Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Karen Waldrup of Team Dan + Shay performs in the playoffs on The Voice. (NBC Photo)

The top singers from The Voice Season 25 finally return to the stage Monday night.

I write finally because the blind auditions were filmed in late July of late year. The playoffs we just watched were filmed in early October.

That means it’s been seven months — yep, seven months — since any of the performances we’ve witnessed so far occurred.

Oh, well, perhaps that will lend an air of unpredictability to the three live performance shows that will wrap up Season 25.

See also …
Ranking the Top 12 on The Voice

The arrival of the live shows means it’s also finally time to vote, via The Voice app or The Voice website. The limit is one vote per method per email address.

The voting window?

Glad you asked. Just wish The Voice had a clear answer.

Here’s what the press release explaining voting rules says: “The voting window is 5 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. PT to 4 a.m. PT after the above episodes” (referring to May 6, May 13 and May 20).

If you can translate, you’re better at understanding Voice gibberish than I am.

Thanks to individual Instagram posts from the contestants, I can tell you that voting continues until 7 a.m. eastern time Tuesday.

Can fans start voting at the beginning of tonight’s show? Or do they have to wait until the end?

I’m not sure. My guess is the “8 p.m. PT” above was supposed to mean “8 p.m. ET.” But don’t go to The Voice website looking for clarification.

Here are the seven most recent postings there, on the day of the first live show on The Voice, on the day fans are voting for the first time, on the day there are 12 talented artists to promote.

* Nick Jonas Reveals He Has a “Nasty Strain” of the Flu and Is Rescheduling Tour Dates

* John Legend & Chrissy Teigen’s Huge Poodle, Petey, Is Almost as Big as Jimmy Fallon

* This John Legend & Carrie Underwood Live Holiday Duet Is Total Vocal Heaven

* John Legend’s 1-Year-Old, Esti, Is Beyond Adorable Meeting an Actual Duck (VIDEO)

* John Legend and Chrissy Teigen Open Up About Grieving Their First Dog, Puddy

* The Surprising Veggie Adam Levine Always Keeps in His Massive Walk-in Fridge

* Keith Urban & Nicole Kidman’s Daughters Are So Gorgeous During Their Red Carpet Debut

I swear I did not make that up. Head to The Voice website to check it out yourself.

So, anyway, it’s a bit unclear when voting starts tonight. But, hey, I’m sure Carson Daly will explain at the beginning of Monday’s show.

The top seven vote-getters from Monday’s show advance to next week’s semifinals.

During Tuesday’s results show, the bottom four will sing for an instant save.

Because that’s The Voice mantra. Redo the results of hours and hours of overnight voting in 5 minutes on results night while only part of the country is watching. Bye-bye, West Coast contestants.

As has been the case in recent seasons, five artists will compete in the finale set for May 20.

There will be another instant save vote during next Tuesday’s results show to determine the fifth spot in that finale.