I don’t know what it is about this season of The Voice, but I just can’t seem to get into it. Logically, I know there are some fantastic singers, some of whom I even find myself rooting for. But as a whole, this season has not been able to grab my attention, with even the best performances seeming dull to me. Perhaps it’s because I’ve watched too many singing competitions that all follow the same formula and now it’s finally getting old. Regardless of my overall lukewarm feelings towards this season, I continued to watch as members of Team Adam and Team Christina took the stage last night, performing for their chance at joining the Top 12.
Team Adam had a rough night with lackluster performances and questionable song choices, marking his team as the weakest going into the Top 12. Tonya Boyd Cannon took the stage first with a churched up version of Elton John’s “Take Me to the Pilot.” She is clearly confident and loves performing, but she hasn’t proven that she can do anything new or contemporary. At this stage in the competition, we need to see breakout performances instead of just the same old thing, and Tonya did nothing to help her cause.
Joshua David is my personal favorite from Team Adam, with his gritty voice and emotional performances holding my attention. Like Tonya though, he did nothing to set himself apart last night, but I’m hopeful that his performance was solid enough to earn him a spot in the Top 12. Brian Johnson also knows how to bring emotion to a song, but his voice is nowhere near as interesting as Joshua’s. The coaches praised him for his perfect vocals but I found his performance more boring than anything.
Nathan Hermida and Deanna Johnson were both hurt by Adam’s song choice for them, which didn’t allow them to show off what they could do. I was truly baffled by Adam giving Nathan a song in which he wanted him to be ‘sexy’ and ‘dark.’ Nathan is a sweet kid with a great voice, and Adam shouldn’t have tried to make him into something he’s not. As for Deanna, the gospel song may have been a good way to help her get over nerves, but it did nothing for her vocally. The song didn’t allow her to stretch her muscles vocally, but because she was the last performer of the night, it’s likely that she’ll move on.
In general, Christina’s team was much more impressive last night with a few stand out performances that wowed the audience and coaches but still left me unsatisfied. Sonic has never been a favorite of mine, especially as they feel the need to remind us every time she performs about her hearing loss. Yes, it’s impressive that she can sing despite being half deaf but her performances haven’t been up to par lately. She was pitchy and missed some key notes, landing her towards the bottom of Christina’s team.
Kimberly Nicole stole the night with her energetic and pitch perfect performance of a song that had never been approved for The Voice before. The song was exactly what she needed to show America that she’s here to win and should easily carry her to the Top 12. On the other end of the spectrum, Lexi Davila struggled with staying on pitch in a performance that was, overall, very forgettable. She needs to let loose to come across a little more natural on the stage.
India Carney has been another favorite of mine throughout the competition, but I wasn’t as impressed by her performance last night as the coaches were. She nailed the emotion of the song, but her vibrato and runs were more distracting than anything to me. There’s no doubt she knows how to work an audience and that combined with her vocals almost guarantee her a spot in the Top 12. Rob Taylor will most likely be joining India there, as he delivered a breakthrough performance last night, which was the first time I actually found myself enjoying watching him sing. He owned the stage, bringing all four coaches to their feet and showing that he deserves to remain in the competition.
There have been so many performances that have fallen flat for me that I’m not even going to try to predict who will be sent home tonight. A handful of contestants have done what it takes to guarantee themselves a spot in the Top 12, but for the others, it could go either way. Tonight the results will be revealed, taking us even further into the competition where things will continue to heat up.
[Photo via NBC]
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