Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Wow, from the outcomes to the production, I didn’t agree with much of what transpired on The Voice Tuesday night.

I mean, The Voice is supposed to be about music, right? Well, during an hour episode, we got a whopping nine minutes of music. And that includes one three-minute performance that had already been leaked online. Meaning we got six minutes of new music.

In contract, The Voice spent 10 minutes showing us previews of what was to come or rehashing things we’d already seen, 11 minutes on rehearsal footage and 11 minutes on feedback and deliberations after the performances.

Which might not be so bad if the show hadn’t montaged six singers. Including Johnny Bliss, who turned four chairs in the blind. And including Jamella and Megan Lee, both of whom got the montage treatment for a second time, meaning we still haven’t had a chance to hear them sing.

At least Jamella advanced, meaning we might hear her in the knockouts. As for Megan Lee, she’s eliminated from the show. We simply never got to hear her.

To understand how unfair that is, I’d refer readers to this blog, where Season 13 contestant Natalie Stovall talks about how much time goes into preparing for a blind audition performance alone.

On to the performance recap.

THANK GOODNESS FOR A STEAL

TEAM ALICIA KEYS

The matchup: Jordyn Simone vs. Kelsa Johnson
The song: “Don’t Let Go (Love)” by En Vogue
The background: Jordyn covered one chair with a performance of “Tennessee Whiskey” that was montaged. Kelsea turned two singing “Like I’m Gonna Lose You” by Meghan Trainor.
The performance: Wow, and Jordyn is just 17. She sang much older. She showed a stage presence that made it look like she’s been performing for a decade. And she clearly won the match. Kelsea, in her defense, was struggling with some vocal issues. Her voice sounded shot when she tried to stretch it. That should have given Alicia pause because anyone who makes the finals on The Voice is going to face a much more daunting vocal challenge week in and week out.
The outcome: Alicia declared Kelsea the winner. Both Adam Levine and Kelly Clarkson tried to steal Jordyn. Adam succeeded.

THE COACH GOT IT WRONG

TEAM KELLY CLARKSON

The matchup: Amber Sauer vs. Jorge Eduardo
The song: “Starving” by Hailee Steinfeld, Grey
The background: Jorge covered “Despacito” in the blinds, promptly Kelly to turn. Amber sang “Shape of You” to earn the very last spot on the show.
The performance: Jorge gets credit for injecting some Spanish into the song. But I thought Amber was the vocal standout of the two. Midway through that performance, she nailed an amazing note. She also benefited from being more free to roam the stage than Jorge, who was playing guitar.
The outcome: Kelly awarded the victory to Jorge; Amber was eliminated.

THE COACH GOT IT RIGHT

TEAM ADAM LEVINE

The matchup: Davison vs. Reid Umstattd
The song: “Love on the Brain” by Rihanna
The background: Reid sang “Take Me to the Pilot” for his blind audition and turned two chairs. Davison also got two chair turns, covering “To Love Somebody.”
The performance: Well, here’s betting Reid didn’t cover “Love on the Brain” during all those years with the alt-rock band Nelo. But he acquitted himself well on the Rihanna tune, which is why I’d proclaim him the winner, in spite of a solid performance by Davison.
The outcome: Adam indeed selected Reid to advance; Davison was eliminated from the show.

THE MONTAGED

TEAM ALICIA KEYS

The matchup: Johnny Bliss vs. Megan Lee
The song: “Versace on the Floor” by Bruno Mars
The background: Megan sang “Killing Me Softly with His Song” in the blinds and turned one chair. Johnny turned four singing “Preciosa” in Spanish.
The performance: Who knows? We saw only a snippet and the show was too lazy to edit it and put it on YouTube.
The outcome: Johnny advanced; Megan was eliminated.

TEAM BLAKE SHELTON

The matchup: Branson Ireland vs. Jaron Strom
The song: “Head Over Boots” by Jon Pardi
The background: Bransen performed “Tulsa Time” in the blinds and turned two chairs. Jaron sang “This Magic Moment;” Blake was the only coach to turn.
The performance: Who knows? We saw only a snippet and the show was too lazy to edit it and put it on YouTube.
The outcome: Jaron advanced; Bransen was eliminated.

TEAM KELLY CLARKSON

The matchup: Jamella vs. Teana Boston
The song: “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” by The Shirelles
The background: Jamella sang “Dive” in the blinds and got two chair turns for a performance we didn’t get to see. Teana turned just Kelly’s chair with her cover of “Unfaithful,” but that was enough to make the show.
The performance: Who knows? We saw only a snippet and the show was too lazy to edit it and put it on YouTube.
The outcome: Jamella advanced; Teana was eliminated