S14.E20: Live Top 11 Eliminations

[Prin Holmes]

From TV Guide:

Nine artists are revealed as safe by America's votes.  The bottom two artists compete for the Instant Save, and one is eliminated.  Adam and Alicia perform with their teams.

Discuss this one-hour results show here.

[Prin Holmes]

Current team rosters/cheat sheets:

Team Adam

Rayshun LaMarr (saved by America's vote)

Jackie Verna (saved by America's vote)

Team Alicia

Britton Buchanan (saved by America's vote)

Jackie Foster (saved by America's vote)

Christiana Danielle (saved by Twitter)

Team Kelly

Brynn Cartelli (saved by America's vote)

Kaleb Lee (saved America's vote)

Team Blake

Pryor Baird (saved by America's vote)

Spensha Baker (saved by America's vote)

Kyla Jade (saved by America's vote)

This is our top ten.

[Cindyluwho]

Adam's team performance was painful! Alicia's was much better.

Not surprised Sharane and Christiana were the bottom 2. And neither did much to save themselves tonight.  But Christiana was slightly better, IMO.  Adam didn't do much to convince the voters to save Sharane, either. 

[Dots And Stripes]

I liked Sharane better than Christiana. Sadly, I think Sharane's voice is strained from the competition.

Interestingly (at least to me), Christiana went last for the save. Too bad we don't have a great sense of the percentages because of the glitch.

So after 2 weeks, 3 out of 4 coaches have had an artist in the bottom two. Just more evidence to support my thesis: Blake is good at this show.

[Prin Holmes]

2 minutes ago, Dots And Stripes said:

Just more evidence to support my thesis: Blake is good at this show.

Or he's just popular and his artists will automatically get a free ride just because they're on his team.

[Diana Berry]

3 hours ago, Prin Holmes said:

Or he's just popular and his artists will automatically get a free ride just because they're on his team.

I've always thought contestants are crazy not to choose Blake. They end up lasting a lot longer and get more exposure even if they don't win.

[Dodginblue]

2 minutes ago, Prin Holmes said:

Or he's just popular and his artists will automatically get a free ride just because they're on his team.

Or...Blake's popularity would be part of being good at this show.   Among other things.  I don't really see the free ride for anyone on his team.   People voting, buying their songs, it seems a bit of a stretch to assume that enough people are going to be doing that simply because they like Blake Shelton.  I think the other coaches have pretty huge fan bases as well, why wouldn't the same be true for the singers on those teams?  

[Diana Berry]

3 hours ago, Dodginblue said:

Or...Blake's popularity would be part of being good at this show.   Among other things.  I don't really see the free ride for anyone on his team.   People voting, buying their songs, it seems a bit of a stretch to assume that enough people are going to be doing that simply because they like Blake Shelton.  I think the other coaches have pretty huge fan bases as well, why wouldn't the same be true for the singers on those teams?  

I think Blake's fans are pretty strong in relation to the other coaches.

Am i the only one that gets confused by the two Jackies.  Doppelgänger.

Edited May 2, 2018 by Diana Berry
Hit save too fast

[tpplay]

I'd be fine with Blake's people always coming through if all of them deserved it.  Pryor?  Just no.  Hell no.

Do country artist fans just love EVERYONE one who is a country singer?  I can't believe that.

[SunnyBeBe]

8 hours ago, tpplay said:

I'd be fine with Blake's people always coming through if all of them deserved it.  Pryor?  Just no.  Hell no.

Do country artist fans just love EVERYONE one who is a country singer?  I can't believe that.

I think Pryor fancies himself as a new Randy Houser.  Check out a link of Randy on the Performances thread. I just posted a link there and you'll see what I mean.  They do resemble, but, that's it.  Randy has awesome vocals, imo.  Pryor not so much. 

[Kaiju Ballet]

15 hours ago, Diana Berry said:

I've always thought contestants are crazy not to choose Blake. They end up lasting a lot longer and get more exposure even if they don't win.

I think he's really shrewd, and looks at contestants as a total package. He's made note of audience reaction before, and with the inexplicable success of Pryor based on this season alone I would say Blake really knows what he's doing from a marketing standpoint. I've got the impression that the majority of his positive comments are rational and relate to the impact on the industry (Country music needs YOU! Or You'll shake things up, you're the future!) and less vague or histrionic (like, say, Adam's) and that might be what really drives his fan base to vote they way they do.

Especially since song choices were "fan-selected" --that might give an important clue in picking songs for future rounds. Blake seems to be the type to look at data that way moving forward. Adam and Alicia--the two whose artists were at the bottom--might sometimes be "too artistic" to be that pragmatic, especially since they have wins under their belt. I'd argue that Christiana's appeal (and choice of Alicia) was all about being a unicorn, and not about being a pop sensation (Alicia's Britton, who's not going anywhere any time soon) And while I always appreciate creative arrangements, "Umbrella" was a mess. It wasn't helped by Alicia overselling it, and makes me worry that she'll continue pushing for more of the same.  What were the other choices?

When Carson announced "Blake's team is unscathed" I saw it as more a testament to Blake's ability to win the Voice over that of the actual team members themselves.

[SunnyBeBe]

Oh, I almost forgot to mention the group song by Alicia's team.  OMG...I can barely believe it, but, I actually liked it a lot.  Perhaps, my favorite group performance ever.  And that's a crazy hard song to do.  Very brave, imo. Britton even impressed me. And especially Alicia. 

[Prin Holmes]

48 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Oh, I almost forgot to mention the group song by Alicia's team.  OMG...I can barely believe it, but, I actually liked it a lot.  Perhaps, my favorite group performance ever.  And that's a crazy hard song to do.  Very brave, imo. Britton even impressed me. And especially Alicia. 

Of the four team performances, Alicia's team had, by far, the best.  However, I swear there was a point in the song in which Christiana and Jackie F.'s microphones have been greatly turned down.  I heard them trying to belt out something, but it came out so quietly.

[SunnyBeBe]

Hmm.....I didn't notice it. I'll have to go back and rewatch it. 

Ref. Blake and his expertise at winning......If he has a talented and outstanding artist, it's one thing, like Danielle, but, with Sundance and Cassadee.....oh my....I was so not into those two.  But, it's not such a big deal anyway.....except I would like for the winner of the $100,000. to really deserve it.

[viajero]

I would have voted for Sharane to stay based on past performances.  But Christiana was admittedly less bad in these save-me performances (though both were incredibly pitchy).  I have to wonder if Sharane was having vocal problems this week, because she didn't sound anything like she had sounded previously.

My other comments on this episode:

• Jackie V was the only redeeming thing about the Team Adam performance.  That girl just keeps sounding better and better each week.
• The Team Alicia performance was a lot of fun.  Jackie F naturally soared as this song, but I was surprised at how well Alicia and Danielle sounded on something that was far from anything they normally sing.
• But by far the best thing about this episode was Janelle Monae.  Now she is a natural performer.  Plus, I love the obvious Prince influences (perhaps not surprising since he was one of her mentors). 

I've never been a big Monae fan, but after checking out her new album today, I got to say its as close to a masterpiece as you're going to get in popular music these days.  Not only is it a "theme album" in the way it tells a story with a definitive message about tolerance and diversity, but she touches on a wide range of musical genres all the way from afrofunk to rap to rock.  There is even a collaboration with Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys on the title track.

Also, if you ever wondered what a musical episode of Black Mirror would look like (with a touch of The Handmaiden's Tale thrown in) and are not uncomfortable with some R-rated sexuality, check out the 40+ minute Sci Fi movie she made to accompany the album, co-starring actress Tessa Thompson:

While this movie definitely isn't for everyone, I thought it was great.

[MaryPatShelby]

On 5/1/2018 at 8:02 PM, Cindyluwho said:

Adam's team performance was painful! Alicia's was much better.

 

I had to FF after the first two team members who sang (can't remember who they were) were so completely out of tune that I cringed.  Doesn't sound like it got any better.

[SunnyBeBe]

I really wonder if the performers can hear themselves due to some kind of mechanical problem with their setup.  It seems like some good singers go off really bad lately.  I'm not sure why, unless they can't hear themselves. 

There's a mic in their ear, right?  Why can't they hear themselves?  ??