Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Celia Babini interacts with the crowd during Monday’s performance of The Chain. (NBC Photo)

In my The Voice Top 24 preview, I posed a simple question: Will Team Blake Shelton dominate?

It seemed like a logical query given what happened in the Cross Battles, when Team Blake singers won six of eight matches, allowing the winning-est coach in the show’s history to take eight artists into Top 24 night.

Well, prepare yourself for a Team Blake avalanche tonight.

Seven singers cracked the Top 200 on iTunes following Monday’s show. Five are members of Team Blake.

The only non-Team Blake singers to break through — Maelyn Jarmon and, somewhat surprisingly, Jacob Maxwell.

Remember, voters chose a Top 8 tonight. Then each coach gets to save one artist tonight.

If results follow the iTunes charts, and they often do, we’d be looking at a Top 8 that includes Maelyn and Jacob from Team Legend and the following members of Team Blake: Gyth Rigdon, Dexter Roberts, Carter Lloyd Horne, Andrew Sevener and Kim Cherry.

Based on chart results, it looks like we could add Domenic Haynes of Team Adam or Jej Vinson of Team Kelly to round out that Top 8.

Now, who do I think belongs in next week’s Top 13?

I’ll present 12 names, remembering that one of those spots will be determined by a Twitter save tonight between Comeback Stage winner Kanard Thomas and a singer eliminated in the cross battles.

1. Gyth Rigdon (Team Blake): He turned in one of Monday’s most heartfelt performances and did it very well.

2. Dexter Roberts (Team Blake): He’s riding the wave of success he enjoyed on American Idol from a couple years back, but deserves to advance regardless.

3. Kendra Checketts (Team Blake): Loved her song choice, attitude and the improvement she’s made. If she isn’t voted through, Blake should save her.

4. Maelyn Jarmon (Team Legend): Through four rounds, she’s been the best and most consistent female vocalist on Season 16.

5. Lisa Ramey (Team Legend): And this woman has returned with a vengeance after not turning a chair in Season 16.

6. Celia Babini (Team Legend): It wasn’t the best vocal, but her performance of Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain” was probably my favorite from Monday night.

7. Shawn Sounds (Team Legend): Did you see those dance moves? Okay, they weren’t nearly as good as Lisa’s, but they were impressive for the big guy. So were the vocals.

8. Presley Tennant (Team Kelly): Last night’s vocal might have been her weakest, but it was an ambitious song choice and she’d been superb to that point.

Then come the saves:

Team Blake: Kim Cherry’s vocal slipped a bit last night, but she’s so much fun as a performer, I’d be tempted to save her. Over Andrew Sevener, you ask? Yep, because there’d already be two country males in the Top 13.

Team Kelly: She’d have a tough choice between Jej Vinson and Matthew Johnson. I’d go with Jej, then work hard at helping him rediscover his early round magic.

Team Legend: Note that my list above already includes four Team Legend singers. Pretty sure that won’t be the way the voting turns out. I’d save Celia or Lisa, in that order, if they needed it.

Team Adam: This squad could be in danger of being wiped out if not for the save. None of Monday’s performances screamed, I must be in the Top 13. But of the quartet, I’m most intrigued by Mari Jones’ performances and potential.

Check back at 9 p.m. I’ll be blogging the result shows.

See also …
Final iTunes rankings from Monday
Song by song grades for Team Blake
Song by song grades for Team Kelly
Song by song grades for Team Legend
Song by song grade for Team Adam