‘The Voice’ Live Finale Part 1 Recap: Aliyah Moulden, Lauren Duski, Jesse Larson & Chris Blue Vie For Top Spot

Last night, the final four on season 12 of The Voice made their final pleas to America as they vied for the top spot.

THE VOICE FINALE PART 1 RECAP

Going into the final performances, three of the four judges have contestants left, leaving out Team Gwen Stefani. Team Blake Shelton has two women in the competition – Aliyah Moulden and Lauren Duski. Team Adam Levine is banking on Jesse Larson, and Team Alicia Keys has her heart set on the aptly named Chris Blue.

First to sing is Moulden, who goes with an original song called “Never Be Lonely.” This season she has switched genres almost every week, so it was nice to hear what type of music she would record if given the chance. Her original was reminiscent of a 50s sock-hop and wasn’t very complex, but it let the crowd know that her own voice is more mainstream than eclectic.

Next up in Larson, who goes with “Taking it to the Streets” by the Doobie Brothers. The soul guitarist has been nothing if not consistent this entire season, and last night’s performance was no exception. He showed off more joyful than usual, and sounded great doing it.

Then we saw Keys and Blue sing a duet of Prince’s “Diamonds and Pearls.” Like many of the duets on this show between mentor and mentee, the song didn’t really do anything for Blue, while making Keys sound fantastic. The contestant had some trouble hitting the lowest register and the forced enthusiasm didn’t help his case.

Duski hit the stage next, singing “The Dance” by Garth Brooks. While normally Duski’s emotional connection to a song is palpable and really makes her performance stand out, this one just seems a little off. Her voice was shaky at times, and it didn’t give the effect that her past performances have.

Then Moulden and Blake got together for “Dancing in the Street” by Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, though the song wasn’t particularly flattering for either party. The duet appeared very corny, and Shelton’s shimmying didn’t do him any favors either.

Blue came out next to sing his original, called “Money on You.” The song felt a little awkward coming from Blue, and seemed more appropriate perhaps for a reggae artist. His stage presence, however, almost makes up for this, and the song could even be a hit after fixing it up in the studio.

The Larson/Levine duet is up next, and the pair sing Prince’s “Let’s Go Crazy.” The consensus is that it was okay. The two seemed to enjoy their jam session, though left the audience feeling a little left out.

Following this we have Shelton’s second duet, with Duski. They sing “There’s a Tear in My Beer” by Hank Williams. Though Shelton dominates the performance by hogging the mic, Duski’s voice shines when it’s her turn, proving she can hang with the country hotshots.

Lastly, the final tour take their last turns performing on the big stage. Larson first, singing “Woman,” written by Chris Stapleton specifically for Larson to debut, which he aces. Moulden then belts out Stevie Wonder‘s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered,” but fails to give any extra umph – a strange choice for her last song. Duski sings an original called “Deja Vu,” and it’s a showstopper. She connects to the song and shows some serious radio potential. Blue ends the evening with Janet Jackson‘s “Rhythm Nation.” The fun throwback combined with his dance skills show he is a great performer as well as fantastic singer.

Tune in tonight at 8 pm to see who will take home The Voice crown.