‘The Voice’ recap: The final four swing for the fences in the finale
It’s hard to believe we’ve arrived at the last performance for Season 9 of “The Voice†already, but here we are.
The final four vocalists — Barrett Baber and Emily Ann Roberts of Team Blake, Jordan Smith of Team Adam and Jeffery Austin of Team Gwen — each were tasked with singing three (count ’em, three!) songs on Monday night in hopes of giving viewers a good long look before casting their votes for a winner.
A winner! After all these weeks, one singer will wear the Season 9 crown on Tuesday night.
For weeks — or perhaps since the beginning — Smith has seemed poised for seasonal victory. After all, for five straight weeks, the guy has had a Top 10 song on iTunes, including two that made it to No. 1, Carson Daly reminded us. Smith even managing to bump Adele from the tippy-top spot to occupy it himself — unapologetically and unassumingly, as seems to be his appealing trademark.
“Jordan’s, I think, the best singer this show has ever seen,†Adam Levine said at the beginning of Monday’s show. “And he’s going to win ‘The Voice.’ â€
Maybe he will. Still, it won’t be for lack of effort on the part of his competition. All four singers gave their all to one song of their choosing, one holiday song (“The Voice†has found religion in a big way this season) and one coach duet. And each had moments where he or she looked or sounded like a winner.
But only one contestant can win. Will the country vote rally to boost either Baber or Roberts to the top for an upset? Or will the two Team Blake members split the country-music-fan vote and thereby falter? Will Austin, the guy who hadn’t sung in front of an audience for six years before his audition, vault forward for a true come-from-behind victory? Or is his near-elimination last week a harbinger of things to come? We’ll find out soon.
Here’s the lowdown on each singer’s performances on Monday:
Jordan Smith (Team Adam): The 22-year-old from Kentucky kicked off the evening with an inspirational rendition of “Climb Every Mountain†from “The Sound of Music,†backed by a slew of violins and a gospel choir. He earned a standing ovation from all four coaches; Pharrell Williams called the performance “incredibly moving,†and Levine said Smith had proved he “deserves to win the show.†His coach duet with Levine — the Beach Boys’ “God Only Knows,†which the Maroon 5 frontman called “the best song ever written†— was tasteful and somewhat understated. But Smith’s Christmas song, “Mary, Did You Know?†proved to be another showstopper, again prompting a four-coach standing ovation. Levine said the song choice, which hadn’t been his, had been a “last-minute change,†and one that he contended showed Smith’s artistry and “vision.†Williams said that the response made it clear that people were ready for Smith to make a record, but that he hoped he would find a label to help him be his own kind of artist and realize his dream “in the proper way.â€
Emily Ann Roberts: Though still a tender 17, Roberts proved she had fully come into her own as a traditional country singer and may well attain the long and prosperous career that coach Blake Shelton has predicted for her. She looked and sounded resplendent — like a sparkly blue snowflake — on the Christmas song “Blue Christmas.†Williams complimented Roberts on her “classic†voice, Levine called her “the real deal†and Shelton called her performance “incredible†and impossible to “look away from†and told Roberts she was “ahead of [her] time.†The Knoxville, Tenn., teen’s duet with Shelton on Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers’ “Islands in the Stream†was an adorable show highlight. And her haunting take on Cam’s “Burning House,†which closed out the night, was, as Williams noted, “flawless.†All the coaches rose to applaud. Shelton, who contends that Roberts’ stardom may reach Taylor Swift or Carrie Underwood heights, noted, “If anyone in this competition just pulled an upset, it was that right there.â€
Barrett Baber: Baber and Shelton’s “throwback†take on Glen Campbell’s “Rhinestone Cowboy†may have shown Shelton in a better light than Baber, but the 35-year-old former high school teacher from Arkansas righted his ship and sailed strong with his cool, confident performance of Thomas Rhett’s “Die a Happy Man.†As he does with nearly all his performances, Baber appeared to be singing in direct tribute to his wife and kids and to longstanding love and marital devotion, which may just be his secret sauce. Shelton said he had never “worked with anybody that puts more heart into their performances†than Baber, and that he admired the way Baber laid out his heart “for everybody to see†every time he stepped onstage. After Baber had sung a lovely version of “Silent Night†that seemed to function as a lullaby for his youngest child, cradled in Baber’s wife’s arms, Williams echoed Shelton’s words, telling Baber he had an “amazing ability†to “touch people every time†he sang because he was singing his “whole life story.â€
Jeffery Austin: Further cementing the likelihood that he will not need to return to his job in PR after his time on the show comes to an end, Austin gained solid footing as he sang “O Holy Night,†which he said was one of his grandparents’ favorite Christmas songs, and finished strong. Levine noted that there was a “sweet spot†in Austin’s voice “that shakes the rafters†and complimented him on his “unique take†on the song. Austin again showed off his resonant tone and individual approach with Sugarland’s “Stay.†Shelton said he was the contestant who had “snuck up†on all the coaches and continued to turn them into believers. Gwen Stefani — with whom Austin later dueted serviceably on Stevie Nicks and Don Henley’s “Leather and Lace†— predicted her last remaining team member would go on to “make real records†and be a voice people would “recognize on the radio.†She begged viewers for their votes, noting that if she prevailed, she would be the “first girl to win†the show.
Anything’s possible.
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