take It Easy" is kind of a repetitive song, and not one to show off one's vocals. I admit, I was working while I had the show on, so I don't really even watch the performances, I just listen -- but this one easily stayed in the background. I just wasn't compelled to look up once. That being said, I hope he goes through and doesn't suffer from one sub-par week.

 

Luke...oh, Luke. He's been a favorite of mine since his blind audition, but Pharrell has thoroughly screwed him with song choices. Someone mentioned earlier that he should've done "If You Don't Know Me By Now" -- YES!! I think that would've been a million times better. He just didn't seem dialed-in to his song at all -- and asking the audience to sing along was really painful. It was like he just wanted it to end. So did I.

 

Ryan Sill seems like a nice person. He needs to go home a month ago (or more). His version of "Open Arms" made me open my music to listen to the original. It was just so lacking. And I didn't understand the random pauses he'd insert at weird points. "How could our love be so....blind." Huh?? I don't know why, but that totally annoyed me. It was like he changed it just to change it.

 

Danica has a lovely voice, but I feel like she just wanted to get to the "glory notes" in "These Dreams". I realize that's where she really gets to show off her pipes, but she seems disconnected from the songs when she sings, and thus I'm disconnected from her. Actually, the same goes for Damien -- "Someone Like You" is one of those songs that really hits me because I could've written it (not that I have the talent, but that "I've been there," you know?). But Damien just doesn't make me feel anything when he sings.

 

Oh right, there are some other people, but I've spent too much time already on this. Back to work :)

[miracole]

Nick Jonas was pretty good, I think he could win this season...

 

So for Blake this is the bestest season ever. It's so sad to see his progression from alcohol to crack...

 

Pharell's and Gwen's performance was a kinda embarrassing.

 

Damien was really, really good.

 

 

[Muffyn]

That Pharrell and Gwen performance has officially passed the Melanie boat fiasco from season 3. That is literally the worst piece of crap I've ever seen on any singing contest show. Both should be barred from ever being coaches/judges again after that performance. Lord that was embarrassing.

Thank you!  I was worried I was so out of touch with music that I was the only one staring aghast at that fuckery.  What the hell was that?  I was waiting for a hook to pull them off stage or for someone to explain it was all a joke.  

[pivot]

That would be an upgrade to what he's been getting. "Sexual Healing" is such a bad song choice, it's comical.

Sexual Healing is better than He's Not Heavy He's My Brother and that horrible Stevie Wonder song no one had heard of. Lord knows what kind of mess Adam had planned for Damien this week before Damien picked his own song.

If all 3 of Adam's contestants go through this week, Damien had better be ready for Adam to throw him under the bus. He LOVES Chris and Matt and they will get his attention.

[limecoke]

Wow, mixed feelings and confusion about the performances this week and a very unclear idea of who will go home.  One thing for sure, McAndrew will make it, no problem.  He's not my cup of tea vocally, but I see him winning the whole thing.  I liked the song he sang but would not choose his version to download.  For me (for you), his voice isn't all that great and all the songs he does seem to sound the same.

 

Blake let my boy, CWB, down this week by playing it safe.  I really like "Take it Easy" and I get what Blake was trying to do but am not sure taking the safe route was a good idea in this bunch.  Still, it entertained me, so there's that.  Depends on how ferocious the country/Blake contingent is in their voting.  CWB could be in trouble.

 

Not a big fan of Taylor the Hat but liked what he did this week in spite of myself.  Not sure it's enough.  Damien was terrific and could be safe.  His falsetto was perfect and made McAndrew's "false" sound amateur and weak.

 

Hated Chris' song, Danica bores me, Luke was awful and poor Ryan, despite his best effort, is probably over.  

 

Less said about that Pharrell/Gwen horror the better.  Speaking of Pharrell, I like him but each week he looks like a guy who just ran to the studio after a few laps around the track.  Collecting Mardi Gras beads along the way.

Edited December 2, 2014 by limecoke

[Cramps]

Hey Danica's stylists- my Chrissie doll called from 1975-- she wants her hair back.

Seriously, The Voice is NBC's number one show, couldn't they spring for some real hair for Danica's weave? All the brushing in the world was not going to refresh it. Those ends looked so fried from hair spray I bet they were flammable.

Usually I just hate the clothing stylists on this show, but I guess Danica's hair could count as an accessory. (Note-I like Danica and thought she looked pretty--but the fake hair had seen better days and needs to be replaced).

Edited December 2, 2014 by Cramps

[abelard]

I have been a big fan of CWB but that was very poor song selection imo.  I love The Eagles, nobody loves that band more than I do, but it is hard to sing The Eagles without full harmonies and seem like an impressive singer.  Better to sing one of Don Henley's or Glenn Frey's songs from their solo careers; those songs are written for one singer to sound great, whereas The Eagles stuff is written for four or five blended voices to sound great and for the band to sound great.  Yes yes, I know that Henley solos a lot on Eagles songs, and Frey does too, but I still think the real "glory" notes of all those songs are blended harmonies. 

 

Damian was great.  Matt was very good but that song does nothing for me.  Everyone else was a big "meh" for me tonight.  Hope that next Monday is WAY way way better. 

 

So it's Top 5 for the Semi-Finals.  And how many for the Finals?  3 or 4? 

 

 

[klarsonovsky]

3 eliminated tonight?

 

The only sure saves are Matt, Craig and Taylor.

 

I'm guessing Ryan and Chris are gone. (But they've gotten a lot out of the experience so I don't feel bad)

 

So that leaves 3 on the bubble. I think Luke deserves to be in the top 4, but he seems to have been losing momentum. Damien and Danica both have good technical voices but no real artistic voice.

 

Don't know if there will be a save tonight? I think Danica might be the favorite to join the other three in a top 4. She is the only one in the competition who does what she does, and seems to have a large non-iTunes voting base. Her only Achilles heel is the probability that most of her fans may not be on twitter.

 

I think Damien should go tonight but since he had a great performance with the Adele, I think it will probably be Luke (unless it's a bottom 4 with twitter save, which will screw Danica.)

 

Can someone please post iTunes rankings?

[kj4ever]

When I saw Matt in the blinds, an image of John Denver immediately came to mind. I get the Harry Potter reference, but John Denver remains stuck with me and you're the first person I've seen mention it too. :)

I've enjoyed Matt's voice (and his mop of hair and styling are cool too) and want to keep hearing more songs.

 

Gwen and Pharrell's performance was so mesmerizingly wtf weird that I couldn't even mute it.

 

Was looking forward to hearing DaNica's take on These Dreams, but was disappointed--and also distracted at the steep staircase she was perched on. Yikes.

 

I was liking Luke's song arrangement until about half-way through when the words became sparse (as Blake called it) and he held the mike out twice for the audience to sing a song that, in his package, he'd said that the younger audience wouldn't know (iirc). I was wondering aloud if he was fighting an illness and couldn't get enough air to properly finish the song, it was a curious end.

All I can think when Matt sings is "so this is what the offspring would look like if John Denver and a Muppet had a baby". It's so distracting for me. I know it's called The Voice, but looks figure in now.

Speaking of looks, I realized last night who Chris reminds me of - Jonathan Ryes Meyers in his early Tudors episodes, which is distracting in a totally different way.

I just don't understand why Pharrell is so bad at this.

[peachmangosteen]

I checked the official site and there is, in fact, an Instant Save tonight. Weirdly though, the description says, "Your save could determine who survives the triple elimination," which makes no sense. Won't it definitely determine who survives?

[Sunnyside]

Overall, I think this week was better than last, but if must...

Ryan - Open Arms was a little too big for him. He seems to be singing like he's in a high school talent show. But he's cute and saved so many times, I'll be sorry to see him go.

Craig - one of my favorites to win. Though, I agree about him needing to enunciate more. Can't Take IT Easy on some of those lyrics.

Danica - I agree she puts all effort in the powerful endings of her song but no raw emotion connection going on in the beginning and was a bit hindered by the weird restriction of the stairs.

Damien - Someone Like YOU deserves to be in the top 4. Good song choice. Beautifully sung. Be careful not to over stylize and riff this type of song since the beauty of it most is the story and emotion the story provokes.

Chris - Better than last week.

Luke - I have to agree with Adam. Stop thinking. Maybe it takes him much longer to remember lyrics, since he kept asking the audience to sing it for him.

Taylor - Good, but fading away in my memory with Danica.

Matt - No intention ever to root for, but draws me in each time, so unexpectedly impressed. The one to beat.

Edited December 3, 2014 by Sunnyside

[2deadcows]

Off all The Eagles song's, why that old chestnut for CWB? it's old, even in the Eagles catalogue (1972). And it's a deceptively hard song to sing, with lots of long held notes. That's so the Eagles classic harmonies can shine, and that's what made it a hit. if Craig/Blake wanted fast song, that Glenn Fry sang, why not "Heartache Tonight"?(1979).

 

Licensing for the the Eagles catalog is very expensive.  During an ep of Letterman two or three months ago, Letterman got it into his head that he wanted Paul & the Band to play some Eagles during the commercial break.  Paul said that they couldn't afford it (since the commercial break songs bleed into the broadcast).  Dave was all, bah, eff it, we'll do it and pay the fine, which made the folks behind the camera have a conniption fit.  This became a running gag during the show.   Finally, the lawyers slipped the actual number to Dave.  Dave made Paul guess, and Paul, knowing Dave thought it was expensive, started at $1,000.  When he hit $100,000 he was still too low.   It's actually $250,000 to play "I Can't Tell You Why."

 

I just found links to those parts of the ep on Youtube.  The 1st vid is the conversation about the Eagles predicament and the 2nd vid shows discussion about other problematic songs/artists, as well as Dave revealing the actual cost (at time stamp 2:43).  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvOmtEmIiUk

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuVM2T--jg4

Edited December 3, 2014 by 2deadcows

[rollerblade]

I checked the official site and there is, in fact, an Instant Save tonight. Weirdly though, the description says, "Your save could determine who survives the triple elimination," which makes no sense. Won't it definitely determine who survives?

 

Wasn't there a glitched twitter save drama last season? Maybe the "could" clause is to cover their ass.

[NewRadical]

Adam has been amazing with song picks for Matt. Really truly amazing. Every week is itunes bait. 

I really agree with this. I think it helps that Adam carved Matt's way by "eliminating" artists that would have taken away from Matt's fan base.

I don't think Adam is a terrible coach, I just personally want to punch him in the face. And unfortunately that makes me like his contestants less.

[MaryPatShelby]

Hey Danica's stylists- my Chrissie doll called from 1975-- she wants her hair back.

Seriously, The Voice is NBC's number one show, couldn't they spring for some real hair for Danica's weave? All the brushing in the world was not going to refresh it. Those ends looked so fried from hair spray I bet they were flammable.

Usually I just hate the clothing stylists on this show, but I guess Danica's hair could count as an accessory. (Note-I like Danica and thought she looked pretty--but the fake hair had seen better days and needs to be replaced).

So much this. I complained about her styling a couple weeks ago and it's only gotten worse. The length of that weave is NOT FLATTERING.

[hks]

I know the results have already aired, but I just finished watching this episode. All I can say is that every single episode, Damien has consistently moved me, or entertained me, or impressed me. This last performance did all three. He is my pick to win, even though I don't think he will. I just hope he makes it to the finals.

Of everyone else: I really enjoyed Matt's, mostly because I LOVE that song and he did a good job with it. Kind of the same as last week. T3N was cool, but I am obsessed with seeing him without his hairline covered. Danica did fine, Luke was boring. CWB entertained me, but I think it was the band I enjoyed more than him. Ryan...can finally go home. Ha! I forgot Chris. Clearly, he can go home too. Although, I know he won't.

[Kromm]

Carson always acts like he's Mr. Music... 

 

...but he called the Marvin Gaye song "Sexual Hearing".

 

Boo, hiss, Mr. Music.  Even Seacrest would have known better.

[Kromm]

"Take It Easy" is 40 years old?  Ugh, that makes me way too old to be mooning over Adam in a pink sweater.  And Gwen is too old for what she was trying to pull off last night.

Yes, definitely too old to be wearing a Onesie!

 

Heh.

 

Even funnier than her was Blake, trying in that one shot they had of him, to act like he wasn't extremely confused by everything going on.

[ToxicUnicorn]

The comments on the Gwen/Pharrell number completely make up for it being the worst coach number ever.  Was there even any singing?

 

Ryan (Open Arms):  I'm so glad someone mentioned Ryan's weird pauses.  I think he's come a long way but, ultimately, I don't ever agree with his phrasing.  Nice voice, but not my kind of musicality.  It's too bad - I think he's gone about as far as he will ever go.  Time to implement your back up career plans, Ryan.  It'll be a great story to tell your super adorable grand kids some day.

 

Craig Wayne Boyd (Take It Easy):  I HATED this.  Hated.  It was fast and rough and rowdy - the opposite of the smoothness I want from that song.  Every single decision that was made about that performance irritated me.  Boo, Blake.  The best part of the song was the fiddle.

 

Danica (These dreams): I completely agree that Danica's performance was going fine until the end.  I think she has a phenomenal voice, but she's ruined songs too many times with her gratuitous flourishes.   What a waste of talent.  She's out of chances from me..

 

Damien (Someone like you): Does he ever smile?  Has he lost his puppy?  Does he need cotton candy?  Would someone please give this man a hug?  He sings the hell out of his songs ... I just wish he didn't look like a sad mime when he does.

 

Chris (Sexual Healing): Well, hello, there, Chris!  Now, this is how you take a task from Adam that is utterly ridiculous on its face and bound to make you look like a fool, and you put your big boy pants on and get the job done.  I thought this was awesome; I am squarely in the enjoyed-the-goofy camp.  Huge risk from Adam, which paid off.  Chris is here to play.

 

Luke (Holding Back the Years): I liked it?  Maybe I missed something - I didn't hear the mistakes that others did.  I liked that his performance was "sparse" or whatever - I finally could hear the quality of his voice, without all the theatrics, and I liked it.  I really liked the funky arrangement, too.

 

T3N (Royals): What?  After last week's Come Together, I thought this was a huge letdown.  Just because it's different doesn't mean it's better.

 

Matt (The Blower's Daughter): Ok, here's the thing.  I like watching him perform.  As in, if the sound is off, he's really very engaging to watch - he gets completely immersed in what he's singing (without being on the edge of tears, like Demian, or running amok, like Luke).  I still find his actual voice pretty ordinary, though.

 

I don't think I've ever seen so many stringed instruments on a singing competition show before.

[anonymiss]

Between her plastic surgery and her try-hard performance last night, she reeks of desperation to remain young and hip. It makes her so uncool.

Harsh but true. Gwen is so much better than that twitter-tweener bait that sounds like it took all of 1 minute to create. And she performed it in a onesie. She used to exude cool by being herself but now is a wannabe of her younger self. Not cool. 

[fluffysheap]

Finally caught up, out of town for this episode and last week.

 

So, Gwen & Pharrell.  I actually thought this was pretty much the most Gwen thing ever.  I don't think the OMG-LOL is any more ridiculous than the whole bananas thing in Hollaback Girl, and the cloud thing, well.  Does anybody remember that commercial from a couple years ago when she first launched her fashion line for tweens, and they found a 13-year-old Gwen lookalike to star in it and she floated around on a cloud?  I guess I am too much of a Gwen fan, heh.  Anyway I think this is really not excessively weird for Gwen and Pharrell has always been goofy.  The two things that I was thinking during the performance were, well, this is entertaining, I am amused, but also, I hope this song doesn't become a hit, because I think I am only going to be entertained by it once.  Plus, I loved how the seatbelt holding Gwen on the cloud blended in perfectly with her cloud outfit.  Disclaimer: I don't take acid, but I do watch Adventure Time, which is pretty much the same thing.

 

My rating of performance quality by the actual contestants...

 

Liked Damien's song choice and glad it wasn't some bland 50 year old elevator music song for a change.  I've kinda been rooting against Damien for a while now because of this.  I have to say that I never thought Adele songs would work for male singers but between this and last year's winning performance I have had to change my mind.  You do have to rearrange them a bit but it actually works pretty well.  He deserves to advance, but this is my least favorite week of the season every year because of the elimination bloodbath.

 

Have not heard The Blower's Daughter, and I thought Matt's performance was good.  Matt's been coached very well by Adam.  The song choices have clearly defined his range, matched up well with his skills, yet without ever being too predictable.  Basically, I would consider him the likely candidate to win at this point.

 

Chris is another guy who is well coached by Adam.  This is one of Adam's high-risk, high-reward songs and it worked out.  Chris is not the most talented singer in the competition, but he does have a lot of charisma so might as well give him a song that relies on that rather than total singing talent in this, the toughest week of the competition.  And it paid off.  All three of Adam's song choices were A-1 this week.

 

T3N - The Cat in the Hat - this guy is just so weird.  I don't know whether to like him or not.  On the one hand, he's nothing if not interesting.  Never know what he's going to do from one week to the next.  But this show isn't called The Quirky Creative Song Arranger.  It's called The Voice.  He does little with his voice.  He's always solid, but his singing is really just not special in any way.  Will Champlin pushed himself in his performances, but for a guy whose stylings are so out-of-the-box, his singing is very much in the box.  He's an interesting musician, but I'm going to have to declare myself Not A Fan.  Despite that, as always, the music was interesting and I'm glad I heard it.

 

Danica was a bit of a letdown this week.  The staging was really weird with her being rooted in place with that enormous dress train.  I guess it snaps on since she was able to take it off and get down.  I wonder how they got her up there?  Maybe she floated up on Gwen's cloud.  Anyway, it's all been said; Danica didn't perform this song well.  She did need to do something out of the diva genre and this was pretty close, but after last year saying that nobody should ever do Pat Benatar, I think I probably would have recommended "We Belong" for her - she has the range for it, I think, and it's a song from a rock singer that doesn't actually rock all that much, which would have given her the out-of-genre credit she desperately needs without setting her up to fail.  I'm sad to lose her, but there's no room to misstep in the round of 8.

 

Luke has kinda lost me by this point.  I don't think this week's performance was bad, exactly, just that it was more of the same from the guy with the soulful voice but not a lot of actual soul.  I don't know about the mistakes; I have to admit I did not pay very close attention to this song as the dog distracted me and I did not bother to rewind and watch again.

 

CWB also was a letdown, but he squeaked by; I'm not really upset by him being picked over Luke and Danica, as he probably has more overall winner potential.  I don't know if he botched the lyrics or if they intentionally rearranged them but it counts against him either way.  And this is the first time I've ever heard a song where they take the banjo out and yet the song sounds more country than the original.  The Eagles are an interesting choice; in Craig's wheelhouse but not actually a good fit for a solo singer due to how much the original depends on the band's harmonies.  If I hadn't been distracted by the lyrics changes I might have appreciated it more.

 

Ryan was only still around by virtue of everyone else bungling their Twitter save performances.  Time to go home, but he seems like an OK guy who I don't hate.  Good luck to him.