S10.E26: Live Semi-Final Results

[Tara Ariano]

Quote

America votes for top artists to advance in a semifinal-round results installment. Guest performers include Alicia Keys and OneRepublic.

[MaryM47]

Just mentioned to my husband that 4 people were being kicked off tonight. His response: The ones in the chairs?

[jjjmoss]

All 4 coaches in the finals. Producers probably happy about that.

[adhoc]

Pleasantly surprised at the top 4! The right 4 made it, IMHO.

But for eff's sake, why do they have to wait until the last second to announce the 4th finalist? No chance to say a proper final good-bye to the other two who had to participate in the sing-off. Hate that.

[PepperMonkey]

I'm at work guys!! And won't have a chance to watch before tomorrow!! Who are the four? :)

[Sammich]

Happy with the top 4 and the fact all four coaches are in the final. Bothered that Laith didn't acknowledge his fellow contestants when he was put through for the sing off and then for the Twitter save. 

[simplyme]

Wow.  Apparently Mary Sarah didn't learn anything from the first time she chose a Carrie Underwood song.  You know, like, "Don't."

[jjjmoss]

Week by week on iTunescharts.net:

2 Adam, 4 Alisan, 7 Hannah, 12 Laith

15 Adam, 16 Laith, 20 Hannah, 30 Alisan

7 Alisan, 14 Laith, 19 Adam, 27 Hannah

30 Laith, 32 Alisan, 34 Adam, 36 Hannah

8 Adam, 9 Alisan, 47 Hannah, 51 Laith

13 Alisan, 35 Adam, 37 Laith, 54 Hannah

Average position within the quartet: Adam 1.8th, Alisan 2nd, Laith 2.7th, Hannah 3.5th

Average peak: Alisan 16th, Adam 19th, Laith 27th, Hannah 32nd

[Dots And Stripes]

3 minutes ago, PepperMonkey said:

I'm at work guys!! And won't have a chance to watch before tomorrow!! Who are the four? :)

Adam, Alisan, Hannah, and Laith was the twitter save.

Why oh why does Adam's artist always have to go last for the save? Can't the the producers alternate? Is it really that difficult to mix things up? 

Laith probably was going to get through no matter what. It wasn't really all that close. I actually think Bryan going was the best thing for Christina. She needs to focus on Alisan. Looks like the show is going to help her a bit with the whole "first woman to win" thing. Because I like Christina (and Alisan) I'm fine with that.

[simplyme]

5 minutes ago, PepperMonkey said:

I'm at work guys!! And won't have a chance to watch before tomorrow!! Who are the four? :)

Adam, Alisan, and Hannah were put through on votes.

Mary Sarah, Bryan, and Laith sang for the Twitter save, and Laith won.

So final four: Adam, Alisan, Hannah, and Laith.

[TiredMe]

I happy with these four. I'll miss my little Paxson who I adored but it was his time. I'd like to see Alison win. 

[PhD-Purgatory15]

Laith getting the twitter save over Mary Sarah isn't quite as surprising as Hannah having the votes+Itunes multiplier to finish 3rd. I'm assuming.

Edited May 18, 2016 by PhD-Purgatory15

[Valny]

8 minutes ago, adhoc said:

Pleasantly surprised at the top 4! The right 4 made it, IMHO.

But for eff's sake, why do they have to wait until the last second to announce the 4th finalist? No chance to say a proper final good-bye to the other two who had to participate in the sing-off. Hate that.

I know! I hate that we don't get to see the coaches go up to them at the end.

I was hoping for Bryan or Mary Sarah to be the fourth, but it was pretty evident as soon as they first showed the Twitter results no way those two were catching Laith. 
Mary S performance, except for one big note, was lacking, so I feared for her right away. Bryan was better, even though I was not familiar with the song.

I think Laith sealed it with his awesome guitar playing and his more upbeat version of that song.It was solid.

Was kind of surprised Hannah made it in the first three.

[Dots And Stripes]

1 minute ago, TiredMe said:

I happy with these four. I'll miss my little Paxson who I adored but it was his time. I'd like to see Alison win. 

I liked Paxton too. He had a few performances where he showed his voice surprised me. Good for him.

Shalya is talented but I think she hit her limit. While I think she would have loved the experience of the finale, it was probably best for her to rest her voice. No sense in risking permanent damage for one more week if you aren't going to win. Her voice has sounded strained for the past few weeks.

[simplyme]

6 minutes ago, PhD-Purgatory15 said:

Laith getting the twitter save over Mary Sarah isn't quite as surprising as Hannah having the votes+Itunes multiplier to finish 3rd. I'm assuming.

I blame the preschooler voting bloc. ;)

[InfiniteMystery]

Spoiler

 

Laith seemed to care only about Adam and Pharrell, not his fellow singers. I know I'm missing something with him since I do appreciate his guitar playing, but, he still seems like a good cover/bar band singer to me and, if I want to listen to Hendrix, I'm surely listening to the Hendrix cover of Dylan, not his. He also would bug me if I were in that said bar. Not a fan of his voice.

Also, curious as to where Alisan fits in current music, though I could definitely see her on Broadway. I wouldn't buy her music though I do understand others don't feel the same. It's her tone that bugs me.

I wouldn't mind if Hannah won. I think she's fresh and has an interesting and original take on songs and would like to hear more from her. 

My preference is, and has always been, Adam, from day one. His would be the type of music I love and I feel he's an extremely accomplished vocalist and musician. I'm fairly sure it will be between him and Alisan.

Welp, at least each coach is still in it.

Edited May 18, 2016 by InfiniteMystery

[Valny]

20 minutes ago, PepperMonkey said:

I'm at work guys!! And won't have a chance to watch before tomorrow!! Who are the four? :)

Adam, Alisan,Hannah and Laith with the Twitter save.

[Padma]

Nice job, "America"!  Adam, Alisan, Laith and Hannah are all deserving and have the makings of a great finale. Also, Hannah's come a long way--much more so than Mary Sarah who, apart from her audition, has remained very average to me (and I'm not a fan of Carrie's songs, so there's that, too). Great that every team is represented with a choice who really deserves one last showcase as F4, if not the actual win. Also, Hannah represents the spirit of the show more than Mary Sarah does, as she already has had many opportunities and connections--and undoubtedly will have them again. Nice to see Alisan and Laith, "older" artists getting a career boost, too. And Adam's obviously shyer than you'd think on first seeing/hearing him. This show's been good for him, too.

Very satisfying F4. And, while it really doesn't matter much at all, I do kind of hope that Xtina gets the first women's win. Alisan would not be a "gimme" vote--it would be earned--and would be nice to see (1) a woman win and (2) a female coach win for a change, too, esp. Xtina who's been there from S1.

[Noreaster]

If you liked Laith's twitter-save performance of "All Along the Watchtower", google for his past performances of this song. The first result I got was a 10-minute guitar-heavy version.  Pretty freaking great if you like his style of music.  

[roamyn]

Why should Laith have to acknowledge his fellow contestants?  I don't recall them acknowledging the other?

[Jextella]

I guess technically Hannah earned her spot but man.  I would have much rather seen Bryan as the 4th.  He brings the personal touch more than any other artist, IMO.

I agree that Alisan would be amazing on Broadway, but I also think she has the voice to maybe do something original in pop music - or if nothing else, revive some of the 70's music she's been singing but with a new style, e.g. Linda Rondstadt, the Eagles, etc.  She's a throwback to that genre.  It's my favorite time period musically so I really like here.

As painful as it is, I agree too that Bryan's departure makes Alisan's/Christina's paths more clear, but I would not be surprised if Adam or Laith take it.  They are very good.

I'm never quite sure how I feel about Adam.  I like him on the show but he seems a little dictatorial as a coach which I don't care for.  But, I have to give him (and Pharrell) credit for supporting the non-Mary-Sarah's of the world in terms of age and looks. 

Speaking of Mary Sarah....I'm sure she's a nice person 'n all but she has a cutsie face she makes that drives me crazy and her voice is overrated (relative to the others).  I'm glad she didn't make it to the final 4.  She was hard to watch.

[Shades of Scarlet]

1 hour ago, Dots And Stripes said:

Adam, Alisan, Hannah, and Laith was the twitter save.

Why oh why does Adam's artist always have to go last for the save? Can't the the producers alternate? Is it really that difficult to mix things up? 

I believe it's in The Voice's rules that the TwitSave singers go in order of their coach's chair from left to right viewed from the back, so Adam's singers will always perform last.  No idea (i) how they break ties between two singers from the same team, (ii) how this got to be a Voice rule, or (iii) why The Voice has a rule for this and seemingly no other aspect of any phase of the competition.  

IIRC you dislike Adam intensely so I'll stay out of the implication of some conspiracy theory designed to promote Adam's singers. 

[Dots And Stripes]

20 minutes ago, Shades of Scarlet said:

I believe it's in The Voice's rules that the TwitSave singers go in order of their coach's chair from left to right viewed from the back, so Adam's singers will always perform last.  No idea (i) how they break ties between two singers from the same team, (ii) how this got to be a Voice rule, or (iii) why The Voice has a rule for this and seemingly no other aspect of any phase of the competition.  

IIRC you dislike Adam intensely so I'll stay out of the implication of some conspiracy theory designed to promote Adam's singers. 

Yes, I am aware they go in order of the chairs. Yes, I dislike Adam as a sport. No, I do not believe it is a conspiracy designed to promote Adam's singers. I think it is a pointless and weirdly unexplained rule that has the effect of helping Adam. 

[Primetimer]

America gets half the vote right, as four semi-talented semi-finalists get sent home, and four marginally more talented finalists luck out.

View the full article

[Shades of Scarlet]

7 minutes ago, Dots And Stripes said:

Yes, I am aware they go in order of the chairs. Yes, I dislike Adam as a sport. No, I do not believe it is a conspiracy designed to promote Adam's singers. I think it is a pointless and weirdly unexplained rule that has the effect of helping Adam. 

 

I see.  It was a little difficult to recognize, in the midst of the usual anti-Adam bit, that you were aware of the rule and were actually suggesting that the rule be modified.  If alternating from show to show so that the chair order is reversed for each TwitSave would cut down on Pro-Adam Conspiracy Theories, I'd be all in favor for that reason alone.  But in fairness to Adam and his team members, the fact that he has less time to make his coach's save decision (pre-lives) than anyone else after PlantHat babbles on for way longer than his allotted time, etc. (thankfully not a future problem) should be addressed as well. 

[Court]

I happy with these four. I'll miss my little Paxson who I adored but it was his time. I'd like to see Alison win. 

I adored Paxton too! I mean I know he wasn't going to make it but I love him!

[Court]

Laith getting the twitter save over Mary Sarah isn't quite as surprising as Hannah having the votes+Itunes multiplier to finish 3rd. I'm assuming.

Agreed. I'm really surprised she made it through. My mom is convinced it was fixed.

[Padma]

I was surprised to read Adam W's tweet (later deleted) during the save, urging people to save Mary Sarah and Bryan because they deserved it. (No mention of Laith). I guess it's understandable to tweet support for your friends, but it seems like it could also backfire, making Adam W. less sympathetic, esp. as, unlike the other two, Laith is a bit in Adam's own lane. 

[PhD-Purgatory15]

It may have come down to a very small number of votes for her to stay ahead of Laith. Going last certainly couldn't of hurt her. But other than that I don't have much in the way of a grand theory as to why she made the top 3. Her well known song trumped Laith's lesser known Adele effort?

After finally breaking down and listening to that Angel from Montgomery duet with Adam, I think Alisan would be smart to explore Nashville, and a Country sound w/ heavy Soul and Blues influences for her post-show direction. Something in the realm of Maren Morris or Margo Price....or even Brandi Clark. Definitely wouldn't hurt to see if Blake could help open some doors moving forward too.

Adam's tweet was interesting. Had it just been MS then his only crime would've been as a Team Blake homer. But throwing Bryan in makes me think he was thinking strategically. Even if Laith and him share a voting bloc, Alisan and Hannah kind of do too so I'm not sure any one of four really benefits from having a "lane" all to themselves next week...

Edited May 18, 2016 by PhD-Purgatory15

[InfiniteMystery]

25 minutes ago, Padma said:

I was surprised to read Adam W's tweet (later deleted) during the save, urging people to save Mary Sarah and Bryan because they deserved it. (No mention of Laith). I guess it's understandable to tweet support for your friends, but it seems like it could also backfire, making Adam W. less sympathetic, esp. as, unlike the other two, Laith is a bit in Adam's own lane. 

That's interesting because Alisan tweeted to save Mary Sarah and Bryan too because Mary deserved it. Hmm...does that make Alisan less sympathetic because she didn't include Laith?

Edited May 18, 2016 by InfiniteMystery

[Morgan of Hed]

I'm ok with this top 4 although I would have preferred Shalyah to Alisan: if I'm going to get yelled at, may as well be the one who's young enough to have an excuse for it. 

Edited May 18, 2016 by Morgan of Hed

[Nedsdag]

Had to tape the show due to a concert I attended (actual talent). I am ecstatic that Hannah made it to the finals. Now can Pharrell come up with a song that fits her talent? This is The Voice, not the talent competition of the Miss America pageant. Regardless, I hope she can finish third.

So, it'll be between the poor man's Chris Stapleton vs. Linda Screechstadt for the final? I gotta go with Chris 2.0 on this one.

[bluepiano]

I think Laith won the save based on overall performance, which mostly means his guitar playing. He did not one but TWO solos, which I've never seen by any other contestant playing an instrument. My guess is that Adam pushed for that, knowing the guitar was Laith's ace in the hole.

In a way it's really unfair to the other competitors, who are not playing an instrument. Backing your vocal on guitar or piano is one thing, but the guitar being that out front is an unfair advantage. If he were on "America's Got Talent" I would say that he should be judged on the whole talent package, but on The Voice it should be 90% about the singing, not 50% - 50% voice and instrument.

Additionally, I agree with Infinite Mystery that his version of "All Along the Watchtower" was a straight copy of Hendrix, and no better than what I could hear an average guitarist/singer do at my local blues bar.

Blake telling Mary Sarah that he was planning to launch her career was a pretty damn good consolation prize for not making the finals. That's why almost every country singer picks Blake in the blinds.

I was surprised but glad that Hannah made the finals, coming in third in the voting. (almost certainly). I like a good underdog story. In a way she's already won the show, having come into this experience without any expectations. I've really enjoyed her genuinely surprised and grateful reactions each time she makes it to another round.

Edited May 18, 2016 by bluepiano

[Bookworm13]

Aside from season 1 when TPTB made it happen, have there been many(any?) other seasons where all 4 coaches were represented in the finale? I'm kinda happy it happened this way, as I had gotten tired of Team Blake plus one finales. 

Edited May 18, 2016 by Bookworm13

[Noreaster]

9 hours ago, Shades of Scarlet said:

I believe it's in The Voice's rules that the TwitSave singers go in order of their coach's chair from left to right viewed from the back, so Adam's singers will always perform last.  No idea (i) how they break ties between two singers from the same team, (ii) how this got to be a Voice rule, or (iii) why The Voice has a rule for this and seemingly no other aspect of any phase of the competition.  

IIRC you dislike Adam intensely so I'll stay out of the implication of some conspiracy theory designed to promote Adam's singers. 

Heh, the performance order "advantage" only comes up when it seems to benefit Adam's team.  Never mind that there have been quite a few instances where the last person performing didn't win (including a few times this season).    

4 hours ago, bluepiano said:

I think Laith won the save based on overall performance, which mostly means his guitar playing. He did not one but TWO solos, which I've never seen by any other contestant playing an instrument. My guess is that Adam pushed for that, knowing the guitar was Laith's ace in the hole.

In a way it's really unfair to the other competitors, who are not playing an instrument. Backing your vocal on guitar or piano is one thing, but the guitar being that out front is an unfair advantage. If he were on "America's Got Talent" I would say that he should be judged on the whole talent package, but on The Voice it should be 90% about the singing, not 50% - 50% voice and instrument.

Additionally, I agree with Infinite Mystery that his version of "All Along the Watchtower" was a straight copy of Hendrix, and no better than what I could hear an average guitarist/singer do at my local blues bar.

Blake telling Mary Sarah that he was planning to launch her career was a pretty damn good consolation prize for not making the finals. That's why almost every country singer picks Blake in the blinds.

I thought that Laith had the best twitter-save performance out of the three.  Mary Sarah's was very problematic and Bryan's also had a couple of issues.  But if I were to guess, it's the style of music that most swayed voters.  

Laith's guitar playing might be average (I think it's a bit better than that), but the talent overall on the show nowadays has been kind of average.  Average karaoke, average coffee shop singer-songwriter, average subway busking.  

It's cool that Blake said that but his influence might not really mean much these days.  The contestants already got the exposure on the show and well, we still haven't heard anything from his team members since the season 4 ones.  

Edited May 18, 2016 by Noreaster

[Kendra143]

I was put off by Mary Sarah's yammering about "her fans." This was the time to thank your coach and talk about what you learned from the experience. Guess you learned you have fans?? To me she is just another blonde cookie cutter wannabe country singer. . Not enough chops to be a Carrie or Miranda or even God forbid RaeLynn.

[desertflower]

5 hours ago, bluepiano said:

I think Laith won the save based on overall performance, which mostly means his guitar playing. He did not one but TWO solos, which I've never seen by any other contestant playing an instrument. My guess is that Adam pushed for that, knowing the guitar was Laith's ace in the hole.

In a way it's really unfair to the other competitors, who are not playing an instrument. Backing your vocal on guitar or piano is one thing, but the guitar being that out front is an unfair advantage. If he were on "America's Got Talent" I would say that he should be judged on the whole talent package, but on The Voice it should be 90% about the singing, not 50% - 50% voice and instrument.

 

Agreed! I enjoyed Laith's performance and thought he did better than the other two, but the guitar shouldn't really be factored in to the judging, since it's called, you know, The VOICE.  Adam W. sounds great playing guitar and piano, but his voice also easily stands on its own. I am glad Laith got a boost on his old album sales because he seems to work really hard touring, but I don't think he should win the show. 

[Noreaster]

Ehh, many people don't vote just based on the voice anyway.  Mary Sarah's twitter-save performance was pretty bad yet she got more votes than Bryan.  There have been weeks where the contestants flat-out suck (like forgetting words) yet the votes have been close.  The show is called "The Voice" but people actually take other factors into account.  

[TheGreenKnight]

Adam and Alisan are the only two I've liked this season (and that's not to say I like them a great deal), so I'm glad they're in the top 4. I'm sure Adam will win. Country, white guy, on Blake's team. Check, check, and check.

Too bad Bryan couldn't have made the finale over Laith or Hannah. I have no idea why Adam gets to go last all the time; it would make more sense to pick their order out of a bag. The consolation is Mary Sarah, Shalyah, and Paxton are finally gone.

[Shades of Scarlet]

Laith blew Mary Sarah and Bryan away, guitar or no guitar, and looked like he was getting a majority of the votes, not just a plurality.  But he was only saved because he performed a few minutes after the others?  Intriguing.  Also a generally interesting theory since the last person to perform has less time in which to garner performance-dependent tweets.  Oh, well; as a Team Adam fan I guess I need to be delighted that the show thankfully builds in this huge advantage for his singers.  What a break!  

[Noreaster]

My theory on the twitter-save performance order is that it's simply easier to execute when you have a process in place. When the results are announced, everyone knows exactly how it's going to play out. It's the order in which the contestants are standing.  Makes it easier on the contestants, the band, the coaches, the viewers, etc.  

Anyway, I think people overestimate the impact of performance order in a twitter-save. The performances take place over a very short period of time.  I wouldn't be surprised however if there is a Team Adam advantage in twitter voting based on demographics. That is, the people more likely to twitter vote might also be the ones who generally favor Adam's contestants (due to genre, musical style, or maybe they just tend to be Adam fans)  Just a thought.  

[TheGreenKnight]

I think it's likely Laith would've won anyway, but it's not like he needed the advantage. I just glanced at Wikipedia to look at the results since the Instant Save began, and wrote it out here:

Season 5

Week 2-3 – The performance order wasn’t listed. Cee-Lo had two contestants in the bottom three together both weeks and one member was saved (not sure if they performed last or the other person).

Week 4 – Last

Week 5 – Last (Adam’s Team)

 

Season 6

Week 1 – Last

Week 2 – Last (Adam’s Team)

Week 3 – Second to Last (Adam’s Team)

Week 4 – Last (Adam’s Team)

 

Season 7

Week 2 – Last

Week 3 – Last

Week 4 – Last (Adam’s Team)

 

Season 8

Week 2 – Last (Adam’s Team)

Week 3 – Last (Adam’s Team)

Week 4 – Last

Week 5 – Not Last (Both contestants were from Christina’s team; no Adam contestants present.)

Week 6 – Last

 

Season 9

Week 2 – Last (Adam's Team)

Week 3 – Not Last (Pharrell’s contestant beat Adam’s contestant.)

Week 4 – Not Last (No Adam contestants present.)

Week 5 – Not Last (No Adam contestants present.)

Week 6 – Last (Adam’s Team)

 

Not including the first two weeks where the performance order was unclear, the last person has won 14 times out of 19. Only 5 times has someone who didn't perform last won out of 19, and two of those were because the contestants competing were from the same team. Adam's only lost the Instant Save once out of 10 and that was this season to Pharrell. Never has someone who performed first among a bottom three won.

Edited May 18, 2016 by TheGreenKnight

[Noreaster]

There were no instant save performances in season 5.  It was simply a twitter vote after the bottom contestants were announced.  

Personally, in the twitter-save performances that I watched, I usually felt the "right" person won.  However, I would also note that I generally favor Adam's contestants and I dislike country music.  

[MaryPatShelby]

I, personally, can't get worked up over who a singer forgets to thank or who they neglect to mention during the beauty pageant questions. If they are prepped about the questions and allowed to prepare in advance, then maybe, but otherwise, like acceptance speeches in the entertainment world, someone is going to get missed in the heat of the moment. 

[simplyme]

If this were truly all about the Voice, there'd be no makeovers (annoying, Gwen!) and a lot fewer skinny blonde country women with pitch problems.  There'd be a lot fewer good looking people with pitch problems overall.

Laith also just resonates with a certain demographic.  I realized he might actually be in this thing for the long haul when SimplyDad started asking, "Is the bearded guy still there?  I like him."  Every season, SimplyDad picks out a favorite as he wanders through (or sleeps in his chair), and they always make the finals.

[Sammich]

I think Laith would have won the Instant Save even if he went first. His performance was awesome, and the other two weren't. I'm just happy Mary Sarah isn't in the finals. Compared to last year's top 4 (Barrett Baber), each contestant is deserving this time. 

[Dots And Stripes]

Thank you, @thegreenknight. I had read that this season was the first time Adam lost a save but I hadn't bothered to check it out.

I don't think anyone is saying that the performance order for the save always determines the outcome. The argument I have made is it is an advantage that may help. It's a fairly common theory that going last on reality shows is a prime slot, particularly here where the voting is quick. The last one is the freshest in our mind when voting starts. If it change the outcome once or twice a season that can still great for the coach who goes last. If going straight down the line makes the whole process easier, you could go down the line the opposite way, i.e. have Blake go last. 

On 5/18/2016 at 11:17 AM, Shades of Scarlet said:

 Also a generally interesting theory since the last person to perform has less time in which to garner performance-dependent tweets. 

Doesn't the twitter save only open after the last person performs? There is no extra time to vote for the first person.

[Jextella]

Kinda bummed to learn Adam and Alisan encouraged people to tweet for one contestant over others.  Not good sportsmanship.  That kind of stuff can backfire, and it sorta did for me - and they were my top two favorites. 

Who knows.  Maybe Laith is an asshole behind the scenes in which case I wouldn't mind so much. The thing is, we just don't know one way or another.

If they are referring to Laith's guitar, they need to get over it.  The show is about performance - not voice alone.  "The voice" really only matters during blinds. Prior to the Voice when producers seek out contestants - and after the blinds ... once they know what they have to work with ... it's only one component of an overall presentation. Charisma, stage presence, musicianship for some, etc. get dropped in the same pot.

[Noreaster]

Actually looking at the data, if you exclude all the instant-saves where Adam's team is involved, we find that the performance order does not correlate closely with results.  I'm sticking with the theory that there probably is a Team Adam advantage, but it has more to do with the demographics of twitter-voting.  (My guess is twitter voters tend to be younger, and that younger voters tend to support Adam's contestants.)  Or maybe Adam is just more convincing to the twitter voters in his pitches.  

You know where performance order really matters?  The regular show where the performances take place over 2 hours. Of course people tend to complain only when contestants/coaches they don't like are given favorable slots.  

Edited May 20, 2016 by Noreaster

[Noreaster]

11 minutes ago, Jextella said:

Kinda bummed to learn Adam and Alisan encouraged people to tweet for one contestant over others.  Not good sportsmanship.  That kind of stuff can backfire, and it sorta did for me - and they were my top two favorites. 

Who knows.  Maybe Laith is an asshole behind the scenes in which case I wouldn't mind so much. The thing is, we just don't know one way or another.

I don't usually mind so much since people are friendly with different folks behind the scenes.  But Adam's tweet did raise an eyebrow to me.  Namely his choice of words.  Where he says "These 2 great singers have earned their fellow contestants respect and deserve a shot.  Please tweet #voicesavemary or #voicesavebryan".  

No wonder he deleted the tweet.