If anyone is to complain that contestants on The Voice season seven take a backseat to the superstar judges (Adam Levine, Gwen Stefani, Pharrell Williams, Blake Shelton), then they would definitely have a case this week. Following the release of her first bona fide pop album 1989 today (Oct. 27), modern music icon Taylor Swift helped out the budding stars this week for the knockout rounds, bringing along all her industry experience, performance advice and cat jokes with her.
Swift stole the screen away any time she appeared on TV, as she helped the contestants loosen up for the knockout rounds and truly become performers and not just singers. Her advice was on point, though, encouraging the voices not just to hide behind a personality or a guitar and to really connect with the fans in the audience.
There's a reason this chick has stuck around.
The knockout rounds are always a confusing time for The Voice, with contestants going up against singers they really have very little in common with, which was a common theme in this episode's matchings. Teenyboppers against singer-songwriters, soul singers against pop divas and R&B soothsayers versus peppy poppers. Either way, it was time to trim the fat and get to the real stars of this competition.
Check out how each knockout stacked up below:
Bryana Salaz "Heart Attack" v. Sugar Joans "Love on Top": Normally, The Voice will start and finish an incredibly strong performance pairing, but the very first knockout round of season seven was... well, not a knockout performance. The mediocre-in-strength Team Gwen kicked things off with Bryana Salaz versus Sugar Joans. The two ladies have little stylistically in common except for totally average voices and an affinity for tackling some high powered pop players. Bryana's take on Demi Lovato's "Heart Attack" left a lot to be desired, with flubbed notes and a down octave proving that she doesn't have quite the chops that Lovato does. Meanwhile, Sugar's jazzy, classic R&B spin on Beyoncé's "Love on Top" had a more glimmer of personality, even if she was missing the pure sense of glee that comes through in Bey's performances of the track.
Who technically won the knockout? Gwen chose Bryana, for some reason unbeknownst to me.
Who should have won the knockout? Sugar Joans. Listen, it's not as if Sugar is the strongest singer on The Voice, and she wasn't even the strongest showing on Team Gwen, but at least she added a little zest to her performance. Sugar ended up getting stolen right away by Pharrell, and with the right amount of coaching from the uber-producer, she can probably turn into a solid star.
James David Carter "You've Got a Friend" v. Griffin "As Long As You Love Me": This match up definitely seemed strategic on a part of Team Blake in order to get the dead weight off. James David Carter singing a James Taylor versus pretty boy Griffin singing pretty boy Justin Bieber. On one hand, you had a calm, cool and collected rootsy performance with just the right amount of twang, heart and soul with nary a bad note in the room. On the other hand, you have the EDM Bieber explosion with a lot of punch and heart but not the most impressive vocal showings. In the end, the simple country boy shined just a little bit brighter, as he well should have.
Who technically won the knockout? Blake Shelton referred to Jamed David Carter as "my man..." so I think we know who he stuck with.
Who should have won the knockout? Blake Shelton picked correctly. It's not like there was anything particularly offensive about Griffin's take on Bieber, it's just that all of the glitz and power couldn't outdo a simplistic, heartfelt moment of music.
DaNica Shirey "Saving All My Love for You" v. Katriz Trinidad "Superwoman": The classic soul singer versus the spunkier, strong 15-year-old. Despite Taylor Swift's affinity for the era, the 1980s released some real cheeseball music, including the Whitney Houston hit "Saving All My Love for You." I mean, just listen to those keyboards. Blech. Desptie the song's overt corniness, DaNica Shirley shined with a simple, sweet take on the song, keeping her musical cards close to her chest and allowing her natural voice to flow with not a ton of crazy embellishment. Meanwhile, teenager Katriz Trinidad went all out for Alicia Keys' "Superwoman," which she dedicated to her mother. Though her voice felt stronger, there's something that's just a little too youthful about Trinidad's voice - it's clearly just not developed all the way, and it's hard to tell what she will sound like in even just three years.
Who technically won the knockout? Pharrell chose DaNica Shirley to keep a spot on his superstar team, thanks to her ease of performance and newfound confidence.
Who should have won the knockout? It's hard to say in a matchup like this, where the two performers don't really have much in common. On one hand, Katriz Trinidad showed more vocal flare and power. On the other hand, DaNica was all about the confidence and that can be really enchanting. I'm not one to second guess Pharrell, so he probably did what was right.
Damien "How Do I Live" v. Toia Jones "Crazy In Love": Despite Sugar Joans doing it and getting a big ol' steal, it's really hard to take on Beyoncé and do it correctly, which is something Toia Jones struggled with during Team Adam and Taylor Swift rehearsals. After Swift encouraged Jones to emphasize the "crazy" in "Crazy in Love," Toia gave a big old performance, full of crazy eyes and tons of struts across the boxing room - just too bad that the vocals took a backseat. Meanwhile, Damien showed his versatility by going a little country with LeAnn Rimes' "How Do I Live." The simplistic performance featured a rounded tone from Damien, with just the right amount of vibrato. Comparing these two songs is like comparing apples and oranges, but once again the power of the ballad and the straightforward performance won out.
Who technically won the knockout? Damien, thanks to the interesting song choice and a solid execution.
Who should have won the knockout? Once again, apples and oranges. Like a lot of the knockouts tonight, this one didn't feel all that fair. But, in the end, it feels like Damien has that je ne sais quoi that can make a real star and he kept his spot secure on Team Adam.
Jessie Pitts "Your Song" v. Tanner Linford "Calling All Angels": Blake Shelton paired these two up, not because they had anything musical in common, but because they're both on their second chance of The Voice (with Jessie Pitts getting stolen last week and Tanner Linford returning for a second season). That was really nice of Blake, but it led to a hugely uneven matching. Jessie smartly chose a rendition of a song right in her wheelhouse, the Ellie Goulding arrangement of Elton John's "Your Song." Her breathy vocals are right in line with the spacey music of Goulding, and for once Jessie shined in her element, pulling off the performance effortlessly. Meanwhile, Tanner was all effort and trying a little too hard to be something he just couldn't with a Train song. He's a "cute boy" according to Taylor Swift, but that doesn't mean he can blast a note.
Who technically won the knockout? Jessie Pitts easily edged her way into a steady spot on Team Blake.
Who should have won the knockout? This one, once again, felt like trimming the fat for Blake Shelton, and Tanner was a big ol' piece of fat.
Luke Wade "Rich Girl" v. Taylor Phelan "Rather Be": This matchup definitely seemed like a ploy from the producers in order to get some high drama happening with the steals and on Team Pharrell. Both Luke Wade and Taylor Phelan are two of the strongest performers on The Voice, and the idea of either one going home is outrageous. Luke started off with a confident performance of Hall & Oates' "Rich Girl," with some smooth coordination courtesy of Miss Swift. The performance oozed confidence, with the tone of Gavin McGraw coming in strongly in Luke's voice. On the other hand, Taylor Phelan dropped the guitar for an energetic performance of Clean Bandit's "Rather Be." While this song seemed to show who he could be as an artist, it wasn't his cleanest vocal showing, though all the jumping and crowd hyping made up for it. This wasn't just a song, it was a full performance.
Who technically won the battle? By a nose, Luke Wade scored his continued spot on Team Pharrell.
Who should have won the battle? I prefer the energy and the tone of Taylor Phelan, he just feels more like the complete package, whereas Luke Wade feels like any other singer-songwriter bro out there. Luckily for The Voice and Taylor himself, all three judges attempted to steal him onto their team, and after some particularly smooth pitches, he ran over to Team Adam.
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