The Battles continued on The Voice, with coaches Blake Shelton, Christina Aguilera and Adam Levine fighting over Meghan Linsey after Pharrell Williams left her available to Steal.
Anthony Riley vs. Travis Ewing
Pharrell paired Anthony and Travis on “Get Ready,” which was definitely right up Anthony’s alley. In rehearsals with Lionel Richie, Travis struggled a bit with the range, and both were a bit stiff. But once Anthony had the idea to take the mics off the stands, the performers came alive. The battle was a tough one, with both performers delivering on the vocals and stage presence – they decided to perform as if they were fighting over Christina. All the coaches were impressed with Travis’ performance, complimenting his ability to step into a genre that was a bit out of his comfort zone, but they were all agreed that Anthony was a natural.
Anthony won out in the battle, but then Blake pressed his button to steal Travis at the last minute. Pharrell was thrilled with the Steal, and Blake said that he pressed his button because of Travis’ willingness to step it up in the battle.
Winner: Anthony
Travis: Team Blake
Meghan Linsey vs. Paul Pfau
Pharrell paired up Meghan Linsey, a strong belter, with Paul Pfau, a more laid back crooner, on The Beatles’ “Don’t Let Me Down.” In rehearsals, Meghan showed off her impressive voice, but she was hesitant to get vulnerable with another duet partner (her last one was her ex boyfriend). Paul struggled a bit with his range and stage presence. He was too shy to ask Pharrell to take the range down a half step, but Pharrell picked up on it and offered it to him instead. Meanwhile, Lionel Richie emphasized the importance of stage presence, noting that Meghan may have the voice, but if she can’t make eye contact and engage with an audience, it’s game over.
Paul and Meghan stepped it up during the battle, surprising the coaches with their ability to work together so well on the chorus while also showing off their different vocal styles in the verses. It’s a tough choice for Pharrell, but he sticks with Paul because Paul knows exactly the kind of artist he wants to be.
With Meghan up for a steal, all three coaches left press their buttons for the steal. Blake and Adam fought over Meghan with slews of insults and jabs, but Blake had something Adam didn’t: a professional history with Meghan (the two toured together a decade ago).
Winner: Paul
Meghan: Team Blake
Hannah Kirby vs. Sarah Potenze
Blake challenged belters Hannah and Sarah with “Gimme Shelter.” In rehearsals with Meghan Trainor, Hannah worried that her inexperience would show in her battle against Sarah. Meghan admitted that Hannah doesn’t have the strength to match Sarah’s powerhouse, but also cautioned Sarah against using too much power too often.
The battle had all coaches on their feet, and all of the coaches were floored by Hannah’s performance – clearly none of them expected her to hold her own against Sarah. Pharrell called it a “duel,” complimenting Hannah’s incredible fighting spirit, saying she was “swinging her purse like a Southern church lady.” Adam and Pharrell both gave the battle to Hannah, but Blake declared Sarah the winner.
The second Carson Daly declared Hannah was available to steal both Adam and Pharrell both pressed their buttons. “I saw something on that stage, and I’m willing to listen to it and figure out where it wants to go. I’m not going to try and change you and turn you into anything else other than what you want to be,” Pharrell told Hannah, adding, “I’ve never worked with anyone like you.”
Winner: Sarah
Hannah: Team Pharrell
Cody Wickline vs. Matt Snook
Blake’s paired his two cowboy-hat country boys, Cody and Matt, with “How Country Feels.” In rehearsals, Cody was a bit stiff and nervous, but Meghan suggestion to let go of the guitars and focus on the vocals gave both Cody and Matt a push in the right direction. The coaches agreed Matt and Cody were evenly matched, and that both had a good country swagger, but only one could be named the winner.
Winner: Cody
Blaze Johnson vs. Michael Leier
Adam paired Blaze and Michael for a much more mellow battle on “Rude.” With his Bahamian roots and powerful voice, Blaze impressed Adam and guest coach Ellie Goulding, but both Adam and Ellie cautioned him against relying on his accent too much. Blaze came through in the battle, and both Christina and Pharrell thought Michael strained to keep up, which kept him from relaxing on stage.
Winner: Blaze
Battle Montage of Team Adam/Team Christina:
Deanna Johnson vs. Nicolette Moré
Winner: Deanna
Josh Batstone vs. Nathan Hermida
Winner: Nathan
Joe Tolo vs. Gabriel Wolfchild
Winner: Joe
Ameera Delandro vs. Sonic
Coach Christina gave aspiring divas Ameera and Sonic Jessie J’s “Masterpiece,” which gave both girls a chance to show off their runs and range. Ameera came into rehearsal a bit nervous and Sonic had trouble on the harmonies, especially with her hearing loss (she lost the hearing in one of her ears). Christina’s special advisor, Nick Jonas, encouraged them to play up the performance aspect of the song.
The battle was pretty epic, and had Christina up out of her seat. Pharrell cautioned Ameera about her pitch issues, but added that it almost didn’t matter because of the fight she brought to the performance. “The potential, I think, is pretty even in both of you,” Adam said, admitting that the battle was almost a draw. In the end, however, Sonic’s stage presence and success in coming through on the harmonies impressed Christina the most, and she was saved from elimination.
Winner: Sonic
The Voice Battle Rounds continue Monday at 8 p.m. on NBC.
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