Night one of The Voice Season 12 Live shows is a tough night! Coaches Alicia Keys & Blake Shelton lose half of their teams! Those of us in eastern or central time got to watch these performances and then have a say in who made it to the top 12. You needed The Voice app and twitter to vote though!
If you’re in central or pacific time – and not driving – you can sort of follow along with the app and on twitter. The app will tell you when to vote, and if you follow @NBCTheVoice on twitter, they will too. Granted, you won’t be able to judge the performances, but at least you can vote.
The really good news though is that the voting is being done by team! So, all the performers from Team Blake sang and you had until they all performed to get your votes in. It’s great for the app voting because you can change your votes if a later artist blows your mind! On the other hand, it does also favor whomever goes earlier. That’s because twitter votes and retweets count as votes too. That means the earlier in the voting window the performance is in the more time they have to be retweeted.
The Team Blake Performances
1. Cassie Joy – “Parachute” by Chris Stapleton
I didn’t love this song choice….
2. Felicia Temple – “Defying Graffiti” – from the Broadway musical, Wicked
Sometimes I think no one really wants to vote for a classic diva voice anymore. Felicia was amazing on this! Next stop, Broadway! Don’t be surprised if she get’s cast as the next Elphaba!
3. Aaliyah Rose – “Brass in Pocket” by The Pretender
Aaliyah’s got a really got a huge voice, but she’s not quite grown into yet. Remember, she’s only 14 years old and much of her vocal experience is from performing on YouTube. Live stage is different. Coming onto The Voice is a great educational experience for her.
The first thing I thought about this performance is that working with Blake was good for her. Her wardrobe is the best it’s been the entire time on the show. The song choice was…okay. At least its topic worked well. Something slower with some big belting moments would have been better.
4. T-Soul – “Knock on Wood” by Eddie Floyd
He’s got a real classic soul sound!
5. Aliyah Moulden – “Mercy” by Duffy
Blake said this was her best performance…I’m not convinced of that. However, she does command the stage!
6. Lauren Duski – “Someone Else’s Star” by Brian White
Lauren’s songs are subdued but powerful. Blake says it’s different for country. It’s different, period. That’s why we love it!
America Saved: Lauren Duski and Aliyah Moulden. Blake Saved: TSoul
The Team Alicia Performances
1. Chris Blue – “Love On the Brain” by Rihanna
Everyone loves Chris!
2. Anatalia Villaranda – “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King
Anatalia has come so far on this show! Her blind audition was a bit like a super-intense cheerleader, but both this and her knockout have shown far more depth and nuance.
3. Jack Cassidy – “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” – by Elton John
Jack’s issue isn’t his voice, it’s his stage presence. He loosened up about halfway though, which is good. Adam made a smart assessment when asked about who he’d pick to win. He said everyone was good, but he’d need to go with who seemed the most ready performance-wise.
4. Vanessa Ferguson – “Lean On” by Major Lazer and DJ Snake featuring MØ
5. Ashley Levine – “I Can’t Stand the Rain” by Ann Peebles
Ashley has just one problem, but it’s on every song she’s done: diction! She never pronounces all of her words!
6. Stephanie Rice – “Every Breath You Take” by The Police
This was awesome! She just totally did this song in a way that made it her own!
America Saved: Chris Blue & Vanessa Ferguson. Alicia Saved: Stephanie Rice
The Wrap Up: Night One of The Voice Season 12 Live Shows
I said this in my article about the Comeback Artists, but it bears repeating. This format of cutting down from the top 24 0r 20 to the top 12 is awful! We lose really good people too fast!
It would be better if The Voice let the first live shows cut down to 16 and then let the competition go to an open field. Let’s face it, sometimes the teams are not evenly matched. If the top four from each each team got to compete regardless of team, the results would feel more like we got the best of the best. When it’s only the top three it always feels like we’re being short-changed….
That being said, it was a huge relief that Alicia picked Stephanie Rice over Jack Cassidy and I was really worried for a minute because she brought him back and was really rooting for him. However, Jack wouldn’t have even been my fourth spot pick. I’d have gone with Anatalia – especially knowing that Aliyah Moulden won over Casi Joy.
Aliyah’s win was the biggest surprise of the night. I thought Blake’s country crowd following would have voted Casi through. That song choice was a huge departure from what she’s been doing though. Maybe it lost her some support?
Then there’s the talent of Aliyah herself. After her knockout round I said Aliyah was like a young Beyoncé. I guess I wasn’t the only one with that assessment!
Tomorrow night is coaches Gwen Stefani and Adam Levine will be cutting their teams in half! Don’t forget to tune in and vote!
Follow Us
