Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Hazel Gerson and Nina Howland listen to feedback from the coaches on The Voice. (NBC Photo)

The Voice concluded the Monday night cliffhanger on Tuesday, and Kelly Clarkson missed out on stealing a four-turn artist.

But by the end of the night, she got to used her only battle round steal, bringing 19-year-old R&B singer Marcus Ladden Jr. to her team.

As for the cliffhanger, Kayleigh Mathews, a four-chair turn recipient in the blind auditions, opted to join Team Riley Green.

Battle round winners on Tuesday included two more four-chair turn artists — Chari and Nina Howland — as well as Big Country, Anna McEloy, Evan James and Keiyana Osmond.

Eliminated from the competition: Luke Cope, Hazel Gerson (boo!), Johnnie Kapua, Brendan Coulter and Luke Curran.

Here’s a recap, with Voice Views’ picks on which coaches got it wrong and which got it right.

BEST OF THE NIGHT

TEAM KELLY

The match: Hazel Gerson vs. Nina Howland
The background: Hazel, 21, of San Jose, Calif., turned 2 chairs in the blinds, singing “Too Close.” Nina, 24, of New York, N.Y., turned all 4 chairs, singing “Love Me Like a Man.”
The song: “Breathe Me” by Sia
The feedback: Adam Levine complimented the duo on an even performance. He gave a slight edge to Nina, but said he was also impressed by Hazel. Riley Green praised both singers and gave Hazel the edge. Kelly said both singers delivered the emotion required to make the performance a success.
The outcome: Kelly named Nina the winner; Hazel was eliminated
My take: These two women did a wonderful job with the song, turning in easily the best performance on the second night of the battles. This is the match that should have generated a steal. That said, Nina’s vocal prowess is undeniable. And if only one could advance, it should have been her.

THE COACH GOT IT WRONG

QUEEN LATIFAH

The match: Marcus Ladden Jr. vs. Chari
The background: Marcus, 19, of Atlanta, Ga., turned 2 chairs in the blinds singing “Cry Me a River.” Chari, 31, of Atlanta, Ga., turned all 4 singing “Get Here.”
The song: “On My Own” by Patti LaBelle
The feedback: Riley Green said he loved every second of the performance. Kelly called Marcus’s tone gorgeous and called Chari a gifted vocalist. Adam gave Chari a slight edge but complimented Marcus for stepping up to the moment.
The outcome: Queen Latifah named Chari the winner; Kelly then swooped in and stole Marcus.
My take: I wasn’t thrilled by the song choice. But I thought Marcus was the standout thanks to his passionate performance and silky smooth R&B vocals. He should have won without the need for a steal, though Chari did come on stronger later in the performance.

TEAM ADAM

The match: Luke Curran vs. Evan James
The background: Luke, 31, of Sarasota, Fla., turned two chairs in the blinds singing “Operator.” Evan, 22, of Highland, Mich., turned 3 singing “Wasted on You” and Queen’s team was already full when he performed.
The song: “Wind Up Missin’ You” by Tucker Westmore.
The feedback: Queen Latifah congratulated both singers for being locked in and turning in solid performances. Riley Green noted the Luke seemed very comfortable with the song and complimented Luke for handling a country song so well. He gave Evan a slight edge. Kelly called it a “cool odd pairing.” Adam called the performance neck and neck.
The outcome: Adam declared Evan the winner; Luke was eliminated.
My take: The song choice favored Evan. Yet Luke turned it into a dead-even battle. For that reason, I would have awarded the win to Luke. But Adam wasn’t about to send his only country singer home.

THE COACH GOT IT RIGHT

TEAM KELLY

The match: Johnnie Kapua vs. Anna McElroy
The background: Johnnie, 32, of Herriman, Utah, turned just Kelly’s chair in the blinds, singing “Die with a Smile.” Anna, 26, of Mobile, Ala., turned 3 chairs singing “80s Mercedes.”
The song: “Some Things I’ll Never Know” by Maren Morris
The feedback: Queen Latifah called it a “beautiful” performance and an example of why she’s a fan of The Voice. Adam Levine called Anna’s low register “amazing” and gave her the edge. Riley gave the edge to Anna as well, but complimented both singers. Kelly also praised both performers. She loves the rasp in Anna’s voice.
The outcome: Kelly named Ann the winner; Johnnie was eliminated
My take: I love Anna’s vocal tone and the ache in her voice. And that tone won the battle for me. She also showed off plenty of vocal firepower.

TEAM RILEY

The match: Keiyana Osmond vs. Brendan Coulter
The background: Keiyana, 32, of Salt Lake City, Utah, turned just Riley’s chair in the blinds with her rendition of “Kiss Me.” Brendan, 27, of Toledo, Ohio, turned two chairs singing “Liar.”
The song: “She Will Be Loved” by Maroon 5
The feedback: Kelly called the performance very cool and gave Brendan a slight edge. Adam complimented both singers on doing a great job. Riley Green said they created an “awesome” moment.
The outcome: Riley declared Keiyana the winner;
My take: Keiyanna showed off nice range and control. Brendan might have oversang a bit, especially on the tender opening. I would have givent he win to Keiyana. She was especially impressive on the ending.

TEAM QUEEN

The match: Big Country vs Luke Cope
The background: Big Country, 37, of Tacoma, Wash., turned 3 chairs in the blinds, singing “I Put a Spell on You.” Luke Cope, 33, of Kernersville, N.C., turned 2 singing “Burning House.”
The song: “Tennessee Whiskey” by Chris Stapleton
The feedback: Riley Green gave Luke a slight edge because of his unique approach to the song. Kelly Clarkson praised both singers. Adam Levine complimented Big Country on his voice and his bigger-than-life personality. He gave him the edge.
The outcome: Queen Latifah named Big Country the winner; Luke was eliminated.
My take: Luke has a unique sound, but he was up against one of the show’s most impressive male vocalists. Big Country’s voice is just so rich and powerful. He deserved the win. And he could win the show.