For a show that’s branded itself as the anti-American Idol, The Voice sure felt like American Idol last night, with eight finalists singing solo for votes. There was even a girl from American Idol closing out the night! Eight of the 16 finalists performed Tuesday, with the rest on tap next week. While the show has lost considerable steam since its premiere, due largely to its complicated format, these performances were strong. Let’s break them down! Raquel Castro – Blow (The Voice) Raquel Castro performed Ke$ha “Blow,” a song notable mostly for its beat and its video, as Ke$ha cannot actually sing, channeling mentor Christina. Mama Aguilera, along with the rest of the panel, loved it. America should do, especially coming from the youngest and smallest Voice cast member. Jared Blake – Use Somebody (The Voice) Jared Blake went with “Use Somebody” by Kings of Leon, a fitting choice, even if Blake said that Jared struggled with being either country or rock. The guitar tossing and strutting took care of that debate: “You’ve shaved your head, you’ll never get through a metal detector – you’re a rock guy.” Beverly McClellan – I’m The Only One (The Voice) Beverly McClellan sang Melissa Ethridge’s “I’m the Only One,” with enthusiasm and energy that you couldn’t help but embrace. Especially for Adam. He lamented letting her get away in the previous round, after which Christina bragged, after which s-bombs were dropped. Pretty standard fare: Dia Frampton – Heartless (The Voice) Dia Frampton’s acoustic interpretation of Kanye West’s “Heartless” got a lot of praise for being original (Kris Allen and The Fray may beg to differ). Still, that’s not her fault, as she let loose like never before for her, and Cee Lo promised to tell Kanye PERSONALLY about it. That’s high praise! Xenia – Price Tag (The Voice) One-named Xenia took on “Price Tag” but looked uncomfortable up there. If there was a performance that wasn’t up to par, this may have been it. Will she stick around after this? It would be something of an upset, as she was almost hard to watch at times (we feel bad saying it, but it’s true). Lily Elise – Big Girls Don’t Cry (The Voice) Lily Elise sang Fergie, and despite the fact that “Big Girls Don’t Cry” is a somber, poignant track, the backup dancers may have stolen the show. Seriously, you gotta check out the dancing mannequins. They don’t really fit the format of the show, but they sure made this a lot more fun! Patrick Thomas – I Hope You Dance (The Voice) Patrick Thomas took the stage with Lee Ann Womack’s “I Hope You Dance” and did his best to channel his inner Scotty McCreery up on stage. His performance was technically sound and but very safe. Sound familiar? Hey, it worked pretty well for McCreery a couple of weeks ago … Frenchie Davis – When Love Takes Over (The Voice) Frenchie Davis ended the night with David Guetta’s “When Love Takes Over,” and managed to show off her range without trying too, too hard. She’s the most powerful singer in the competition, according to Blake, and he’s probably not the only one. She was pretty terrific out there. Thoughts? Who was the best on The Voice? Who are you most looking forward to seeing on next week’s show? Discuss!
Original post:
The Voice Recap: Let the LIVE Finals Begin!
