Adam Levine used up his two steals during Monday night's battles, taking two artists from Pharrell Williams, and beating out Gwen Stefani, while Blake Shelton also used up a steal on The Voice.

Team Adam: Damien vs. Kelli Douglas

First up in the battles tonight: Team Adam’s soul and R&B singers Damien and Kelli Douglas. In rehearsal, Adam and Stevie Nicks encouraged them to let go of some nerves and focus on their performances. As Adam told Damien, the contestants that go the farthest are the ones that have the most fun on stage.

It was a tough battle, but Damien “killed it” (Adam’s words) and won the battle. And, with all the coaches getting picky with their last steals, Kelli was sent home. Winner: Damien

Team Gwen: Jessie Pitts vs. Ryan Still

Gwen mixed it up a bit, pitting Jessie Pitts and Ryan Sill against each other on “I Need Your Love.” Both Jessie and Ryan were sweet in rehearsal, and Gavin Rossdale cautioned Ryan against using too many boy band moves (or, as he called it, “aca-bopping”) and encouraged Jessie to connect to an audience member.

Before the battle, Gwen said that the winner would be whoever made her cry. After the performance, Blake gave Jessie the win for being able to keep up with a song not suited for her vocals. Pharrell said that the chemistry between the two of them almost had him thinking that they were going to make out on stage (quick shout out to mom and dad in the audience!). When it came time to decide the winner, Gwen praised Ryan’s great attitude and complimented Jessie’s “sparkleyness.”

A tough decision, but Gwen declared Ryan the winner. Gwen clearly wanted Jessie to get a steal, and it looked like it wasn’t going to happen until Blake hit his button at the last minute, using up his last steal. Winner: Ryan. Jessie: Team Blake

Team Pharrell: Katriz Trinidad vs. Blessing Offor

Pharrell paired Blessing Offor with Katriz Trinidad, and gave them Stevie Wonder’s “Do I Do.” The song choice seemed a bit unfair considering Blessing auditioned with Stevie Wonder, and Katriz was way out of her comfort zone. Pharrell encouraged her to learn the song inside and out and let herself let loose.

It was a close battle, and all coaches were conflicted, but Katriz’s willingness to rise to the challenge won her the battle. Adam was quick to press his button for a steal, and was wrapping up a sweet story about how his wife’s name means ‘Blessing’ when Gwen also pressed her button. Adam won out, and got Blessing. Winner: Katriz. Blessing: Team Adam

Team Adam: Ethan Butler vs. Matt McAndrew

Adam decided to give the audience a battle of the indie rockers with Ethan Butler and Matt McAndrew battling it out over Coldplay’s “Yellow.” In rehearsal, Adam and Stevie Nicks encouraged the men to feel the emotion of the song.

The two men and their guitars worked surprisingly beautifully together, and Blake told them they could be a duo. The coaches were quick to declare the battle a draw, but Adam saw a star quality in Matt and gave him the win. Winner: Matt

Team Blake: Bree Fondacaro vs. Taylor Brashears

Team Blake’s Bree Fondacaro and Taylor Brashears were up next with “You’re No Good,” and both women had some struggles in rehearsals. Blake encouraged Bree to get angry in the chorus, and told Taylor to try to be sultry in the verses.

Pharrell gave the win to Taylor for her confidence, and Adam agreed. Blake, too, agreed and declared Taylor the winner of the battle. Winner: Taylor

Team Pharrell: Toia Jones vs. DaNica Shirey

Finally, Toia Jones and DaNica Shirey from Team Pharrell closed the night with Beyoncé’s “Halo.” In rehearsals, both Toia and DaNica said they thought of their fathers while singing the song, and the two women bonded over their emotion with the song. After Toia broke down in rehearsals, Pharrell encouraged the two to sing the song “as if you were in your bathroom” and not worry about any possible critics.

“Doing a Beyoncé song is like slaying a dragon, and you guys slayed the dragon and then slapped it in the face to make sure it was dead,” Adam said after the performance. All the coaches were in awe of both Toia and DaNica, but, forced to choose, Pharrell went with DaNica. The second Toia was available to steal, Adam pressed his button, and Toia was walking towards Gwen to give her a hug as she left the stage on Team Adam when Gwen pressed her button. For the second time of the night, Adam got the steal. Winner: DaNica. Toia: Team Adam.

The battles continue on The Voice Tuesday at 8pm on NBC.

Leave a comment

Read more about: