Monday night was the semi-finals on The Voice with the Top 9 bringing their A-game in order to avoid elimination because Tuesday night’s results show will see a big cut with five competitors going home before the finale.
Guest performers during the evening included Ellie Golding and Blake Shelton.
Team Blake’s country artist Barrett Baber kicked off the night, putting his spin on the pop song “Ghost” by Ella Henderson.
Pharrell Williams told him, “Wow. You showed your emotions in the purest way possible. The mic went out and you were still bulldozing through. Congrats. That was a good performance.” Gwen Stefani said, “The longer you are on the show, the happier I am for you. I can see you enjoying it so much. It was a really powerful performance.” Adam Levine added, “I knew you were going to be here at this point. You were one of the strongest singers. I have to applaud both of you. It was an interesting choice to do this at this point. It was unpredictable.” And his coach said, “I feel like here’s the door to the finale and you’ve kicked it in. I don’t know anybody who gives more to their performances than you do!”
Team Adam’s Shelby Brown went second with a deeply emotional performance of “Even God Must Get the Blues” by Jo Dee Messina.
Blake told her, “You sounded amazing tonight. You sang beautifully and perfectly in tune. Congrats. That was so good.” Pharrell pointed out, “As you were singing, I was asking what is there to be nervous about? I feel like you connected to the moment so well.” Gwen said, “I kept waiting because of all the anticipation of you being so nervous, but you literally had no nerves. You were so calm. It is my favorite performance because you were so understated tonight. You are a really good singer.” Her coach said, “You have driven me so crazy! But after what she did tonight, she deserves to be voted through to the finale. You made me so beyond proud tonight. You conquered all your demons.”
Team Gwen’s passionate pop singer Jeffery Austin put his unique style on the Cher classic “Believe.”
Blake said, “I hope all three of my artists make it in the finale but you just proved that you deserve to be there. I will not be surprised if that is the No. 1 most downloaded tune this week.” Coach Gwen urged everyone to vote for Jeffery saying, “Can I just say to the TV land people, he is ridiculously talented. Please vote for him right now.”
Team Gwen’s Braiden Sunshine took a chance, switching from his rocker persona to perform the gospel hymn “Amazing Grace.”
Adam told Braiden, “Your journey on the show has been the most interesting. You came on as a kid—you still are a kid—but you are that much more seasoned. Gwen has done so much to propel you forward from the hair changes to the crazy song choices, this being like the exclamation point tonight.” Pharrell pointed out that Braiden was giving so much hope to kids 11 and 12 years old. “I think to be doing what you’re doing live on television, you’re inspiring a lot of kids,” he said. Gwen complimented him, “Wow! Braiden was convinced this song was meant to be. The tone of your voice, and how you held back in the beginning and then went there, it was so spiritual.”
Team Blake’s Zach Seabaugh decided to perform “The Climb” by Miley Cyrus because it is about dreams coming true, which reflects his journey on The Voice.
Gwen said she wished she was in high school so she could have a locker and put Zach’s pictures all over it. “That was one of my favorite songs ever. To see you do a song like that at this point in the competition, I am scared. I think you are going through,” she said. Adam pointed out how everyone is so improved now, Zach included. His coach said, “There was a part of that song that talks about how important these moments are. No matter what happens from here, that was your best performance of the season on The Voice.”
Team Pharrell’s last remaining artist Madi Davis performed her personal take on Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons‘ feel-good song “Big Girls Don’t Cry.”
Adam told her, “It was so serene and cool. This was the most different thing I have ever heard on the show. I love where it was in the season. This was so unexpected. That was the coolest thing about it.” Blake added, “I felt like I was watching a Disney movie or something. It was too perfect to be live.” Her coach said, “That production was amazing and you sang it like you are prepared for Broadway or a film. That was insane.”
Team Blake’s Tennessee country artist, 17-year-old Emily Ann Roberts performed “9 to 5,” a song by one of her idols—Dolly Parton.
Gwen exclaimed, “That vocal is crazy! I don’t understand how you can sing so perfect. That song is so hard to sing. I like that your personality came out.” Coach Blake told her, “If I was somebody who owned a record company, I would right now be calling around because you are going to make somebody so much money. You have to be going to the finale.”
Team Adam’s Amy Vachal made a sentimental song choice, performing “To Make You Feel My Love “by Bob Dylan.
Pharrell waxed philosophical, saying, “Your voice seems like it is made of what beautiful clouds are made of. When you sang this, it seemed as if the stars would come out to assist. With all the crazy things in the world, we need the crazy people to hear it because it would give them clarity.” Her coach Adam said, “We did exactly what we wanted to do tonight. This room completely stopped. We started out to create a different type of moment, especially on a show that is so big and over the top. You did it raw and honest. I am so proud of you.”
Closing out the night was Team Adam’s Jordan Smith, who in a switch from his inspirational songs, took on Queen‘s “Somebody to Love.” It brought down the house.
With only 10 seconds on the clock, Adam told Jordan, “I don’t need to say anything at all. That said it all.”
The Voice returns Tuesday night at 8 p.m. when the Top 9 become the Final 4.
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