S12.E15: The Knockouts, Part 3

[Vyk]

From TV Guide:

The artists are paired against a teammate, as the Knockout rounds conclude.  The coaches choose the winner from their teams to move on to the live shows.

This one will be a two-hour episode.

[Vyk]

All right, then!  It's that time!  With the final Knockouts coming up on Monday, I'd say it's more than time to predict how they're going to go, and who's going to round out the teams who make the Lives.  And I really hope @PhD-Purgatory15 and I aren't the only ones to do so again.  I'm open to hearing what everyone thinks!

Team Adam
Two pairs are left here, and it's such a mess here, as no one seems to have direct similarities to each other.  The only thing I can say for sure is that Davina is likely out no matter whom she faces.  The show hasn't pushed her at all via editing, while they've pushed all three men left to different extents -- Mark with his modern pop voice, Jesse with his powerful blues rock voice, and Malik with his angle of being a single father with a cute little daughter.  Of the three, Mark has been pushed and pimped the most of his team, so I think Adam passes him through, for sure.  So this leaves Jesse and Malik.  Both are one-chair-turns, so either can be dispensible, and either can be passed through.  I'll probably give Jesse the edge since Adam doesn't treat his black artists well, anyway (sorry, Malik), and Jesse probably reminds him so much of Laith, and he loved Laith.

Final team for the Lives: Hanna, Josh, Mark, Jesse, and Lilli.

Team Gwen
Two pairs are also left here, and I think the pairings should be obvious.  JChosen and Brandon are straight-up R&B singers (JChosen leans toward R&B/soul, while Brandon leans toward R&B/pop), so they're obviously making up one lane that Gwen wants to clear.  Plus, I could see JChosen singing on stage in a promo with Brandon sitting in the corner, so that more than confirms them as a pair.  So that leaves Troy and Stephanie to make up the other pair, sort of as a "no one was left" kind of thing.  JChosen and Troy are Gwen's two four-chair-turns (and she's the only coach to land two four-chair-turns in the Blinds and keep them up to this point, as Alicia dumped Autumn over Vanessa and Blake dumped Valerie over Enid).  They've also established themselves as the strongest two artists on Gwen's team.  So I can honestly not see her letting either one of them go.  At least not if she's smart.  I think she'll easily pass them both through.  I like Brandon and Stephanie a lot, though, and hope that one of them gets Alicia's steal.

Final team for the Lives: Hunter, Brennley, JChosen, Troy, and Quizz.

Team Alicia
Only one pair left here, and I think it's obvious how this one should go.  Jack is an average singer with an average voice, and he pales in comparison to Vanessa, whose voice is simply amazing.  I'll say that Alicia advances her to the Lives and lets Jack go.  But there's always a chance that she could see the voter potential of Jack due to his ties to the Cassidy family, who probably have a lot of old-time fans ready, willing, and able to vote for him and get her the win, thus driving her to keep him instead.  But given that Adam passed up just such an opportunity with Natasha Bure last season (despite her connection to Candace Cameron Bure, her husband, and their potential throngs of fans willing to vote for her), Alicia might pass up the same opportunity with Jack.  I don't know.  Monday will tell.  But I'll still lean toward Vanessa, depending on their song choices and performances.  As for Alicia's steal, I can only see it coming from Adam's team if it's Malik who loses.  I don't see her having a use for any of Mark, Jesse, or Davina.  Brandon from Gwen's team is also possible, or perhaps Aliyah from Blake's team.

Final team for the Lives: Chris, Ashley, Anatalia, Vanessa, and whomever she steals.

Team Blake
Two pairs are left here, and a promo showed that Lauren and Andrea are facing off with each other, and I think this pairing is the odds-on favorite to get montaged because of Andrea and her prior double montage through the Blinds and Battles.  Nonetheless, whether they're montaged or shown, I think Blake passes Lauren through to the Lives given that she's been established, along with Casi, to be one of Blake's true frontrunners.  Andrea, as a one-chair-turn, has no shot unless Alicia swoops in to steal her, which I doubt, since she has Ashley to fill the country lane on her team.  So this leaves Aliyah vs. Caroline.  Neither is in Blake's wheelhouse, so I think it'll just come down to personal preference for him, if not their individual performances.  I think the former will win out, though.  Aliyah was on his team from jump, while Caroline was a steal from Gwen's team.  Blake typically sticks with his original team except in very specific circumstances (see: Meghan Linsey making it to the Lives despite being stolen from Pharrell in season eight), so I think Aliyah gets the edge here.

Final team for the Lives: Casi, TSoul, Aliyah, Lauren, and Aaliyah.

But those are just my predictions.  Everyone else is welcome to offer up theirs before Monday's show!

Edited April 8, 2017 by Vyk

[PhD-Purgatory15]

Ok, time for my two cents (although I liked a quite a lot of Vyk's analysis)

Team Adam: His is the only team where the KO pairings remaining don't exactly seem preordained. Mark and Davina feel like they make the most amount of sense, although if Adam's goal is to advance Mark and Jesse....then I could see a scenario where he'd pair up Jesse with Davina. I'm a little more bullish for Davina's chances to hang in the competition just because of a couple factors. One Adam specifically referenced her Youtube following at the end of the Battle round episode that she and Brandon closed out. Maybe that was just a throw away, or maybe that was a bit of foreshadowing. Secondly the possibility of "bring back" contestants makes me think in a close KO with Mark.....Adam might give her the nod knowing that one of the coaches (himself or possibly Gwen?) would still have that option in their back pocket for Mark. A Jesse and Malik KO feels tilted in Jesse's direction. He's the more talented at what he does....although Malik does have one of the more heart-warming stories of the season. I'll say Jesse and Mark make it through, but it wouldn't completely shock me if Davina pulled off an upset.

Team Alicia: While her personality leaves a bit to be desired, Vanessa should beat Jack in a TKO. Besides the show has clearly gotten behind Hunter who feels like a better version of Jack (Christian worship leader background who want to do emotional, indy-pop with spiritual influences).

Team Blake: FREE LAUREN!! She's my favorite, so in theory I should be thrilled with a pairing with Andrea because it means she probably will coast to the live shows in a montage. But part of me thinks, she isn't a flashy as some of the other frontrunners so I want her to have as many opportunities as possible to impress the voting public (and not just the diehards who will view her full performance on Youtube if and when they post it). I also think Vyk's probably right in that the best thing Aaliyah has going for her is that she's been with Blake from the beginning which he clearly values. Caroline, in my mind is the more developed and poised singer so it wouldn't shock me if she impressed Blake enough for him to keep her....it also wouldn't shock me (given the steals of Quizz and Aliyah) that Caroline could perform well enough to get Alicia's final steal. I'll say Blake keeps Lauren and Aaliyah.

Team Gwen: JChosen and Brandon, feels like a question of whether Gwen rides with her two 4-chair turns (or at least one of them). Because to me, JChosen was underwhelming against Kenny P and could've easily lost his battle. Brandon seems like the more comfortable performer and more in tune with the kind of artist he wants to be. When you look over the landscape of potential Alicia steals.....I could see a scenario where Gwen goes with Brandon (because of their shared love of Caribbean influenced pop/hip hop/r&b music) which frees up JChosen for an Alicia steal. Troy and Stephanie, I'm wondering if Troy being montaged in the battles is possibly foreshadowing that his stay on the Voice wasn't as long as some might've expected. Stephanie has to do her part for that to happen though. I didn't love her in her battle with Caroline on First Cut is the Deepest, I thought she was wrenching so much emotion she couldn't keep a handle on her adlibs and runs. Song choice will be crucial for both of these two. In a coin flip, I'll say Stephanie gets the nod along with JChosen. 

In the highly unlikely scenario I get most of this right, I'll say Alicia's steal ultimately comes from either Caroline/Aaliyah's loser from Team Blake, Mark (if he'd lose to Davina on Team Adam), or possibly Troy from Gwen's team if he'd lose to Stephanie.

Edited April 8, 2017 by PhD-Purgatory15

[Vyk]

3 hours ago, PhD-Purgatory15 said:

Team Alicia: While her personality leaves a bit to be desired, Vanessa should beat Jack in a TKO.

@PhD-Purgatory15, I have to say, your posts are always the most enjoyable for me to read.  So much maturity, insightfulness, and just well-thought-out analyses of things.  Even if I don't always agree with what you say, there's much to enjoy.  But I have to ask what you mean by that.  Both in her Blind and before and during her Battle with Autumn, I don't see what's so off-putting about Vanessa.  She was very supportive of, and friendly with, Autumn, is clearly grateful to Alicia for having her on her team, and was delighted when she heard Autumn get stolen.  Sure, her manner is a bit dry-humored, but she seems like a good, decent young woman to me.

3 hours ago, PhD-Purgatory15 said:

I also think Vyk's probably right in that the best thing Aaliyah has going for her is that she's been with Blake from the beginning which he clearly values. Caroline, in my mind is the more developed and poised singer so it wouldn't shock me if she impressed Blake enough for him to keep her....it also wouldn't shock me (given the steals of Quizz and Aliyah) that Caroline could perform well enough to get Alicia's final steal. I'll say Blake keeps Lauren and Aaliyah.

In the highly unlikely scenario I get most of this right, I'll say Alicia's steal ultimately comes from either Caroline/Aaliyah's loser from Team Blake, Mark (if he'd lose to Davina on Team Adam), or possibly Troy from Gwen's team if he'd lose to Stephanie.

Heh, I think you got your A(a)liyahs mixed up.  Aaliyah (two "a's") has already had her Knockout and was stolen from Gwen by Blake.  Aliyah (one "a") is the original Team Blake member who still has yet to have her Knockout.

[Vyk]

Sneak peak at the Stephanie vs. Troy Knockout:

 

To me, Stephanie gave an interesting rendition of a Taylor Swift song, but I've gotta give more credit to Troy for being willing to take the more ambitious route of a Sia song and make it his own.  I really would've liked those amazing interval jumps and sustained notes, though, that really made "Chandelier."  Still, I'd give it to Troy, even though I did like Stephanie's, as well.  Hope she gets the steal if Brandon doesn't.

I am now further convinced that NBC wants a win from either a Team Gwen or a Team Alicia member since, thus far, the bulk of the special sneak peeks have been from their teams (Blake's only sneak peeks were Casi Joy and Valerie Ponzio's Blinds, and Adam's only one was Kawan DeBose's Blind), and more overall focus has been given to their teams than Adam and Blake's.  Which, of course, would be fine with me.

Edited April 16, 2017 by Vyk

[Jabu]

Final team rosters/cheat sheets heading into the Lives:

Team Adam
Hanna Eyre (defeated Autumn Turner)
Josh West (defeated Johnny Hayes)
Jesse Larson (defeated Davina Leone)
Mark Isaiah (defeated Malik Davage)*
Lilli Passero (stolen from Team Alicia)

Team Gwen
Hunter Plake (defeated Johnny Gates)
Brennley Brown (defeated Aaliyah Rose)
JChosen (defeated Brandon Royal)
Troy Ramey (defeated Stephanie Rice)
Quizz Swanigan (stolen from Team Alicia)

Team Alicia
Chris Blue (defeated Quizz Swanigan)
Ashley Levin (defeated Lilli Passero)
Anatalia Villaranda (defeated Dawson Coyle)
Vanessa Ferguson (defeated Jack Cassidy)
Stephanie Rice (stolen from Team Gwen)

Team Blake
Casi Joy (defeated Felicia Temple)
TSoul (defeated Enid Ortiz)
Lauren Duski (defeated Andrea Thomas)
Aliyah Moulden (defeated Caroline Sky)
Aaliyah Rose (stolen from Team Gwen)

Names in bold indicate an artist who has newly performed and stayed on his or her team or has been stolen by another coach.  An asterisk indicates that this artist was montaged.

Edited April 11, 2017 by Jabu

[Dots And Stripes]

Nooooooo, Blake!!! He was wrong with Aliyah over Caroline. 

At least he picked the right winner on the first battle (Lauren was it?). If she keeps giving performances like that she could see herself in the finals. She had a great voice and the level of control she had bodes well for her. 

Alicia's first knockout was very one sided. No question she picked the right artist there.

Adam also made the right call with that dude over the 'toxic' girl.

Edited April 11, 2017 by Dots And Stripes

[Noreaster]

This episode kind of sucked.  I think I only enjoyed Lauren's performance.  Couldn't stand the battle with the youngsters. Really, "before he cheats" for a girl who's never had a boyfriend?  And the other girl was so bad with "at last".  Ugh.  I was pretty bored with a lot of the other performances.  It seemed like they slowed down some arrangements which made them less impactful.  

[Vyk]

Gotta give the show credit.  First season to show everyone who made it through the Blinds in some way, and to some extent.

What a way to end the Knockouts.  Heard some pretty amazing performances, some decent ones, and at least two not-so-good ones.

So the performances:

Andrea vs. Lauren: Well, congratulations to @PhD-Purgatory15!  No Lauren montage through the Knockouts, despite being up against the elusive, twice-montaged Andrea!  Speaking of whom, as far as true first impressions go, I liked her quite a bit.  And Mama Vyk immediately recognized her grandfather's show.  She watched it all the time when she was younger.  As for her performances, I pretty much thought it was technically and vocally flawless, which made me wonder why the others hadn't turned for her during the Blinds.  Only thing I would've changed would've been leaving out that super-high E-flat near the end.  Lauren also did a fantastic job, though, making me actually feel what she was singing with a voice that was just as strong and clear as it was in her Blind and Battle.  I agree with Alicia that Andrea, while technically great, lacked that emotion needed to truly sell her song.  So I think that Lauren rightfully won.  Though I hope Andrea gets her name out there.  How could someone who sang with fucking Carrie Underwood actually get montaged through two out of three rounds on the show, though?!

Jack vs. Vanessa: This was the first real blowout of the night, IMO.  Jack was just awful.  I mean . . . what the hell was that?!  I don't even know what that was supposed to be.  I wonder how much Vanessa had to fake being respectful of his voice?  She clearly looked like she knew she had it in the bag against him, judging by her smile from the stands.  He had so many flat moments, and a couple of sharp moments, too, I think.  And there was just no emotion, either.  It never really came together to me.  But looking at Vanessa, she was pretty damn good.  First of all, props to her for not using a commonly-used Gladys Knight song.  Second of all, that was a hugely wonderful vocal performance on her part, and she executed the song almost flawlessly.  That rasp near the end was also a nice touch.  It was pretty clear that she ran away with this Knockout.  Sorry, Jack, but I guess your family name couldn't help you this time, huh?  Mildly surprised that Alicia didn't at least consider how that name recognition could get her votes in the Lives, but Vanessa did kick his ass, so she made the right choice here.

Davina vs. Jesse: I thought it was a pretty interesting take on a Britney Spears song on Davina's part.  Something sexier sounding rather than the original pop version.  It gave us a chance to hear the stronger, smoother version of her voice.  As for Jesse, I think Hannah Kirby and Laith Al-Saadi both did "The Letter" so much better.  He was still vocally better, though, and rightly beat her.  Strong, powerful vocals on a strong, powerful song?  No match.  Still, he continues to come off as just Laith 2.0 to me.  If he doesn't get the fan/public vote next week, he's undoubtedly toast.

Brandon vs. JChosen: This was one that actually felt fairly close to call to me.  Brandon chose a Bob Marley song that was definitely something in his wheelhouse, and he did it exceptionally well.  I don't think it was perfect, though, as some of the phrases ended just a tad sharp.  I was definitely drawn into his performance.  As for JChosen, he chose a more current song this time, and Usher was probably the right one for him to cover.  He used great dynamics, very good power, and the amazing control he's demonstrated in both the Blinds and Battles.  "Without You" is a very challenging song to sing, and he met with it perfectly.  Gwen really wouldn't have gone with either one.  But JChosen probably made sense for her since he was one of her four-chair-turns.  Because it was that close, I could see why she'd choose him.  Quite surprised, I am, actually, that he managed to emerge on Gwen's team as we go into the Lives.  I really thought he'd end up on Alicia or even Adam's team (yuck!) by that time.

Aliyah vs. Caroline: I'd heard Aliyah's song before, but hadn't known that it was a Carrie Underwood song.  Nonetheless, I admire her ambition in taking a country song despite being a pop artist.  She did a great job with it, too, which made her ambitious choice all the better.  She sank her teeth into it and definitely made me feel the emotions behind it.  Caroline stuck with her tendency to choose older songs, and while I was a bit worried about her taking an Etta James song, I was shocked at how well she did with it.  I wouldn't have guessed that they were teenagers.  That's how shocked and impressed I was.  This was probably the first decision with which I didn't agree, as I might've chosen Caroline instead.  But Aliyah likely had the advantage of having been on Blake's team from the beginning, and since Blake very rarely keeps his steals, that meant Caroline was toast.

Stephanie vs. Troy: Stephanie really does have that airy quality to her voice, just like Gwen said.  And yes, despite not sounding like her, I do think Taylor Swift has that same airiness to her voice.  And for the most part, I think she executed her song well.  Not in a mind-blowing way, but at least it was nice and solid.  She was very smooth and gentle, yet emotionally strong.  Troy, on the other hand, took a huge risk by going with a Sia song.  Especially one like "Chandelier."  I have to say, though, that his rendition was definitely interesting, although I might've liked to have heard the interval jumps and sustained notes that Sia used in her version.  But his version was definitely something new and out of the box.  I approve.  I bet the riskier move is why Gwen ultimately chose him.  Well, that . . . and she likely wanted to keep both of her four-chair-turns intact.  Good choice.  In doing so, she rounds out a pretty impressive team.  As for Stephanie, I think she'll have a much better chance at the fan/public vote on Team Alicia due to how stacked and loaded Team Gwen seems to be.

Montage:

Color me shocked that the producers' chosen teen heartthrob, Mark, got the montage.  And of course, as he has with every performance thus far, he sings a song from another teen heartthrob artist -- first Shawn Mendes, then Zayn, and now Justin Bieber.  Honestly, the show had pimped him so much before this point, it was no wonder that he got through and Malik got the ax.  And the montage is for this reason, apparently.  Malik broke down majorly and cried extremely hard when he lost.  They probably didn't want to show it.  Would've at least liked a snippet or two of what he sang, though.  Either way, if this lowers Mark's chances of getting through the Live Playoffs due to some decreased visibility, then I'm all for it.

So with the Knockouts over and the Lives on their way, I think Gwen goes into the next stage with the strongest team -- two four-chair-turns in JChosen and Troy, two iTunes beasts in Hunter and Brennley, and the youngest singer in the competition, Quizz.  I think the latter is, for sure, out next week as easy fodder.  The other four, though, could bring about any combination or permutation in terms of who gets through.  Alicia and Blake are probably easier to call, as Alicia has Chris and Vanessa as her obvious top two, with Anatalia and Stephanie fighting it out for that third spot.  Ashley is probably the most forgettable of the country girls, so she might be dispensible.  Blake has Casi and Lauren as his obvious top two, and a three-way fight among TSoul, Aliyah, and Aaliyah for that third spot.  And of course, Adam goes into the next stage with the obvious weakest team.  He has Mark, and then a four-artist pileup among Hanna, Jesse, Josh, and Lilli.

Bring on the Lives, Show!

On ‎4‎/‎10‎/‎2017 at 8:40 PM, Noreaster said:

This episode kind of sucked.

Matter of opinion, and it certainly wasn't mine.  I liked it a lot.

Edited April 16, 2017 by Vyk

[Vyk]

Ah!  And to continue to the posting of montaged performances, they have posted both Malik and Mark's Knockouts on the show's YouTube channel.  We already know that Mark did "Love Yourself."  But Malik apparently sang Michael Jackson's "Rock with You."

Malik:

Mark:

Malik vs. Mark: Something about Malik's performance felt a bit uneven.  He still has a good voice, but I don't think he sold me as much as he could've.  So from what I heard, Mark did, admittedly, win.  I didn't particularly like his all that much, either (I frankly thought that he and Malik were both mediocre), but he had a smooth voice, as he always does, and he had much better control over his voice than Malik.  So I'll say that Adam chose right here, but I think he was always going to choose him, anyway.

Edited April 11, 2017 by Vyk

[PhD-Purgatory15]

Hmm....an interesting (uneven?) end to the KOs. I like how Vyk and I's predictions were immediately rendered null and void by them showing Lauren and Andrea's KO right off the bat, and then Adam choosing to pair Davina with Jesse instead of Mark.

I'm glad we got to see Lauren do a great job on Allison Kraus (one of my all time favorite singer/artist's). Personality wise she reminds me a lot of Hannah Huston from Team Pharrell a couple seasons back, although she doesn't have near the vocal horsepower that Hannah had. Song choice is going to be crucial for her as the numbers start to dwindle. Andrea is one of those "too perfect" singers (or at least that's the narrative developed by the show). Even in the coaching session beforehand with Blake she had the feel of fodder...

Jack and Vanessa. Complete and total wipeout. Jack didn't pick a bad song for himself and the first verse I actually thought to myself "he's doing better than I expected". And then the chorus kicked in and I don't know what he was trying to do. In hindsight, sitting and singing did not do him any favors. That's the best Vanessa's been the whole competition. When Alicia Keys is losing her mind multiple times mid-song you know you're doing something right.

To me, if this was last season and I'd never heard Laith before.....then Jesse might seem fresh, more enjoyable and more worth rooting for. But alas. I'd have given that KO to Davina. At first I was like "Toxic"? Okay, we've seen variations on that song (Melanie Martinez for sure, maybe Amy Vachal too) but this was kind of cool, and I found myself agreeing with Adam again that there was something captivating about her middle and lower middle range. She also did a couple interesting things on the transitions that were vaguely Pentatonix-esque and I enjoyed. I am worried that much like Laith, Adam may have a stealth voting juggernaut here in Jesse...making his team a bit more formidable than we are giving him credit for. It's a long shot (especially give the last time all four coaches brought back male artists), but I'd really like to see Davina get another chance. To me she'd be more worthy than at least a couple of the people I fear might get brought back (cough cough, Jack, cough cough).

JChosen and Brandon. To me Brandon going with Redemption Song was one of the first real whiffs of the night in terms of song choice. Brandon's voice was just too light and airy for that song to really work and be impactful. The white frat guy from one of the first few seasons who did his blind audition with that song actually was a better vocal fit for this particular Bob Marley song. I'm still not a giant fan of JChosen but will admit like Vanessa, that was probably his best effort of the show so far. 

Aliyah (spelled it right that time!) and Caroline. One of the few things Vyk and I called right....when in doubt, Blake's goes against his steals most of the time. To be honest though, I didn't really mind. I thought both of these artists were extremely underwhelming with disappointing song choices. At Last is one of those songs that just needs to be retired from all future reality singing competition shows. Aliyah picking Before He Cheats was low key kind of brilliant. If it's a close KO or Battle and Blake's the coach, it doesn't hurt to be singing a country song even if you aren't necessarily a country artist. Was she particularly good on the song? Eh....maybe a C+, but Caroline was either the same or a little bit worse....so whatever. Aliyah's run on Team Blake is almost surely over next week (To me Blake wants to advance Lauren, Casi and TSoul. The two teenagers should, I repeat should just be there to make up the numbers).

Troy and Stephanie. The final KO ends up in a steal? You don't say lol. Gwen kept both of her 4 chair guys. Troy was impressive on a song you wouldn't have picked for him in a million years. I guess I'm typically drawn more often to Stephanie-style artists, so I'd have probably given it to her (but it was probably the closest KO of the night in a good way. Aliyah and Caroline was close in a not so good way). She's got a massive uphill battle to stay on Team Alicia next week either in the top two voters or the coach save.

Here's how I think the coaches rank their own teams going into Lives:

Adam: Jesse, Josh, Mark, Lilli, Hanna. If his top two in the votes end up being Jesse and Mark I could see a scenario where Adam chooses Lilli over Josh, maybe.

Alicia: Chris, Vanessa, Anatalia, Stephanie, Ashley.

Blake: Casi, Lauren, TSoul, giant cavern, Aliyah/Aaliyah

Gwen: Gwen's team is actually really rough to figure. I think she'd really like Hunter and Brennley to advance. Maybe her two 4 chairs are battling for that all important third spot.

Bringbacks: If they exist this season.....Johnny from Team Gwen must come back. Then I'd like to see Davina, and if I can go all the way back to the Battles I'd bring back Kenny P. and Gaby B. I feel relatively confident that I'll end up going zero for four on my ideas....but we'll see :-)

Vyk....first Savannah and then Malik? A full on crying epidimic has struck the Voice this season...

Edited April 11, 2017 by PhD-Purgatory15

[Vyk]

26 minutes ago, PhD-Purgatory15 said:

Hmm....an interesting (uneven?) end to the KOs. I like how Vyk and I's predictions were immediately rendered null and void by them showing Lauren and Andrea's KO right off the bat, and then Adam choosing to pair Davina with Jesse instead of Mark.

Even then, though, it went as we thought -- Davina was still eliminated.

26 minutes ago, PhD-Purgatory15 said:

Vyk....first Savannah and then Malik? A full on crying epidimic has struck the Voice this season...

Yep.  He was virtually inconsolable.  His mother and daughter had to be brought out to get him to actually leave.  It was a mixture of sad and uncomfortable for the coaches.  It was actually worse than Savannah.

Edited April 11, 2017 by Vyk

[Vyk]

All right.  In light of @PhD-Purgatory15 putting down his rankings for how the coaches might rank their contestants, I'm gonna do my own thing and rank my own assessments of how the coaches see the teams, my personal strength assessments, my personal rankings of them in terms of how I like them, and who probably pulls the votes.  Also, I'm going to rank the teams as a whole this time, rather than put them down by order of the coaches' chairs in the row.

1. Team Gwen

Team Gwen is, as I said, probably the strongest, most stacked team at this point.  It's the only one where it's hard to tell who's got the votes to go on and who'll need Gwen's save.

Coach Rankings
1. JChosen: I have to think that Gwen sees him, at least at the time of taping, as her strongest one.  He was a four-chair-turn with a great voice with the right blend of power and control.
2. Hunter: Gwen kept him over one of her original members.  There's clearly something she sees in him.
3. Troy: He has that big, powerful voice that Gwen loves in singers of his age group, and I think his risk with "Chandelier" might give him the edge over the other two.
4. Brennley: Gwen's only girl at the moment.  She probably sees her as someone to keep mentoring, but there's no way she sees her as her strongest.
5. Quizz: Nice kid, and he does have great ability.  But being a steal, Gwen can't really see him as a huge priority on her team.

My Strength Rankings
1. JChosen: For sheer vocal power, I think he's her strongest.  While his Battle wasn't the best, I think his Blind and Knockout were superb, and again, he has incredible vocal power and control.  His performance ability is also pretty damn decent for someone with minimal stage performance experience.  Very good stage presence.
2. Troy: His age gives him great experience, and he, too, has amazing power and control.  But he could perhaps up the stage performance factor a bit more to really catch the audience's attention.
3. Hunter: Not as much vocal strength, but his control and dynamics are killer, and his own stage presence is incredible.
4. Brennley: It was close between the teens, but Brennley edges out Quizz due to better vocal power and more stage presence.
5. Quizz: He has decent vocal power and control, but lacks a tiny bit with the stage presence.

My Personal Rankings
1. JChosen: Once again, he's first, because . . . well, he's one of my peeps, and I have to have a soft spot for the guy who made one of the most shocking coach picks by picking Gwen.  I swear, I watch his choice of Gwen several times each day just for the sheer shock on all of the coaches' faces, especially Gwen herself.  And I like how generally positive he acts.
2. Quizz: He finally breaks out of the bottom.  Another one of my peeps.  I find him adorable.  Sure, not the strongest singer, but I just like his personality and find him cute.  So sue me.
3. Brennley: I find it cute how she actually acts her age.  I like her excitable reactions to things, and even the little things like her mannerisms.
4. Troy: He has a much quieter, calmer personality, but I give him the edge over Hunter because he, too, was another shocking contestant to see choose Gwen when he might've been better-suited to Adam or Blake.
5. Hunter: A little lacking in the personality department, but he's inoffensive enough.  I do like him, though.  Just hoping his personality shines through as the Lives arrive.

Live Playoff Results: Well, as much as I want Gwen to take both of her four-chair-turns through, I think the current iTunes sales and YouTube views say it all.  Hunter and Brennley undoubtedly pull the votes, and Gwen, if she's smart, saves either JChosen or Troy.  I give the edge to JChosen since he has a great amount of YouTube views and isn't doing too badly on iTunes for the first three rounds.

2. Team Alicia

Team Alicia is really close with Team Blake, but I gave Alicia the slight edge because she has three obvious frontrunners and two people who are just as obviously going home.  If Alicia doesn't take these three into the top twelve, then I don't know what she's thinking.

Coach Rankings
1. Chris: Alicia is totally in love with Chris.  I can't see her ranking him any lower than the top of her list.
2. Anatalia: I have to disagree with @PhD-Purgatory15 just a slight bit here.  She raves about Anatalia quite a bit.  So I think she sees her as her second favorite due to her youth and being a ball of energy.
3. Vanessa: Alicia definitely relates to her because of the New York connection, and she loves her quiet strength.
4. Stephanie: There was a hint in the "Best of the Blind Auditions" episode that Alicia really did like Stephanie a lot and wanted to steal her if Gwen ever let her go, which she did.  I actually think she might run close to Vanessa.
5. Ashley: As much as Alicia enjoys having a country artist on her team, I don't see her liking Ashley that much.  I think she's her easy fodder.

My Strength Rankings
1. Vanessa: I think Vanessa is her strongest contestant right now.  She has the perfect balance of power and control, and she really loves lower-ranged women.
2. Chris: He has a great amount of power to his voice, but probably not as much control as Vanessa.  His stage presence is off the charts, though.
3. Anatalia: Even though being a ball of energy is a bit much at times, she also has amazing power and control.  Her differing tone from her speaking voice also makes her seem stronger than the other two.
4. Stephanie: Not as much vocal power as the other three above her, but good control, at least.  She should probably work on the stage presence and performance aspect, though.
5. Ashley: I would put her at least one spot higher if not for the sudden twang @PhD-Purgatory15 had pointed out.  As it is, I see her as the weakest as long as she still sings with it.

My Personal Rankings
1. Chris: I don't care what anyone says.  I find his vocal tricks and stage performance quirks and movements entertaining.  I love his excitable personality and think America will, too!
2. Stephanie: I have to feel for her because of my own situation with my own parents regarding my coming out.  Because I relate to her so much, I just like her a lot, too.
3. Anatalia: Bundle of energy people are generally high on my list, so her boundless energy and exuberance gives me life.
4. Vanessa: Quiet personality, but still one I like a lot.  I think she provides some balance against the brighter personalities on Alicia's team.
5. Ashley: She's really, honestly just there for me.

Live Playoff Results: Chris undeniably pulls the votes.  Question is whether Stephanie or Vanessa does, too, as they're both selling really well on iTunes now and have really good views for their Knockouts on YouTube.  I think either woman gets the other fan-voted spot, and if Alicia's smart, she saves the other woman.  Like Anatalia a lot and find Ashley okay, but neither will have a chance, I bet.  Anatalia might get a nod with her AI fanbase, but . . . we'll see.

3. Team Blake

Team Blake is just edged out by Team Alicia for me because there are really only two clear frontrunners on the team, and then a three-artist pileup for who gets Blake's third spot.

Coach Rankings
1. Casi: She's Blake's only remaining four-chair-turn, and she's closer to pure country than the contestant below her.  Also, she has great power, control, and killer stage presence.  No doubt Blake's favorite.
2. Lauren: I think she's only edged out by Casi due to being a mere three-chair-turn (Alicia was the only holdout for her) and not quite being pure country (she admitted to being into other genres, and Blake sees her as more country/pop than only country).  But her power, control, and stage presence are also a great combination.
3. TSoul: I think he's third only because Blake wants that one non-country voice on his team.  He's got more experience than the remaining two, so I think he'll edge them out.
4. Aliyah: I know Blake loves his teenage girls, but she doesn't hold a candle to the three above her.  I keep her out of last only because she's an original member of his team.
5. Aaliyah: See Aliyah (one "a") above.  But she comes in last for being Blake's steal and not quite as polished as the other four.

My Strength Rankings
1. Lauren: I actually find her stronger than Casi simply because of the amazingly powerful tone and timbre of her voice.  That also seems to resonate more with the downloaders and YouTube viewers thus far.
2. Casi: Her voice is a bit lighter, but still pretty strong.  But I worry about her fan following.  Right now, I see Lauren attracting the fans a bit more than Casi does.
3. TSoul: His soulful voice has amazing strength to it, but as good as his control is, he could work on it a bit more.
4. Aliyah: Her power is about equal to the one below her.  I just give her the edge because she has more control, if only a tad.
5. Aaliyah: Decent power, but she has serious control and vibrato issues.  So I deem her the weakest.

My Personal Rankings
1. Lauren: I have to love a girl who's an intellectual on top of being a great singer.  Plus, the way she's taking care of her agent the way she is has to be commended.
2. Casi: Truthfully, her sheer smile of tolerance at Adam's "breakdown" schtick during the pitching session following her Blind is why she's up so high.  She confirmed on Twitter that she was indeed highly unamused by it, and I have to love an artist who has quiet contempt for him.  Or at least someone who isn't so quick to laugh at his obvious attention whoring.
3. Aaliyah: I just have to like a girl who enjoys Meghan Trainor's music as much as I do!
4. Aliyah: I like her cheery, happy demeanor, as well as her sheer earnestness.
5. TSoul: Honestly, other than my satisfaction of him picking Blake over Adam after his Blind, he's just sort of there for me.  Which I hate saying about one of my peeps.

Live Playoff Results: I suspect that Casi and Lauren pull the votes.  After that, I strongly think that Blake saves TSoul with his coach save and lets Aliyah and Aaliyah go.  On an off chance, he might save one of the teenage girls over him, and if he does, that'll be Aliyah due to the benefit of having been on his team from the start.

4. Team Adam

I remain stunned and astonished by how weak Team Adam is (though it gives me endless delight that his team is the weakest)!  This group seriously lags behind the other three teams.  By, like, a lot.  This has to be his weakest team since either season eight or season ten!  There's only one true frontrunner I saw on this team at first, though perhaps another emerged as of this round.

Coach Rankings
1. Jesse: First and second are fairly close for me here.  But I think Adam sees a close bond with Jesse over their shared love for the guitar and each of their abilities on it.  Plus, his strong voice and vocal ability clearly has Adam slobbering all over him, despite him being a one-chair-turn.
2. Mark: He's got the teen heartthrob quality to him that makes him sort of bland, but clearly appealing to the teenyboppers, and I think Adam sees that, too.
3. Josh: He clearly landed Josh over their shared love of rock music.  But he hasn't praised him as much as he has the two above him, so I'm putting him lower than Jesse and Mark.
4. Hanna: Like Blake, I think Adam will benefit someone who was on his original team over a steal, so that, plus her general cheerful nature and sunny smile, will put her above Lilli for me.  I do think he also likes her vocal talent.
5. Lilli: He's only just getting her after a steal, and I can't tell if he even likes her personally or just sees her as someone who could possibly lead him to a win.

My Strength Rankings
1. Mark: He's got the same qualities to him that made the girls go wild over Billy GIlman last season.  For that alone, he'll go far, and he'll probably be Adam's strongest, longest-lasting artist.
2. Jesse: After tonight's Knockout, he's probably got the Laith-like qualities that'll attract blues rock fans and carry him a decent way.  I don't think he'll be as successful as Laith, though, without the right songs.
3. Lilli: She showed in her Blind, Battle, and Knockout that she's got vocal ability to spare.  But I don't see her having the fan following to win.
4. Josh: The bottom two were tricky, but I put Josh last, despite being a four-chair-turn, because pure, hard rockers, as said by @realdancemom, don't do well on the show at all.
5. Hanna: Tween girls don't do particularly well, either, so Hanna comes in last.

My Personal Rankings
1. Hanna: What can I say?  To be honest, aside from Hanna, I don't really like anyone on his team (probably a result of me not liking Adam himself).  Don't hate any of them, but don't particularly like any of them, either, except for this girl.  So for that alone, Hanna kind of tops the list by default.
2. Lilli: She's really just there for me.  Has been since she willingly chose him for the steal instead of Blake, the coach who actually fought for her at her Blind, as well, not just started believing in her after her Knockout.  But she gets the benefit of being a woman (and a likely victim of Adam's bussing) to be in at second place.
3. Jesse: Just kind of there.  He's either a slightly more or slightly less interesting version of Laith Al-Saadi.
4. Josh: Just kind of a bland, rocker-hair-band type for me.  I find the difference between his speaking voice and his rock-like singing voice interesting, but not Josh himself.  And apparently, lots of fans online agree with this, so I can't see him advancing very far at all.
5. Mark: I don't really hate him so much as I hate the archetype he represents on singing competition shoes -- the heartthrob over whom all of the teenage girls will salivate, and thus get their votes even when he doesn't do all that well just because he's cute.  Those types usually annoy me more than they engender hate within me.  So that puts him last on the list.

Live Playoff Results: The overall weakness of this team keeps me from really being able to tell what's going on with this.  I'll say Mark pulls the votes for sure due to his teenage heartthrob factor.  After his Knockout tonight, Jesse might take a close second.  So Adam's left choosing from among Josh, Hanna, and Lilli.  I think Lilli has no shot due to being new to the team.  If he's willing to risk the blowback of pure rockers, he might save Josh.  But if he wants to continue having that younger person to mentor, he'll save Hanna.

Whew.  That took nearly an hour, but these are my thoughts.

Edited April 11, 2017 by Vyk

[waving feather]

I like Mark but the archetype of him pulling the heartthrob votes...on American Idol, maybe. Since that show has been dominated by cute white guys the last few seasons. But that's not true for the Voice. I can't think of any young heartthrob that did very well on the Voice, except for Sawyer maybe. The Voice viewers generally prefer older contestants, unless the young one is a special snowflake like Sawyer.

ETA: Lauren Duski is blessed because she can deliver a song very simply without vocal gymnastics and still gives an impactful performance, just from the strength of her rich voice. Other singers have to add many "condiments" to keep their performance interesting.

Edited April 11, 2017 by waving feather

[Nedsdag]

They think Mark is a "heartthrob"? Really? Because he sings Shawn Mendes songs? Heck, Josh West is way cuter than Mark, but then again I wasn't born in the 2000s. Whatever!

I still think the winner is either Hunter (Team Gwen) or coming from Blake's team (as usual). If it's not Casi, then Lauren may be the one at the end. She kept my attention with the Alison Krauss song more than Swiss Miss Casi and her yodeling.

I liked Jesse, even though he literally watched Laith's version of "The Letter" from two seasons ago and practically mimed it.

Where does Stephanie want to go as an artist? Is she Taylor Swift or Sheryl Crow? Either way, I am unsure and neither is original at all.

It'll be interesting to see what Alicia does with Vanessa. I may be in the minority, but I loved her version of "If I Were You Woman". I'm pretty sure she'll throw her some shackles while pushing Stephanie based on iTunes sales.

Of the t(w)eens left, I only liked the long haired Aliyah/Aaliyah who sang "Before He Cheats", but I don't see her going further than that.

Oh, by the way, buh-bye, Jack Cassidy! Next time ask your grandma for singing lessons. I'm pretty sure she can still carry a tune better than you and she's in her mid-eighties.

Edited April 11, 2017 by Nedsdag

[Vyk]

12 hours ago, waving feather said:

I like Mark but the archetype of him pulling the heartthrob votes...on American Idol, maybe. Since that show has been dominated by cute white guys the last few seasons. But that's not true for the Voice. I can't think of any young heartthrob that did very well on the Voice, except for Sawyer maybe. The Voice viewers generally prefer older contestants, unless the young one is a special snowflake like Sawyer.

 

1 hour ago, Nedsdag said:

They think Mark is a "heartthrob"? Really? Because he sings Shawn Mendes songs? Heck, Josh West is way cuter than Mark, but then again I wasn't born in the 2000s. Whatever!

On one hand, I get what you mean about AI, especially the "cute white guys" part, and Mark actually being Hispanic.  But on the other hand, Mark is a heartthrob.  Just checked his stats, and his Blind is the second-most viewed, behind JChosen's, his Battle with Gaby is also well-viewed, and even despite being montaged, his Knockout has the second-highest number of views, again behind JChosen's!  The girls love him.  He's sung songs by three different heartthrobs himself and has similar voices to them, so of course they'd love a guy who reminds them of Shawn Mendes, Zayn, and Justin Bieber.

The one thing that might do him in is his iTunes sales, though.  His Knockout has sold the lowest so far of the five who've emerged onto the Live shows from Team Adam.

[Noreaster]

12 hours ago, waving feather said:

I like Mark but the archetype of him pulling the heartthrob votes...on American Idol, maybe. Since that show has been dominated by cute white guys the last few seasons. But that's not true for the Voice. I can't think of any young heartthrob that did very well on the Voice, except for Sawyer maybe. The Voice viewers generally prefer older contestants, unless the young one is a special snowflake like Sawyer.

Yeah, voters on this show tend to favor older and experienced contestants.  Bonus if you're white and male.  And country of all ages and both genders generally do well.  I don't think any country contestant has been eliminated before Top 8, regardless of team.  (ETA: Actually Austin Allsup last season was eliminated earlier, but then we also had two other country guys make the finals.  Freaking Josh Gallagher on Adam's team.  The country support is strong on this show.)  

As a reminder, the median viewer age of this show is over 50.  This show really isn't about young voters.  

2 hours ago, Nedsdag said:

I liked Jesse, even though he literally watched Laith's version of "The Letter" from two seasons ago and practically mimed it.

I liked Laith's version and thought Jesse's was quite different.  It was slowed down in the beginning and then picked up toward the end.  I thought Jesse was clearly doing his own thing with the song.  I didn't like it.  Another problem I have with Jesse is his lack of stage presence.  Good vocals and all, but I didn't feel engaged.  

Edited April 11, 2017 by Noreaster

[JMarie99]

Jack Cassidy's song was hilarious! I don't actually like the original "Unsteady" by X Ambassadors - it always seems a little too overwrought to me - but at least that guy knows how to do it. Jack trying to imitate that singer's vocal style is the funniest thing I've heard all season. I'm actually glad he screwed up so bad because I was afraid they were going to keep him around because of his name. 

The only other performance I didn't like was Caroline, which is a shame because she has a really good voice. But what she did to "At Last" was just not good. One of the coaches - I think it was Alicia - had told one of the contestants on a previous show that runs should come naturally. Caroline's runs were like the opposite of that advice - they sounded very forced to me.  I couldn't wait for her performance to be over. Again, I think she has a very good voice - she just has to learn what to do with it. She and Aliyah both have very strong voices especially for their age. (I did have to laugh at young teenage Aliyah singing about shooting whiskey and destroying her boyfriend's car!)

I think Mark is absolutely adorable, and he is definitely singing the right songs to appeal to his fan base. I'm surprised he's not doing better on iTunes. (Side note: I never thought I would be a Bieber fan, but "My mama don't like you and she likes everyone" is one of my favorite lines ever.)

[waving feather]

1 hour ago, JMarie99 said:

(Side note: I never thought I would be a Bieber fan, but "My mama don't like you and she likes everyone" is one of my favorite lines ever.)

Yes. And that's actually one of the only Bieber songs I can appreciate. Mark has been singing a lot of the heartthrob material and I think that's why his YouTube views are killing it. I bet those teen girls sought out people who covers their favorite singer's songs. And a lot of the views come from overseas who can't buy or vote on the show. Billy last season had a ton of views on his performances but he still could not win because the voters tend to skew older. They are more Facebook users rather than Twitter or YouTube people (my guess).

I loved what Brandon did with Redemption Song. His delivery was perfect to me. Something about the light and hopeful way he sang it really spoke to me. Still, I get why JChosen won. He is really good as well. I hope Brandon's performance came later than Aaliyah because if Blake stole her instead of Brandon, he is silly.

Edited April 11, 2017 by waving feather

[Vyk]

24 minutes ago, waving feather said:

I loved why Brandon did with Redemption Song. His delivery was perfect to me. Something about the light and hopeful way he sang it really spoke to me. Still, I get why JChosen won. He is really good as well. I hope Brandon's performance came later than Aaliyah because if Blake stole her instead of Brandon, he is silly.

Well, Carson said that Brandon was available for a steal after he lost, so at least one coach who wasn't Gwen had a steal available.  But given that we don't know the order of filming, Blake could easily have used his steal on Aaliyah by then.  I'm guessing he had, because I think he'd have been all over Brandon if he hadn't, judging by how much he was squealing over him when they hugged after his Battle with Davina.

[viajero]

I thought Vanessa stole the show.  That may have been the best performance of the entire knockout round.  The other two I liked the most were Lauren and Stephanie.

Unlike some of the previous episodes, I thought there were clear cut winners to all the knockouts, except the final one in which I would have given it to Stephanie.  Not that Troy wasn’t also pretty good, but I simply couldn’t get into his arrangement of the song.

The biggest disappointments for me were JChosen and Caroline.  I thought JChosen gave his most uneven performance yet, while Caroline seemed to go off the rails almost from the beginning.

My ranking of the teams according to my own personal preferences:

TEAM GWEN

Brennley Brown
Hunter Plake
Troy Ramey
Quizz Swanigan
JChosen

TEAM ALICIA

Chris Blue
Vanessa Ferguson
Stephanie Rice
Anatalia Villaranda
Ashley Levin

TEAM BLAKE

Lauren Duski
Casi Joy
Aliyah Moulden
TSoul
Aaliyah Rose

TEAM ADAM

Lilli Passero
Hanna Eyre
Josh West
Jesse Larson
Mark Isaiah
 

[Noreaster]

1 hour ago, waving feather said:

Yes. And that's actually one of the only Bieber songs I can appreciate. Mark has been singing a lot of the heartthrob material and I think that's why his YouTube views are killing it. I bet those teen girls sought out people who covers their favorite singer's songs. And a lot of the views come from overseas who can't buy or vote on the show. Billy last season had a ton of views on his performances but he still could not win because the voters tend to skew older. They are more Facebook users rather than Twitter or YouTube people (my guess).

I think that's the only Bieber song I like... it's actually written by Ed Sheeran. 

I agree with your point about voters.  I think some people focus too much on things like Twitter and youtube followers.   Remember how people were convinced Christina Grimmie was going to win her season?  There have been other examples too.  Also, people thinking Miley's team would win all the Twitter saves last season because Miley has a lot of followers.  Ultimately, I think viewers vote for the performances they like best that week plus a favorite or two they have established over time.  

[viajero]

Since viewers are predominantly white females with an average age in their 50's, I'm not surprised that social media presence has not historically been a good predictor of where votes are going to go.  To win this show, you need to win the grandma vote.  This is why young female pop singers have little chance, particularly those who are remotely current.  It is also why song selection tends to get so predictably lame as you move the live shows. 

[tpplay]

OK.  Here I am all by myself.  I LOVED Jack Cassidy's performance.

[Vyk]

59 minutes ago, Noreaster said:

I agree with your point about voters.  I think some people focus too much on things like Twitter and youtube followers.   Remember how people were convinced Christina Grimmie was going to win her season?  There have been other examples too.  Also, people thinking Miley's team would win all the Twitter saves last season because Miley has a lot of followers.  Ultimately, I think viewers vote for the performances they like best that week plus a favorite or two they have established over time.  

Twitter followers don't matter to me.  I do look at YouTube views, though, because they do typically reflect whom the country and its potential voters are feeling and whom they're not.  Not all of the songs are one done by the heartthrobs the ladies drool over.  This season alone, the best-viewed Blind was JChosen's "Sexual Healing" Blind, and he was someone who didn't do a heartthrob song, but one that did appeal to the "grandmas."

While iTunes doesn't always indicate how things will go down, either, at least not in the early goings, most of the time, by the mid-stages of the Lives, they absolutely mean quite a lot.  Every high charter has gone far, while every low charter has taken an early boot.  Yes, Deanna Johnson in season eight had to sing for her life despite charting high one week, and just last season, despite having one of the higher-charting semifinal performances, Brendan Fletcher was instantly eliminated without even getting to sing for the Twitter save.  But those two are exceptions and not the rule.  The generally high charters, while not guaranteed to win, do stand the stronger chance.  And that's why I take stock in them.

So I don't think the style matters at all so much as the artist him- or herself.  They must have something to them that attracts them, even when they only do average or even poor jobs.

[Vyk]

20 hours ago, PhD-Purgatory15 said:

Bringbacks: If they exist this season.....

Damn it.  Looks like they do.  They're a thing again.  The show's Twitter page confirmed it, and gave hints as to the identities of the returnees:

Looks like three men and one woman are returning next week.

Damn it, Show.  This was one of your more hated twists.  Why keep repeating it when it's so hated?!

Edited April 12, 2017 by Vyk

[PhD-Purgatory15]

Welp, already the best I can score out of my dream 4 is 75%.

I will laugh mirthlessly if we get some combination of Team Adam's Johnny, Jack, Malik, Dawson, Autumn or Felecia..

[JMarie99]

I had no idea the demographics for The Voice skewed older. I know several young people (in their 20's) who have been watching it from the beginning and continue to do so. I only got into it when Idol died - and I admit Idol is a show that had pretty much lost its younger audience. I thought The Voice was supposed to be the cooler modern singing competition. Ha ha - so much for being "cool"!  Seriously I am one of those grandmas who really likes current music - pop, alt rock, and even some country - pretty much anything except really hard core rap. And I am sick to death of the moldy oldies! So I guess although I am a part of their main demographic I am somewhat of an anomaly. 

Soooo ... "Love Yourself" was written by Ed Sheeran. No wonder I like it! The things I learn from reading these boards. Although both Bieber and Mark sound cute singing it. (Speaking strictly as a Granny here. Lol.)

[PhD-Purgatory15]

For reference, if they keep the Bringbacks only to those who lost in the KOs......the one female would be coming from a group of 6 choices. Andrea and Enid (who I simply don't see happening), Autumn, Felecia, Caroline, and Davina. Caroline seems like a reasonable possibility for Blake/Gwen, Davina seems like she could be a possibility for Gwen or Alicia, and Autumn or Felecia could end up back with their original coach Alicia. I would be stunned if Adam uses his pick on a female.

We've also got a group of 6 guys to come up with a possible 3. Malik was montaged, so it seems extremely unlikely that he'd be brought back after that. Then you've got Johnny times two, Brandon, Dawson, and Jack. Adam's pick should come from one of the two Johnnys, Blake, Gwen or Alicia could very easily bring back Dawson or Brandon, and if the producers interfere then any of those three (not likely Adam though) could be forced to bring back Jack....

Considering the last time they had bringbacks two of them actually survived the culling from Top 24 to Top 12 it's not completely an idle speculation topic.

If they end up going all the way back to the Battles to put someone back in the competition, then all bets are off.

[realdancemom]

On 4/10/2017 at 11:41 PM, Vyk said:

Yep.  He was virtually inconsolable.  His mother and daughter had to be brought out to get him to actually leave.  It was a mixture of sad and uncomfortable for the coaches.  It was actually worse than Savannah.

I haven't watched this episode so no comments on the show.  But this is sad.  It's because people think this show is going to change their lives dramatically.  Sadly, it won't not even for the winners.  It's just a good way to get some exposure.

Malik did seem emotional even when Adam pressed his button during the blinds.  He's actually lucky that he made it past the battles.  I think Adam planned for Kawan to beat him.  I believe Kawan was a three or four chair turn while Adam was the only one that pushed for Malik.  Also, Kawan had music training while I don't believe Malik did.  However, I think Adam thought that Kawan didn't take it seriously enough while Malik tried harder.   

[Adusk81]

For me the most annoying thing about these eliminations is how uneven team building and pair ups cause great singers to be eliminated while barely passable ones make it through. Neither Mark or Anatalia should be in at this point and others should be that are gone. I suppose the comeback thing next week might help that issue but if one team is particularly bad then we get half of those and half of a good team. It's lame. But why am I even complaining about this? I am a grown ass man watching a reality singing competition. I should look deeper within. 

Edited April 12, 2017 by Adusk81

[Noreaster]

19 hours ago, Vyk said:

Twitter followers don't matter to me.  I do look at YouTube views, though, because they do typically reflect whom the country and its potential voters are feeling and whom they're not.  Not all of the songs are one done by the heartthrobs the ladies drool over.  This season alone, the best-viewed Blind was JChosen's "Sexual Healing" Blind, and he was someone who didn't do a heartthrob song, but one that did appeal to the "grandmas."

While iTunes doesn't always indicate how things will go down, either, at least not in the early goings, most of the time, by the mid-stages of the Lives, they absolutely mean quite a lot.  Every high charter has gone far, while every low charter has taken an early boot.  Yes, Deanna Johnson in season eight had to sing for her life despite charting high one week, and just last season, despite having one of the higher-charting semifinal performances, Brendan Fletcher was instantly eliminated without even getting to sing for the Twitter save.  But those two are exceptions and not the rule.  The generally high charters, while not guaranteed to win, do stand the stronger chance.  And that's why I take stock in them.

So I don't think the style matters at all so much as the artist him- or herself.  They must have something to them that attracts them, even when they only do average or even poor jobs.

Well, "average" and "poor" are subjective. Just because a contestant that you don't like gets votes, doesn't mean that it must be from ladies drooling.  We all have different tastes.  Just look at the different views here on these knockout performances.

There have been other exceptions to the iTunes charts.  Off the top of my head, Amy Vachal and Emily Keener were eliminated despite charting high.  There are others.  I understand looking at iTunes because there is no transparency with the other voting methods, but it has become a less reliable indicator over the seasons.  

Regarding youtube views, I've never tracked that datapoint myself.  I'd be curious if you have and found a strong correlation over many seasons.  I know that in the past, some people have speculated that contestants with many youtube or Twitter followers were primed to win, but that's not how it played out.  That is why I think there has been too much focus. Where are most votes coming from?  People who go online and rewatch youtube videos or the people who only tune into the show and watch it live?  

20 hours ago, JMarie99 said:

I had no idea the demographics for The Voice skewed older. I know several young people (in their 20's) who have been watching it from the beginning and continue to do so. I only got into it when Idol died - and I admit Idol is a show that had pretty much lost its younger audience. I thought The Voice was supposed to be the cooler modern singing competition. Ha ha - so much for being "cool"!  Seriously I am one of those grandmas who really likes current music - pop, alt rock, and even some country - pretty much anything except really hard core rap. And I am sick to death of the moldy oldies! So I guess although I am a part of their main demographic I am somewhat of an anomaly. 

The Voice started off with a younger viewer demographic than American Idol but narrowed the gap over the seasons.  I never really got into AI, but some posters here have said that the Voice has become more like American Idol in recent seasons.  Mentioning things like WGWG, country, youngsters, overdone songs, etc.  I personally think the show went from more experienced professionals and good genre diversity (including rock and indie) to more amateurs and an increased focus on pop and country.  

[Vyk]

Well, the show's Twitter page gave the first hint of one of the individual Comebacks:

If you watched the old show . . . it should be an obvious clue.

[Padma]

Nooooo!!! And..why?

Nearly everyone but the eliminated teens gave a better performance and showed more talent and even more charisma. That's pathetic, especially for a show with this premise, if true.

[realdancemom]

Boo!!  Didn't like him in any of the rounds. 

[PhD-Purgatory15]

Sigh. I knew producer intervention was gonna monkey around with these picks. Such a waste of a spot.

[Noreaster]

I think the coach comeback is just another tool for the producers.  I wonder how much say the coaches really have themselves.  

[Vyk]

3 hours ago, Noreaster said:

I think the coach comeback is just another tool for the producers.  I wonder how much say the coaches really have themselves.  

Plenty in season nine.  All of them brought back the ones they wanted.  Season ten, though, only three of them had a say.  Adam legitimately wanted to bring Nate Butler back, Blake legitimately wanted to bring Justin Whisnant back, and Pharrell legitimately wanted to bring Daniel Passino back.  But Christina did not want to bring Nick Hagelin (which explains her blindsided, pissed reaction when he got through).  She wanted Kristen Marie or Chelsea Gann.

[Vyk]

Today's Comeback clue:

I only remember one contestant in the medical profession this season, so I think it's Felicia Temple.

[Noreaster]

24 minutes ago, Vyk said:

Plenty in season nine.  All of them brought back the ones they wanted.  Season ten, though, only three of them had a say.  Adam legitimately wanted to bring Nate Butler back, Blake legitimately wanted to bring Justin Whisnant back, and Pharrell legitimately wanted to bring Daniel Passino back.  But Christina did not want to bring Nick Hagelin (which explains her blindsided, pissed reaction when he got through).  She wanted Kristen Marie or Chelsea Gann.

Not trying to be argumentative, but no one knows what the coaches really want.  And they have changed the rules a couple of times. Could be anyone eliminated from battles or knockouts.  Oh wait, this season, it can be any random person on any team.  And then whatever they end up doing this season.  You really think these are solely coach decisions?  I think it's a lame old twist for producers to give certain contestants another chance.  I also remember thinking it was a way for them to diversify gender and race one season.  

Edited April 14, 2017 by Noreaster

[gik910]

I can honestly say my favorite part of this episode was when Aliyah said she would be back in Chemistry class studying stoichiometry- and then the face she pulled.  Girl. I feel you. That was hilarious.

[Vyk]

Another Comeback clue, this one more vague than the last two:

Up for interpretation.

[Vyk]

Apparently, I missed a clue earlier last week:

Only one contestant wore a jacket like that, and if it's whom I think it is, whichever coach picked him made a fine choice.

And this . . . was today's final clue:

So now we know to which coach and team each Comeback pertains based on their individual clues.

[PhD-Purgatory15]

Pretty sure 11 is reference to last season, given that we are in Season 12 now. Pretty sure who that must refer to, and I'm a whole big ball of meh in response.

Gwen got her pick right....the other 3 are serious whiffs who better not pull a Nick Hagelin or Daniel Passino and overstay their welcome aka last beyond this week...

Edited April 17, 2017 by PhD-Purgatory15

[Vyk]

7 hours ago, PhD-Purgatory15 said:

Pretty sure 11 is reference to last season, given that we are in Season 12 now. Pretty sure who that must refer to, and I'm a whole big ball of meh in response.

Gwen got her pick right....the other 3 are serious whiffs who better not pull a Nick Hagelin or Daniel Passino and overstay their welcome aka last beyond this week...

Team Adam: Well, the eleven could only mean Johnny Hayes, since he auditioned in season eleven and didn't get a chair to turn.  He's the only returnee back from that season.  He very well might be easy fodder for Adam.  If, by some miracle, he gets through, he'll probably upset Adam's apple cart by a fair bit.  Though maybe not since his team would still be the weakest no matter who got through.

Team Gwen: Agreed that she made the right pick.  That is obviously Johnny Gates's jacket.  That said, he has a pretty decent fanbase that could upset her apple cart a fair ways, too.  Especially because, after thinking about things this week, I think @PhD-Purgatory15 might be right about Gwen's three chosen ones.  She's been praising JChosen, Hunter, and Brennley quite a bit on Twitter and Instagram lately, and only been giving mild praise to Troy and pretty much faint praise to Quizz.  If Johnny Gates is Gwen's Comeback (and he just has to be, at this point), he might knock one of them out if he gets the appropriate amount of votes.  That said, it's not a total loss if he does.  He's popular enough that he could also get Gwen her first win if she can give him the right songs.

Team Alicia: It's obvious who's coming back for her team.  Jack Cassidy.  The Partridge Family clue wasn't the least bit subtle.  If she only did so because of the possible fanbase behind his family's name and the knowledge of how strong of a voting bloc they can be, then kudos to her.  If she just did so because she likes him so much, then she will be kicking herself if he upsets her apple cart in a terrible way.  Especially if he does get voted through.  I still think Chris get through, but if her Comeback does, as well, Alicia will have to choose from among Anatalia, Vanessa, and Stephanie (as I really don't think she'll choose Ashley) to decide who else survives and who gets sent packing sooner than she deserves to.  Ugh.  I hate the Comeback twist for this reason.  Chris, Anatalia, Vanessa, Stephanie, and Ashley all made it here fair and square.  It sucks that they might all get screwed by this twist.

Team Blake: I'm gonna outright say that the stethoscope pretty much hints at Felicia Temple as the Comeback, because she's the only contestant this season in the medical field.  This one I actually wouldn't mind upsetting Blake's apple cart since Casi and Lauren are probably in regardless, and TSoul, Aliyah, and Aaliyah are more or less a three-artist pileup fighting for the third spot.  I think Felicia is stronger than all three of them.  I don't see how she's a "whiff," @PhD-Purgatory15.

Edited April 17, 2017 by Vyk

[Vyk]

For the record, the contestants have all finally confirmed the Comebacks on their Twitters.  Both Johnnys (Hayes and Gates), Jack, and Felicia are, in fact, the ones returning tonight.  They're also available to be played onto a player's Voice team on the app.