The "most important night of the season," as host Carson Daly put it, took place Monday on The Voice, as Season 25's top five finalists competed for America's votes one last time. Each contestant delivered two excellent performances, a ballad and an uptempo number, and it seemed like Tuesday's finale could go any which way. Throughout Monday's two-hour episode, I frequently rethought and overthought my predictions.
But then Team Reba's Asher HaVon closed the show with the tour de force that just might have sealed his deal. If Asher wins Tuesday, it will be because of his epic ballad, "I Will Always Love You." Asher incorporated all the regal grandeur of Whitney Houston's Bodyguard version, all the tenderness and intimacy of Dolly Parton's original, and the superstar power of both divas, on a song that is not easy for any man to sing. This was, simply put, one the greatest finale performances in the history of The Voice, and the producers had to slot it last, because no one could have followed Asher.
"This is what The Voice is all about: finding talent that is so raw, they don't even know what they're doing," said "proud mama" Reba McEntire, marveling over the fact that Asher had not sung in two and a half years before going on The Voice and didn't even hear secular music until he was in his late twenties. Asher was obviously born to do it, as most greats are.
"Man. ... You deserve to win this show," an impartial Chance the Rapper, who didn't have any contestants in this season's finals, proclaimed. "If I was you, America, I would vote for Asher."
Whether or not America listens to Chance and Asher ultimately wins Season 25, it just gladdens my heart that a gender-bending gospel singer from Selma, Ala., with a penchant for false eyelashes, opera capes, and Beyoncé lacefronts, and a huge LGBTQ+ fanbase, even made it to the top five on a show that usually skews conservative in its viewership. Asher's success just proves that a great voice has universal appeal — beyond genre, race, sexuality, or geography. Asher has already won, in my book.
Let's get to the rest of Monday's other great performances.
Nathan Chester (Team Legend)
For his uptempo number, this throwback soulman did "It's Your Thing" by the Isley Brothers, a song that John Legend said "fits squarely into the music that Nathan wants to make." Once again we got The Nathan Chester Power Hour variety show, complete with Soul Train line-dancers and Laugh-In staging. It was his thing, and he did what he wanted to do. And it was dyn-o-mite, of course. But somehow, this performance a felt a little more modern than usual, a little less of a nostalgia piece, a little more Lenny Kravitz and a little less Eddie Murphy-as-James Brown on Celebrity Hot Tub. "There were some new things that you added in rehearsal that really added dynamic and variation to a song that can be repetitive if you let it be," noted John, who proudly claimed that Nathan "can win this show."
For his second mellow number, Nathan could not have chosen better than the Donny Hathaway version of Leon Russell's "A Song for You." Eschewing all that '70s-shtick gimmickry (as fun and groovy as it is) to deliver his most flawless and connected vocal of the season, and simply accompanied by a string sextet, Nathan proved to all doubters he's no novelty act. This was retro, but it was also timeless. "I swear, if you had a residency in Las Vegas, I would bring all my friends and go," said Carson. If Nathan wins Tuesday night, it will be because of this performance.
Josh Sanders (Team Reba)
Josh got his slow song out of the way, sitting next to pianist on a dry-ice-fogged, amber-lit stage as he leaned into his gospel roots on Vince Gill's "Go Rest High on That Mountain." It was a smart choice, since religious songs tend to go over well with this show's conservative base. "I always tell you, you've gotta get that heart going and send it out. And you did. It just really hit me hard," said a beaming and weepy Reba. Josh's vocal here was solid and robust, but I had a feeling he was conserving his energy for his big barnstormer coming later in the night.
Josh came barreling back on a song that Reba called "sassy/flirty/fun" and "the one that could make him a winner": Randy Houser's "Boots On." Josh told America, "I ain't shown these folks how much fun I'm capable of having," and all I have to say is... what took him so long? He did it country-style, as the song goes, and he kicked a boot right up the backside of this competition. This was badass. If Josh wins Tuesday night, it will be because of this performance.
Bryan Olesen (Team Legend)
Bryan is the one true surprise contestant in this top five — he squeaked through after winning the top nine semifinals' Instant Save last week, beating out three other great singers. But Voice fans do tend to gravitate towards classic rockers like Bryan, and the 50-year-old former Newsboys member's backstory of overcoming industry ageism and a tough divorce has made him relatable all season. Doing "Beautiful Things," a ballad by Gen Z pop star (and former American Idol contestant) Benson Boone, might have seemed like a risk for guy who'd made it this far covering Queen, Toto, Phil Collins, and Coldplay. But I think it was brilliant. For the first time this season, Bryan seemed modern and cool, and he still managed to make Benson's hit sound like an '80s power ballad; there was something comforting about his rendition. The risk paid off, with all four coaches giving Bryan a standing ovation. "When you sang that, it felt like you really know what it means to lose something. I really felt that," John said, surprisingly breaking into what seemed like actual sincere tears while Bryan's stiff upper lip quivered. If Bryan pulls off an upset and wins Tuesday night, it will be because of this performance.
"Freedom '90," Bryan's second song, effectively incorporated his churchy stylings with his pop/rock roots. Bryan is no George Michael — who is? — so this extravaganza was a little cheesy, but mostly in an enjoyably Robbie Williams-esque way. It actually was very Vegas. I think Bryan would have benefited from doing "Beautiful Things" second, leaving more of an emotional impact on voters, but wherever he ends up placing on Tuesday's leaderboard, he finally got to be the rock star he's always wanted to be.
Karen Waldrup (Team Dan + Shay)
Dan Smyers called Karen a "pure country music singer" and Shay Mooney praised her for "really sticking to what you want to be" — comments that seemed to position her as a frontrunner, if she wasn't one already. (The pyro and finale-ready pageant gown during her ballad number were two other tipoffs.) With her crisp, sparkling tone and professional stage persona, there isn't anyone in the top five — not even Bryan or cruise-ship entertainer Nathan — who brings as much experience to the competition as Karen, a 36-year-old road warrior with an established Nashville career. Sometimes she has seemed a little too pro and polished, but last week's raw "Stay" cover was a breakthrough, so I understand why she went with another five-hanky heartbreak song, Rascal Flatts' "What Hurts the Most," for her ballad. It wasn't the moment that "Stay" was, but she did get a bit nasty and feisty at the end, showing some teeth and true grit. Dan called it "iconic" and a "Grammy performance... the kind that will win The Voice."
Unfortunately for Karen, I think she, like Bryan, suffered from song order, because her party-girl cover of Jo Dee Messina's "I'm Alright" was fluffy and throwaway. It'd be a ton o' fun at a "K-Dub" concert at the county fair, but it was not the kind of performance that will win The Voice. But Dan praised Karen for "being the most consistent performer on the show" and told her, "You deserve to win. You earned this."
Asher HaVon (Team Reba)
As much as I love Nathan and all of his fun theatrics, I would really love it if the equally theatrical but very-much-in-his-own lane Asher won this whole season. Asher's cover of Donna Summer's "Last Dance" was a ballad and uptempo all in one, as he once again showed he contains multitudes. He's one of the most interesting people to ever appear on The Voice, and that what's makes him a star. John boldly declared Asher, who's not even on John's team, the best singer of the season, and he wasn't wrong. (Sorry, Bryan and Nathan! This is John's last season — at least for a while, since his chair will be filled next season by new coach Snoop Dogg — so maybe John had no more effs to give.)
So now, it is prediction time. Will Asher win this thing? Possibly, and I agree with Chance: He should. And if he does, it will be a landmark victory in so many important ways. But Karen and Asher's Team Reba mate Josh are both mainstream country singers represented by mainstream country coaches; Bryan is the only rocker in the running; and Nathan is a consistently awesome entertainer whose win would allow John Legend to leave on a high note. And everyone was at the top of their game on Monday.
Oh, what the heck, here's my not-so-confident gut prediction (I would not recommend that anyone wager any bets based on this): Josh will prevail in the end because he's a country dude, followed by Asher (which means it'll be a banner night for Team Reba), and then Karen, Nathan, and Bryan. Tune in Tuesday to find out if I'm right... but I actually hope I'm wrong.
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