Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Here’s what happened and what should have happened when the members of Team Alicia squared off in the live playoffs Monday night.

The lineup: Performing were original Team Alicia Keys members Anatalia Villaranda, Vanessa Ferguson and Chris Blue, plus stolen contestants Stephanie Rice and Ashley Levin. Alicia opted to bring back Jack Cassidy, an odd choice considering there were many contestants with a stronger vocal track record on the show.

What happened: Chris Blue and Vanessa Ferguson were voted into the Top 12. Alicia then opted to save Stephanie Rice, meaning Anatalia, Ashley and Jack were eliminated.

What should have happened: Those were the right results. Chris might have delivered the performance of the night. Nice to see Voice voters support Vanessa; they aren’t always supportive of even the most deserving R&B female singers over age 20. And while I wasn’t thrilled with Stephanie’s song choice, the last 45 seconds of that performance were magical. Ashley and Anatalia also turned in solid performances; they just happened to be on a team with a trio of incredibly talented and more experienced singers.

Here are the Team Alicia performances in my order of preference.