Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Sloane Simon and Sydney Sterlace perform during the battle round on The Voice. (NBC Photo)

Sloane Simon and Mor Ilderton earned steals as The Voice begin its Season 26 battle round Monday night.

Sloane was stolen by Michael Buble, the very same coach who let Mor slip away. He was snatched by Gwen.

Both steals were wise moves by the coaches who made them and well deserved for the singers who received them.

Also advancing to the knockout round Monday were battle round winners Sydney Sterlace, Kiara Vega, Christina Eagle, ChrisDeo, Kendall Eugene and Jan Dan.

For viewers new to The Voice in Season 26, did you like that ratio of music to airtime. Or, I should say, being graced with just 15 minutes of musical performances in two hours.

This is easily my least favorite part of each season for a number of reasons.

Among them: Song choices often tilt the battles unfairly in favor of one artists. We’re supposed to be picking the best voice, not the best duet partners. These duets don’t lend themselves toward that goal nearly as well as the knockout round.

And, then there’s this very big factor: Season after season after season, the coaches run out of steals long before they run out of battles. That means the order in which you perform can play a big role in whether or not you get a save or even have a chance to get one.

Also, remember that the show is not showing up the battles in the order they occurred.

My recap.

BEST OF THE NIGHT

The match: Sydney Sterlace vs. Sloane Simon
The song: “Birds of a Feather” by Bllie Eilish
The background: Sydney, 19, sang Olivia Rodrigo’s “Driver’s License” in the blinds and turned all four chairs. Sloane, 19, turned two, singing “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield
The feedback: Michael called the performance “really beautiful.” He gave Sloane the edge. Snoop said he was thrilled by the performance. Reba also complimented both singers, but gave a slight edge to Sloane. Gwen praised both singers.
The outcome: After praising Sloane star appeal, Gwen awarded the win to Sydney, partly because of how much she progessed during rehearsals. All three other coaches pressed the steal button for Sloane. All said Sloane has the talent to win the show. Sloane joined Team Michael.
My take: Thrilled to see both advance. Sydney proved she has one of the prettiest voices on the show with her opening. Sloane proved she’s ready for prime time. She won a Women Who Rock Rising Star competition last year but had no trouble navigating a softer song. That’s a display of her versatility and it was her voice that cut through during the harmonies.

A WISE STEAL

TEAM MICHAEL

The match: Mor Ilderton vs. Kiara Vega
The song: “Iris” by the Goo Goo Dolls
The background: Mor, 20, turned three chairs in the blins singing “Coal” by Dylan Gossett. Kiara, 18, also turned three, singing “Amor Eterno.”
The feedback: Snoop called it an amazing performance. Reba and Gwen both gave the edge to Mor for his unique style of singing and the passion he brought to the stage. Michael said the singers were so strong, he changed his mind about four times in deciding a winner.
The outcome: Michael awarded the win to Kiara based on her great voice. He then gave his phone number to Mor. Gwen then swooped in and stole Mor.
My take: There was a heck of a lot of star potential and star appeal on the stage for that performance. Kiara did a great job on a song that I doubt was in her wheelhouse. At first, I thought Mor had messed up his opening. Then I realized he just has a very unique sound, which makes him appealing on a show like this. In other words, I’m in total agreement with the coaches on the outcome of this one.

THE COACH GOT IT WRONG

TEAM REBA

The match: Alison Elena vs. Kendall Eugene
The song: “Bring on the Rain” by Jo Dee Messina and Tim McGraw
The background: Alison, 29, snagged one of the last spots on Season 26 with her blind audition performance of Carrie Underwood’s “So Small.” Kendall, 37, performed Morgan Wallen’s “Don’t Think Jesus” and enticed Reba to hit her replay button.
The feedback:
The outcome: Reba declared Kendall the winner. She said he had a lot to prove as a coach replay contestant and did it. Alison was eliminated.
My take: The coach got it wrong, and it wasn’t close. I too appreciate the grittiness of Kendall’s voice. But Alison’s tone is so rich and she navigated that performance with so much ease, I thought she was the clear winner. And what a tender ending on her part. The giveaway was when the duo sang together. Whose voice cut through? Alison’s is the voice I heard.

THE COACHES GOT IT RIGHT

The match: Jaylen Dunham vs. Jan Dan
The song: “For Once in My Life” by Stevie Wonder”
The background: Jan Dan, 29, turned two chairs in the blinds, singing “Almost Doesn’t Count” by Brandy. Jaylen, 14, performed “Listen” by Beyonce and landed on Team Reba when she pressed her replay button.
The feedback: Michael loved the performance. Snoop said he appreciated what both singers did. Reba loved the bond between the singers — and the way Jan Dan supported his much younger colleague –brought her to tears. Gwen said Jaylen’s best performance of the song came in front of millions of viewers. She complimented Jan Dan for getting stronger as the song progressed.
The outcome: Gwen awarded the win to Jan Dan, saying she needed to go with the singer “who is ready now.” Jaylen was eliminated.
My take: Thank you, Gwen. With her affinity for young singers, I was surprised by her decision. But while Jaylen showed off potential and great stage presence, that vocal was wildly inconsistent, perhaps the result of a changing voice. Jan Dan, meanwhile, was solid from the opening note and deserved to advance.

TEAM SNOOP:

The match: Eliza Pryor and Mikaela Ayira
The song: “A Thousand Miles” by Vanessa Carlton.
The background: Mikaela, 16, turned two chairs in the blinds, singing “Human” by Christina Perri. Eliza, 17, turned just Snoop’s, performing “Linger” by The Cranberries.
The feedback: Reba said she was totally entertained. Gwen liked Eliza’s swag and stage presence and Mikaela’s tone. Michael said Snoop picked a difficult song and the singers navigated it well. Snoop thanks the contestant’s for taking and using his advice.
The outcome: Snoop declared Mikaela the winner. Eliza was eliminated.
My take: Another crappy song choice for Snoop’s team. I felt like the song was more in Eliza’s wheelhouse than Mikaela’s. Yet the song’s best vocal moment came at the 1:30 mark. After both singers nailed a big glory note, Mikaela impressed us with her range and how great she sounds when singing softly.

A LITERAL TOSS-UP

The match: Gail Bliss vs. Christina Eagle
The song: “Redneck Woman” by Gretchen Wilson
The background: Gail, 61, became the oldest singer to land a spot on the show when Snoop pressed his replay button following her performance of “If It Hadn’t Been for Love” by The SteelDrivers. Christina turned Snoop’s chair with her blind audition rendition of Lainey Wilson’s “Wildflowers and Wild Horses.”
The feedback: ba said she loved it, calling the performance “totally entertaining.” Gwen said the coaches were “blown away” by the performance. She loved Christina’s personality, charisma and stage presence and gave her a slight edge. Michael said he dug every second of it. Snoop said the performance gave him the “gangster holy ghost,” making him get out of his chair and dance.
The outcome: Snoop named Christina the winner; Gail was eliminated. He said he chose the singer he thinks has the most potential to grow through the show.
My take: Magnificent performance by a pair of singers who turned a grand total of one chair in the blinds, showing their talent was wildly underappreciated in that round. Gail performed and sounded like the seasoned pro she is. Christina’s performance was a bit more sassy, a bit more free spirited and that likely won her the battle.

Kiara Vega and Mor Ilderton wait for Michael Buble to announce the winner of their battle round match on The Voice. (NBC Photo)