S09.E16: The Live Playoffs, Night 2

[Tara Ariano]

The playoff round continues with the remaining Top 20 vocalists performing.

[Diana Berry]

I really loved Celeste's performance. I had never heard that song before and wow was it powerful.

Also really liked In the Garden by Emily...very pure rendition.

Edited November 11, 2015 by Diana Berry

[buckybruce]

The Winner is.....Zach!!!!!

[Gbb]

The Winner is.....Zach!!!!!

This! I felt like I I should find it smarmy, but damned it he wasn't adorable and charming! And, more importantly, entertaining!

Madi may still be my favorite though. She was amazing tonight.

So glad Blake brought Nadja back.

Edited November 11, 2015 by Gbb

[car54]

You know the live voting has started when Blake breaks out the gospel songs.      I can't decide if Zack was really funny or really good.   Maybe both.

[waving feather]

Would you all laugh at me if I say in all seriousness Zach was my favorite of the night? Dude actually has a stage presence who knew?! I rewatched it um quite a few times. The vocals are nice too. Um go team Zach...? And Ellie.

[nextian]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Pharrell had one contestant that sang a religious song and Blake had one contestant that sang a religious song. It also seemed that the contestants picked those songs, at least from the intro packages. I personally have zero interest in buying either song, but I also have zero problem with them singing them.

[Dots And Stripes]

Madi was the only one on Team Pharrell I really liked. Others were decent, but no one I'd look forward to week to week.

 

Team Blake has a lot more depth. I like both of the country girls and Ivonne. Sadly Barrett has one spot locked up, I assume. Zach came out of no where for me! I think he got montaged last round. I liked the Elvis hips. He just made me smile. 

[joobie]

I think Evan has a beautiiful voice with an emotional connection to what he is singing. I thought it pretty crappy of Gwen to criticize his motions on stage and have doufus agree with her. Nobody tanked her artists last night and personally I think Evan was better than all of her team. Nobody told her that song choice for Braiden was completely ridiculous. Having a 15 year old sing I would give everything I own give up my life my heart my home is just plain stupid. How much could a 15 year old own much less a house? And I am a huge Bread fan and I think Braiden is beyond talented but that was such a disconnect.

[Ketzel]

Evan has a nice voice. But I agreed with what Gwen was kind of awkwardly trying to say. The thing about the lyrics of "Overjoyed" is how specifically personal they are. The whole message of the song is, in essence, "You didn't know it, but I have been in love with you forever and I have planned a whole life for the two of us, and now that you know how I feel, please, please give this a real chance." Wandering around the stage and singing to random people undermined the message of the song, imo, and it did make it seem as if Evan wasn't really feeling it.

[Dots And Stripes]

To be fair, Adam did lob his version of criticism at the song choice for Braiden. Gwen still praised Evan's voice. Telling him to work on his movement on stage is not a bad thing and is actually more helpful than just saying something was off or something didn't work. 

 

Really for coaches, it doesn't matter how many artists tank at this point. Three advance from each team.

 

I thought Evan had two problems. One, the song was very difficult and it showed at time. Two, it felt a little stale. I know it wasn't the song he went in with for his blinds, but we heard him do a bit of it then. This was a chance to show us something different. I think he should have gone with something in that same ballpark, but a different song.

 

Never underestimate the country fans. Emily Ann is the highest seller from the night so far, followed by Zach! Barrett might need a little help moving on.

[SandyToes]

I appreciated that most of the performers tonight really appeared so confident, and generally seemed pleased with their song choices.  Ivonne (farm girl?) looked SOOO confident, and sounded great to me, in contrast to last night where so many seemed to feel out of place, or at least, out of their comfort zones. Nadjah is another example. Her head was in a different place tonight, and she just oozed confidence.  Same with Zach. Tonight just seemed to be full of folks who loved what they were doing, and did it well. Kind of a, "Go out and have a helluva time" rather than, "Oh, gosh, please don't let me mess up and be sent home!" mentality.  I still don't know many of the songs, and don't feel the need to rush to buy any, but I really enjoyed watching and listening tonight.  Not so much last night.

 

Note to Gwen - Ivonne looked great out on stage tonight: glasses, "regular" hair, and similar outfits to what we've seen her in all along.  She sang as herself, and was terrific. No need to turn her (or anyone else) into a more "marketable" property. YMMV, of course.

[Ketzel]

Anyone else think that Gwen had her hand in restyling Nadjah? I don't think that the ponytail and the tight metallic dress were Blake's idea! (Although I did think it kind of worked for her this time.)

[Padma]

Can we vote through all of Team Blake? I really enjoyed them..

[Dots And Stripes]

I appreciated that most of the performers tonight really appeared so confident, and generally seemed pleased with their song choices.  Ivonne (farm girl?) looked SOOO confident, and sounded great to me, in contrast to last night where so many seemed to feel out of place, or at least, out of their comfort zones. Nadjah is another example. Her head was in a different place tonight, and she just oozed confidence.  Same with Zach. Tonight just seemed to be full of folks who loved what they were doing, and did it well. Kind of a, "Go out and have a helluva time" rather than, "Oh, gosh, please don't let me mess up and be sent home!" mentality.  I still don't know many of the songs, and don't feel the need to rush to buy any, but I really enjoyed watching and listening tonight.  Not so much last night.

 

Interesting point. For one thing, I credit the coaches. One of Pharrell's artists mentioned he had given her confidence and he said all he did was hold the mirror up. Even when his team is complimenting him, Pharrell still found a way to continue to build them up. He's such a kind force, I think he helps makes his artists feel more confident.

 

Blake was such a cheer leader for his team tonight. I also noticed how he would give his artists a complement before telling them they were hitting sharp notes. He knows how to build his artists up.

 

While I give Pharrell and Blake credit, I do think some of the artists night 1 were fighting their coaches a little. Maybe it was a lack of trust or they were just nervous. It's just interesting to see the difference.

[InfiniteMystery]

Can we vote through all of Team Blake? I really enjoyed them..

 

My sentiments exactly. I like all of them. My favorite on that team tonight was surprisingly to me, Zach. He entertained and managed to deliver a great vocal as well. He had the most personality of anyone. Not enthusiasm which many brought, but personality. I hope he's in the lives. Elvis Jr.

 

I also love the purity of Emily Ann's voice. The rest were good as well to differing degrees.

 

On Pharrell's team, my favorite by far is Madi! Loved it. 

 

Overall, I enjoyed tonight much more than last night and I'm going to hate to see some of Team Blake cut. 

 

It's funny how a team can look strong (Adam), and then when it all shakes out, I'm not so impressed. I think there is something wrong with me because I'm not getting all the Jordan hype or feeling anything special when he sings. But, then again, that happened to me with Sawyer last year. I hope Sawyer does well tomorrow so I can understand.

 

I love Blake and Pharrell's coaching. Sometimes it's more important to bring who you are to the mentoring rather than your skillz as a vocalist.

 

Gwen and Adam have their good points also, but, I would choose Blake first, and second, Pharrell.

 

I think some of the cuts are going to be brutal.

[PhD-Purgatory15]

While I can't really fault any of the coaches for their bring back choices (except Adam), and I can't really deny Celeste's vocal horsepower tonight.....I think the live's would've been much more interesting had Andi & Alex, Krista Hughes, and Tim or Siahna all been added instead.

 

For Pharrell: Madi stretches the limit of what I can take in terms of quirk, affectation and torturing various lyrics and notes. Despite all of that, she's generally hypnotizing and has the rare ability to make me forget I'm watching a reality singing competition for a few minutes. Clearly the show favors Mark over Darius within the R&B lane. I actually preferred Darius tonight despite my brain screaming Pentatonix every five seconds. Mark is just too busy. You don't need to throw the kitchen sink at every performance. At first I loved the Tori Kelly song choice for Riley....but her voice is so similar to Tori's I wonder if that helps or hurts her. She wasn't convincing on the faux-rap interlude that starts the second verse, which was a bit of a bummer. Doubtful that she's in the running for the coaches save. Evan's the real wildcard. Overjoyed wasn't his best (he was at his best on uptempo pop songs like his audition and the Higher Ground battle) but I still feel like he's enough of a favorite for Pharrell that he could get the judges save if the audiences votes for Madi and Mark/Celeste.

 

Blake's team is seriously, evenly matched (minus Nadjah). I could see any combination of the other five getting through. I feel like he might be tempted to take Ivonne (who was really good, but probably will get lost in the shuffle going 2nd) just to break the monotony of potentially having 3 country artists moving forward. Although if it comes down to her and Zach, the reaction in the room to his performance tonight might give him the nod instead. Emily Ann's strategic use of a church hymn (Genius Blake and/or Emily at work here) probably guarantees her a spot despite some significant issues w/ breath control and pitch. I fear Morgan is going to get lost in the shuffle.....I'm also not a fan of genderbending the lyrics (if Little Big Town could win big at the CMA's w/ Girl Crush, Morgan could've left Lips of an Angel as it was) as IMO it gives the song and the listener an unnecessary awkwardness. Clearly the show is all about a Jordan/Barrett duel to the end so I think he's probably safe as well.

 

I'll say Emily Ann, Barrett, Madi and Mark advance, and Pharrell chooses Evan over Celeste, while Blake takes Ivonne over Zach (but this one is really a coinflip)

[jjjmoss]

probably guarantees her a spot despite some significant issues w/ breath control and pitch.

 

I agree. I've been thinking of her as a second-rate Danielle Bradbery, and I'm still of that opinion.

[waving feather]

Interesting point. For one thing, I credit the coaches. One of Pharrell's artists mentioned he had given her confidence and he said all he did was hold the mirror up. Even when his team is complimenting him, Pharrell still found a way to continue to build them up. He's such a kind force, I think he helps makes his artists feel more confident.

Blake was such a cheer leader for his team tonight. I also noticed how he would give his artists a complement before telling them they were hitting sharp notes. He knows how to build his artists up.

While I give Pharrell and Blake credit, I do think some of the artists night 1 were fighting their coaches a little. Maybe it was a lack of trust or they were just nervous. It's just interesting to see the difference.

I agree. But tonight contestants did have the advantage of watching the first batch do it last night. Anyway, people tend to find team Blake and to a lesser extent, team Pharrell performances boring because the artists are not pushed out of their comfort zone. So it really depends on what we wanna see at the end of the day.

Then we have someone like Zach who rocked a unusual song choice and performance.

[PhD-Purgatory15]

Going into these two nights, the contestants are finally aware of their standing or "arc" on the show.

 

I wonder how much of Zach's performance was him saying to himself that because his battle blended into the ether (50,000 bonus points to anyone who can name who he beat in the battle rounds), and his KO was the only one montaged in the entire round, there was almost no foreseeable scenario where he doesn't finish 5th or 6th on Team Blake (w/ the added bring back contestant). Why not go completely out of the box and over the top to try and catch Blake's eye for the judges save because that's the only play he's got. And if that fails, then oh well he went out swinging for the fences and having more fun that almost anyone else on stage.

 

jjjmoss, I largely agree w/ your Danielle Bradberry comparison. Although if you catch the right 25 seconds of every performance Emily Ann has given.....you see glimpses of what the end product, young, viable country artist Blake certainly sees. Her voice has whispers of Allison Kraus and Natalie Maines and LeeAnn Womack. She needs a developmental deal. Unfortunately if this round's Itunes sales have anything to say.....she might win this thing like Danielle, which probably would be the worst possible outcome for her long term prospects in Nashville.

Edited November 11, 2015 by PhD-Purgatory15

[DownTheShore]

"Madi stretches the limit of what I can take in terms of quirk, affectation and torturing various lyrics and notes". Despite all of that, she's generally hypnotizing and has the rare ability to make me forget I'm watching a...

That first part. I can't stand her.

[InfiniteMystery]

I think Blake's team will be Emily Ann and possibly Zach voted in with Blake choosing Barrett. For Pharrell, I think Madi and Mark and could see him choosing Celeste. I may be 100% wrong :).

[kathyk24]

Blake did a better job choosing songs for his team. I couldn't believe Pharell gave Mark a Justin Bieber song. I get that he wanted Mark to be more current but Bieber is a joke. I would have chosen a Bruno Mars song instead. The pacing of this show stinks the first hour had one singer then a bunch of commercials. I was watching live and couldn't fast forward though them.

[dcinmb]

Who the heck claps along to Songbird? The producers need to institute a 'no clapping' policy stat, particularly since the audience is usually off-beat anyway. And I like Madi but it's hard to live up to the Eva Cassidy version:

http://youtu.be/bTNLYeaL7No

Edited November 11, 2015 by dcinmb

[Autumn]

I think Gwen, Pharell and Blake focus more on presenting a full picture with the voice, a professional performance and styleing than Adam did.  Blake seems to have the team that can make you feel you are watching someone in concert and not a contestant on a show. No one is really standing out for me but based on performance energy and polish Zach have the performance of the night for me.  Nadjah looked amazing with the long ponytail and the tight silver dress even though her rendition of the song was not that much different from the origional.

 

I think Blake factors in marketability and genre when he picks his artists.  I don;t think that the other coaches necessarily do.  That is why you get someone like Sawyer who has a great voice for country rock but still looks and acts like a coffee house folk singer. 

Edited November 11, 2015 by Autumn

[MaryPatShelby]

To be fair, Adam did lob his version of criticism at the song choice for Braiden. Gwen still praised Evan's voice. Telling him to work on his movement on stage is not a bad thing and is actually more helpful than just saying something was off .

And more helpful than over-gushing which doesn't provide anything constructive at all.

I don't understand the yearly complaints about religious/gospel music. I don't believe that staunchly religious people who vote only for songs, not good performances of those songs, comprise the bulk of the viewing audience, so to me throwing one of those pieces in doesn't make that much of a difference. Are we to believe Emily was lying about her grandfather because Blake wanted to bring out the hymns for lives?

[PepperMonkey]

Man, I just do not care for Barrett. I STILL can't understand most of what he says when he's singing and those theatrics are just too much for me. I know that's probably an unpopular opinion, but there ya go. He did manage to rein in most of the "song acting" last night, but I still just don't get him and his appeal to everyone.

 

I feel the same about Emily Ann, though. She is pretty and definitely has singing skills, but until "In the Garden," I thought she was mostly (insert young, blond country singer here). I think the reason I liked her last night was because I have such strong feelings for that song. Kudos to her, though, for insisting on singing it. I can't ever get through the chorus without bursting into tears.

 

Was thrilled Blake brought back Nadjah. Also happy with Pharrell's returnee. Whether either of them will make it through, I still don't know, but they were just as good as the others who performed.

 

Ivonne fell hard from her last appearance. Also, she's starting to come across to me as a little bit phony on the humility front. I hope I'm wrong about that, but it's just a teeny vibe I get from her. Like the LACK of confidence is an act. It bugs me. Aside from that, though, I just wasn't impressed with her performance last night. It was kind of "Barrett-y."

[Primetimer]

Stephanie Cangro's yelling 'tim-beeerrrrrr' as Teams Pharrell and Blake underwhelm, and Gwen's too disappointed to even flirt.

Read the story

[SandyToes]

How did the song choices work? I feel l like I missed something along the way. Monday's group seemed to be more coaches saying, 'Here's the song I chose for you" and Tuesday's coaches were more ,"Oh, I like the song you chose."   Do the coaches offer 2 or 3 and say pick one, or do some coaches really choose the song?

 

Don't know if he was as surprised as he looked, but I loved how stunned Blake appeared when Zach came out and really let loose.  What a great performance. I can't imagine what my reaction would be if I were a teenybopper!  As noted above, Blake and Pharrell really do seem to work on building confidence, and then letting the performers "do their thing." I usually like the songs Adam chooses (or offers?) his group - usually a good mix for style and personality, and Gwen's always look great. I'm not sure that's enough to get her team a win, though.   The blinds are still my favorite part.

[Noreaster]

Watched the performances on Youtube last night.  I enjoyed Madi and Zach the most.  Madi performs with such confidence and maturity that it's hard to believe she's only 16 (I think?).  Zach was incredibly entertaining.  Not sure the song and hip thrusts were really that appropriate (he's also 16?) but that was a ton of fun to watch.  

 

Most other performances were boring to me. I'm not a fan of country music. R&B is also not my favorite. Actually I liked Darius quite a bit but felt other contestants could have shown more restraint or done fewer runs.  Sometimes less is more, or at least that's my personal preference. 

[waving feather]

Another person I enjoyed was Riley. I didn't really get her during her battles or knock outs but she came alive during the playoffs. That one note she hit...phew! So good and on point.

I finally dragged myself to watched Barrett's rehearsal and performance (he's... not my favorite) and I was impressed by the way Blake told him to enunciate better. It's cheeky and kind, yet straight to the point ("speak English, not Arkansas", "sing like people are hearing the song for the first time"). I don't know, Blake seems more engaged in the coaching aspect this season compared to the last one. Too bad Barrett still got carried away and was mush-mouthed.

 

Madi drove my crazy in a bad way. Hated all her vocal stylings. It's too much. It's a pity because she has a good voice. If only she took out 70% of the usual affectations she does.

[Cramps]

I think Morgan is so much more talented than Emily Ann. Her performance of I want you to want me is still a highlight of this seaon for me. Emily Ann doesn't have much control over her voice and needs a lot of seasoning/training. But by doing the religious song she just bought herself a ticket to the next round.

Barrett is super annoying, albeit less so this week, since he didn't eat the stage during his performance.

Zach was hilarious. Adam was right--Most artists doing what he did would have been cringeworthy, but he pulled it off. He also has an interesting tone. He would have been a great as one of the country music hat acts of the 90s.

Evan didn't sound as good as he usually does last night. I wonder if he has a cold.

Do the performers who the audience doesn't vote through have to sing again before the coaches decide who to keep?

[ppl]

2nd night wasn't much better than the first.

 

They should ban Overjoyed. I have never heard any contestant on an reality show do this song well. It's a shame because I think Evan was very good before tonight.

 

The two comeback artists were bad. Nadjah had a decent knockout but tonight she picked the wrong song. Celeste, STOP SCREAMING AT ME.

 

Zach was awesome. Madi was pretty good. These two were the only contestants that went beyond the blah, middle-of-the-road pileup.

 

Barrett, Emily Ann, Morgan, Riley were all interchangeable. Mark suffers from everything-itis. Darius needs a 10 hour lesson in less is more.

 

Ivonne was all over the place. The song was not right for her.

 

There weren't a lot of fails this time compared with the first night but it was more like a bare pass than anything solid.

[Shades of Scarlet]

With Celeste still ringing in my near-bleeding ears, I'll try to type some random thoughts . . . . Hated Madi's The Cranberries-Do-"Songbird" version.  Leave that song alone or sing it like it sounds, please.  Thanks.  Just not a fan of her stylings.  BTW, the recap was good as usual, but there's a good reason that Madi might find it hard to be Stevie Nicks doing that song; it was written and sung by Christine McVie. 

 

Barrett - I just do not get it.  At least this time he kept the drama down a bit.  Still, he's exhausting. 

 

I really like Yvonne quite a bit and her family is delightful, but her performance was very subpar. 

 

I would save Riley but I doubt that will happen.  Her performance instincts and stage personality are outstanding and her vocals are very good as well. 

 

Emily Ann was terrific.  She's my non-team-Adam favorite this season, and I get that Blake was aiming for the heartland with that pick, but boy, can she sing.  Clear tone forever. 

 

Looks from the iTunes results - if those are any indication - like Blake may find himself in an unexpected dilemma if Zach gets voted through by America, as he should be.  That was fantastic! 

 

For what I thought was a pretty good talent pool, these were two pretty lousy opening nights of the lives.  I thought the song choices were generally terrible, so mabe that's why. 

[jjjmoss]

Looking at the past iTunes results, looks like only Gwen’s is difficult to say who should go through (not that they necessarily will).
Adam’s 3 strongest this week are his strongest previously - Jordan Amy Shelby.
For Blake only Barrett really stood out before, and he’s in the t3 this week with Emily and Zach. Though from a subjective POV, people online seem to have strong opinions about others, even if their downloads haven't stood out...
For Pharrell, Madi and Celeste did the best before and they’re the t2 along with Evan.

 

Ellie’s T3 previously and this week so should go through. Esp as several suspect she was a main reason the twist exists this season.

Jeffrey and Braiden have strong results now, but Viktor and Korin were standouts before. So she has to decide if J and/or B are just more ready for the live rounds and the others have peaked, or if V and/or K both just had an off week and have shown greater talent during the competition. Depending on who the public’s already put through. I’d vote Jeffrey and Korin personally.

[Dots And Stripes]

 

Ellie’s T3 previously and this week so should go through. Esp as several suspect she was a main reason the twist exists this season.

 

I must have missed something here. I'm skeptical about this since Blake said twice last night he paired his knockouts with the twist in mind. Ellie lost in the knockouts which means the twist was in the works before they knew they would need to revive her. I also don't know what about her is so different that it would require the twist.

[Lorimac]

Zach nailed it, but it would have been hard to mess up that particular song. Even if you are not a country fan, who can resist a song that rubs your ex's face it in?

[pivot]

Never underestimate the country fans. Emily Ann is the highest seller from the night so far, followed by Zach! Barrett might need a little help moving on.

It's not country, it's the religious pandering. It works every time and Blake uses it all the time. It's to the point I won't vote for a contestant if they do a religious song. I'd love to see just one contestant sing a religious song that wasn't Christian to see what happens.

Blake's team was awful. I struggled to find 3 contestants to vote for. And I can't believe he gave one of the singers "Upside Down". That was just mean.

Every season there is someone I dub "Mumbles" for not being able to enunciate and suffer in agony until they are eliminated. This year it is Barrett.

Edited November 11, 2015 by pivot

[jjjmoss]

Oh, just Ellie's been more popular in sales (before and after elimination) than most of the singers left. 

It was a guess several have had.

[ChicksDigScars]

I Tunes as of 1:00 pm EST Wednesday, 11/11/15

 

3. Halo: Jordan Smith (Adam)

6. In the Garden: Emily Ann Roberts (Blake)

17. I Drive Your Truck: Barrett Baber (Blake)

21. Brand New Girlfriend: Zach Seabaugh (Blake)

22. Songbird: Madi Davis (Pharrell)

31. Say You Love Me: Jeffrey Austin (Gwen)

37. Something in the Water: Celeste Betton (Pharrell)

41. The Way You Look Tonight: Amy Vachal (Adam)

42. Overjoyed: Evan McKeel (Pharrell)

61. Ex's and Oh's: Ellie Lawrence (Gwen)

66. Chandelier: Jordan Smith (Adam)

72. Lips of an Angel: Morgan Frazier (Blake)

74. One of Us: Ivonne Acero (Blake)

89. Set Fire to the Rain: Jordan Smith (Adam)

94. Everything I Own: Braiden Sunshine (Gwen)

97. What Do You Mean: Mark Hood (Pharrell)

99. Love Lockdown: Darius Scott (Pharrell)

114. Should've Been Us: Riley Biederer (Pharrell)

116. You're No Good: Shelby Brown (Adam)

124. All Around the World: Viktor Kiraly (Gwen)

126. Never Tear Us Apart: Blaine Mitchell (Adam)

136. Barton Hollow: Chance Pena (Adam)

151. Upside Down: Nadjah Nicole (Blake)

177. To Ben With You: Keith Semple (Adam)

185. A Sunday Kind of Love: Amy Vachal (Adam)

 

Wow. Viktor and Nadjah are lower than I thought. And Justin is this year's Sawyer. Doesn't matter what he sings, it will chart and stay there. America loves the quirky. 

Edited November 11, 2015 by ChicksDigScars

[jjjmoss]

Well Jordan can't quite be this year's Sawyer as he didn't have the top iTunes song in the auditions, battles, or knockouts, while Sawyer was on top for all 3.

[Padma]

I Tunes as of 1:00 pm EST Wednesday, 11/11/15

 

3. Halo: Jordan Smith (Adam)

6. In the Garden: Emily Ann Roberts (Blake)

17. I Drive Your Truck: Barrett Baber (Blake)

21. Brand New Girlfriend: Zach Seabaugh (Blake)

22. Songbird: Madi Davis (Pharrell)

31. Say You Love Me: Jeffrey Austin (Gwen)

37. Something in the Water: Celeste Betton (Pharrell)

41. The Way You Look Tonight: Amy Vachal (Adam)

42. Overjoyed: Evan McKeel (Pharrell)

61. Ex's and Oh's: Ellie Lawrence (Gwen)

66. Chandelier: Jordan Smith (Adam)

72. Lips of an Angel: Morgan Frazier (Blake)

74. One of Us: Ivonne Acero (Blake)

89. Set Fire to the Rain: Jordan Smith (Adam)

94. Everything I Own: Braiden Sunshine (Gwen)

97. What Do You Mean: Mark Hood (Pharrell)

99. Love Lockdown: Darius Scott (Pharrell)

114. Should've Been Us: Riley Biederer (Pharrell)

116. You're No Good: Shelby Brown (Adam)

124. All Around the World: Viktor Kiraly (Gwen)

126. Never Tear Us Apart: Blaine Mitchell (Adam)

136. Barton Hollow: Chance Pena (Adam)

151. Upside Down: Nadjah Nicole (Blake)

177. To Ben With You: Keith Semple (Adam)

185. A Sunday Kind of Love: Amy Vachal (Adam)

 

Wow. Viktor and Nadjah are lower than I thought. And Jordan is this year's Sawyer. Doesn't matter what he sings, it will chart and stay there. America loves the quirky. 

Thanks for this list. I'm surprised about Jordan's appeal, but I doubt anyone will ever match Sawyer in consistent top placement throughout the competition.  Other than a good showing for Amy this week in the voting, Team Adam only is in the top 100 at all because Jordan is there three times.

 

So based on those results, the teams would be: 

 

Team Adam:  Jordan, Amy, Shelby  (would be my choice, too, even though its another year with no rocker)

Team Blake:  Emily, Barrett, Zach  (well, if I can get Zach to go on, I'll tolerate Barrett. I guess it's too much to hope Blake will say, "Man, you're just like Garth Brooks!  It's just too bad there already IS a Garth Brooks. Sorry, buddy. I'm choosing Ivonne.")

Team Pharrell:  Madi, Celeste, Evan (Whatever. I still think he has a weak team compared with the possibilities).

Team Gwen:  Jeffrey, Ellie, Braiden  (This is fine to me, keeping Ellie, giving Braiden another chance and getting rid of Regina and Viktor.  But I think Gwen will save Viktor over Braiden, even over Ellie, if necessary.  ETA: Oh, forgot all about Korin. I'd prefer her staying over Braiden, but only if Gwen dials down the makeovers which I really hate in Korin's case particularly.  Though Braiden should at least be able to keep his glasses on. Does Gwen even know what that would be like to perform with everyone unnaturally blurred in front of you? Glasses are fine, Gwen! And cute on Korin, too!)

 

I always wish the cuts weren't so drastic, but I did like that they brought some back for one last opportunity. For Ellie and Celeste, that "last chance" might actually work out for them going on after all.

 

ETA: I don't like Barrett's looks at all. From a distance, he has a good build, but facially, he looks...dull...off...to me. No matter what he's doing or saying I get "zero" from him. He doesn't seem to be a favorite on this forum either--some fans, but not the powerhouse of popularity that Blake seems to expect. And he scored so much higher in the iTunes sales than I expected. I never remember what he sang afterwards. I just don't get the appeal.

Edited November 11, 2015 by Padma

[tpplay]

 

Man, I just do not care for Barrett. I STILL can't understand most of what he says when he's singing and those theatrics are just too much for me. I know that's probably an unpopular opinion, but there ya go.

 

I can't stand to listen to him OR to look at him.  I'm disgusted that he will have been voted through by viewers.  Ugggh.

 

I LOVED Yvonne and Reilly.  I liked them the best among all 24 singers.  I also liked Jeffrey and Jordan quite a bit.  I still like Evan a lot but I hope he sings better if he continues - that wasn't a great performance.  

 

I disliked Emily Ann's performance - although I don't like that song at all so I'm not sure anyone could have made it work for me.

 

Much as I think he's a sweetie pie and has a good voice, I hope Braiden does not move on.  But I also hope Viktor does not move on.

 

Didn't like Zach as much as everyone else did either but I much prefer him to either Emily Ann or Barrett.  

 

The teams I WISH I could see are:

 

Adam:  Jordan and two of Blaine, Amy, Shelby (I'm not crazy about any of these three but I like each of them fine)

Gwen: Ellie, Jeffrey and - no one, I guess.  I'd rather see Korin than either Viktor or Braiden.

Pharrell: Riley, Evan and Made or Darius

Blake: Ivonne, Zach and anyone except Barrett

[PhD-Purgatory15]

Padma, actually I think your scenario w/ Team Blake isn't completely far fetched. If Zach edges out Barrett for the 2nd fan voted spot (no guarantee though), Blake could go w/ Ivonne. She's younger, greener, female-er than Barrett. It would be a similar decision to his giving Xenia an extra week because w/ her Blake said something along the lines of "I can help you more".

 

I don't think that this scenario works out if it comes down to her and Zach, but I might give it a 5% or 10% chance if it's Barrett. I'd almost give it a higher percentage except simultaneously I think that Blake knows when you move past intra-team voting, Barrett could be a juggernaut. With the Itunes bonus, Emily has to be a lock tonight.

 

Edited to say if you substitute Brett Eldredge for Garth Brooks, then I 100% cosign.

Edited November 11, 2015 by PhD-Purgatory15

[Ellee]

I'm having problems staying interested this season.  Yeah.... I don't know.   I've listened to these two kids more than I have listened to any of the contestants.   Can't you just hear it ....wait....you are only 8 and 6 (or 9 and 7)....and you have so much control..... 

 

Lol, never mind.  Anyhow....see what you think.   A friend posted it on another site.

 

 

 

 

 

If I'm not supposed to do this, delete me please. 

[Noreaster]

I Tunes as of 1:00 pm EST Wednesday, 11/11/15

3. Halo: Jordan Smith (Adam)

6. In the Garden: Emily Ann Roberts (Blake)

17. I Drive Your Truck: Barrett Baber (Blake)

21. Brand New Girlfriend: Zach Seabaugh (Blake)

22. Songbird: Madi Davis (Pharrell)

31. Say You Love Me: Jeffrey Austin (Gwen)

37. Something in the Water: Celeste Betton (Pharrell)

41. The Way You Look Tonight: Amy Vachal (Adam)

42. Overjoyed: Evan McKeel (Pharrell)

61. Ex's and Oh's: Ellie Lawrence (Gwen)

66. Chandelier: Jordan Smith (Adam)

72. Lips of an Angel: Morgan Frazier (Blake)

74. One of Us: Ivonne Acero (Blake)

89. Set Fire to the Rain: Jordan Smith (Adam)

94. Everything I Own: Braiden Sunshine (Gwen)

97. What Do You Mean: Mark Hood (Pharrell)

99. Love Lockdown: Darius Scott (Pharrell)

114. Should've Been Us: Riley Biederer (Pharrell)

116. You're No Good: Shelby Brown (Adam)

124. All Around the World: Viktor Kiraly (Gwen)

126. Never Tear Us Apart: Blaine Mitchell (Adam)

136. Barton Hollow: Chance Pena (Adam)

151. Upside Down: Nadjah Nicole (Blake)

177. To Ben With You: Keith Semple (Adam)

185. A Sunday Kind of Love: Amy Vachal (Adam)

Wow. Viktor and Nadjah are lower than I thought. And Justin is this year's Sawyer. Doesn't matter what he sings, it will chart and stay there. America loves the quirky.

For Adam's and Gwen's teams, you have to look at the iTunes rankings from yesterday to compare apples to apples. Sales drop off considerably after the voting period ends.

I'll post later when I'm on a desktop.

[Adusk81]

Zach was awesome. Way to rock your chance and make it count. The complete opposite of what Nadja did which was a karaoke version of another overdone boring old ass song. Way to waste your chance. I'm convinced Blake brought her back just to fail. He's thinking his team is way too strong to mess with and he's mostly right. Celeste was annoying as hell. We get it you're into God and The Easter bunny and stuff. Next. Barrett is nails on a chalkboard annoying. I don't just mean his bad mumbly singing. He seems like an insufferable person. Everything is so intense. No dude, it's not. Calm down. Madi is great. She's doing just what she should be. She won't win but she is a gem for sure. Mark bugs big time. He's like Kassim but with mildly better singing ability. Darius, I fast forward through. I can't deal with that tool any more. Get a haircut. Riley I also fast forwarded through. She's toast and I don't see the point. Yvonne also isn't good. She just isn't. Emily Ann is being shoved down our throats for some reason and she's not bad but we get it. Morgan is way better. I wanna hear her do total eclipse of the heart. And Alone. Evan is hipster fodder.

Best for me in order

1. Jeffrey(btw, good for you for openly speaking about being gay)

2. Madi

3. Keith(although Blaine was better this week.)

4. Zach

5. Morgan

6.korin

Sadly most of them will probably be gone tonight.

[Padma]

Just saw the judges reactions to Zach. Not sure he's deserving of Elvis-comparison vocally, but he certainly has the looks and proved--out of the blue--that he has natural showmanship even at 17. That was an amazing performance, particularly because we've seen him a few times already (right? or was he montaged?) and he's never performed like that before.

 

Way to read a room!  I wonder if he'd planned that kind of surprise all along or if he just felt he needed something unique to get into the lives and put it all out there, even surprising his coach with his approach. I hope Blake meant it when he said, "You may have just bought yourself a ticket for moving on." Is there anyone else currently on these teams who has seemed so comfortable with performing? Some move around, but I don't remember feeling how entertaining it was. That was such a clever choice, too, fooling us into thinking it was a ballad, then going all out for fun--something the show desperately needs.

 

Adam really summed it up well--the amazement that this kid took all these risks and nailed it. So different from dull-as-dishwater Barrett. I really felt like I was watching a "star" out there.

 

I know Emily Ann has a lock on moving on, but it will be interesting to see what Blake does for the rest.

Edited November 11, 2015 by Padma

[Noreaster]

Itunes rankings as of 12pm voting close

 

Team Adam and Team Gwen
http://www.tvmediainsights.com/fun-stuff/the-voice-on-itunes-november-9-2015/
3      Jordan Smith “Halo”
25    Jeffery Austin “Say You Love Me”
29    Amy Vachal “The Way You Look Tonight”
43    Ellie Lawrence “Ex’s and Oh’s”
62    Braiden Sunshine “Everything I Own”
67    Shelby Brown “You’re No Good”
76    Blaine Mitchell “Never Tear Us Apart”
77    Viktor Karaly “All Around the World”
81    Chance Pena “Barten Hollow”
114   Keith Semple “To Be With You”
181   Korin Bukowski “Adia”

Edited November 11, 2015 by Noreaster

[Noreaster]

Itunes rankings as of 12pm voting close

 

Team Blake and Team Pharrell
http://www.tvmediainsights.com/fun-stuff/the-voice-on-itunes-november-10-2015/
6      Emily Ann Roberts “In the Garden”
17    Barrett Baber “I Drive Your Truck”
21    Zach Seabaugh “Brand New Girlfriend”
22    Madi Davis “Songbird”
36    Celeste Betton “Something in the Water”
41    Evan McKeel “Overjoyed”
72    Ivonne Acero “One of Us”
73    Morgan Frazier “Lips of an Angel”
95    Mark Hood “What Do You Mean?”
97    Darius Scott “Love Lockdown”
113   Riley Biederer “Should’ve Been Us”
150   Nadjah Nicole “Upside Down”

Edited November 11, 2015 by Noreaster