We’re up to the second night of the live playoffs on The Voice season 8! I can’t believe how fast this season is going. The artists from Team Blake and Team Pharrell sung it out, and night two is all about Team Adam and Team Christina. I’m particularly excited for India Carney, Sonic and Lexi Davila’s performances. It does seem like Christina’s team is stronger than Adam’s, but Tonya Boyd-Cannon could give a great performance. Of course, the results will be announced on Wednesday.
I’m also really excited for Sia to perform “Elastic Heart” on The Voice. Sia always has such interesting and unique performances.
Sia Performs “Elastic Heart”
Five-time Grammy winner and former Voice adviser Sia performs “Elastic Heart.” Sia, of course, keeps her performance simple and and you can’t see her face. But she pulls it off. I just think Sia’s so interesting. And she does have a really unique voice.
Coach Check-In
Carson reminds us that we’re getting stripped-down performances so we can concentrate on the voice itself. He asks Christina and Adam what they said to their teams to prepare for tonight and, of course, they’re both very confident.
Tonya Boyd-Cannon Performs “Take Me to the Pilot”
And now we’re down to business. Team Adam’s Tonya Boyd-Cannon is up first and she’s singing “Take Me to the Pilot,” which seems great for her. This is not only perfect for Tony’s voice, but it’s also perfect for her because she grew up singing in the church. Her parents were upset when she started singing secular music, but they told her they’re so proud of her.
And Tonya does “Take Me to the Pilot” complete justice. It seems like it’s right up her alley. Tonya really builds it up and lets loose. And you can tell that Tonya’s really enjoying herself, which makes a difference. She’s completely herself and in the moment on stage.
Blake and Christina agree that Tonya was in the moment, while Pharrell says she “took everybody on a trip.” It was just like church. Finally, Adam explains that Tonya’s “the confidence builder” and that he encourages everyone on his team to be more like him. Tonya’s performance was a great way to start off the night.
Joshua Davis Performs “Budapest”
Joshua Davis, whom Adam stole from Blake, talks about how hard it has been to be away from his family and newborn baby, but it’s worth it.
Joshua performs “Budapest,” and he has a real folk vibe. The performance is just sweet and simple. He even gets the audience clapping along. I also happen to really like the song.
The coaches all basically talk about how soothing Joshua’s voice is, which I completely agree with. He has a sweet nature.
Chris Jamison and Adam Check In
Chris Jamison’s here! He’s been playing shows, making music and “living the dream” since his time on The Voice. Adam talks about how this was the moment when Chris broke out during his season and promises that his record’s coming. Chris is performing during the results show.
Fans also tweeted what they wanted to see Chris do: his secret talent or secret handshake with Adam. He lies and says he knows Spanish, but he doesn’t. Then he and Adam make up a handshake.
Sonic Performs “I’m Going Down”
Sonic talks about inspiring people in Nicaragua and people who are hard of hearing. She has been so inspirational and has really built up a fan base.
Sonic performs “I”m Going Down” and there are some weaker moments during the performance, but she pulls through. And Sonic has some really powerful moments in the where she’s completely in her element.
Brian Johnson Performs “At This Moment”
Brian Johnson and Adam have to bond since they’re working together for the first time, and Brian talks about how he used to be bullied. He needs to really put his his emotions into the song.
Brian performs “At This Moment” and you can tell that he does put all of his emotions into it. It’s a really sweet performance and he just puts it all out there. Adam talks about how simply singing with everything he has is more important to Brian than winning The Voice. Winning The Voice wouldn’t be too bad either.
Kimberly Nichole Performs “What’s Up”
Kimberly Nichole has her great grandmother visiting, which is amazing. Christina, who stole Kimberly, has her sing “What’s Up.” The song has never been approved on The Voice before, but Kimberly can definitely do it justice. This song will let her go in a rock direction and have a message at the same time, but Kimberly has to open up and tell her story through the song.
And Kimberly kills it. Her performance of “What’s Up” shows what a powerful, unique, controlled voice she has. Plus, Kimberly has an amazing presence. She even gets a standing ovation from the coaches. Kimberly’s great grandmother is right there cheering along and Kimberly starts crying. Pharrell simply calls it “perfection,” while Blake says, “Team Christina lapped Team Adam.” This might just be the performance of the night.
Lexi Davila Performs “All By Myself”
Christina and 17-year-old Lexi Davila need to get to know each other since Lexi just joined Team Christina. Christina chooses “All By Myself” for Lexi so she can show her vulnerable side but still be powerful. Because Lexi hasn’t had a boyfriend before, she has some trouble connecting with the song, but she needs to own her emotions.
Lexi may be young, but her powerful voice completely shines through by the end of her performance of “All By Myself.” She starts out okay, but she gains confidence throughout and ends on a really strong note. All of the coaches talk about how proud they are of her.
Who is the Superstar Adviser?
Carson talks about how they’ve been dropping puzzle pieces for who the superstar adviser for next week is. They drop the last piece of the puzzle and announce that it’s Reba. I’m actually pretty excited for Reba to come.
Nathan Hermida Performs “Chains”
Adam chooses “Chains” for Nathan Hermida and has him work on getting out of his shell. He needs to add some mystery to his persona and work on his stage presence.
Nathan gives a good performance of “Chains” overall, but he does have some weak moments. And as Adam points out, Nathan improved so much on his confidence during the song, but he did still seem nervous to me.
India Carney Performs “Hurt”
India Carney’s facing a lot of pressure, not only because she’s still in school right now, but also because Christina’s coaching India on her own song.
But India totally does “Hurt” justice. It was so important for her to connect to the song, but India had explained that she was thinking of someone in particular for this song and it shows. It’s a really dramatic, emotional performance and India has such an amazing, commanding presence on stage. All of the coaches have to stand up for that. “You just closed the show to me,” Pharrell says, and Blake can’t get over how amazing Christina’s team is.
Rob Taylor Performs “Earned It”
Rob Taylor’s been having trouble after reading comments on social media. He shouldn’t do that. Rob doesn’t want to just be known as the guy who sings the high notes, but Christina thinks that “Earned It” will let him really show off who he is vocally.
I think Rob was worried for nothing because he kills it. Rob’s performance of “Earned It” is so strong. He has an amazing stage presence and puts everything into that performance. He owns it when he drops to his knees. Rob just needs to own those high notes. It’s what makes him who he is as a performer.
Deanna Johnson Performs “Down to the River to Pray”
Deanna Johnson’s the last to perform. Adam really pushes Deanna to prove herself and get over her fear and nerves. It’s on her at this point. Deanna’s comfortable singing in church, so Adam thinks “Down to the River to Pray” would be good for her.
There’s no denying that Deanna has a unique voice. And she does seem more comfortable during this performance. I don’t know if it’s the song and church feel or what, but Deanna seems at ease. It’s a simple, sweet, pretty performance.
The Voice airs Mondays and Tuesdays (and Wednesday this week) at 8pm on NBC.
(Image and videos courtesy of NBC)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
