Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Ari Camille and Britton Moore both advanced to the playoffs on The Voice. (NBC Photo)

Ari Camille was stolen back by John Legend, her original coach, as The Voice advanced five artists to the playoffs Monday night.

Artists winning battles included Bryson Battle and Britton Moore, both four-chair turn recipients during the blind auditions.

Also advancing: Alanna Lynise of Team Kelsea and Kaiya Hamilton of Team Michael.

Here’s a recap:

THE COACH GOT IT WRONG

TEAM MICHAEL

The match:Divighn vs. Kaiya Hamilton
The background: Divighn, 33, of Gardena, Calif., performed “I Got You (I Feel Good)” and turned 2 chairs in the blinds. Kaiya, 26, of Greenville, N.C., turned 2 chairs, singing “ICU.” Both artists won their Team Michael battles.
The songs:
“Harder to Breathe” by Maroon 5 for Divighn. “Here” by Alessia Cara for Kaiya.
The feedback: Only Adam expressed an opinion, leaning toward Divighn, who sang a Maroon 5 song. Michael called Divighn an “all-around entertainer.” He said Kaiya’s voice is “undeniable.”
The outcome: Michael awarded the win to Kaiya, saying she delivered the best vocal. Divighn was eliminated.
My take: Divighn is a heck of a showman. Vocally, it took him a while to find his footing. But from the 1-minute mark on, he did just that. Kaiya delivered sass and strong vocals throughout, but it wasn’t until the last 30 seconds that she delivered highlight-reel style vocal gymnastics. I’d give the edge to Divighn.

THE COACHES GOT IT RIGHT

TEAM ADAM

The match:Ari Camille vs. Britton Moore
The background: Britton, 21, of San Antonio, Texas, turned 4 chairs, singing “Yellow” in the blinds. He then won his battle round match. Ari, 21, of Chicago, Ill, sang “I Wanna Be Down” and turned 2. She lost in the battle round to 4-chair turn artist Bryson Battle, but was stolen by Adam.
The songs: “Love Like This” by Faith Evans for Ari; “Free” by the Zac Brown Band for Britton.
The feedback: Michael gave the edge to Britton. John said neither should leave the competition. Adam said both singers “did exactly what needed to be done.”
The outcome: Adam declared Britton the winner, saying he seems most ready for The Voice. John almost immediately stole Ari, saying she exudes star power. John was her original coach.
My take: Ari delivered a silky smooth vocal and showed off nice stage presence. Britton responded with a nice singer-songwriter type of performance. His performance included more dynamics, but he also had background singers lending a hand. Still, I’d give him the slight edge. And, hey folks, Britton just released his second single — a song called “Divine.”

TEAM LEGEND

The match:Bryson Battle vs. Tatum Scott
The background: Bryson, 21, of Harrisburg, N.C., turned 4 chairs in the blinds, singing “A Song for You,” then won his battle round match. Tatum, 22, of High Point, N.C., turned 2 chairs, sinigng “Vampire.” She lost a Team Kelsea battle to Angie Rey, but was stolen by John Legend.
The songs: Noah Kahan’s “Stick Season” for Tatum; “Ain’t No Way” by Aretha Franklin for Bryson.
The feedback: Adam noted the obvious: These two could not be more different. Kelsea called that Tatum’s best performance on the show. None of the coaches express a preference. John loved Tatum’s approach to the song. He says Bryson is one of the best singers he’s heard.
The outcome: John awarded the win to Bryson; Tatum was eliminated.
My take: Bryson’s without question one of the most impressive singers on the show and showed off his incredible range in this performance. Tatum did herself proud with a solid, emotional performance. The ending was especially lovely. But the clear edge went to Bryson.

THE PREDICTED MONTAGE

Told you. After airing a one-hour recap of what happened last week, The Voice had the unmitigated gall to montage a new knockout. What did Page Mackenzie sing? Who knows? The Voice didn’t even mention her name as she was montaged for a second straight performance. Head here for my opinion on why The Voice uses montages.

TEAM KELSEA

The match: Alanna Lynise vs. Page Mackenzie
The background: Alana, 21, of Toledo, Ohio, turned 3 chairs in the blinds, singing “Issues.” Page, 32, of Charleston, S.C., performed “Hell on Heels,” turned 2 chairs in the blinds. Both singers then won their Team Kelsea battles.
The songs: “I’ll Never Love Again” by Lady Gage for Alanna. The show didn’t reveal what Page sang.
The feedback: During the rehearsal package we saw, Kelsea called Alanna’s voice “stunning” with “all this cool nuance.”
The outcome: Kelsea named Alanna the winner; Page was eliminated.
My take: The Voice should be ashamed of itself.