S08.E11: The Knockouts Premiere, Part 2

[Tara Ariano]

The knockout round continues with top team members selecting their own song to perform individually. The key adviser is Nate Ruess, of the band Fun.

[Happyfatchick]

What happened to the other contestant with Pherrell that he had to do the eliminations different?  I wonder how much time they had before they had to perform?  What was his name, the guy who left for personal reasons?

[Donny Ketchum]

Current team rosters/cheat sheet:

 

Team Adam

Nathan Hermida (defeated Clinton Washington)

Deanna Johnson (defeated Blaze Johnson)

Brian Johnson (stolen from Team Blake)

 

(Still Waiting)

Tonya Boyd-Cannon
Barry Minniefield
Lexi Dávila
Joshua Davis

 

Team Pharrell

Sawyer Fredericks (defeated Paul Pfau and Anthony Riley**)

Mia Z (defeated Paul Pfau and Anthony Riley**)

Caitlin Caporale (defeated Hannah Kirby)

Koryn Hawthorne (stolen from Team Christina)

 

(Still Waiting)

Lowell Oakley
Jacob Rummell

 

Team Christina

Sonic (defeated Ashley Morgan)

Kimberly Nichole (defeated Koryn Hawthorne)

 

(Still Waiting)

Joe Tolo
Treeva Gibson
India Carney
Rob Taylor

 

Team Blake

Sarah Potenza (defeated Brian Johnson)

Meghan Linsey (defeated Travis Ewing)

Corey Kent White (defeated Cody Wickline)

Hannah Kirby (stolen from Team Pharrell)

 

(Still Waiting)

Kelsie May
Brooke Adee

 

Names in bold indicate those who have either freshly won and stayed on their teams, or been freshly stolen by another coach.  An asterisk indicates that the contestant was montaged.  Two asterisks mean that the contestant was defeated by way of withdrawal from the competition.

 

Well, this certainly has been a season of hugely strong competitors.  I outright disagreed with two of the choices tonight, though.

 

Regarding Cody vs. Corey, I'm very shocked that Blake advanced a two-chair turn over a four-chair turn.  Like Christina, he dumped one of his four-chair turns!  I don't doubt that Corey did well, but Cody had a tad more potential.  Granted, neither one of them excited me much in the Blinds or in their respective Battles with Matt and Jacob, but if I had to go by potential for votes in the live rounds, then my choice would've been Cody.

 

In the battle of Blaze vs. Deanna, this is the one smart move Adam's made.  Blaze did better, on the whole, but he's just a two-chair turn.  Deanna is a four-chair turn, and Adam's only four-chair turn.  Dumping her meant dumping his only four-chair turn, and I don't think that he was willing to do that.  Plus, I think Deanna has that sympathetic angle with being a prior reject that Blaze doesn't.  That said, I'd say that I bet Blaze wishes he'd chosen a different coach, but given that his only two choices were Adam and Blake, I can't say that he really chose wrong there.  No way Blake would've been a good choice for him.

 

As for Hannah vs. Caitlin, I'm in utter shock that Pharrell chose Caitlin.  Hannah knocked that out of the park!  Caitlin was impressive in her own right, but Hannah deserved to win, for sure.  Glad Blake stole her back!

 

Now there's the question as to whom Christina might steal.

 

Might've been a better episode if the right choices had been made. . . .

 

What happened to the other contestant with Pharrell that he had to do the eliminations different?  I wonder how much time they had before they had to perform?  What was his name, the guy who left for personal reasons?

Anthony Riley.  No one knows the reasons.  Just that they were "personal."  And they were briefed about it well before the Knockouts, so I'm pretty sure they all had time.

Edited March 30, 2015 by Donny Ketchum

[Primetimer]

And Nate Ruess is still here, dickin' around.

Read the story

[blueray]

I liked all the performance's tonight. Everyone did a good job.

 

I agreed with Blakes decision of keeping Cory because I felt he had more emotion in his preformance. Not that the other guy wasn't good, but I enjoyed Cory's more. Of course it helped that I love "live like your dying".

[PhD-Purgatory15]

Genius move by Pharrell. Setting whether the edit monkeys matched up with the scheduling reality of the knockout rounds aside, if he picks Hannah then Xtina is right there waiting to steal Caitlyn. That being said, I wasn't really overwhelmed by either in that battle given the build up that it had. I thought Hannah really meandered for the first 30 seconds and didn't really find her groove until about the second chorus. As for Caitlyn, I think she suffers from the same issue that Ashley Wagner suffered from. They both don't seem able to let loose in a way that doesn't feel calculated or overly proccessed.

 

IMO, the Deanna vs. Blaze showdown was supposed to be a beatdown, but then Blaze performed reasonably well and Deanna still had major nerve issues throughout that song. Still her ceiling is significantly higher than Blaze so in that respect Adam made the right call. Plus as a shallow American male....Deanna is freaking gorgeous w/ a speaking voice that's sexy as hell.

 

Not expecting it, but Corey beat Cody pretty handily. You could tell he was really invested in and connected w/ the lyrics of LLYWD whatever the reality of the situation w/ his grandfather. Wouldn't be shocked though if Cody manages to find his way in Nashville. His neo-traditional sound (a la Randy Houser's latest song "Like a Cowboy") really is a nice contrast to a lot of the bro-country or hip hop inspired country that seems to be dominating the genre at the moment.

 

Xtina's final steal....my guess is a female from either team Adam or Team Blake.

Edited March 25, 2015 by PhD-Purgatory15

[ennui]

Corey vs Cody, I was kind of surprised that Corey won. I suspect there was something that we didn't see that influenced Blake. I did think it was funny when they were all talking about hair, and conditioner. Boys are so silly.

[Padma]

I agreed that Blake chose the better performance with Cory but imo both he and Cody have star quality and both should be going on. I'm really surprised Blake paired them. 

 

Blaze has a great story and I was rooting for him, but I knew he wouldn't outdo Deanna. At least he can be proud of three strong performances.

[waving feather]

Blake's coaching style is interesting. He is very laid back and doesn't really try to coach the contestants besides some generic vocal pointers or pointing out inauthenticity. But he really knows how to package his contestants. Corey's performance was heartfelt enough on its own but he prompted Corey to talk about his grandfather to make the performance even more heartfelt. And he did it in a respectful way. I'm not sure how much of it is planned but it helps the audience connect to the contestant.

[Cramps]

Cody probably has the best country male voice ever to be on The Voice. His blind audition was phenomenal. But he's not a good performer. Cory is not a great singer, but he really stepped it up on this episode. I am really disappointed that Cody is gone, but it was actually sometimes a little awakward to watch him.

[ChicksDigScars]

As for Hannah vs. Caitlin, I'm in utter shock that Pharrell chose Caitlin.  Hannah knocked that out of the park!  Caitlin was impressive in her own right, but Hannah deserved to win, for sure.  Glad Blake stole her back!

 

I think Pharrell knew that Blake was waiting. Blake did it last year with Craig, and now he was waiting for Hannah, and being that Caitlyn was on Pharrell's original team, he was willing to cut Hannah loose, knowing that Blake would take her back. Who knows, they may have even discussed and planned it. It's an unselfish move, because I thought Hannah was stronger. But coaches tend to stay with their original singers and cut the stolen ones that they haven't worked with for as long. 

 

Now, as far as SELFISH moves go, the night before, when Christina went coach to coach, begging them to steal her singer that SHE didn't pick, was awkward.  It was clear Blake was waiting for Hannah, and to get in his face and put him on the spot, make him look bad for NOT stealing, rubbed me the wrong way. Christina, you passed. Don't put that on the other coaches. Luckily for her, Pharrell bit and took the singer. 

Edited March 25, 2015 by ChicksDigScars

[rab01]

I never expected Corey to outsing Cody and was surprised that he did it by enough for Blake to pick him because I think Cody has a higher ceiling. On the flipside, Blaze outsang Deanna but I understand Adam keeping the person who can go farther. I also think that's why Adam was so quick, he didn't want to highlight the decision.

I kind of liked Christina begging for the continued life of one of her singers. But then I'm a sucker for cheap emotional manipulation.

On a production note, how much do we have to bribe the Voice producers to stop spoiling any tension in their show by telling us when the judges will and won't steal?

[blueray]

On a production note, how much do we have to bribe the Voice producers to stop spoiling any tension in their show by telling us when the judges will and won't steal?

I wish they would stop. I kept muting it yesterday and walking out of the room. I don't want to see or hear what is coming next. As I said before I hate when they say "there is going to be a steal" and there is only one group left. So I go in knowing they both are going through anyway.

[MelsW]

I really don’t enjoy watching Hannah. She is a little too intense for my liking. Not to mention those awkward dance moves to Higher Love made me have to watch her with my eyes half covered.

Edited March 25, 2015 by MelsW

[Biggie B]

Blaze has a great story and I was rooting for him...

 

 

And I am on the other end of the spectrum - I absolutely have been rooting against Blaze 100% because of his "story." Not that I don't doubt that he and his family had their share of struggles - but that's not unique, it has nothing to do with his singing (as far as I can tell), and I completely resent that the show chooses to play up this "poor pitiful me" background. It's a cheap way to manipulate viewers, or attempt to manipulate them - in my case, it did the exact opposite. Every single damn time Blaze was on the screen, he was talking about his hard life. And as a result, I shut him out - NOT interested in his tale of woe at all -not his, his father's, or anyone else's, for that matter. There isn't a human on the planet that hasn't struggled, or who isn't currently struggling. Some of those struggles are epic, some are more mundane, but bottom line - I basically don't give a crap. I understand that his story might be compelling to someone else, and that's fine - but it drives me completely insane. I am glad he's gone - he didn't sing well as his competitor, and THAT'S why he's gone. He shouldn't stay just because BOO HOO. This just touches a raw nerve for me!

Edited March 25, 2015 by Biggie B

[DeLurker]

I really don’t enjoy watching Hannah. She is a little too intense for my liking. Not to mention those awkward dance moves to Higher Love made me have to watch her with my eyes half covered.

I couldn't stand her Higher Love.  It might be because all I could think was "That's NOT Stevie Winwood!" and had insta-hate because of it.  I attempted to be objsective about it, but to me it just didn't suit her voice.

[Kcat1971]

I think Pharrell knew that Blake was waiting. Blake did it last year with Craig, and now he was waiting for Hannah, and being that Caitlyn was on Pharrell's original team, he was willing to cut Hannah loose, knowing that Blake would take her back. Who knows, they may have even discussed and planned it. It's an unselfish move, because I thought Hannah was stronger. But coaches tend to stay with their original singers and cut the stolen ones that they haven't worked with for as long. 

 

Now, as far as SELFISH moves go, the night before, when Christina went coach to coach, begging them to steal her singer that SHE didn't pick, was awkward.  It was clear Blake was waiting for Hannah, and to get in his face and put him on the spot, make him look bad for NOT stealing, rubbed me the wrong way. Christina, you passed. Don't put that on the other coaches. Luckily for her, Pharrell bit and took the singer. 

 

What made it even more awkward was that she had kept the singer that Pharrell really wanted to steal.  The knockout was between Koryn v. Kimberly Nicole.  In the battle rounds Kimberly Nicole was the singer that Pharrell agonized over letting go. (The 45 minute decision)  He clearly indicated a desire to steal her back in the knock out rounds. (Blake even assured him that's what he did with CWB)  So to not give up Kimberly and then entreat Pharrell to steal Koryn I thought was particularly gutsy on Christina's part.

[bosawks]

How long has Nate Ruess looked like a not fully incubated Wahlberg?

[realdancemom]

I don't think Higher Love suited Hannah's voice either.  Previously, I did like her during her audition and in the battle round.  But not in the knockouts.  However, I'm glad she was still stolen because she's still good.  I think Christina would have stolen Caitlin if Pharrell picked Hannah.  Because of the spoiler, I already figured based on who Pharrell pick either Blake would choose Hannah or Christina would have chosen Caitlin.

 

I am not a country fan but I could still tell that Cody just has a beautiful country voice.  However, he is not a performer and Cory put so much emotion into his song that I wanted him to win.  I wouldn't be surprised if Blake still worked with Cody in the future.  The potential for both to be country successes is there.

 

I would have also picked Deanna over Blaze.  She has a unique voice and just needs to get over her nerves.

[Noreaster]

I thought this was a pretty decent episode.  Liked both country guys.  Definitely preferred DeAnna over Blaze (I don't get the coaches' comments on that one).  Not crazy about the Caitlin/Hannah battle since Caitlin seems pretty generic and Hannah does look awkward on stage.  But I have to admit both are good and probably deserve to stay for at least another round.

 

I don't know about all this Blake/Pharrell selfless talk. I think that's trying to give these two likable coaches too much credit. Rather they simply kept their preferred contestants and stole others that seemed worthy. There have been other re-steals in the past. Adam and Christina both did it in season 5.

 

Regarding Cody vs. Corey, I'm very shocked that Blake advanced a two-chair turn over a four-chair turn.  Like Christina, he dumped one of his four-chair turns!  

The whole 4-chair turn thing is overrated.  It just means that the contestant had a very strong blind audition but really shouldn't have much bearing on later rounds.  The stats show that only 50% of all 4-chair turns since season 3 have made it to lives.  

[kelnic86]

 

What happened to the other contestant with Pherrell that he had to do the eliminations different?  I wonder how much time they had before they had to perform?  What was his name, the guy who left for personal reasons?

I heard he left for medical reasons. He was feeling ill and had to go to the hospital.

[hks]

I really don’t enjoy watching Hannah. She is a little too intense for my liking. Not to mention those awkward dance moves to Higher Love made me have to watch her with my eyes half covered.

I don't always have an issue watching her, but I did this time. I think she was pretty great in her battle, and good in the blinds. But this performance, she was just SO awkward, I had serious contact embarrassment for her. And as much as Adam was saying she was good, I know they were laughing AT her during the performance.  I'm glad she's still in the competition, and I hope that since she's back with Blake, she won't be as much of an awkward mess when she performs. (Maybe it's like this: she's a big weirdo, but when with Blake, who is kind of country boy normal, it balances out. But since Pharrell is also a weirdo, his coaching enhances her weirdoness? Who knows).

 

As for the rest, I am so not into country, so it was tough for me to pay close attention. They both sounded really good, but nothing stood out to me.  I guess I think Corey has a better shot bc of his boy-band, Jesse McCartney-looks.

 

The only real mistake I saw was losing Blaze. I really did love him. I loved that he kept singing alterna-pop ballads. He was so good with them, and SO much better than Deanna, whom I think kind of sucked last night.  

[Padma]

I don't always have an issue watching her, but I did this time. I think she was pretty great in her battle, and good in the blinds. But this performance, she was just SO awkward, I had serious contact embarrassment for her. And as much as Adam was saying she was good, I know they were laughing AT her during the performance.  I'm glad she's still in the competition, and I hope that since she's back with Blake, she won't be as much of an awkward mess when she performs. (Maybe it's like this: she's a big weirdo, but when with Blake, who is kind of country boy normal, it balances out. But since Pharrell is also a weirdo, his coaching enhances her weirdoness? Who knows).

 

As for the rest, I am so not into country, so it was tough for me to pay close attention. They both sounded really good, but nothing stood out to me.  I guess I think Corey has a better shot bc of his boy-band, Jesse McCartney-looks.

 

The only real mistake I saw was losing Blaze. I really did love him. I loved that he kept singing alterna-pop ballads. He was so good with them, and SO much better than Deanna, whom I think kind of sucked last night.  

I had to quote because I'm glad someone else loved Blaze. I hadn't gone so far as to admit he was better than Deanna, who seems already like a lock on F4, but the truth is, I did. I don't mind missing her performances, but would not have wanted to miss his. I also liked what he went for musically, refreshing.

 

As for "going for it musically" I'm still puzzled why Hannah chose "Higher Love" out of all the songs available. To me (1) too much repetition makes the song boring and (2) she was NOT being coached well to "move and dance all over the stage". Maybe walking around (if she practiced and nailed it ahead of time) would have been good. But those "dance moves" were just embarrassing, no different from what many do in front of the mirror at home. If you can't dance, don't dance. If you want to move on stage, do the moves that you do well. Oh, and like a recipe for an important dinner--don't try something new and untested when you have an important performance to pull off.

 

She was lucky Blake stole her. I hope he will not feel pressured to keep the "dancing" and instead will urge her to tone it -way- down.

 

Cody. Blaze. Clinton. are the three I wish were still there. Oh, and I don't "get" Kimberly OR Sonic. Kimberly's singing is too overwrought to me and Sonic just doesn't have the right stage presence, imo.  Or maybe it's just "song choice" plus all the runs that Christina always loves her singers to do. And which I mostly can't stand.  If Kim and Sonic were gone and Blaze and Cody were still there, I'd be very happy.

[dizzyizzy01]

Blaze was soooo off key; it was kind of painful.  He was flat throughout the entire song almost.   Those glory notes were TERRIBLE.  I didn't understand the judge's comments at all.  I think they were just being nice, Adam totally made the right call.

Edited March 25, 2015 by dizzyizzy01

[Steph619]

I wanted Pharrell to keep Hannah, but Caitlin was very good too. I'm glad Blake stole back Hannah so she still has a chance of staying in the competition.

I think Deanna is a beautiful girl, but I'm not a fan of her voice. I actually thought that Blaze did better than her last night.

[dizzyizzy01]

I wanted Pharrell to keep Hannah, but Caitlin was very good too. I'm glad Blake stole back Hannah so she still has a chance of staying in the competition.

I think Deanna is a beautiful girl, but I'm not a fan of her voice. I actually thought that Blaze did better than her last night.

I don't think Deanna did all that great, but she was on key.  That's more than you can say for Blaze.

[xfuse]

 

Cody probably has the best country male voice ever to be on The Voice. His blind audition was phenomenal. But he's not a good performer.

I think that is why Blake let him go. He needs a little bit more time before he could step out on stage with confidence and just perform. He wouldn't been ready in time for the live rounds but I don't think that is the last the country world have seen of him.

[Nutjob]

How long has Nate Ruess looked like a not fully incubated Wahlberg?

YES. He looks like Donnie in The Sixth Sense!

[ToxicUnicorn]

From most memorable to least:

 

I guess I'll buck the trend.  I liked Hannah.  I enjoyed the way she threw herself into that performance and I thought her dance moves were sort of refreshing.  Don't get me wrong - I love smooth dance moves (see: Usher) - but if you can't pull off perfect, totally imperfect is a way to go.  I can see how it wouldn't work for everyone, but it did with me.  Plus, she had enough chops to back it up.

 

However, every time I see Hannah, I think Reiko Aylesworth.  I think they look like sisters.  I would love Hannah to do a Pointer Sisters song with back up singers acting like Jack Bauer.

 

Caitlin won me over.  She has grown tremendously with Pharrell's help.  That's a good coach-contestant match up.

 

Pharrell and Usher both have this amazing way of keeping eye contact.  They are mesmerizing (not to mention very easy on the eyes.)  One of my theories is that Christina has learned to keep eye contact much better, and it makes her seem much more appealing and sincere.  

 

I actively disliked all of Deanna's performances before this one.  However, I think she did "Listen to Your Heart" \\well enough to merit the win.  She's improved a lot.  I like that Adam believed in her (but was furious when he picked James over Will a few seasons ago.  Fickle me.)

 

Plus as a shallow American male....Deanna is freaking gorgeous w/ a speaking voice that's sexy as hell..

I'm glad someone is happy about that.  Her speaking voice (mostly her accent) drives me up a wall, which translates to her singing.  I will admit she has a unique tone, though.  Blake's compliment to "Blaze" was pretty funny.

 

Cody's performance was too uneven.  I thought Corey won that knockout fair and square.  I'm sad, though.  My favorite voice from the blinds was Cody.  

I wish Cody and Clinton were still in this thing.

 

This is the first season I have enjoyed on a gut level, instead of a more cynical, critical level.  I have gotten transported by more songs this season than any other season.  It's all coming together for me - more good song matchups with the singers, more genuine talent, good personalities, great band.

 

Hulu keeps queuing up American Idol after the latest  AI looks and feels so generic and outdated now.  I remember scoffing when I heard there would be another singing competition, but the Voice has improved the format immensely.  Good for them.

Edited March 26, 2015 by ToxicUnicorn

[viajero]

I was pretty happy with the way things went down in this episode, beginning with the right four people going through to the playoffs.  Not only did I think that Corey was far better than Cody in this round, but the truth is that I wasn't really all that impressed with Cody in the battle round either.   For me, he joins the list of previous contestants who were never quite able to live up to their blind audition.  At the same time, I'm not completely sold on Corey yet either.  He's going to have to pull off more than one exceptional performance to convince me, particularly given the level of talent we have this season.  Not that this doesn't mean that he won't last a long time anyway.  The kid is likely to have both the country and teen vote on his side.

 

I'm also one of those people who really enjoy Hannah; both her voice and her glorious dorkiness.  But I do think I like her better on darker more intense songs.  Higher Love is just a little too poppy to suit her well.   Caitlin was pretty good, though not quite up to her audition.  But I think that was more a function of song choice than any imperfections on her part.

 

 

Blaze was soooo off key; it was kind of painful.  He was flat throughout the entire song almost.   Those glory notes were TERRIBLE.  I didn't understand the judge's comments at all.  I think they were just being nice, Adam totally made the right call.

 

I couldn't agree more.  I think this was the most uneven KO pairing we've had so far.  It wasn't so much because Deanna was all that exceptional (though I think she has the potential to be so if she can control her nerves), but rather because Blaze completely lost control of his voice.  I do have to admit that I love the tone in her voice and get the comparisons to Ann Wilson.

[Donny Ketchum]

All right.  So here are my predictions of how the final Knockouts will go down.

 

Team Adam

I think Barry's easy Knockout fodder for whomever Adam wants to guarantee makes it to the live shows.  Whoever goes up against him, he or she wins his or her way to the live shows by default unless Barry really knocks it out of the park, or his opponent seriously bombs.  As for Tonya, Lexi, and Joshua, I think Tonya beats anyone she's up against.  So that leaves Lexi and Joshua for that last spot on his team.  Joshua was shown in the Blinds and the Battles, while Lexi was shown in the Blinds and montaged through the Battles, so I imagine that unless Lexi is Barry's opponent, she goes home, and Joshua goes through.

 

Final team for the Lives: Nathan, Deanna, Tonya, Joshua, and Brian.

 

Team Pharrell

Only one pair is left here, and while I like them both, I think if Pharrell wants the better chance at being the winning coach this season, he needs to go with the crooner, since I don't think one has ever reached the live shows before.  I think Lowell's getting through, and Jacob's going home.  (In the preview, Christina is referring to a woman when she uses her steal, saying that "she's [hers]!"  So I think whichever person loses is taking the fall.)  So yeah, I think Lowell is getting to the live shows, and Jacob will go the way of Tanner last season -- youngster with a good voice, but not great enough for the Lives.

 

Final team for the Lives: Sawyer, Mia, Caitlin, Lowell, and Koryn.

 

Team Christina

This one is hard to say.  Two pairs are left, and anyone could be matched with anyone.  But seeing as how India, Treeva, and Rob were actually shown in both the Blinds and the Battles, while Joe was shown in the Blinds, but montaged through the Battles, I think he's the easy fodder here.  Whoever faces him likely goes through to the Lives.  I think India is in, for sure, as one of Christina's top contestants.  So that leaves it down to Rob and Treeva.  I think Rob is leagues better than Treeva, and if they face off, Christina will catch Treeva's limitations and go with him.  Treeva is really toast if she goes against India.  I only see her getting to the Lives if she's against Joe.  And Christina has a steal available (she's the only coach left with one), and she's hinted at stealing a woman, so she could steal any of Tonya, Lexi, Kelsie, or Brooke.  So I'll only predict her team in terms of the ones already on it and save the steal for Monday's show.

 

Final team for the Lives: Sonic, Kimberly, India, Rob, and whichever woman she steals.

 

Team Blake

Only one pair left here, and I'm tempted to say that Kelsie has the edge against Brooke for the simple reason that she was shown through the Blinds and the Battles, while Brooke was shown in the Blinds, but montaged through the Battles.  But then, I remember that Blaze was shown through the Blinds and Battles, but still lost to Deanna, who was shown in the Blinds, but montaged through the Battles.  So it might go either way.  Going by pure vocal capabilities, though, I can see Blake advancing Brooke, since Kelsie didn't really win against Brenna so much as she just didn't lose.  (That effort by both of them was kind of weak in that Battle.)  In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Kelsie is the easy fodder just for Brooke to advance.

 

Final team for the Lives: Sarah, Meghan, Corey, Brooke, and Hannah.

 

So those are my nineteen projected contestants, with the twentieth to be determined by Christina's choice of steal.  I'll edit if I think of whom she might steal.

Edited March 26, 2015 by Donny Ketchum

[PhD-Purgatory15]

Donny Ketchum, cool breakdown. I thought in the preview's Xtina used "she" referring to her steal, so that definitely narrows down who the possible options are.

 

I think you are spot on w/ Team Pharrell's last knockout pair, they both are young so basing the decision on potential and the growth arc is pretty much a wash....but Lowell seems to be the more distinctive contestant. The crazy thing is that he and Caitlyn are probably 4th and 5th in the depth chart on his team which shows just how loaded Team Pharrell really is.

 

No lie, I'm worried about Brooke on Team Blake, I thought her audition was an underrated great blind. But in country vs non-country battles or knockouts Blake very rarely goes against his roots. Although he did go w/ Jessie Pitts over a country singer last season so I guess it's possible. I'll be rooting for her and Kelsey not to be the first shown on Monday night cause it's highly unlikely they'd show the steal that soon in the broadcast. To some extent Blake's team is the least multi-dimensional (although not because he has a glut of country singers this season). Sarah, Meghan, and Hannah are all cut from similar looking cloth and it probably means that one of the three will go home earlier than they should because of vote splitting. Kelsey and Corey could split the country votes, to a lesser degree.

 

I think Adam should, and probably will advance Joshua and Tonya. However, if Lexi gives a valiant effort against whoever she's paired up against, then she's Xtina's steal if it doesn't end up coming from the Kelsey/Brooke loser.

 

Actually Xtina's pairings are the one's that have me stumped the most. To me, Treeva is way out of her depth against any of the other three. I realize Joe was montaged in his battle, but he was a 3 chair turn (iirc) w/ a pretty killer voice/blind audition. I much prefer his voice to Rob's caterwauling so I'm hoping he and India round out her team for the lives.

[Donny Ketchum]

I realize Joe was montaged in his battle, but he was a 3 chair turn (iirc) w/ a pretty killer voice/blind audition.

Rob was the three-chair turn.  Joe and Treeva were two-chair turns, and India was the sole four-chair turn on Christina's team (sole one only because Christina dumped Jeremy in favor of Rob).

Edited March 26, 2015 by Donny Ketchum

[Donny Ketchum]

No lie, I'm worried about Brooke on Team Blake, I thought her audition was an underrated great blind. But in country vs non-country battles or knockouts Blake very rarely goes against his roots. Although he did go w/ Jessie Pitts over a country singer last season so I guess it's possible. I'll be rooting for her and Kelsey not to be the first shown on Monday night cause it's highly unlikely they'd show the steal that soon in the broadcast.

These shows almost always end with steals, so I'm pretty sure that Christina's steal will occur at the end of Monday's show.

[viajero]

Actually Xtina's pairings are the one's that have me stumped the most. To me, Treeva is way out of her depth against any of the other three. I realize Joe was montaged in his battle, but he was a 3 chair turn (iirc) w/ a pretty killer voice/blind audition. I much prefer his voice to Rob's caterwauling so I'm hoping he and India round out her team for the lives.

 

 

Personally I really liked Treeva's blind audition; much more so than Joe's.  Treeva was taken out of her comfort zone in her battle (it was like asking Lana del Rey to cover Florence + The Machine).  But I suspect she could be quite competitive now that she's back to picking her own song.  I also prefer Rob to Joe, so i hope either Treeva or Rob go through along with India.

[ToxicUnicorn]

Thanks again, Donny Ketchum.

 

Team Pharrell

I am seriously rooting for Lowell, out of the ones left.  He is interesting, has a great voice, looks like he loves to work and sing, and is a great performer.  Jacob is sweet but not ready, and even then, I'm not sure he's for the big times, whereas Lowell arguably has a chance.

 

Final team (DK's prediction) for the Lives: Sawyer, Mia, Caitlin, Lowell, and Koryn.

 

I agree and would be happy with this.

 

Team Adam

 

 

I think Barry's easy Knockout fodder for whomever Adam wants to guarantee makes it to the live shows.  Whoever goes up against him, he or she wins his or her way to the live shows by default unless Barry really knocks it out of the park, or his opponent seriously bombs.  As for Tonya, Lexi, and Joshua, I think Tonya beats anyone she's up against.  So that leaves Lexi and Joshua for that last spot on his team.  Joshua was shown in the Blinds and the Battles, while Lexi was shown in the Blinds and montaged through the Battles, so I imagine that unless Lexi is Barry's opponent, she goes home, and Joshua goes through.Final team (DK's prediction) for the Lives: Nathan, Deanna, Tonya, Joshua, and Brian.

 

Aw, I like Barry.  I doubt he's special enough to pose a big challenge, but  I would keep him for (my) entertainment value.  I have a soft spot for older men who know what they love to sing and deliver.  Still, I agree with the prediction.

 

Tonya has emerged as the strongest on Adam's team.  Joshua was my favorite of Adam's in the blinds, but both he and Lexi run the risk of being dismissed as a type.  I liked Lexi's audition and then promptly forgot about her.  Nathan, I liked and remember, so he is a step up for me.  I doubt anyone on Team Adam will get to the finals, but I have learned not to count Adam out.  It would be somewhat karmically fitting if he were the judge sitting out this year.

 

Team Christina

 

I think Treeva and Joe are toast.  I can't remember Rob, but I know I haven't thought Treeva was ready, even though her personal story is remarkable.

 

Final team (DK's prediction) for the Lives: Sonic, Kimberly, India, Rob, and whichever woman she steals.

 

I agree.  I honestly thought Christina would steal back Clinton.  I wish she had.  I wish her team had room left for either him or Cody.  I think she's a fool to stack her team with so much girl power, but at least she is consistent.

 

Team Blake

 

Ugh, Kelsie v Brooke.  Both are not ready!  Of the two, I would choose Brooke.
 

Final team (DK's prediction) for the Lives: Sarah, Meghan, Corey, Brooke, and Hannah. 

I agree.  I think Blake always has a chance to get to the lives.  I think Sarah and Meghan have the goods, but whether either one of them will be popular enough is anyone's guess.  Corey is talented but generic so far.  Wish Cody were still here.  Blake made a big mistake pairing those two up.

Edited March 26, 2015 by ToxicUnicorn

[Padma]

Thanks so much for your lists, Donny Ketchum! I think your choices are right and seeing everything laid out like that really helps.

 

It pains me to look at Blake's likely "live" team. Meaghan, Sarah, Corey...yes, all deserving.  Kelsie/Brooke and Hannah just make me think Cody should have been there and .. what is Blake thinking?

 

I usually am a fan of his coaching style and he chose the better of the two in the Cody-Corey battle. What confused me is why he would pit them against each other to begin with. I would have paired one against Brooke and the other against Kelsie to increase the chances of advancing both Cody and Corey.

 

But I agree that Cody lost what he had in the blinds as the competition continued. I think it may be related to the coaching because he seemed to have had his hair lightened and cut and straightened, more like last year's winner, when I think his original look worked well with his reserved, shy personality. Worse than his changed more generic look, though, was the change in his singing. Where did that great country twang/tone go to? Was he coached to lose it and, with so many changes to his "style", lost his confidence in himself and his talent, too? I wish they had kept him exactly as he was in the blinds and that includes his performance.

 

Cody will go into my "list of personal favorites who should have advanced much farther but didn't" along with Jamie Lomo and some others who actually got pretty far but imo could have/should have gone to the end.

 

ETA: I'm another who's rooting for Lowell and Barry to advance since both bring something refreshing musically and also add some cool personal style to the show itself.

Edited March 26, 2015 by Padma

[mercfan3]

Honestly, I wish Blake got rid of both Corey and Cody. I don't think either are that great. I'm hoping his live team is Brooke/Meghan/Hannah..although Sarah would definitely be deserving. 

[WookieeCookieez]

While I admire her enthusiasm, I can't help getting flashes of a Kristen Wiig character when Hannah takes the stage. It's the style I adopt to entertain my nieces who know that I am shamelessly bonkers. If that's what she's going for then she should keep on that track. I think it's too much of a distraction, though, and makes me much less inclined to listen to what she really sounds like.

Hannah's decision to go with "Higher Love" was a mistake to me. It didn't flatter her voice or throaty tone at all. Something about the quality of her voice reminds me of Shakira (which I like on the right song) and there's no way I'd let that performance play through without using the fast forward button.

[Donny Ketchum]

Ugh, Kelsie v Brooke.  Both are not ready!  Of the two, I would choose Brooke.

In fairness, we didn't see how Brooke's battle with Bay went because she was montaged.  But we did see Kelsie's battle with Brenna, and both were just dire in it.  I'm gonna judge both of their Knockout performances, though.  Who knows?  Kelsie might blow me away way more than Brooke does.

[rab01]

I usually am a fan of his coaching style and he chose the better of the two in the Cody-Corey battle. What confused me is why he would pit them against each other to begin with. I would have paired one against Brooke and the other against Kelsie to increase the chances of advancing both Cody and Corey.

Doesn't Blake explicitly say before some of those battles and knockouts that he only has room for so one old-style female country artists and one modern male country artists and one [fill in the blank]?  If he doesn't want his team cannibalizing each other's votes during live voting, it seems fine to me and a large part of why he wins so often (other than his personal "aw shucks" charm)

[Noreaster]

Doesn't Blake explicitly say before some of those battles and knockouts that he only has room for so one old-style female country artists and one modern male country artists and one [fill in the blank]?  If he doesn't want his team cannibalizing each other's votes during live voting, it seems fine to me and a large part of why he wins so often (other than his personal "aw shucks" charm)

Responding in the Coaches' Strategery thread...

[Kromm]

hey Nate.  arguably Adam HAS a fake record label.

[gaPeach]

On a production note, how much do we have to bribe the Voice producers to stop spoiling any tension in their show by telling us when the judges will and won't steal?

 

 

Amen.  The Voice is one of the worst shows for having too much filler.  I FF though all of that so I am not spoiled.

[MaryPatShelby]

And I am on the other end of the spectrum - I absolutely have been rooting against Blaze 100% because of his "story." Not that I don't doubt that he and his family had their share of struggles - but that's not unique, it has nothing to do with his singing (as far as I can tell), and I completely resent that the show chooses to play up this "poor pitiful me" background. It's a cheap way to manipulate viewers, or attempt to manipulate them - in my case, it did the exact opposite. Every single damn time Blaze was on the screen, he was talking about his hard life. And as a result, I shut him out - NOT interested in his tale of woe at all -not his, his father's, or anyone else's, for that matter. There isn't a human on the planet that hasn't struggled, or who isn't currently struggling. Some of those struggles are epic, some are more mundane, but bottom line - I basically don't give a crap. I understand that his story might be compelling to someone else, and that's fine - but it drives me completely insane. I am glad he's gone - he didn't sing well as his competitor, and THAT'S why he's gone. He shouldn't stay just because BOO HOO. This just touches a raw nerve for me!

But don't you think that's kind of what they did with Corey, the kid with the sick grandfather? He chooses a song with great meaning, tells the story of his grandfather, Blake makes him tell it again, then Blake pretends to agonize, but I feel like he couldn't pick against the story. He shouldn't have stayed either because of the Boo Hoo. In fact, I'm thinking that all stories should go away by the knockouts.

[viajero]

I also dislike and tend to skip right over the sob stories, but I do see a big difference between Corey and Blaze.  First, Corey simply outperformed his opponent, which Blaze quite definitely did not do.  Second, there was a direct relationship between Corey's sob story and his performance, which again there wasn't in the case of Blaze.

[Guest]

Amen.  The Voice is one of the worst shows for having too much filler.  I FF though all of that so I am not spoiled.

The amount of filler is insane.  I usually watch none of the auditions because they're long and dull and footage is added as filler later on anyway.  I don't care about the back stories.  I fast-forward a lot of the battle rounds, too.  

 

I was shocked they put Cody against Corey, as I thought they were both front runners.  

[Padma]

But don't you think that's kind of what they did with Corey, the kid with the sick grandfather? He chooses a song with great meaning, tells the story of his grandfather, Blake makes him tell it again, then Blake pretends to agonize, but I feel like he couldn't pick against the story. He shouldn't have stayed either because of the Boo Hoo. In fact, I'm thinking that all stories should go away by the knockouts.

I always say they should get rid of the backstories, too, but then I find myself drawn into them on this show (unlike whatever producers do with "Idol"). And, personally, I was more affected by Blaze's immigrant story, father struggling (as a janitor at Blaze's school with kids mocking them), Blaze trying to make him proud--I rooted more for him because of the life story than I did Corey with his, probably because its become such a cliché and/or manipulation for people to go on these shows and talk about an ailing relative (or also when we hear someone is deceased and "looking down on me"). It's probably -not- a manipulation, but most of the time I hear it that way, and tune it out.

 

But I agree that Corey performed better than Cody and deserved to stay while Blaze didn't outperform Deanna, even though I preferred him. Plus, Blake is always the best coach on branding his people--and he starts early.

[ToxicUnicorn]

its become such a cliché and/or manipulation for people to go on these shows and talk about an ailing relative (or also when we hear someone is deceased and "looking down on me"). It's probably -not- a manipulation, but most of the time I hear it that way, and tune it out.

 

I'm jaded this way, too, and I 100% expected for there to be more tears when Blake asked Corey after his song about his grandfather.  Much to my surprise, Corey answered that his grandfather was better, and in such a genuine, spontaneous way that I actually felt happy for all of them.  (And for myself, for not having to listen to more of others' woes.)

 

I can't figure out if Blake already knew the answer to his question or not, although I'd be content with either answer.

 

Re: Blaze - I had a hard time remembering his story (until they repeated it exactly).  What struck me was how well spoken Blaze was.  I wanted to show his on-stage remarks to all the teenagers I know; he was poised and articulate and graceful, and I think his dad should be very proud.  If the singing doesn't work out, I he possibly should consider a career in teaching or public speaking. 

[Noreaster]

Conference call with this episode's contestants: http://starrymag.com/?p=5745

 

Includes this bit about Corey's grandfather:
 

Q) For Corey, I was just wondering if your grandfather actually got to see the performance and what was his feedback?

Corey Kent White: Well unfortunately, my grandfather passed away three days before the premiere of the show and that was a pre-recorded episode, so we weren’t able to get that changed in time. But in the live rounds I’ll be updating America on that. But last night was a pretty emotional night, getting to watch that with my family. And we had a watch party and got to be with my grandmother and that was a special moment but it was pretty emotional.