‘The Voice’ Finale Recap: Meghan Linsey, Joshua Davis, Koryn Hawthorne And Sawyer Fredericks Perform Original Songs

Meghan Linsey, Koryn Hawthorne, Sawyer Fredericks and Joshua Davis performed three times each in the live finale of The Voice.

The Voice Live Finale Part 1: Top 4 Perform

Each of the four finalists performed three songs: one cover, one original and one coach duet – with Adam Levine, Pharrell Williams and Blake Shelton taking the stage with their final contestants, while unrepresented coach Christina Aguilera is forced to sit this one out. It’s truly anyone’s game at this point, though Sawyer’s stellar iTunes sales record could win him the title. That said, there isn’t exactly an obvious front-runner this season, which meant that these final performances could truly decide the fate of the contestants.

KORYN HAWTHORNE (Team Pharrell)

“It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World”

For Koryn’s last cover, she wisely chose to perform James Brown’s “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World,” which coach Pharrell said was an important choice for Koryn as a female singer. Koryn sang the hell out of this song, and commanded the stage like a pro, and Pharrell looked blown away by his own contestant. Adam told Koryn that all the coaches were “unbelievably proud” of the 17 year old singer. “That performance right there proves why you deserve to be in this finale,” Blake said, calling it her best performance yet. “You were born for this,” Pharrell added.

“Bright Fire”

Pharrell himself wrote this original song for Koryn, an inspirational song he says “feels like sunshine.” It was great to see Koryn perform a more R&B infused gospel song and really have fun on stage. Adam accurately called Koryn’s performance “joyful,” and Pharrell could barely contain his happiness. “My heart is beating so fast right now because, we did it. We got to sing this song in front of everybody. And, it’s just like the lyric says, ‘He is our bright fire,’” Pharrell said.

“We Can Work It Out”

Koryn and Pharrell put a soulful twist on The Beatles’ classic, “We Can Work It Out,” for their duet performance.

MEGHAN LINSEY (Team Blake)

“When a Man Loves a Woman”

Meghan wanted to sing “When a Man Loves a Woman” for her final cover, and Blake wanted her to go all out on the big vocal moments for the finale. Meghan took Blake’s advice to heart, delivering the over-the-top, powerful performance she’s known for. Adam commended Meghan’s vocal ability, and Blake called the performance “the performance of the night,” saying that it could be the one to change everything for her moving forward. Whether it actually wins her The Voice crown has yet to be seen…

“Change My Mind”

Meghan wrote her own original track, which she said she wrote when she was in a bad relationship. She told Blake she wanted to empower women with her music, and Blake pushed her in the booth to dump all of her emotions into the song. Meghan has been adamant throughout the competition that she wanted to be a soul singer instead of the country singer she used to be, and it was great to finally hear exactly what she wants her sound to be. The crowd loved it, as did coach Blake, who told her, “You guys really wrote the hell out of that song.”

“Freeway of Love”

Meghan and Blake performed “freeway of Love” together.

JOSHUA DAVIS (Team Adam)

“Hallelujah”

For his final cover in the competition, Joshua went with Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” The song is a little risky – yes, it’s a beautiful song, but it’s also overdone, and Josh’s voice didn’t exactly bring anything new to the song. That said, his performance was lovely and emotional, making Adam one happy coach.

“The Workingman’s Hymn”

Joshua, like Meghan, also wrote his own original track, “The Workingman’s Hymn.” Joshua broke away from writing “just another love song” as Adam said, turning instead to his hometown of Detroit for inspiration. Joshua wanted to write something to inspire the working man and also let his kids know that there’s hope. The upbeat, original track showed off a more relaxed and fun side of Joshua, who gave one of his most dynamic performances yet. “You’re a great songwriter, dude. That song is stuck in my head now,” Blake said. Adam was thrilled to see his contestant sing an original track that he wrote, and added that Joshua is “the real deal.”

“Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes”

Joshua and Coach Adam joined forces for “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes.”

SAWYER FREDERICKS (Team Pharrell)

“Old Man”

Sawyer took on Neil Young’s “Old Man” for his final cover in the competition, and the song suited him perfectly. Sawyer has grown a lot with regards to his confidence on stage, but his performances still lack a certain energy – vocals aside, he could probably benefit from moving around a little bit more.

“Please”

Sawyer’s original track was written by his idol, Ray LaMontagne, who Pharrell said sent the song specifically for Sawyer. Sawyer was giddy just talking about the song with Pharrell in the studio. “Please” was a great song for Sawyer, and he wisely ditched the dramatic stage production favored by his fellow contestants, choosing to put the focus on himself and his voice. Sawyer’s voice never disappoints, and this performance was no exception. “This is like a dream come true – shout to Ray LaMontagne for a beautiful song and for believing in Sawyer,” Pharrell said, voicing everything Sawyer’s huge smile couldn’t.

“Summer Breeze”

Sawyer and Pharrell performed a sweet duet of “Summer Breeze.”

The winner of The Voice will be announced Tuesday at 8 p.m. on NBC.

Article by Olivia Truffaut-Wong

Olivia Truffaut-Wong was born and raised in Berkeley, California, where she developed her love of all things entertainment. After moving to New York City to earn her degree in Film Studies, she stayed on the East Coast to follow her passion and become an entertainment writer. She lives on a diet of television, movies and food.