Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Mia Knight and Sophia Liano await the outcome of their battle round match on The Voice. (NBC Photo)

Destinee Monroe earned the final steal of the Season 30 battle round on The Voice Monday night.

Destinee was stolen after she and Dakota Cohen delivered a rousing Team Adam performance of “Bring Me to Life” by Evanescence.

Adam chose Dakota as the winner, putting Destinee at risk of elimination before Queen Latifah swooped in and stole her.

That was one of the highlights of the final night of battles on The Voice.

The night also saw battle round victories by Mia Knight, Brooklyn Marie, Lexi Stephens and Cade Mower.

Contestants eliminated included Brayden Howe, Kavi Nyx, Sophia Liano and Marilyn Hucek. Kavi and Sophia, in particular, deserved a better fate.

Here’s the Voice Views’ recap. Follow the links for profiles of the singers.

BEST OF THE NIGHT

Team Queen

The match: Mia Knight vs. Sophia Liano
The background: Mia, 16, of Holmdel, N.J., turned three chairs in the blinds, singing “You Stole the Show.” Queen Latifah used her first-in button to claim Mia. Sophia, 18, of Stuart, Fla., turned 2 chairs, isnging “I Surrender.”
The song: “Never Enough” from The Greatest Showman
The feedback: Riley Green called the performance shocking. He said they could have stopped half way through and it would have been awesome. Kelly Clarkson complimented both singers and gave a slight edge to Mia. Queen Latifah praised both of her singers as well.
The outcome: Queen named Mia the winner; Sophia was eliminated.
My take: Wow, sensational performance. Sophia showed vocal firepower to spare. Mia displayed a lovely tone before the song swelled and held her own when it came time to deliver the glory notes. I’d have given Mia a slight edge based on that lovely tone, but it’s a shame both artists couldn’t advance. My guess: All the steals had been used when this battle was filmed. That happens all the time on The Voice. The show just disguises the fact that it happens.

THE COACH GOT IT WRONG

Team Kelly

The match: Brooklyn Marie vs. Kavi Nyx
The background: Brooklyn Marie, 14, of Alexandria, Minn., turned 2 chairs in the blinds with her performance of “Traitor.” Kavi, 17, of Atlanta, Ga., turned 3 chairs with her performance of “Wildflower” and Team Queen was already full when she performed.
The song: “Titanium” by Sia
The feedback: Adam said Brooklyn was the revelation for him. Queen Latifah complimented both singers without voicing a preference. Riley Green labeled their performance awesome. He also gave Brooklyn the edge because she’s so good as such a young age. Kelly praised the purity to Brooklyn’s voice. She complimented the richness and sexiness of Kavi’s voice.
The outcome: Kelly named Brooklyn the winner. Kavi was eliminated. Kelly says Brooklyn has a voice that breaks your heart “in the best of ways.”
My take: A really sweet performance. Huge kudos to Brooklyn for being so poised on stage at such a young age. And their harmonies were superb. But I would have given the edge to Kavi based on her rich vocals.

THE COACHES GOT IT RIGHT

Team Adam

The match: Dakota Cohen vs. Destinee Monroe
The background: Destinee, 32, of Atlantic City, N.J., turned 3 chairs in the blinds, singing “Home Sweet Home.” Dakota, 25, of Los Angeles, Calif., turned 2 chairs, singing “Changes.”
The song: “Bring Me to Life” by Evanescence
The feedback: Queen Latifah called the performance incredible. Riley Green called it on of the most powerful performances the coaches have seen. Kelly Clarkson said they both can sing “their tails off.” Kelly gave Dakota a slight edge. Adam complimented both singers
The outcome: Adam named Dakota the winner. Queen Latifah swooped in and stole Destinee.
My take: Great song choice and super charged performance from both singers. I would have given the edge to Destinee. She brought a bit more flair to the stage and delivered one heck of a glory note just prior to the ending.

Team Adam

The match: Lexi Stephens vs Marilyn Hucek
The background: Lexi, 23, of Albany, N.Y., performed “Die on This Hill” in the blinds, turning the chairs of all 4 coaches. Marilyn, 34, of Washington, D.C., turned 2 chairs singing “La Tortura.”
The song: “All I Wanted” by Paramore
The feedback: Queen Latifah called Lexi’s lower register “mean.” She called both singers “a gift.” Riley Green gave Marilyn a slight edge, saying she made him feel like he was at a ’90s punk concert. Kelly compared Marilyn singing style to a fox and Lexi’s to a mountain lion. She gave the lion a slight edge. Adam praised both of his singers for nailing the performance.
The outcome: Adam awarded the win to Lexi, his four-chair turn receipient, saying he thinks she can win the show. Marilyn was eliminated.
My take: Wow, The Voice saved some super talented female singers for the final battle round show. Marilyn has the more distinct tone of the two,. But Lexi showed off fantastic range and vocal firepower to spare. I would have given her the edge too.

Team Riley

The match: Cade Mower vs. Brayden Howell
The background: Cade, 35, of Bluffdale, Utah, turned the chairs of all 4 coaches in the blinds, singing “Something in the Orange.” Brayden, 19, of Marshville, N.C., secured the very last spot in Season 30, singing “Friends in Low Places” in the blinds. Every team but Riley’s was full when he performed.
The song: “Wondering Why” by The Red Clay Strays
The feedback: Kelly praised the performance of both singers. She said she’d lean toward Brayden, but might advance Cade for the competition. Adam Levine gave a slight edge to Cade. Queen Latifah gave the edge to Cade, saying she wanted him for his team.
The outcome: Riley Green awarded the win to Cade, but said he believes in both singers. Brayden was eliminated.
My take: Cade’s authentic, heartfelt vocals won the day for me. He has a nice little growl in his voice too. His opening and ending to the sound were terrific.