S10.E23: Live Top 9 Performances

[Tara Ariano]

Quote

The Top 9 artists perform.

[Valny]

I don't know why, but I thought it was so funny during Blake and Gwen's song, when the camera cuts to Christina, and she doing a little head bopping, but the look on her face didn't really seem like she was loving it(that's just how *I* read it)

Not a bad song... but could they turn to audience for a few seconds every now and then! Gwen looked a little swoony which was kind of sweet, Blake looked like he was trying to be cool about it. Hope those two crazy kids can make it work.

I was watching on and off,what did Alison sing for her first song? I though Crying could have been slowed down just a bit, but it was decent, although I am not crazy about the yelly parts

.... I'm not sure I like her rock n rolly side.

Edited May 10, 2016 by Valny

[Dots And Stripes]

32 minutes ago, Valny said:

 

I was watching on and off,what did Alison sing for her first song? I though Crying could have been slowed down just a bit, but it was decent, although I am not crazy about the yelly parts

.... I'm not sure I like her rock n rolly side.

We still have 8 bajillion artists left (ok, 9) and 2 guest performances. We're still at 1 performance per artist.

I did pay attention when they announced one of the performances. I thought it was dull and I decided to look that person up so I could not vote for them. It was Florida Georgia Line. Oops.

I liked Alisan's rock side! It was a nice change for her. I do think that song is a challenge on a competition because the guitars take over so much. They did a nice job cutting the song down for time without losing all the dynamics.

I don't get Laith. He reminds me of that guy with the long beard on Team Cee Lo during Casidee Pope's season. I didn't get that guy either.

[desertflower]

I swear when the judges were giving their feedback, the camera zoomed in tighter on Christina than it did for the guys. I think they were trying to minimize the boobage. 

Hannah, Pharell's lone team member, has grown on me. She got lost in the shuffle for me for most of the early weeks but I've grown to like her. 

Gwen and Blake are very cute but I wasn't super impressed with their song.

[sarkygal]

Hannah's performance was easily the best of the night followed by Laith, then Adam for me. I thought Alisan was shrieky and I missed Bryan's song entirely.  Shalyah was horrible and I wish she'd picked a different song. The runs were oddly placed and emphasized the wrong notes. Paxton was just meh. I can't remember anyone else.

Xtina was doing so well with the boobage until we got to the Top 10. It must suck for her that every other female coach who's sat in for her went on to top the charts and get multiple endorsements. Maybe the boobs don't work Xtina, and I say that as a fan of yours.

Edited May 10, 2016 by sarkygal

[Nedsdag]

If there was a singing competition god, after tonight's performances Hannah and Bryan would survive the red wedding blood bath next week and Mary Sarah (Gross) and yes I'm saying it, Alisan would go home (we all know Shalyah, Nick, and Paxton are DOA either this week or next week). Both delivered on their songs. 

I changed the channel just when Mama Screech (Alisan) was about to sing. When there was a commercial on what I wanted to watch, I turned back to TV. Sweet Yeezus was she shrilly and screechy! WTF? I did change the channel again right before the circle jerk began.

For some reason Blake looks extremely attractive when he dresses up. But his song with his boo, Gwen, was forgettable to say the least. Ditto Florida Georgia Line's "performance". The Swon Brothers sounded better during their time on The Voice and they're an opening act now. Christina's shady look during the performance was classic Aguilera. Plus, she's giving her plastic surgeon even more clients with her bought and paid for cleavage.

[Primetimer]

Well, almost everyone. Blake wins just by getting to be that close to Coach Gwen as she shows the Top 9 how it's (not) done.

View the full article

[roamyn]

Adam, Laith & Hannah were the only good ones tonight for me.

Bryan & Paxton were meh, and the rest can fight it out for the bottom.

[InfiniteMystery]

Got to give Paxton props for singing songs I would never imagine he'd do. Somehow, the song got better at the end. Still could see him end up Bottom 2.

I thought Mary Sarah's performance was her best of the lives. I liked how she was freer and more into it than usual and I love that song. It really fit her stylistically and vocally.

Seems they really want one of Team Blake to go as they put 2 of them first up. I would have had Nick go first. I thought he was awful to horrendous, painful. Couldn't watch. What was that top he was wearing? Bottom 2.

Shalyah I think will be great in a few years. I mean she has the raw potential.

Hannah has a beautiful voice. She's the anti-Alisan. All that said, I didn't care for this particular song or performance though it was not bad by any means. Just didn't seem to go anywhere to me.

Laith - unpopular opinion here - Just does nothing for me. I would rather hear the Swon Brothers sing Seeger and that's pretty bad. Behind the piano he sounds unremarkable, like any bar musician to me. Sure, he's a killer guitarist, but, I don't care for his voice.

Alisan. Holy crap! Just as the Steven Tyler Skittle commercials have me do, I dived over the couch to get the remote! But, before I could get it, that caterwauling mess blew out my eardrums. No light or shade. Stop yelling at me and go on Broadway if you want to overemote.

Bryan was ok. I've never been a huge fan, but he did fine. I don't know really; my eardrums were shattered from Alisan.

I love Adam's style, and that song, which is one I cringe when I hear, actually sounded good to me. Liked the soul and the heartfelt performance. Not his best, but, that's still excellent.

My faves tonight: Adam, Hannah, Mary Sarah

Bottom 2: Nick and ? maybe Paxton

Florida Georgia Line - sucked!

Blake and Gwen  - were adorable. There are some people who will still say it is a publicity stunt, even if they are 80 years old on the front porch swing surrounded by grandkids. That makes me laugh and think they are way too invested in other people's shit.

Edited May 10, 2016 by InfiniteMystery
forgot guests

[Padma]

Have to agree about Christina during the duet. Her head was bobbing and her face said, "When will it end?" Of course her face looked overly botoxed, but the lips could still move,if she wanted them to. (Btw, from the hair to the botox, she looked like a statue--and not in a good way. Talk about unnecessary "work" on a naturally pretty woman--at still such a young age! Crazy.)

Unlike Christina, I enjoyed Blake and Gwen's duet. True, I don't remember much about the song, but it--and they--put a smile on my face and it was livelier and more interesting than I expected--perfectly nice for what it was. (And, good news! It's not "Honeybee!")

Performances were all over the place. I watched the whole thing but somehow missed Paxton. Hannah was fine, but not a breakout. Nick? He was better than last week, but still should go this week or next. Alisan could be so good--with a different coach. Screeching and oversinging just don't work.

Adam was a little disappointing, but I'd keep him around. Laith got me feeling the familiar Bob Seeger song so--good for him and he should stay. Mary Sarah will probably get to open for someone famous and will peak there. I won't miss her either.

I've come to like Bryan more in recent weeks--a little surprised to see him emerge from the pack. Also, although I know Shalyah vocally wasn't perfect but I really believe she -does- understand and feel the songs she chooses even though they seem to require an emotional grasp beyond her years. I think she's naturally musical but also a very smart girl. She won't win, but I think she deserves a few more weeks.

My (cumulative) order would be: Laith, Bryan, Shalyah, Alisan, Hannah, Adam, Mary Sarah, Paxton,  Nick. 

[backformore]

I thought Laith was the most compelling.  I don't have two hours to watch, I record the show and then FF through a lot of the filler.   But Laith's performance made me stop and pay attention. 

Here's something that bugs me -  what is the point of the audience waving their arms in the air during a slow song?  It's distracting, unnatural, adds NOTHING.  I've never felt compelled to do that weird slow swaying my arms in the air when I hear a slow song, especially not trying to do it IN UNISON with other people. 

[InfiniteMystery]

iTunes at 2:18 am EST

3 Blake (& Gwen)

14 Adam Wakefield

17 Laith

19 Mary Sarah

23 Hannah

24 Bryan

29 Alisan

40 Shalyah

96 Paxton

132 Nick

[mortonsalt]

15 minutes ago, InfiniteMystery said:

iTunes at 2:18 am EST

3 Blake (& Gwen)

14 Adam Wakefield

17 Laith

19 Mary Sarah

23 Hannah

24 Bryan

29 Alisan

40 Shalyah

96 Paxton

132 Nick

Alisan's song will probably move up, but I thought she was terrible this week. Usually I think she's fine even if I do think she's been oversinging everything except for her audition and then last week, but it didn't even sound like she was singing this week just screaming and screeching. I'm sure she'll still win though unless Adam or Laith can surprise. 

[90PercentGravity]

I liked Leith. If I had iTunes is consider downloading that. 

Hannah can sure wear a jumpsuit. 

Bryan and Nick are the worse for me. I keep forgetting they exist.

[MaryPatShelby]

3 hours ago, 90PercentGravity said:

 

Hannah can sure wear a jumpsuit. 

But Alisan sure canNOT wear short shorts. IMO. But yet they put her in them nearly every week.

[roamyn]

45 minutes ago, MaryPatShelby said:

But Alisan sure canNOT wear short shorts. IMO. But yet they put her in them nearly every week.

She also can't help herself from screeching.

[Nedsdag]

1 hour ago, MaryPatShelby said:

But Alisan sure canNOT wear short shorts. IMO. But yet they put her in them nearly every week.

I guess she didn't receive the text from the year 1971 asking for their hot pants back.

I forgot to mention Adam tonight. To be honest, he's probably been the most consistent singer all season. I don't know where he'll fit in today's music world, but to me he's the favorite to win it all in two weeks. Yep, another WGWG winner. Or should I say another Blake winner instead?

ETA: By the way, what's with Adam and the hat every week? I'm making the assumption that he's receding, but that hasn't stopped Laith from being balding and bearded. Let what's left of your follicles breathe, dude!

Edited May 10, 2016 by Nedsdag
I want to see the top of Adam's head.

[Sammich]

Well, I will say that there isn't a clear front runner this season at all, which is nice.  Christina has a potential winner in Alisan, but she's messing that up by having her screech.  I heard enough of that with Jacquie Lee.  I hope Alisan will reign it in by next week because I'd like to see her win as a member of Christina's team.  

The only performance I really enjoyed was Adam's song.   I love Laith, but I didn't like that performance at all.  Mary Sarah and Hannah just bug me for some reason.  I'm hoping Nick is gone tonight, but it may be Paxton.  

If they drop to four next week, I'm not really sure who the top four will be at this point.  Adam, Laith and Alisan have been the most consistent by staying in the top 25 on iTunes each week.  Hannah, Mary Sarah and Bryan also have stayed near the top 40 each week.  The only problem with this information is that iTunes really hasn't been much of a barometer for who is likely to go through each week. 

I also think Adam has been the most consistent each week, and he could win.  He is my favorite, but I'd like to see a woman win, and I think Alisan has the best shot at winning.  She just needs to pick songs that showcase her voice. 

Edited May 10, 2016 by Sammich
additional info

[nextian]

Even when the performances are not that great I'm enjoying this season. I love that it still feels like 3 or 4 people have a chance to win. The last few seasons of predetermined winners has been boring to me, so even if I don't have a favorite I like the idea that I could still be surprised by the results. That being said, I think it's Nick and Paxton in the bottom two tonight. I would prefer Nick to go home, but Blake has never won a Twitter save. 

Blake and Gwen? I was ready to cringe, but while visually they still look like the weirdest couple ever, damn it that was adorable!

Oh and as a huge country music can I despise Florida Georgia Line!!!! They are awful and I have no earthly idea how they are so popular!!! Ugh! 

[DeLurker]

Didn't see all the show plus I was making an effort not to see Florida Georgia Line, so...but what I did see:

Laith - You did a good job, but everyone not named Bob Seger will always suffer in comparison.  Plus, the man had hella good hair, so again everyone suffers by comparison there.  And since the song clearly is not about ongoing love and support, it is questionable to dedicate it to your girlfriend for all her love and support.

Adam Levine - I hate your shirt.

Other Adam - Nice performance too.  But I would rethink that flesh colored shirt under the vest.  Too matchy-matchy with your hat and at first I thought you just had on a vest.

Alisan - You were screechy, but so is Steven Tyler on that song to me.  It probably is not a good choice to do a song by such an over the top performer.

General Observation - neither Laith nor Adam really made eye contact during their performance.  Adam did most of the song with his eyes closed.  I have heard them tell female performers to make eye contact every single time.

[jjjmoss]

I'm predicting Alisan, Laith, Adam, Bryan final four for now. 

[Bookworm13]

I-Tunes as of 11:45 am

 

9 Adam

10 Laith

13 Mary Sarah

19 Hannah

21 Bryan

25 Alisan

37 Shalyah

78 Paxton

113 Nick

123 Alisan(last week's song)

139 Laith(last week's song)

 

I liked Laith and Adam last night. I don't get the Hannah love, she's just not a memorable performer for me at all. Alisan, that was awful. Sometimes I think she and/or Christina think her voice is bigger than it really is, leading to lots of screeching. It also seemed like she was running out of breath super fast, IMO, and maybe she should have toned down the running around a bit. That being said, Juliet Simms' Cryin' remains one of my favorites on a singing show even though her voice wasn't 100% that night. I hope Paxton doesn't go home tonight because even though last night wasn't his best performance, he's still entertaining to me. The rest all just blend together and I couldn't even tell you what they sang. 

[JenFromCincy]

Adam and Laith were at the top for me.  I think it was Hannah's best performance and that she'll be safe, but I still don't see myself buying her music.  Alisan made my ears hurt...not exaggerating.  I had the volume turned up while I was getting ready in the other room, and I came back in and it was bad, bad, bad. Banshee is not becoming. 

Everyone else is a toss up for me.  I agree that it'll probably be Nick and Paxton in the bottom, but Paxton has had low ITunes chartings before and still not been put down in the bottom two, so maybe his fans use other methods of voting.  If it's not him, then it'll by Shalyah, in my opinion.  Adam's giving her music that she may think she connects to (ie: her grandma made her sing it) but that she can't touch emotionally without the life experience.  It's on him for not being honest about it.

I liked Blake & Gwen's duet better on the rewatch than on the first go.  It's no "Endless Love", but it wasn't bad either. 

[Ketzel]

I'm a fan of Adam W's but not a fan of that performance. "Love Has No Pride" is a very melodic song, and Adam seemed to have edited out all of the melody somehow .Not to mention the emotion.

I was totally wowed by Alison's performance of "Blue Bayou." How odd that she seems to have peaked in her blind audition! I hope she gets to sing at least one more measured ballad, where she can control the high notes and the runs, instead of a song like "Cryin'" It felt to me like being in the passenger seat of a driver going five times the speed limit, fish-tailing all over the road and cheering for her own mad skillz.

Had to add - Florida Georgia Line stunk up the place. Whoever was singing lead was flat the entire song.

Edited May 10, 2016 by Ketzel

[Shades of Scarlet]

Really subpar, almost awful episode.  These are the kinds of eps that make you wonder if the lives just simply drag on too long for everyone involved.  Except for Carson, Blake, Gwen, and Adam Levine, everyone seemed just sort of checked out.  OTOH, it's one episode closer to the (presumed) end of Pharrell and Aguilera on this show.  Yay!  ZOMG, talk about needing some new blood.  

Paxton was, I thought, pretty good for singing a record by such an amazingly talented singer.  He surprises me with how much vocal control he actually has.  Given the Blake Army of Voters, I wouldn't count on him landing n the bottom two this week.  

I thought Mary Sarah had a very low-energy, uninspiring performance that surprisingly, for her, included some dead-sounding notes.  As usual, she's less confident in the lower reg and much better in the upper.  Maybe it was the song choice, which I found repetitive and boring.  The band was also way too loud.  However, I'm sure she's in no danger.  

We liked Nick's take on the Drake song.  He sang well, he danced a bit, and he was really helped by an excellent arrangement and understated performance by the band.  We typically slide through all of the coaches' comments - they have just got to fix that banality going forward - but stopped to hear what Adam had to say because we thought he might have been into that.  Disappointingly, Adam didn't seem to be that into the performance (and actually has never seemed all that impressed with Nick).  Oh, well.  He's probably bottom 2 again.  

Shalyah performed well without screaming, I thought, but again - in what was a common theme for the week - the song choice was terrible and boring and repetitive.  Because I think Paxton will get dragged through by Blake voters and Mary Sarah is selling well, it would not surprise me at all if Shalyah faces off against Nick (or Paxton) in the TwitSave tonight.  

This had to be Hannah's worst performance of the season, mostly because PlantHat - who ironically has no reason to be distracted by other attentions - screwed up with the song choice (assuming he picked it).  It was simply the wrong song for her voice.  She looked great and performed well, though, and I'm glad she's charting well.  Just another awful song selection from a night chock full of them.  

Laith's number was - stop me if this sounds familiar - another misstep.  The guy has done a great job connecting with songs on guitar; if he "needs" to do anything at this point, it's move around a bit and bond with the audience on a song played without an instrument.  I realize that completely goes against his grain, but I think it would be a bold choice if the song selection is right.  Here, burying him behind a piano/keyboard (which, in a refreshing change, I believe he was actually playing) on one of Bob Seger's (far) less interesting tunes just didn't work.  He won't go home this week and obviously iTunes purchasers loved it, so I'm glad for him, but this performance didn't work for me.  I remember when he did "In Your Eyes" - that was fabulous and even though he had a guitar, he didn't need it.  He should try something similar next week.  I still expect him to be in the finale and am really glad - fingers crossed - that America is voting for a guy who is older than the norm and looks less like a "star" than most Voice contestants.

Adam's performance was completely interchangeable with his previous performances.  He's good; he just has a ceiling and hit it a while ago.  Like Laith, it would be nice to see him go out and move around in the audience.  Don't get me wrong - in both of their cases I've thoroughly enjoyed the top-tier displays of musicianship.  But I think both of them need to get out there, unencumbered, and just sing.  

Alisan's number was atrocious.  If she was the front-runner, she is no longer, having hit - as I suspected she would - the Aguilera Wall.  The last thing she needed was a song that (evidently) REQUIRED her to screech in her unreliable, reedy upper register.  Moreover, that song has too much going on instrumentally - including most notably the four-note, slightly dissonant guitar/horn break that repeats at unusual times - to be a singing showcase.  And upon checking the original music video just now - featuring a beautiful Alicia Silverstone and a cameo from a really young Josh Holloway - Steven Tyler did not scream the song at all, really, compared to what Alisan did with it; he sounded dramatically understated by comparison.  Granted, there's a difference between a studio performance and a live show, but the song just *did not call* for Alisan to subject us to that glass-shattering, dog-alarming screechfest.  Naturally, Coach Aguilera isn't going to rein that in, but geez.  This is why Alisan's not guaranteed a win, folks, and why Aguilera has never won before.     

Amusingly, if Aguilera does win it might well be with Bryan instead - he was great.  One of the saving graces of an otherwise terrible group of performances. 

FLA-GA Line: if you've ever driven over the actual geographic line between those two states, there's absolutely nothing distinctive about it no matter where you cross.  After you've done it once, you're not going to learn anything new by repeated crossings, even at different points.  This band's exactly the same.  

Blake and Gwen: Aw, they were adorable.  Gwen really delivered a very nice vocal, too, and on a country song no less.  I loved the cutaways to Aguilera, who looked like she'd rather be standing on hot coals somewhere than watching "Coach Gwen," as Carson called her, perform (and well).  And she really needs a breast reduction; it's beyond ridiculous at this point.

Not a fan of Adam L.'s shirt.   

I imagine Paxton and Nick will be the bottom two but I'm prepared for one of them to get voted through for Blake Reasons/Cute Kid & Cute Guy Reasons, in which case I imagine Shalyah will be the other contestant and will win the save.      

[Jolie]

I thought Alisan was screechy on "Blue Bayou", so last night was a painful screech-fest to my ears. The tone of her voice does nothing for me so I can't say if she's a good singer or not. I guess she can screech on key so there's that.

If I had to choose favorites last night, I guess it would be Adam, Laith, and Hannah.

[ChicksDigScars]

Holy crap. I turned down the volume on Alisan's screech fest, RIGHT AWAY during the rehearsal footage. And as my alarm went off this morning, the local radio guys were talking about Christina liking the "ones who can belt it out." Ummm. Yeah. Unfortunately. Subtle is not her strength. 

I would laugh my ass off if Alisan ended up screeching for her life tonight during the Twitter save. The Christina resting bitch face would be EPIC. But we know that will never happen.

Just glanced at I Tunes for the first time @ 1:30. 

2. Blake and Gwen. I just can't get into this pairing. The song seems like it will do well. It's peppy, even if the subject matter isn't. Country radio will play the beejezus out of it. 

9. Adam 

10. Laith

11. Mary Sarah

18. Hannah

21. Bryan

25. Screech...sorry, Alisan

37. Shalyah

79. Paxton

113. Nick

 

I'll have to help poor Paxton on that obnoxious Twitter save, I guess. He seems like such a nice kid. Is next week the semi-final mass exodus? Adam, Laith, and Alisan for the final.  Even though I'd rather see someone else besides Curly Sue make it. She was great at first, but the screeching has become too much. 

Edited May 10, 2016 by ChicksDigScars
format

[Padma]

51 minutes ago, Shades of Scarlet said:

Really subpar, almost awful episode.  These are the kinds of eps that make you wonder if the lives just simply drag on too long for everyone involved.  Except for Carson, Blake, Gwen, and Adam Levine, everyone seemed just sort of checked out.  OTOH, it's one episode closer to the (presumed) end of Pharrell and Aguilera on this show.  Yay!  ZOMG, talk about needing some new blood.  

Paxton was, I thought, pretty good for singing a record by such an amazingly talented singer.  He surprises me with how much vocal control he actually has.  Given the Blake Army of Voters, I wouldn't count on him landing n the bottom two this week.  

I thought Mary Sarah had a very low-energy, uninspiring performance that surprisingly, for her, included some dead-sounding notes.  As usual, she's less confident in the lower reg and much better in the upper.  Maybe it was the song choice, which I found repetitive and boring.  The band was also way too loud.  However, I'm sure she's in no danger.  

We liked Nick's take on the Drake song.  He sang well, he danced a bit, and he was really helped by an excellent arrangement and understated performance by the band.  We typically slide through all of the coaches' comments - they have just got to fix that banality going forward - but stopped to hear what Adam had to say because we thought he might have been into that.  Disappointingly, Adam didn't seem to be that into the performance (and actually has never seemed all that impressed with Nick).  Oh, well.  He's probably bottom 2 again.  

Shalyah performed well without screaming, I thought, but again - in what was a common theme for the week - the song choice was terrible and boring and repetitive.  Because I think Paxton will get dragged through by Blake voters and Mary Sarah is selling well, it would not surprise me at all if Shalyah faces off against Nick (or Paxton) in the TwitSave tonight.  

This had to be Hannah's worst performance of the season, mostly because PlantHat - who ironically has no reason to be distracted by other attentions - screwed up with the song choice (assuming he picked it).  It was simply the wrong song for her voice.  She looked great and performed well, though, and I'm glad she's charting well.  Just another awful song selection from a night chock full of them.  

Laith's number was - stop me if this sounds familiar - another misstep.  The guy has done a great job connecting with songs on guitar; if he "needs" to do anything at this point, it's move around a bit and bond with the audience on a song played without an instrument.  I realize that completely goes against his grain, but I think it would be a bold choice if the song selection is right.  Here, burying him behind a piano/keyboard (which, in a refreshing change, I believe he was actually playing) on one of Bob Seger's (far) less interesting tunes just didn't work.  He won't go home this week and obviously iTunes purchasers loved it, so I'm glad for him, but this performance didn't work for me.  I remember when he did "In Your Eyes" - that was fabulous and even though he had a guitar, he didn't need it.  He should try something similar next week.  I still expect him to be in the finale and am really glad - fingers crossed - that America is voting for a guy who is older than the norm and looks less like a "star" than most Voice contestants.

Adam's performance was completely interchangeable with his previous performances.  He's good; he just has a ceiling and hit it a while ago.  Like Laith, it would be nice to see him go out and move around in the audience.  Don't get me wrong - in both of their cases I've thoroughly enjoyed the top-tier displays of musicianship.  But I think both of them need to get out there, unencumbered, and just sing.  

Alisan's number was atrocious.  If she was the front-runner, she is no longer, having hit - as I suspected she would - the Aguilera Wall.  The last thing she needed was a song that (evidently) REQUIRED her to screech in her unreliable, reedy upper register.  Moreover, that song has too much going on instrumentally - including most notably the four-note, slightly dissonant guitar/horn break that repeats at unusual times - to be a singing showcase.  And upon checking the original music video just now - featuring a beautiful Alicia Silverstone and a cameo from a really young Josh Holloway - Steven Tyler did not scream the song at all, really, compared to what Alisan did with it; he sounded dramatically understated by comparison.  Granted, there's a difference between a studio performance and a live show, but the song just *did not call* for Alisan to subject us to that glass-shattering, dog-alarming screechfest.  Naturally, Coach Aguilera isn't going to rein that in, but geez.  This is why Alisan's not guaranteed a win, folks, and why Aguilera has never won before.     

Amusingly, if Aguilera does win it might well be with Bryan instead - he was great.  One of the saving graces of an otherwise terrible group of performances. 

"Dramatically understated". There's a phrase I wish I could use about Christina's coaching. I'm glad to come here and see people reacting the same way to Alisan's screeching and melodramatics that I do. Also, she's no longer a consistent frontrunner on Twitter which is interesting. Really, at this point, ITA with the post above that I could see anyone but Paxton and Nick pulling out a win at this point, if s/he had a string of great performances. In a way, that's refreshing after Jordan and Sawyer.

On the other hand, I think Alisan was a frontrunner from the beginning for a reason and has lost it for a reason (imo, Coach Christina.) I don't think it's a coincidence that Matthew Schulyer and Jacqui Lee blew out their voices and/or their confidence on her team and were eliminated before they should have been based on talent alone. I think Alisan's going the same route. I imagine if she did "Blue Bayou" today, it would eliminate any delicacy and do all the runs and oversinging that is routine for Alisan now.  Actually, at this point, I have a hard time seeing her as F1. She's got the ability, but it's just not pleasant to hear her and her singing makes me feel...nothing.

I think the winner will be someone more low key--Adam, Laith, even Shaliyah might, if she has a good song and tones it down. Maybe Xtina could still win with Bryan. But I think she's destroyed Alisan's "frontrunner mystique" and turned her into a belter who isn't really that special.

[viajero]

I didn't think this episode was as good as last week, mostly because three of the front-runners (Alisan, Laith and Adam) did not match last week's performances.

My two favorites of the night were Bryan and Hannah, both of whom I thought did very well. 

Putting Laith behind the piano did not work for me.  It just highlighted that he's nothing special vocally, particularly on that song as he's no Bob Seger. But at least Laith tried to change things up, unlike Adam who gave us another fairly forgettable competent paint by the numbers performance that sounded a lot like what he's done every week. 

As many have pointed out, that was a horrible song choice for Alisan.  She's no Juliet Sims and shouldn't try to be.  If they were going to give Cryin' to someone, maybe Hannah could have done something with it.  At least she wouldn't have sounded so shrill.

I thought both Shalyah and Mary Sarah were fairly good this week, though with some obvious weaknesses.  They both struggled with their lower register.  Shalyah only really got going about halfway through when she started putting some emotion into her performance (which is her strength).  Mary Sarah reminded me of a lot of these modern pop stars, who rely heavily on the backup singers to get them through. 

I could see what Paxton was trying to do, but I don't think he really pulled it off vocally.  Plus I don't think Blake gave him good advice in having him stand in one place for much of the performance.  Paxton's strength is when he moves around and hypes up the energy in the room.

Nick managed to avoid being overly pitchy, but once again proved he has the weakest voice of the bunch.  Plus, he really suffered in comparison to Christina Grimmie's version of that song from a few seasons ago.

Paxton and Nick should be in the bottom two, with Nick going home.  But we'll see what the voters have to say.

[simplyme]

4 hours ago, jjjmoss said:

I'm predicting Alisan, Laith, Adam, Bryan final four for now. 

I'd probably guess Adam, Laith, Alisan, and Mary Sarah as final four.  I could see Shalyah possibly sneaking in there over one of the women if she sings the right songs and sells them.  I just don't think Bryan has the support from the Voice demographics to get there, but I've sure been wrong before.

[DarkRaichu]

What underwhelming performances (I only watch the clips on Youtube, sans the comments & training packages)

- Blake + Gwen = meh.  I like Blake, but IMHO Blake sang in lower key for this song which did not work for me

- Shalyah: the key was too high maybe? too much screeching for my taste

- Hannah: Like her performance.  IMHO this song fit her better than last week

- Nick: look at the ratio of thumbs down vs up on Youtube, nuff said

- Paxton: interesting performance.  He does not have the best voice but I Iike watching him

- Mary Sarah: the opposite of Paxton.  Good voice but her performance bored me, and I like country songs

- Bryan: ok, not as good as last week, just ok

- Alisan: IMHO Cryin' should have started softer on the verse and built up to the chorus.  If 10 was max, she started at 9.5 and screeched her way to 11.  I knew she could have done better.

- Adam: Great performance. Can't complain.  Easily Pharell's 2nd favorite singer this season HA! :D

- Laith: look who decided to confuse some people by playing keyboard like Adam (j/k). Good as usual, maybe the key was 1/2 note too high? It was a matter of preference really

Edited May 10, 2016 by DarkRaichu

[klarsonovsky]

Quote

But Alisan sure canNOT wear short shorts. IMO. But yet they put her in them nearly every week.

Really? I think she rocks them. It isn't easy for a short girl to look leggy, or for a 30-something mom to look sexy but not as if she;s trying too hard to be a teenager, and I think Allisan (or however you spell it) does a great job of toeing that line.

Agree with many here that her song choice-- again-- sucked, but I don't agree with the "screeching" comments. I heard an incredibly well-controlled voice that was far and away less screechy than any other version I've heard of this song, including Steven Tyler's. Don't expect it to sell on iTunes, but expect her to stay. If--IF-- she and Christina can stick to nuanced ballads from now on, she probably has this in the bag.

Adam is great. He's on Team Blake. Expect him to make finals with a fair chance to win. Like him, but... don't really want another Blake country guy, to be honest.

Leith is probably my pick to win now that my favorites (as always) are gone. I have always personally interpreted the show's title to be about having a unique, interesting and compelling Voice as opposed to a generic but technically excellent one. Sawyer was probably the only winner so far that really embodied that (although the finals and semis have at least produced a few over the years). I don't vote, but if I did Leith would be the one I'd vote for.

Don't know how many will be left after next week-- based on comments here I gather they are cutting one tonight and then making a huge cut again next week? I think we can agree that Shaylah, Nick and Paxton are most likely to face elimination tonight, and none are likely to survive the "bloodbath". Shaylah has a great voice, but it is pretty much always qualified with "...for her age". Adorable, and hope she's proud to have made it this far. Ditto Paxton; he's a sweetheart, but his genre of choice is a puzzler. We just had a winner who specialized in guy-singing-diva-songs.  And his best performance was "Break Every Chain", which I guess is technically gospel but sounded to me more anthemic and more modern than anything else he's done (Couldn't you just hear that playing over credits of whatever currently-in-production Black Lives Matter movie is most likely to be nominated for an Oscar?)  And Nick? He does a servicable job in a very specific genre-- is actually very good compared to some of the originals-- but is just too blandly appealing for me to get behind. Plus there is no way the older demo who determine the winners on this show are going to keep voting for a guy who does Nick Jonas songs.

Which leaves the wild cards. Mary Sarah I think will stay, and may very well make finals. I'm not a country fan, but she seems very popular in that demo and has a legitamately great voice. Personally, I thought last night was her best song choice-- she was more charismatic than we'd yet seen.

Bryan and Hannah are both good. They have little chance to win, or even upset any of the 4 front runners, but good luck to them both. Should, and probably will, survive another week.

How many will be left after next week?

[filmfan2480]

5 hours ago, Ketzel said:

I'm a fan of Adam W's but not a fan of that performance. "Love Has No Pride" is a very melodic song, and Adam seemed to have edited out all of the melody somehow .Not to mention the emotion.

I was totally wowed by Alison's performance of "Blue Bayou." How odd that she seems to have peaked in her blind audition! I hope she gets to sing at least one more measured ballad, where she can control the high notes and the runs, instead of a song like "Cryin'" It felt to me like being in the passenger seat of a driver going five times the speed limit, fish-tailing all over the road and cheering for her own mad skillz.

Had to add - Florida Georgia Line stunk up the place. Whoever was singing lead was flat the entire song.

Many people peak in their blind audition. Mary Sarah did, too. Her "Where the Boys Are" blew me away.

[TheGreenKnight]

3 hours ago, klarsonovsky said:

Really? I think she rocks them. It isn't easy for a short girl to look leggy, or for a 30-something mom to look sexy but not as if she;s trying too hard to be a teenager, and I think Allisan (or however you spell it) does a great job of toeing that line.

Agree with many here that her song choice-- again-- sucked, but I don't agree with the "screeching" comments. I heard an incredibly well-controlled voice that was far and away less screechy than any other version I've heard of this song, including Steven Tyler's. Don't expect it to sell on iTunes, but expect her to stay. If--IF-- she and Christina can stick to nuanced ballads from now on, she probably has this in the bag.

I agree. I've seen her screech before, but not at all last night. I think people start to repeat themselves with contestants they don't like. I actually thought she delivered a decent version of the song. I don't watch until the top 12 or whatever it is, and this performance and last week's are the only ones I've liked by her. I'm not a fan, but I'd be happy if she won the season--especially since it would mean Christina finally got the win.

I normally like Adam, but that was just lifeless. I normally can't bear Laith, but he did decent this week. Whoever did Jessie Ware's "SYLM" sounded good to begin with (because the song was seriously altered), but she went to tatters around the bridge and started to scream because she doesn't have the range for the song.

I can't take the little girl. She was awful the past two weeks, and as soon as I saw she was singing something overdone like "A Change Gonna Come," I wanted to blow up the TV.

[Dots And Stripes]

Didn't Adam sell Shalyah last week by saying she would perform "No More Drama?" Did he use that line before clearing the song? i feel like he should have to explain that one.

[roamyn]

Shaylah wanted to sing 'A Change' in honor of her grandmother, who came to last night's show.

[viajero]

They may be saving "No More Drama" for next week, when it really counts.

[bluepiano]

On ‎5‎/‎10‎/‎2016 at 6:02 AM, Nedsdag said:

I guess she didn't receive the text from the year 1971 asking for their hot pants back.

But you don't understand. Alisan is wearing short shorts for Moms everywhere, proving to them that they can also wear something age inappropriate. Pleeeze, enough of the Motherhood pimping for Alisan. She probably doesn't need it.

I agree with an earlier poster that she peaked in the Blinds. If she'd chosen a different coach maybe we wouldn't have the weekly screech fest. (I wonder if Christina is also encouraging the wardrobe choices).

I'm totally digging Adam. When I was listening to his "Love Has No Pride" I was thinking, that's how Ray Charles would've arranged it. Which is a huge compliment. He's a really talented musician, and for me light years better than Craig Wayne Boyd, who some people have compared him to. If he doesn't win I guess my second choice would be Hannah, mostly because it would be a hoot to see such an underdog triumph. Third choice would be Laith, as a symbolic victory for journeyman bar band musicians everywhere.

Not a surprise to hear Laith doing Bob Seger, as he's from Michigan, and Seger is the patron saint of Michigan rockers. And one that people can still take pride in, unlike Ted Nugent.

Edited May 11, 2016 by bluepiano

[azshadowwalker]

I quit watching this show on a regular basis a few years ago. I just can't stand Adam or Blake. Have dropped in a few times this season, and remembered why I left. Seriously, nothing was worse than fucking Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani. This show had so much promise... 

[viajero]

3 hours ago, bluepiano said:

But you don't understand. Alisan is wearing short shorts for Moms everywhere, proving to them that they can also wear something age inappropriate. Pleeeze, enough of the Motherhood pimping for Alisan. She probably doesn't need it.

I agree with an earlier poster that she peaked in the Blinds. If she'd chosen a different coach maybe we wouldn't have the weekly screech fest. (I wonder if Christina is also encouraging the wardrobe choices).

 

I don't find Alisan's shorts all that inappropriate.  But maybe that's because I live in the tropics and many 30 something women around here might wear something not that dissimilar depending on the occasion, particularly if they have good legs.  But this show does have a tendency to grab on to some specific story-line for each contestant and then repeat it over and over. 

I also don't agree that she peaked in the Blind Audition, mainly because I was not that big of a fan of Blue Bayou.  My favorite performances of hers were The River (Knockout Round) and Let Him Fly (Top 10).  I see her trajectory as being more up and down. 

[Gel]

The one big difference to me between the pros and the contestants: enunciation. 

[ToxicUnicorn]

This season, it seems like there were a group of talented people who have either maxed out (Mary Sarah, Adam, Alisan), a couple people who are still growing but I don't think are good enough to win at this point (Shalyah, Laith, Nick), two lovely people who are pretty consistent and probably worthy winners, but not memorable (Paxton, Bryan), and Hannah, who is an oddball but really engaging.  I guess I'm rooting for Hannah.

Mary Sarah and Shalyah are too inconsistent in their pitch for me to accept as The Voice.  It's too bad, because I like both of their voices and I love Shalyah's passion.  Adam sounds good but doesn't have the charisma.  Alisan - I actually think a lot of her over the top "rocking out" is her idea.  (This may be wishful thinking.)  I am probably reading way too much into the little clips that they're showing, but Christina does not seem to be directing Alisan in the coaching sections.  For the most part, Christina is talking about how Alisan is a special person and a mom.  If Alisan would tone down her singing and they would quit pushing the arc of "mom goes for her dreams", I could get back on the Alisan train . Don't think it will happen, though.

Laith has the most appealing personality of all of them, but I think he is very limited vocally, and I hate Pete Seger.  There, I said it.  Paxton is cute but strikes me as so young.  Bryan is a sleeper.  I would like to hear him with Beyonce.  I kept forgetting him at the beginning, but he and Hannah may be the only people who are on a growth trajectory that I can see going beyond the show.

As of this week, I like a top 4 of Hannah, Bryan, Alisan and Adam.