Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Gyth Rigdon and Rod Stokes rehearse for their Team Blake Shelton battle round match for The Voice. (NBC Photo)

Blake Shelton paired two vocalists he admitted aren’t very similar for his first battle round on Season 16 of The Voice.

Both wound up advancing, Gyth Rigdon still as a member of Team Blake and Rod Stokes with his new coach, Adam Levine.

The background: Gyth, 25, of Singer, La., auditioned with “Drift Away” by Dobie Gray and turned three chairs. Rod, 34, of Grand Bay, Al., also turned three when he performed “To Love Somebody.”
The song: “Drunk Me” by Mitchell Tenpenny
The feedback: Uncommonly, all the coaches expressed opinions on who won the battle, with Adam Levine and Kelly Clarkson siding with Rod and John Legend coming down on the side of Gyth.
The outcome: Blake called it a neck-and-neck performance and complimented them on their work ethic. He gave the win to Gyth. But Rod is advancing too, he was stolen by Adam Levine.
My take: This was my least favorite song choice and my least favorite coach’s decision of the night. The Voice is supposed to be about The Voice, and Rod grabbed my attention every time he unleashed those powerful vocals of his. Gyth seemed a bit more polished as a performer, but I would have awarded that battle to Rod.