‘The Voice’ recap: Only one woman makes it into the top 8

For the second week in a row, “The Voice” voters sent home two female contestants – 16-year-old Reagan James, of Team Blake, and returning contestant Anita Antoinette, of Team Gwen -- on Tuesday’s results show, when the top 10 shrank to the top 8. That leaves only one female contestant, Team Pharrell’s supremely talented DaNica Shirey, still in the running.

Still, it’s hard to argue that the wrong singers were sent home this week. James and Antoinette turned in so-so performances during a night of stellar singing on Monday night’s live top 10 show. And on Tuesday night’s results show -- which featured Taylor Swift, about whom Blake Shelton is “cray-cray,” performing “Blank Space” and an apparent nod to the issues in Ferguson by Pharrell Williams, who changed a lyric in “What a Wonderful World” to plead for “justice to unfurl” -- they did little to prove they deserved to stick around while singing against Ryan Sill, also of Team Gwen, for the Twitter instant save.

James strode around the stage confidently, but sounded breathy and almost as if she were talking her way through parts of “I’m Like a Bird.” Singing “The Remedy,” Antoinette hit strong, powerful notes that were, alas, a little off pitch. Both songs seemed to have been pitched a bit low for these vocalists.

Sill, who had survived the bottom three last week, showcased solid singing skills and moved around comfortably and confidently on “Collide.” He actually seemed to be enjoying the moment. Given that, you couldn’t help rooting him on.

Apparently a lot of people were. The stats that flashed across the screen as the Twitter instant save “votes” rolled in showed Sill with 47% of the vote, prevailing over James (34%) and Antoinette (19%) by a wide margin.

After the coaches dispensed their usual encouragement about continuing to pursue music after leaving the show, the results were revealed: Sill had earned an instant save for a second week. He seemed surprised.

The rest of us, though, not so much.