The Voice aired its Top 8 performances last night. While all the contestants performed well, Will Champlin’s rendition of “At Last” by Etta James stood out among the rest as the strongest and most unusual performance of the night.

The Voice Recap

Before the contestants sang, however, guest Robin Thicke performed his new single “Feel Good,” which contains lyrics similarly controversial to “Give It 2 U” and “Blurred Lines.”

James Wolpert opened up the contestant performances with “Somebody To Love” by Queen, his own choice. Coach Adam Levine felt it was bold but enjoyed the performance, as did the other coaches. Christina Aguilera said it was probably his best performance.

Tessanne Chin performed next, singing No Doubt’s “Underneath It All.” The song had an played up island beat, harkening back to Chin’s Jamaican heritage. The judges, who praised her rendition, welcomed the dynamic change in Chin’s tone from previous performances, with Cee Lo Green calling it “impeccable.”

Caroline Pennell, the only remaining member of Team Cee Lo, performed Florence + The Machine’s “Dog Days Are Over,” which is not entirely unpredictable given past performances. Her fun performance too was praised by the judges. Green even read her a poem he’d written describing how proud of her he was.

Following Pennell’s performance Chin, Champlin, Cole Vosbury and Ray Boudreaux took to the stage to sing “One Day” by Matisyahu.

Vosbury was the next contestant up, singing “I Still Believe In You” by Vince Gill in a heartfelt, invested performance. Coach Blake Shelton admired his vulnerability, while Aguilera told him that she felt something special in the rendition.

Matthew Schuler sang “It’s Time” by Imagine Dragons next, which seems well timed with his recent birthday – he turned 21 at last week’s eliminations. The coaches enjoyed Schuler’s rendition, praising his connection to the song, thought it wasn't his strongest performance to date.

After Schuler’s song, the four contestants not involved in the previous group number – Schuler, Jacquie Lee, Wolpert and Pennell – came together to perform Ed Sheeran’s “Lego House.”

Champlin then sang the ambitious “At Last.” Levine wanted him to think outside the box with a song that couldn’t be further from his past performances. Putting his own rock/soul spin on the classic number, Champlin delivered a “tremendous” performance, as Aguilera put it. He hit every note, including a high soprano toward the end.

Boudreaux, a consistently impressive singer, took the stage next, singing “Gimme Some Lovin” by the Spencer Davis Group. The coaches enjoyed his upbeat performance, with Shelton comparing Boudreaux to Robert Palmer.

Lee closed the show with a rendition of Smokey Robinson's “Who’s Lovin’ You,” covered famously by the Jackson 5. She connected with the audience during her performance, which was filled with her usual impressive belts that sound like they belong to someone twice her age. The judges lauded her ability to express heartbreak.

Tune in to The Voice tonight at 9:00 to see the live eliminations.

—Ava Butler