S08.E17: Live Top 12 Performances

[limecoke]

No, I didn't mean to imply Mia showed attitude because she didn't.  She just didn't listen and put the advice into practice.

 

Someone asked if Megyn and partner were big in country music.  I don't think they were.  They won season two of "Can You Duet?" calling themselves Steel Magnolia. They got a recording contract but like the majority of reality show winners, didn't make a big splash.

Edited April 14, 2015 by limecoke

[mercfan3]

Yea, I think Mia's been doing that for a while because it's part of the stylized singing she does. She's not going to stop doing it automatically.

 

Personally, I never have a problem understanding what she's saying. But I do know she slurs her words. 

 

She's still the most talented kid in the competition. And that's saying something considering the kids that are in the competition. 

[jjjmoss]

No, I didn't mean to imply Mia showed attitude because she didn't.  She just didn't listen and put the advice into practice.

 

Someone asked if Megyn and partner were big in country music.  I don't think they were.  They won season two of "Can You Duet?" calling themselves Steel Magnolia. They got a recording contract but like the majority of reality show winners, didn't make a big splash.

They A) had an album that peaked at #7.

B) had a song that peaked in the T10 of country radio at #4.

 

It's enough to make me not want her to win. I mean, Danielle after her win got an album that peaked at #19 and a song that peaked at #12 in country airplay. Cassadee, #9 & #10. And those are the highlights of the Voice contestants...

Edited April 14, 2015 by jjjmoss

[Noreaster]

I am not religious at all and actively dislike Christian music (I will change the radio station as quickly as possible). But I don't really get the pandering thing. Trying to appeal to voters is what every coach and contestant tries to do. Everyone is "pandering". I still remember viewers complaining about Holly singing a religious song in season 4. If her faith is important to her and helps differentiate her from the rest of the field (and especially the other country contestants), what's the problem?

Edited April 14, 2015 by Noreaster

[Padma]

I am not religious at all and actively dislike Christian music (I will change the radio station as quickly as possible). But I don't really get the pandering thing. Trying to appeal to voters is what every coach and contestant tries to do. Everyone is "pandering". I still remember viewers complaining about Holly singing a religious song in season 4. If her faith is important to her and helps differentiate her from the rest of the field (and especially the other country contestants), what's the problem?

Personally, I dislike most mainstream modern Christian music but people feel that way about genres I like and turn the dial like I will on most of this. The problem last night, to me, was that it -wasn't- like Holly wanting to represent her Christian beliefs in her performance. Deanna didn't seem comfortable with the choice and it wasn't her idea, it was Adam's.

 

I've never had the impression that Adam loves Christian music or feels a need to connect religious beliefs and musical performances. So to me, it seemed like simply strategy--to get votes by pandering to Christians. I thought it was unfortunate, that with all the songs available to her, Deanna had to do that one rather than choosing something meaningful to her. 

[Ketzel]

I am not religious at all and actively dislike Christian music (I will change the radio station as quickly as possible). But I don't really get the pandering thing. Trying to appeal to voters is what every coach and contestant tries to do. Everyone is "pandering". I still remember viewers complaining about Holly singing a religious song in season 4. If her faith is important to her and helps differentiate her from the rest of the field (and especially the other country contestants), what's the problem?

Interesting point. I've always thought the reason people consider Christian music to be pandering on shows like this is because of two unspoken assumptions: (1) that the songs are not genuinely reflective of who the artist is or wants to be, and (2)that the song message will automatically override any critical judgment of the singing. In other words, a large community of people will be voting for the "witness" and not the voice, and the performer is exploiting that reaction for votes. I think there's a difference between that and having your cute country boy singer sing flirtatious songs to the girls in the audience. If you sincerely want to present yourself as a Christian artist, using Christian music to express yourself, that's one thing. It's another thing to cynically choose to sing about Jesus solely to rally the votes your way. I'm not accusing any of the singers on the Voice of doing that, but I do think that's some of the thinking behind the complaints about pandering.

[yourpointis]

http://www.digitalsalesdata.com/diydsd.php?Region=143441

1 Wiz Khalifa                    See You Again (feat. Charlie Puth)                                              41393
2 Sawyer Fredericks        Imagine (The Voice Performance)                                              13855
4 Kimberly Nichole           House of the Rising Sun (The Voice Performance)                     13365
5 Meghan Linsey             Girl Crush (The Voice Performance)                                            13233

27 Joshua Davis              America (The Voice Performance)                                                4729
33 Koryn Hawthorne        Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You) [The Voice performance]          3709
39 Deanna Johnson        Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) [The Voice Performance]            3330
42 Rob Taylor                  I Put a Spell On You (The Voice Performance)                            3107
50 Corey Kent White        Why (The Voice Performance)                                                     2931
56 India Carney               Take Me To Church (The Voice Performance)                             2789
65 Sawyer Fredericks      Trouble (The Voice Performance)                                                2607
68 Hannah Kirby              Edge of Seventeen (The Voice Performance)                              2516
78 Mia Z                           Miss You (The Voice Performance)                                             2183

Edited April 14, 2015 by yourpointis

[ProudMary]

Poor Brian. Not in the Top 200. I think Adam chose badly last week. Brian is a nice guy with a pleasant voice, but the save should have gone to Tonya.

 

Quirky girls (or cute boys) seem to do well in the Twitter save (Hannah). Bye, Brian and Mia.

I agree with you about Adam choosing badly last week.  I happen to like Brian but it didn't make sense to keep both Brian and Joshua.  I see them as competing for the same demographic.  He definitely should have kept Tonya.  I also think she earned the save but that's just my opinion.

If Hannah, Brian and Mia are the bottom three, I disagree that Hannah will get the save.  I think it will be Mia, which disappoints me.  I'm more than ready to say goodbye to Miss Non-Enunciation.  I was so glad that Reba called her on it last night.  I do think Mia tried to be a bit clearer with the lyrics but that's going to be a tough habit for her to break.

 

I haven't listened to country radio in a few years so I wasn't familiar with "Girl Crush" but the songwriters for "It's a Heartache" (Bonnie Tyler, 1978) should sue for a songwriting credit.  

 

Kimberly's performance was terrific but how many times do we have to sit through "House of the Rising Sun" on singing competitions.  Enough Already!

I thought Koryn's performance of "Stronger" was one of the night's best.  I also thought Rob did a great job on another overused song.  

I don't know why Adam had Joshua sing without the guitar.  It looks like he's safe for tonight, but I think that was a mistake.

Lastly, I enjoy Sawyer's performances but the judges need to stop with the over the top praise.  He has a good voice.  He is not the best thing since sliced bread.  And, unlike many, I'm not at all a fan of the hair.   

[JeanneH]

I don't know why Adam had Joshua sing without the guitar.  It looks like he's safe for tonight, but I think that was a mistake.  

 

I think it was Reba who said (paraphrasing wildly from memory) something to the effect of the guitar being a security blanket for Joshua, and then she(?)/Adam(?) suggested he put it away.

[Dots And Stripes]

I am not religious at all and actively dislike Christian music (I will change the radio station as quickly as possible). But I don't really get the pandering thing. Trying to appeal to voters is what every coach and contestant tries to do. Everyone is "pandering". I still remember viewers complaining about Holly singing a religious song in season 4. If her faith is important to her and helps differentiate her from the rest of the field (and especially the other country contestants), what's the problem?

It's not really a problem, but I think of pandering as choosing a genre for the mass appeal rather than picking it because it's the sort of artist you want to be. The best example I can think of is Kristy Lee Cook from Idol, a girl I only remember because  it seemed she bought herself more time on the show with a super patriotic song. I don't doubt that she loved her country, but yeah it seemed like something to play for votes. I don't question Deanna's faith for a moment, but even she seemed to not be too keen on Adam choosing another religious song for her. That's why I felt there was pandering last week but not this week. 

 

It's like when Blake gives out a country song. Sometimes it's because it's a good fit for the artist and sometimes it's get country fans to help push the artist through. For me, it depends on the situation.

[yourpointis]

I don't remember what song Deanna auditioned with or what genre she prefers to sing, but her voice reminds me of Crystal Gayle's and am wondering if she would be better off singing country pop. 

[Donny Ketchum]

She was pretty funny, I cracked up  when she said she was going to take some of Reba's hair. What did Hannah say, something like, don't make it creepy?!  :)

Close.  It was "Don't be creepy!"

[car54]

I loved Kimberley last night.
I wish the coaches would get out of the way and let Joshua and Sawyer pick their own songs--I would like to see more of what they'd personally choose if they had that freedom.  I think both will follow what the coach/production chooses, but I'm not sure that's helping them.

 

I would so love to see it be Christina and Pharell in the finals.

[waving feather]

Deanna sounds like an old school country singer to me. That's why I was surprised by her going with Adam in the blinds. It seems okay at the time but now I think she will be better off on Blake's team. He may be able to make her even more marketable (she's already very marketable now with her unique sound and good looks).

Edited April 15, 2015 by waving feather

[Noreaster]

Personally, I dislike most mainstream modern Christian music but people feel that way about genres I like and turn the dial like I will on most of this. The problem last night, to me, was that it -wasn't- like Holly wanting to represent her Christian beliefs in her performance. Deanna didn't seem comfortable with the choice and it wasn't her idea, it was Adam's.

 

I've never had the impression that Adam loves Christian music or feels a need to connect religious beliefs and musical performances. So to me, it seemed like simply strategy--to get votes by pandering to Christians. I thought it was unfortunate, that with all the songs available to her, Deanna had to do that one rather than choosing something meaningful to her. 

I didn't watch most of the packaged clips or coach feedback from last night (just the performances) so I don't know what Adam and Deanna said.  But in last week's playoffs, Adam discussed that selecting a religious song was intended to help Deanna with her nerves.  That because she feels comfortable singing in church, it might help her in the competition.  So it made sense to me last week.  

 

I don't know why it matters whether Adam likes Christian music or not.  I thought that was one of the complaints against Adam...that he too often selects songs he likes rather than what might be a good fit for the contestants.  Regardless, I can see not liking Adam's strategy of selecting another religious song, especially if the contestant expressed concern this week.  But is this really pandering? Or just the typical Adam song strategy of going outside the box at times?  

 

Interesting point. I've always thought the reason people consider Christian music to be pandering on shows like this is because of two unspoken assumptions: (1) that the songs are not genuinely reflective of who the artist is or wants to be, and (2)that the song message will automatically override any critical judgment of the singing. In other words, a large community of people will be voting for the "witness" and not the voice, and the performer is exploiting that reaction for votes. I think there's a difference between that and having your cute country boy singer sing flirtatious songs to the girls in the audience. If you sincerely want to present yourself as a Christian artist, using Christian music to express yourself, that's one thing. It's another thing to cynically choose to sing about Jesus solely to rally the votes your way. I'm not accusing any of the singers on the Voice of doing that, but I do think that's some of the thinking behind the complaints about pandering.

Thanks, this makes a lot of sense.  I guess my impression has been the pandering accusations over the seasons have come from viewers who dislike Christian music.  But if there are Christian music listeners who feel offended, then your explanation makes a lot of sense.  

 

It's not really a problem, but I think of pandering as choosing a genre for the mass appeal rather than picking it because it's the sort of artist you want to be. The best example I can think of is Kristy Lee Cook from Idol, a girl I only remember because  it seemed she bought herself more time on the show with a super patriotic song. I don't doubt that she loved her country, but yeah it seemed like something to play for votes. I don't question Deanna's faith for a moment, but even she seemed to not be too keen on Adam choosing another religious song for her. That's why I felt there was pandering last week but not this week. 

 

It's like when Blake gives out a country song. Sometimes it's because it's a good fit for the artist and sometimes it's get country fans to help push the artist through. For me, it depends on the situation.

Is Christian music a genre that has mass appeal?  (Honest question, I don't know.)

 

So I guess by giving wannabe-soul singer Meghan a country song this week, Blake was pandering to the country audience?  

Edited April 15, 2015 by Noreaster

[MaryPatShelby]

I hate the Rolling Stones and I hate Mia.  Nothing makes me happier right now than to see her last on ITunes.

 

Yes, I'm a terrible, terrible person.

Edited April 15, 2015 by buffylew

[Archery]

Is Christian music a genre that has mass appeal?  (Honest question, I don't know.)

Christian music runs the gamut from pop-ish to R&B influence to classic gospel, as well as rock, country, and rap. It's so broad that "the Christian vote" is a fairly ridiculous concept.

[Padma]

 Regardless, I can see not liking Adam's strategy of selecting another religious song, especially if the contestant expressed concern this week.  But is this really pandering? Or just the typical Adam song strategy of going outside the

 

So I guess by giving wannabe-soul singer Meghan a country song this week, Blake was pandering to the country audience?  

Well, in Meghan's case she had a career as a country music singer, so it's really not the same. If Deanna had been professionally singing Christian music for a while, that would have made more sense than giving it to her a second week when she was reluctant to begin with.

 

To your larger point (not mine, but...), isn't that what people say when Blake gives non-country singers a country song? That he's pandering to his country music fanbase and trying to get them enough votes to last the week?

 

*To me, it's not about a style of singing--R&B, soul, etc. It's about the themes of the song--that is, music where God, Jesus and/or Biblical references figure prominently as themes in the lyrics. The "pandering" idea assumes (rightly or wrongly) that there are people who want to vote for someone who shares their religious beliefs and respond to someone singing that music as if s/he does, voting accordingly.  Just conjecture, though, since we don't ever get a demographic breakdown of voting.

Edited April 15, 2015 by Padma

[Donny Ketchum]

I hate the Rolling Stones and I hate Mia.  Nothing makes me happier right now than to see her last on ITunes.

 

Yes, I'm a terrible, terrible person.

Not terrible enough.  She's next-to-last.  Brian is last, not even in the top 200.

[viajero]

I thought it was a fairly good show, with mostly good performances.  My only real complaint is that the coaches persist in picking the same overdone songs.  But at least some contestants were quite imaginative in changing them up.

 

Taking each performance in order of my personal preference:

 

The Great:

 

Kimberly: Won the night for second week in a row.  She’s really on a whole different level.

 

Koryn:  I loved everything about what she did with another overdone song.  This ranks right up there with Try as her best of the season.  There's something really authentic about the fierceness with which she delivers the lyrics.

 

Meghan:  She brought some soul into a current country hit, which may be why I actually prefer her version to the original.

 

The Good:

 

Rob: He showed off his impressive vocal range and his performance was entertaining.  But I was missing the angst that Jacquie Lee brought to this song.

 

Hannah:  Her vocals were spot on and she is always entertaining.

 

Sawyer: I thought it was going great until he missed that note.  And I don’t agree with the judges that he covered up for it well.

 

Mia: I thought she did enunciate better.  I could actually understand almost every word.  But she also was a little awkward in some of her transitions (perhaps because she was focusing on her enunciation?).  Not her best overall, but I liked it.

 

Acceptable:

 

India:  I’ve been a big fan of hers, but this one really didn’t work that well.  She came across like a Kimberly light.

 

Joshua:  A competent very karaoke version of the song.  But he does have a great tone that gets him through otherwise subpar performances.

 

Inferior:

 

Corey:  A lot of problems with his vocals (though I was still surprised that Blake was willing to openly admit this in his comments).

 

Brian:  Bland, bland and blander.  Another karaoke performance, only this one was far far inferior to the original.

 

Deanna:  Just plain bad.  Worst vocals of the evening and she showed no conviction in her delivery.

[Noreaster]

Well, in Meghan's case she had a career as a country music singer, so it's really not the same. If Deanna had been professionally singing Christian music for a while, that would have made more sense than giving it to her a second week when she was reluctant to begin with.

Deanna is 18 or 19.  She hasn't had professional singing experience. Though I think she talked about singing in church. Was she reluctant last week?  A song strategy to help her with nerves is not a bad idea, in my view.  She did pretty well last week.  

 

To your larger point (not mine, but...), isn't that what people say when Blake gives non-country singers a country song? That he's pandering to his country music fanbase and trying to get them enough votes to last the week?

Could be what people say.  Not me.  Although I do remember plenty of talk about how Blake "turns" contestants country.  My view is that Blake doesn't really know much non-country music so when given the opportunity to go the country route, he does. He sort of went down that path with Austin in season 5.  

 

*To me, it's not about a style of singing--R&B, soul, etc. It's about the themes of the song--that is, music where God, Jesus and/or Biblical references figure prominently as themes in the lyrics. The "pandering" idea assumes (rightly or wrongly) that there are people who want to vote for someone who shares their religious beliefs and respond to someone singing that music as if s/he does, voting accordingly.  Just conjecture, though, since we don't ever get a demographic breakdown of voting.

I think this is where I'm confused.  Do people who complain about pandering actually enjoy Christian music?  Because aren't these complaints really putting down Christian music listeners in a way? Basically assuming that these listeners don't care about the quality and execution and will blindly vote for contestants who sing these songs.  Similar to how people complain about the country voting bloc.

[jjjmoss]

Looks like Sawyer is likely to be the most dominant contestant ever.

 

People post-S1 (when it was just Javier vs. Dia in the few rounds that existed) who had the top iTunes-peaking download for more than one-third of the rounds:

Cassadee & Danielle 4/10 rounds, Matt 5/9 rounds, Sawyer 5+/5+ rounds 

Matt still managed to lose though.

Edited April 15, 2015 by jjjmoss

[Padma]

Deanna is 18 or 19.  She hasn't had professional singing experience. Though I think she talked about singing in church. Was she reluctant last week?  A song strategy to help her with nerves is not a bad idea, in my view.  She did pretty well last week.  

 

Could be what people say.  Not me.  Although I do remember plenty of talk about how Blake "turns" contestants country.  My view is that Blake doesn't really know much non-country music so when given the opportunity to go the country route, he does. He sort of went down that path with Austin in season 5.  

 

I think this is where I'm confused.  Do people who complain about pandering actually enjoy Christian music?  Because aren't these complaints really putting down Christian music listeners in a way? Basically assuming that these listeners don't care about the quality and execution and will blindly vote for contestants who sing these songs.  Similar to how people complain about the country voting bloc.

Maybe I'm mixing my points. My problem with Adam's choice of Christian music for Deanna this week was (1) why that kind of music for her the second week in a row? and (2) She didn't want to repeat herself and he insisted he knew best. Again, why that choice? Even Reba could see she wasn't feeling it. Lots of people sing in church and don't want to sing religious-themed songs in a competition, at least not consecutively, as if that's her "brand". I thought it was a poor choice on Adam's part (and apparently Deanna herself did not think it was necessary to calm her nerves the way, possibly, the previous week's song had).

 

Re: nerves. I don't think Adam did her any favors portraying her as a bundle of nerves who needs constant reassurance from him. I don't think that's the image she wanted to project (she tries, as far as I can see, for "poise and quiet confidence".) I think he meant well, but it wasn't the right way to go.

[Noreaster]

Maybe I'm mixing my points. My problem with Adam's choice of Christian music for Deanna this week was (1) why that kind of music for her the second week in a row? and (2) She didn't want to repeat herself and he insisted he knew best. Again, why that choice? Even Reba could see she wasn't feeling it. Lots of people sing in church and don't want to sing religious-themed songs in a competition, at least not consecutively, as if that's her "brand". I thought it was a poor choice on Adam's part (and apparently Deanna herself did not think it was necessary to calm her nerves the way, possibly, the previous week's song had).

Re: nerves. I don't think Adam did her any favors portraying her as a bundle of nerves who needs constant reassurance from him. I don't think that's the image she wanted to project (she tries, as far as I can see, for "poise and quiet confidence".) I think he meant well, but it wasn't the right way to go.

Okay, this no longer seems to be about pandering then. It's not liking Adam's song strategy.

My point was really about the pandering concept. When religion comes up, people start using the pandering word and I never really understood why.

[ToxicUnicorn]

Eh.  No one blew me away.  Usually, by this time, I have a pretty clear favorite.  This season, I haven't settled anyone.  I think there's more than a decent chance it will be Pharrell vs. Christina in the finals, and Pharrell will win with Sawyer.

 

Team Pharrell: Mia, Sawyer, Koryn

 

I thought Mia went a long way toward taking Reba's advice onboard.  I actually liked her version of the Rolling Stones a lot.  I appreciated her attempt at trying to show a lot of variety in dynamics, tone, and attitude.  That was an ambitious attempt.  She has grown on me tremendously.

 

Sawyer seemed super nervous, yet he held it together pretty well.  I like him but not his best performance.  It doesn't help that I thought it was a pretty sleepy and not very special version of an overly played song, and after a huge build up in the intro.  I DO like that he is sincere in his choices and think he has the most unique approach.  He is the only one ever who might sway me to like modern folk, which I find generally to be kind of thin and reedy.  He has a beautiful voice and a sincerity which I think will carry him all the way.  However, this week for me: a complete wash. 

 

Koryn: I don't find her special and think her performances are all sort of loud and then forgettable.

 

Team Christina: India, Rob, Kimberly

 

I might like India's voice more than any of the other old school, semi-professional belters we have seen on this show.  Tessanne was too perfectly precise for me (although she had a warmth in her performances that India lacks).  Sasha was too timid, and then not .. she was all over the map.  Judith was too consistently out there.  India has this honey tone (not a technical term) which is very beautiful and I have enjoyed hearing a fair amount of it.  However, I feel like all she has ever watched is musical theater or soloists in front of an orchestra.  Her performances are overly dramatic.  I outright laughed when she got down on one knee.  Don't we see Christina telling everyone to do that? 

 

To me, India doesn't seem right for this show and I think she came in that way, I don't put all the blame on Christina.  I also feel like she is so focused on showing us all her individual vocal tricks that she never pulls the song together into a coherent story, and last night was the most egregious example of that.  She has managed to drop from top 3 after the auditions to somewhere definitely in the middle group.  The only way I can see her moving back up my rankings is if she changed directions completely and sang a song tenderly all the way through, like James did in "A Case of You".

 

Rob has charisma and is the contestant I would most like to hang out with.  However, I heard a few bum notes which made me cringe and --- I love "Put A Spell on You" and thought he mangled it beyond recognition.  That was horrible.  A bad night, and I think he will pay for it soon.

 

Kimberly is now my favorite on Team Christina, even though I had a big problem with her performance this week.  She chopped that song up, practically every other word.  I felt spat at.  Powerfully, and on pitch, and with conviction, and charismatically, but still.  Still, she has loads of talent and original ideas and I would be happy if she gave Sawyer a run for his money to the end.  I am really happy to see she has been received so well.  It is nice to see uniqueness rewarded.

 

Team Blake: Hannah, Corey, Meghan

 

Count me in with those who love Hannah.  That was her best performance yet.  She is so much fun, you don't even notice she is also very good.  I enjoy her the way others seemed to enjoy Michelle Chamuel (who never impressed me that much).  Very quirky in a good way, true to herself, and infectious.  My favorite on Team Blake by far.

 

I agree Corey brings emotion and seems like a sweet kid with a nice voice, but that performance was not good.

 

I'm going to come right out and say it.  I do not like the way Meghan sings.  At all.  She is another one who needs to strip it down and get real.  I did not feel she made any kind of sense of that song at all.  I have no problem if it was a song about lesbians - that is how I would have interpreted her singing of it as well, since I had never heard it.  But, listening to the intro, that seemed not to be what she was trying to do and I didn't get the whole other complex interpretation in the slightest. 

 

In general, I feel like Meghan approaches every song as if it is only a series of notes to conquer, with no lyrics at all.  She cannot go fast enough for me.

 

Team Adam: Brian, Deanna, Joshua

 

I like Brian but he messed up.  That was pretty bad.  Sorry, dude.

 

Cannot stand Deanna's voice.  Just cannot.  Please, make it stop.  I feel like she is flat all the time.  The way she sings ... she might be my least favorite singer on this show, ever, and I feel like she is getting farther than she should, based on potential.

 

Finally, Joshua.  I thought he made a huge mistake with that song choice.  Who even knows that song?  (I do, but I'm old.)  That is not going to broaden his appeal at all.  I think I would enjoy Joshua most if he were part of some kind of mellow group act, "Some other person and Joshuafunkel".  He has a beautiful voice, the kind that blends, and is low on the charisma scale (although it is not zero).  I think the best he can hope from this run is exposure.

 

Wow.  I had a lot to say.  Looking forward to shorter shows in the future.  My top 3, as of now: Sawyer, Hannah, and Kimberly, which I would never have predicted.

 

ETA: I thought it was the most hilarious thing ever to go straight from Deanna's religious song to Sawyer's attempt at John Lennon's Imagine.  Whoever put that order together was either totally clueless or really wanted to make a statement.  So funny.

Edited April 15, 2015 by ToxicUnicorn

[Kcat1971]

I think this is where I'm confused.  Do people who complain about pandering actually enjoy Christian music?  Because aren't these complaints really putting down Christian music listeners in a way? Basically assuming that these listeners don't care about the quality and execution and will blindly vote for contestants who sing these songs.  Similar to how people complain about the country voting bloc.

 

According to Dictionary.com: Panderer: 

 

 

2. a person who caters to or profits from the weaknesses or vices of others.

 

So Noreaster, I agree, its an insult to the group being pandered to.  In other words, if Adam thinks that I will vote for Deanna just because she sang Oceans (regardless of how well) then my intelligence is being insulted.  Ketzel had a really good explanation above.

 

The thing about it is, that we usually have a hard time knowing what the motivation is in choosing a song.  If Adam really chose Oceans because he thought she'd like it and it would help calm her nerves to sing something that she's comfortable with, then that is not pandering.  If Adam chose it because he thought it would chart well no matter how poorly it was sung then that is pandering.  The same is true for Blake with the country vote.  I generally give the benefit of the doubt.  I assume that the coaches and artists pick songs that they think they will perform well and that they will get the vote because they deserve it.  But sometimes it doesn't come across that way and that's when I start to think it might be pandering.  When the Voice shows a clip of an artist not wanting to do a certain song because they don't like the genre and don't feel good about it, I start to wonder why it was picked.

[Archery]

According to Dictionary.com: Panderer: 

 

So Noreaster, I agree, its an insult to the group being pandered to.  In other words, if Adam thinks that I will vote for Deanna just because she sang Oceans (regardless of how well) then my intelligence is being insulted.  Ketzel had a really good explanation above.

 

The thing about it is, that we usually have a hard time knowing what the motivation is in choosing a song.  If Adam really chose Oceans because he thought she'd like it and it would help calm her nerves to sing something that she's comfortable with, then that is not pandering.  If Adam chose it because he thought it would chart well no matter how poorly it was sung then that is pandering.  The same is true for Blake with the country vote.  I generally give the benefit of the doubt.  I assume that the coaches and artists pick songs that they think they will perform well and that they will get the vote because they deserve it.  But sometimes it doesn't come across that way and that's when I start to think it might be pandering.  When the Voice shows a clip of an artist not wanting to do a certain song because they don't like the genre and don't feel good about it, I start to wonder why it was picked.

Listening to Adam's save-Deana speech last night actually made me a little angry about Deana's performance.  He talked about how hard she's worked to overcome her insecurity and fear.  Which is what Oceans is about!  It is about Peter having enough faith to get out of the boat, about being able to do something that seems impossible for you by keeping your eyes on God.  And I feel like if Deana had (1) not been resistant to doing another religious song, (2) actually focused on the words and meaning of it, and (3) not tried to perform it to the audience, she would have knocked it out of the park.  Like by miles.  I'm not ascribing any deep understanding to Adam (maybe he got it, maybe it was just serendipity that he picked the perfect song for her), but she blew an amazing chance.

[Cramps]

I'm sick of hearing about Deana's "potential" on the show. She's pretty with an interesting voice, okay stage presence and supposedly a fear of performing and lack of confidence that no one on earth has ever faced before. Yawn.

If Adam had a stonger team this year or she wasn't as pretty, he wouldn't be forcing her down our throats.

[Noreaster]

The thing about it is, that we usually have a hard time knowing what the motivation is in choosing a song.  If Adam really chose Oceans because he thought she'd like it and it would help calm her nerves to sing something that she's comfortable with, then that is not pandering.  If Adam chose it because he thought it would chart well no matter how poorly it was sung then that is pandering.  The same is true for Blake with the country vote.  I generally give the benefit of the doubt.  I assume that the coaches and artists pick songs that they think they will perform well and that they will get the vote because they deserve it.  But sometimes it doesn't come across that way and that's when I start to think it might be pandering.  When the Voice shows a clip of an artist not wanting to do a certain song because they don't like the genre and don't feel good about it, I start to wonder why it was picked.

Thanks.  I appreciate the explanation and can see why some might view Adam's actions as pandering.

 

I just went back to the episode and watched the Deanna portion. She actually said she loves singing Christian music. Her concern was mainly that doing another Christian song might be too repetitive.  

 

For me, Adam's song strategy for Deanna seems very consistent with his strategies in the past.  There have been many times over the seasons where the contestants are not entirely comfortable with the song choices, but Adam encourages them to trust him. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't.  So I guess I don't really see the Deanna situation as "pandering".  Replace the religious songs with any other genre/style and I think most would just chalk it up to Adam being Adam.  

I'm sick of hearing about Deana's "potential" on the show. She's pretty with an interesting voice, okay stage presence and supposedly a fear of performing and lack of confidence that no one on earth has ever faced before. Yawn.

If Adam had a stonger team this year or she wasn't as pretty, he wouldn't be forcing her down our throats.

Yeah, I don't really care for Deanna either.  I like the tone of her voice, but there have been far too many disappointing performances for me to root for her.  Though I am actually curious to see if Deanna can improve.  Last season, I didn't care for Chris Jamison most of the season, but eventually became impressed by his growth on the show.

[Kcat1971]

Thanks.  I appreciate the explanation and can see why some might view Adam's actions as pandering.

 

I just went back to the episode and watched the Deanna portion. She actually said she loves singing Christian music. Her concern was mainly that doing another Christian song might be too repetitive.  

 

For me, Adam's song strategy for Deanna seems very consistent with his strategies in the past.  There have been many times over the seasons where the contestants are not entirely comfortable with the song choices, but Adam encourages them to trust him. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't.  So I guess I don't really see the Deanna situation as "pandering".  Replace the religious songs with any other genre/style and I think most would just chalk it up to Adam being Adam.  

Yeah, I don't really care for Deanna either.  I like the tone of her voice, but there have been far too many disappointing performances for me to root for her.  Though I am actually curious to see if Deanna can improve.  Last season, I didn't care for Chris Jamison most of the season, but eventually became impressed by his growth on the show.

 

 Noreaster-  I tend to agree with a lot of what you post. I *think* you used the same name at TWOP, right?  I was less active there but I seem to remember agreeing silently with a lot of what you said.  I felt the same way about Chris Jamison last season.  I was shocked & disappointed when Adam chose him over Taylor Phean.  But by the end of the season I had to admit that Chris had improved and had really grown on me.  Clearly Adam saw something in him and wanted to work with him, and that's what the show is supposed to be about.

 

I admit that I didn't watch the Top 12 performances closely.  My 8 year old was having a meltdown during the show so I was in and out of the room.  I will have to go back and rewatch it.  It sounds less like pandering than I had thought.  I missed that Deanna just didn't want to be repetitive.  I think I'm just disappointed in her performance.  I do like Oceans, and I want to like Deanna, (because I like the idea of someone overcoming stage fright)  but I didn't like her performance, so she got no votes from me.   I hope next week is better.  

[Padma]

Listening to Adam's save-Deana speech last night actually made me a little angry about Deana's performance.  He talked about how hard she's worked to overcome her insecurity and fear.  Which is what Oceans is about!  It is about Peter having enough faith to get out of the boat, about being able to do something that seems impossible for you by keeping your eyes on God.  And I feel like if Deana had (1) not been resistant to doing another religious song, (2) actually focused on the words and meaning of it, and (3) not tried to perform it to the audience, she would have knocked it out of the park.  Like by miles.  I'm not ascribing any deep understanding to Adam (maybe he got it, maybe it was just serendipity that he picked the perfect song for her), but she blew an amazing chance.

I agree with everything you say about this song. IF Deanna had felt this way about it, Adam would have been providing her with a great backstory and personal connection, and giving a "Christian song" that "universal" meaning and appeal as well. Reba told her something that was much the same, that she should embrace the meaning and let it reflect in her singing.

 

Unfortunately, she didn't appear to get any of that strength/inspiration from the song and just looked incredibly uncomfortably with it in rehearsal and on stage. I think she was lucky to stay and hopefully Adam won't "go back to that well" again after such a close call.

 

Also, thanks to the poster upthread who said that Deanna sings flat much of the time. That's what I'm hearing, too, and am reminded how Blake often says its better to sing sharp than flat. But the coaches continue to praise her so I guess they don't hear it that same way.

Edited April 15, 2015 by Padma

[Noreaster]

Noreaster- I tend to agree with a lot of what you post. I *think* you used the same name at TWOP, right?

Yes, I was a regular poster on The Voice board at TWoP. Used a different name though.

[AwesomO4000]

Finally, Joshua.  I thought he made a huge mistake with that song choice.  Who even knows that song?  (I do, but I'm old.)  That is not going to broaden his appeal at all.  I think I would enjoy Joshua most if he were part of some kind of mellow group act, "Some other person and Joshuafunkel".  He has a beautiful voice, the kind that blends, and is low on the charisma scale (although it is not zero).  I think the best he can hope from this run is exposure.

 

Late to the party and I'm also old-ish, so I may not be the best one to comment on this, but there was some somewhat recent exposure for the song on television. It was used around the holidays rather consistently in the American Express Small Business Saturday commercials last year. Despite the commercial being a little sappy perhaps, I thought it was effective enough that I would stop to watch it rather than change the channel during the commercials as I sometimes do. So there is that.

 

You can see the commercial here.

 

I personally love the song, but yeah... old-ish, so not likely the target audience here. I especially liked that he sang the "Kathy, I'm lost.." verse as that's probably my favorite.

[Noreaster]

I think that Simon and Garfunkel is classic and their music is probably known to most people who are fans of music. I was pretty shocked when Blake said he did not know the song. Simon and Garfunkel's music is not any older than say the Beatles.

I don't know if Joshua will last until the end of this competition. I enjoy his performances for the most part and I think he has a lot of talent and is showcasing it well. But his voice is not big and his style is relatively low-key. I don't even think he can sing loud based on that horrific group performance last week. Joshua's voice might get lost in this game.

ETA: On a side note, I wonder what is the show's target audience? There's the key demographic for ratings (18-49). But so many people on these boards talk about how old they are that I wonder if the viewership and voting skews older than the key demo.

Edited April 18, 2015 by Noreaster

[Sammich63]

ETA: On a side note, I wonder what is the show's target audience? There's the key demographic for ratings (18-49). But so many people on these boards talk about how old they are that I wonder if the viewership and voting skews older than the key demo.

I've wondered about this, too.  I tend to think the viewership and voting skews older due to the fact that Matt McAndrew and CWB appeared to hold the lead last season.  Chris had a good following of younger fans, but he couldn't carry that over to the older crowd.  

 

I like Sawyer enough because he is different.  He's not who I'd like to see win because I want a female to win this season, but I'd be okay with him winning.  What I worry about is someone like Corey lasting longer than Meghan, India, Kimberly or Hannah.  I'd like to believe that Hannah was actually saved before Corey last week, but I wouldn't be surprised if the outcome was to get more votes for Corey next week by showing he was on the cusp of leaving. 

[ToxicUnicorn]

so many people on these boards talk about how old they are that I wonder if the viewership and voting skews older than the key demo.

 

I don't know about the viewership (I tend to think it does run older), but I'd guess that the posters on this site definitely skews older.  The kids today are texting and tweeting and facebooking and snapshotting, from what I can see in my own kids.  None of them have the inclination to sit down and keep up with a running conversation, whereas I enjoy these types of forums immensely.

[viajero]

An article was linked to from TWOP a couple of years ago that reported that the average age of the viewers of both The Voice and AI was somewhere in the 50+ range.  They contrasted this with the early years of AI, when the average age of viewers was below 40.  Unfortunately I no longer have the link to that article, but as I remember it, this was given as a reason why old classic songs tended to do well with voters, something that the coaches (and Blake in particular) had taken note of.  It would also help explain why these shows have so much trouble producing stars.

[MaryPatShelby]

Yup, that does explain why the songs on this show are so. old. most of the time.  I'm in that target demographic, but I am truly tired of the so-called classic songs. 

[Noreaster]

viajero, thanks for the info.  I did a little googling and found this NY Times article from last year.  For American Idol, the median age of viewers grew from 32 in its first season to 52 in season 13.  For The Voice, the median viewer age has increased from 42 in its first season to 52 in season 6.  

 

Personally I don't mind the older classic songs. It depends on the execution. What I do mind is the overdone songs. For example, I liked a lot of the contestants in season 5, but I ended up being disappointed by the song choices.  The finale in particular.  And it's not confined to older songs.  In this season, I didn't like hearing "Take Me to Church" and "Electric Feel" so soon. Not overdone per se, but the previous covers were so good that these kind of paled in comparison and were not as enjoyable for me.  

 

Interestingly, Season 7 had a ton of new songs.  It makes me wonder if the show has a business arrangement with record labels to promote them.  And so far, in season 8, we've had "Budapest", "Girl Crush", "Chains", "Earned It", that Ellie Goulding song. Very recent hits. I guess some of these might be arrangements with the guest mentors also.  On second thought, it may be more about key demo ratings than anything else.  Viewership/voting may be skewing older, but the show has to appeal to the younger crowd to make money.

 

I've wondered about this, too.  I tend to think the viewership and voting skews older due to the fact that Matt McAndrew and CWB appeared to hold the lead last season.  Chris had a good following of younger fans, but he couldn't carry that over to the older crowd.

You may be right about these contestants' fan bases, but we really don't have any data on which age group was voting for which contestant.  I suspect there was more demographic overlap between Matt and Chris (similar genre, age, coach) and Craig appealed to a separate demographic. But that's just a guess.

[SunnyBeBe]

I want to like Deanna, but she sounds just like Crystal Gayle, (Loretta Lynne's younger sister) who was a big hit in the 1970's.  Her biggest hit was "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue."   I can't get past it.  It makes her sound so dated to me.

[Kromm]

I'm VERY behind and only now seeing this.

When exactly did Reba McIntyre lose her last name? Geez. I know a lot of stars do it, but it smells a lot worse when someone does it after DECADES in the business the other way.

And as always its utterly hilarious watching Blue State contestants trying to fake a connection to some country icon these shows drag in.

Also, will they forgive Kid Stupid Hat for ANYTHING? Geez.

Edited April 22, 2015 by Kromm

[ToxicUnicorn]

When exactly did Reba McIntyre lose her last name? Geez.

 

When the show introduced her, that was my thought exactly.  Then, I kept on cracking up when the contestants would walk forward saying, "It's Reba McIntyre!".  They obviously did not get the memo. 

Edited April 23, 2015 by ToxicUnicorn

[ToxicUnicorn]

It just occurred to me:
 

 

For American Idol, the median age of viewers grew from 32 in its first season to 52 in season 13.  For The Voice, the median viewer age has increased from 42 in its first season to 52 in season 6.

This may not be as dramatic as it first seems, since I aged 12 years over those American Idol seasons.  (I don't know about the rest of you.)  I agree it is harder to explain so much of the increase for The Voice that way, though.

[Kromm]

It just occurred to me:

 

This may not be as dramatic as it first seems, since I aged 12 years over those American Idol seasons.  (I don't know about the rest of you.)  I agree it is harder to explain so much of the increase for The Voice that way, though.

I wonder how closely these stats line up to the increasing Country bias on both shows.

Edited April 23, 2015 by Kromm

[mercfan3]

I think it's easy to explain..the people who aged with Idol are the people watching The Voice (or switching over to The Voice) now. 

 

I think The Voice might have caught some viewers early on in the show, but younger viewers can essentially watch the whole show on youtube or later on Hulu if they want to see the whole show. No commercial breaks. No filler. Any younger person that's interested might decide to not waste the two hours. 

 

But those of us who watched Idol from the beginning..might prefer the show because they enjoyed watching the show.