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.Cole Vosbury continues to rise on The Voice
Top eight night on The Voice this Monday was one of the most competitive episodes in the series' history. Seriously I've just begun this recap and already I'm dreading having to predict who'll go home Tuesday and I'm dreading Tuesday's actual results show even more.With so much awesomeness to process let's just get to recapping shall we
James Wolpert (Team Adam) James has been hit or miss this season and his biggest misses have been when he's tried to do anthemic belty classic rock like More Than a Feeling and Without You. So I was worried when I heard that James would be taking on the most anthemic and belty band ever Queen doing Somebody to Love. This would be a disaster right Actually no. It wasn't. It kind of felt like a preview for NBC's recently renewed The Sing Off with nerdy James in a suit backed by an army of what Carson Daly called The Many James Wolperts. Yes it was shouty and awkward in parts what James Wolpert performance isn't but it was charming. (You know what was more awkward When Carson compared James's army to the Eminem clones in the Real Slim Shady video. Doesn't Carson remember what Eminem said about him and Christina Aguilera in that song ) Anyway this was good. Was it as good as James's coach Adam Levine claimed Well no. It did not sound like Freddie Mercury and when Adam claimed that James could go front Queen tomorrow well I don't think James is any threat to off/on Queen singer Adam Lambert either. I even preferred Cody Belew's version of Somebody to Love from The Voice Season 3. Also contrary to what Blake Shelton said this was not James's best performance to date (that would be A Case of You ) nor was CeeLo Green correct when he called this one of the absolute best performances in the history of 'The Voice.' But all that being said I did enjoy this. James is somebody to love.
Tessanne Chin (Team Adam) Adam hasn't really done right by Tessanne with his song choices giving her material that has sucked all the funk right out of her and made her seem old fashioned. But No Doubt's reggae tinged Underneath It All was the perfect fit for this Jamaican powerhouse. She got sassy she got in the audience's faces and she had swagger for days. It was fantastic to see her finally come to life like this. And that reggae breakdown was everything. Such an amazing moment for you there We finally found a way to tie Jamaica to America said Adam. Christina loved how Tessanne brought it back to her roots. This was the Tessanne we should have been seeing all along And I hope we keep seeing more of this version of Tessanne in the top six.
Caroline Pennell (Team CeeLo) After last week's misstep when CeeLo let Caroline sing her favorite campfire song Leaving On a Jet Plane and she almost ended up leaving the show CeeLo tried to steer her back in the right direction this week with Florence The Machine's Dog Days Are Over. It was an epic challenging song one that would force her out of her shell yet it was in her wheelhouse genre wise. I was hoping this would be Caroline's rebound. And in some ways it was. I certainly preferred it to last week's snoozefest. But she never quite reached the level of majesty that this massive song required. The song overwhelmed her and she ultimately fell short of greatness. CeeLo chose not to comment on the actual performance instead babbling some poem about you are the only thing that matters to me at this moment and telling her perhaps unintentionally discouragingly If nothing else you win because you win my heart. (I bet she'd rather win the actual Voice. ) Adam appreciated how Caroline pushed herself. But I think she's going to be in trouble again this week.
Cole Vosbury (Team Blake) With Austin Jenckes now out of the running Cole is the closest thing to a country singer that Blake (or Season 5 in general) has. So it made sense that Blake had Cole sing I Still Believe In You by Vince Gill. Cole did a lovely job with it sort of turning it into a Skid Row power ballad there was so much heartland emotion in this and if they'd allowed cigarette lighters in the studio I'm sure the swaybots would've flipped their Bics in unison for Cole. And I am sure that Cole's track will light up the iTunes chart this week. Blake called Cole a lock to be here for a while. Christina told him Your voice shone so brightly on that song. And I officially decided that Cole is my favorite to win The Voice Season 5. I am a member of the Cole Patrol
Matthew Schuler (Team Xtina) Imagine Dragons' It's Time was a return to the indie rock stylings that Matthew chose for himself when he first auditioned with Young the Giant's Cough Syrup and sang Florence's Cosmic Love in the Knockout Rounds. I was happy to see Matthew back in his element even though really any song is in his element since Matthew can just about sing anything. However this was the first time that I'd ever heard Matthew sound less than perfect. Christina assigned him a ton of choreography alongside a fleet of Rhythm Nation dancers and I think all that busy staging distracted him and compromised his vocals. Still Christina and CeeLo loved Matthew's integrity. And I loved Matthew's presence. The guy certainly commanded the stage. Whatever Matthew does he's got wait for it the X factor.
Will Champlin (Team Adam) Will became the first male Voice contestant ever to sing the Etta James classic At Last this week and it was a risk. Will it pay off Maybe/hopefully. I was impressed by the very first note that came out of Will's mouth (and by the way he'd somehow transformed into Adam Levine's mini me). I thought this was a tour de force until the end that is when his vocals went off the rails similar to what happened during the coda of his Demons performance a couple weeks ago. But I knew that screechiness came from a place of passion so I tried to excuse it. Sometimes you get a little crazy because you are so passionate. I have to rein you back in That was eight notes higher than in rehearsal ...But I love that ambition said Adam. However Christina no stranger to this song herself thought Will's shrillness was caused by him overthinking his performance. Either way I hope this performance isn't Will's undoing.
Ray Boudreaux (Team Blake) I thought Ray doing the Spencer Davis Group's Gimme Some Lovin' would be corny but I was actually lovin' this. The song was perfect for his swamp poppy voice and the Vegas staging even worked with his Presleyan good looks. I was thoroughly entertained by this sexy swaggery performance. It's like Robert Palmer up there said Blake. I loved the whole thing. It was a great performance said Christina. CeeLo dug Ray's real rock 'n' roll energy. I can't imagine this is a song that'll climb high on the iTunes chart so Ray may still be at risk this week but I do think a lot of ladies will pick up the phone for him so that will probably be his saving grace.
Jacquie Lee (Team Xtina) I got excited when Christina during rehearsals told Jacquie to bring aggression to her performance of the Motown classic Who's Lovin' You. Aggression is Jacquie's thing Despite her adorable American Girl doll face Jacquie is fierrrrrce. And she definitely attacked this ballad from its haunting a cappella intro to the big knee dropping finish. What a voice What a star How is this girl only 16 It's like you swallowed an old lady said CeeLo. You threw it all up there on the stage said a proud Christina. You parted somebody's hair down there said Blake. This was pretty amazing. To loosely quote/answer her own musical question all of America must be lovin' Jacquie Lee by now.
So now it is prediction time. Like I said earlier this one will be a toughie. So many contestants had fantastic performances on Monday. But I will guess that the bottom three will be James Wolpert (because he went first) Will Champlin (because he received some negative feedback) and Caroline Pennell (because Dog Days wasn't as epic as it should have been). Which two will go home Which one will get the Instant Save Tune in Tuesday to find out.
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Arts EntertainmentMediaChristina AguileraAdam LambertBlake SheltonAdam LevineEtta James
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