Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Gene Garcia and Avery Roberson nabbed steals as The Voice began its battle round Monday night.

Also advancing to the knockout round are Connor Christian, Ethan Lively, Pia Renee, Jose Figueroa Jr., Dana Monique and Ryleigh Modig.

In addition, Devan Blake Jones was saved by John Legend. That means he’ll be participating in a four-way knockout match with other saved artists for a spot in the Season 20 playoffs.

Why The Voice’s handling of saves and steals is blatantly unfair

BEST OF THE NIGHT

TEAM NICK

The matchup: Dana Monique vs. Devan Blake Jones
The song: “Stuck With You” by Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber
The background: Devan Blake Jones, 35, of Denver, Co., turned just Nick’s chair with his performance of “Hard Place” by H.E.R. Dana Monique, 41, of Houston, Texas, turned two chairs with “Freeway of Love” by Aretha Franklin
The coaches’ feedback: Both Blake and John called Dana an undeniable force while also praising the way Devan battle her. Kelsea declined to offer an opinion.
The result: Nick declared Dana the winner, saying she has the voice to make it to the finale. Then he saved Devan, meaning he’ll be part of the four-way knockout for a final spot in the Season 20 playoffs.
My take: Dana is going to continue The Voice’s tradition of finding great female background singers and pulling them into the limelight. But Devan showed off great range and helped turn this into the most vocally impressive battle of the night, so I was thrilled to see him get the save.

WELL DESERVED STEALS

TEAM KELLY

The matchup: Gene Garcia vs. Ryleigh Modig
The song: “pov” by Ariana Grande
The background: Ryleigh, 18, of Spencer, Mass., turned two chairs singing “when the party’s over” by Billie Eilish. Gean Garcia, 19, of McAllen, Texas, auditioned with “All I Want” by Kodaline and turned three chairs.
The coaches’ feedback: Both singers got rave reviews from the coaches. Blake said he’d give the edge to Gene; John said Ryleigh gave the slightly better performance. Kelsea Ballerini called Kelly for advice.
The result: Ryleigh was declared the winner by Kelly’s substitute, Kelsea Ballerini. Nick and John tried to steal Gene. He opted to go with Team Legend.
My take: On a season where more than a quarter of The Voice contestants are 30 or older, this battle pitted two of the younger singers who have flashed great potential against one another. I thought the outcome was perfect. Ryleigh’s opening was fabulous. She seems to have developed, or be in the process of developing her style as an artist. I was slightly more fascinated with her performance. But Gene showed great range and the ability to do well on the show.

TEAM BLAKE:

The matchup: Avery Roberson vs. Ethan Lively
The song: “Just Got Started Lovin’ You” by James Otto
The background: Ethan, 17, of Coalfield, Tenn., turned just Blake’s chair in the blinds, singing “You Look So Good in Love” by George Strait. Avery, 20, of Rutherford, N.C., turned all four singing “If You’re Reading This” by Tim McGraw
The coaches’ feedback: John gave a slight edge to Ethan. Kelsea and Nick refused to offer an opinion. Blake declared the performance “what steals are made for.”
The result: Blake declared Ethan the winner, leaving his team’s only four-chair turn up for grabs. Kelsea then swooped in and stole Avery for Team Kelly.
My take: Dang, I didn’t remember Ethan sounding that great in the blinds. He showed off such a nice, warm, deep voice, it’s impossible to criticize Blake’s decision. But Avery did well enough to deserve the steal.

A QUESTIONABLE CHOICE

TEAM BLAKE

The matchup: Aaron Konzelman vs. Connor Christian
The song: “I Ain’t Livin’ Long Like This” by Waylon Jennings
The background: Aaron, 39, from Waco, Texas, turned two chairs in the blinds singing “Ordinary World” by Duran Duran. Connor, 23, of Gallipolis, Ohio, turned three singing “Bright Lights” by Gary Clark Jr.
The coaches’ feedback: Both singers got compliments. But Kelsea, Nick and John all failed to voice a preference before Blake made his decision. Part of his deliberation, he said, was that the song fell more into Aaron’s wheelhouse.
The result: Connor was declared the winner. And the truth is, a save or steal wasn’t possible, because they’d all been used by the time this battle was filmed.
My take: I wasn’t thrilled with the song choice and thought Aaron delivered the better vocal. But I can understand Blake’s decision to go with the younger singer who showed off so much stage presence.

THE COACH GOT IT RIGHT

TEAM LEGEND

The matchup: Christine Cain and Pia Renee
The song: “Baby” by Team Legend adviser Brandy
The background: Pia Renee, 37, of Chicago, Ill., turned two chairs singing “Master Blaster” by Stevie Wonder. Christine Cain, 27, of Pasadena, Calif., turned two singing “Watermelon Sugar” by Harry Styles
The coaches’ feedback: Blake called Pia “explosive” and said he’d award her the battle. Kelsea and Nick declined to offer an opinion.
The result: John declared Pia the winner. And the truth is, a save or steal wasn’t possible, because they’d all been used by the time this battle was filmed.
My take: This didn’t jell very well. In truth, I didn’t think either singer looked comfortable with the song choice. But of the two, Pia was the most vocally impressive. And, as Blake noted, the most explosive.

TEAM NICK

The matchup: Awari vs. Jose Figueroa Jr.
The song: “You Say” by Lauren Daigle
The background: Jose, 34, of Kissimmee, Fla., turned two chairs performing “In This Moment” by Billy and the Beaters. Awari, 35, of Virginia Beach, Va., also turned two, performing “Weak” by SWV
The coaches’ feedback: John gave a slight edge to Awari. Blake gave a slight edge to Jose. Nick said he could hear some nerves from both singers, but called the performance “phenomenal.”
The result: Nick declared Jose the winner.
My take: I considered Jose one of the best singers/performers in the blinds, and he delivered a great vocal here. John nailed it. His vocal was effortless.