Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Houston Kelly and Tia Durant await the outcome of their battle round match on The Voice. (NBC Photo)

Nine more singers earned spots in the knockout round as The Voice concluded the battles Monday night.

Mike Steele earned a steal from Adam Levine in one of the night’s top matches.

Also advancing wer Houston Kelly, Abigayle Oakley, Jonah Mayor, Syd Millevoi, Natasha Blaine, Jared Shoemaker, Jeremy Keith and KJ Willis.

That meant the elimination of Tia Durant, Ashley Marina, Julia Golden, Aaron Lavigne, Kendra Remedios, Aziz Guerra and Drew Russell.

Kudos to The Voice for airing most of the actual battle performance footage. Two matches were cut short, and I’d argue tighter editing would have allowed all of those to air as well.

But The Voice managed to feature eight battle round matches in one two-hour show. In past seasons, they would have cut two of those battles to 30 seconds or less.

Here’s a recap of what happened with Voice Views’ picks for who should have won, based on the performance footage we saw.

WELL-DESERVED STEAL

TEAM LEGEND

The match: KJ Willis vs. Mike Steele
The song: “Let Me Love You” by Mario
The background: Mike, 28, of Mississippi, turned all three coaches’s chairs singing “For Tonight” by Giveon. K.J., 35, of Memphis, Tenn., turned two chairs in the blinds, singing “Roni” by Bobby Brown.
The feedback: Kelly called the duet incredible and said she didn’t know which way she’d lean. Adam said he’s lean toward Mike, at which point Kelly said she’s lean toward KJ to even it out. John called them both “phenomenally talented.”
The outcome: John awarded the win to KJ, loving the range and flexibility in his voice. Adam then stole Mike Steele.
My take: Mike immediately displays an impressive gone. KJ does the same in terms of range. And both of these guys are comfortable on stage. KJ’s performance came off as so silky smooth, I probably would have given him a slight edge, especially with the range he displayed.

THE COACH GOT IT WRONG

TEAM KELLY

The match: Houston Kelly vs. Tia Durant
The song: “Either Way” by Chris Stapleton
The background: Houston, 20, of Memphis, Tenn., turned all three chairs in the blinds, singing “Walking in Memphis.” Tia, 32, of Sumter, S.C., turned two chairs singing “Midnight Train to Georgia” by Gladys Knight and The Pips.
The feedback: Adam gave Houston the edge because of his impressive rasp. John gave the edge to Tia for a “liquid gold” tone and “tasteful runs.” Kelly Clarkson praised both singers.
The outcome: Kelly awarded the win to Houston, says he showed he has more in his arsenal than she expected. Tia was eliminated.
My take: Wow, Tia Durant’s vocal sounded ethereal on this. While Houston deliver impressive grit and power. This was a case of two very different voices combining to deliver a special performance. If fans were voting this season, Houston would be the strategic pick. But I’d give the edge to Tia.

TEAM KELLY

The match: Abigayle Oakley vs. Julia Golden
The song: “Rhiannon” by Fleetwood Mac
The backgrond: Abigayle, 25 of Las Vegas, Nev., turned all three chairs in a heartbeat when she performed “Call Your Girlfriend” by Robyn in the blinds. Julia, 19, of of Carthage, Ohio, turned two singing “Strawberry Wine” by Deanna Carter.
The feedback: Adam gave Abigayle the edge. John gave the edge to Julia. Kelly said they both have magical voices that are very different.
The outcome: Kelly awarded the win to Abigayle based on her story-telling ability.
My take: The Voice showed us about a minute and a half of the performance. The song seemed to be more in Julia’s wheelhouse, and that showed in what we saw of the performance. I would have given her the edge.

THE COACHES GOT IT RIGHT

TEAM KELLY

The match: Aaron Lavigne vs. Jonah Mayor
The song: “The First Time” by Damiano David
The background: John, 31, of Bronx, N.Y., performed “Il Mondo” by Il Mono, turning two chairs in the blinds. Aaron, 43, of Cincinnati, Ohio, also turned two, singing “Feels Like the First Time” by Boston.
The feedback: Adam praised their energetic performances. John seemed to favor Jonah just a bit more.
The outcome: Kelly awarded the win to Jonah, saying he has a bit more edge.
My take: Aaron’s experience as a performer certainly showed, but Jonah came on near the end of the song when it was his turn to take the lead vocal. He showed off incredible range.

TEAM LEGEND

The match: Ashley Marina vs. Syd Millevoi
The song: “Love Takes Time” by Mariah Carey
The background: Syd, 23, Secaucus, N.J., turned 2 chairs with a rousing performance of “Mamma Knows Best” by Jessie J. And it was clear a third chair would have turned if Kelly Clarkson hadn’t already filled her team. Ashley, 18, of Pittsburgh, Pa., turned three, singing “Tonight I Wanna Cry” by Keith Urban.
The feedback: Kelly said she’s still upset she couldn’t turn for Syd. John praised the power in Ashley’s voice and praised Syd for remarkable and rare vocal talent.
The outcome: Syd was named the winner and John said she belongs in the show’s finale.
My take: This is the match I was most looking forward to, and The Voice cut it short. I would have given the edge to Syd based on her power and her range.

TEAM LEGEND

The match: Natasha Blaine vs. Kendra Remedios
The song: “Walk on By” by Dionne Warwick
The background: Kendra Remedios, 31, of Arlington, Texas, turned John’s chair by performing “Girl Crush” by Little Big Town. Natasha, 27, of Seattle, Wash., turned John’s chair, signing “Kiss of Life” by Sade. She has the misfortune of being the only Season 29 cast member to be montaged during the blinds.
The feedback: Adam said their voices couldn’t be different. Kelly gave a slight edge to Kendra. John complimented both singers on a well-done duet.
The outcome: John named Natasha the winner, saying he loved the subtleties and smoothness to her performance.
My take: Natasha, montaged during the blinds, performed with such an impressive soulful tone. I would have given her the edge.

TEAM ADAM

The match: Drew Russell vs. Jared Shoemaker
The song: “Leather and Lace” by Stevie Nicks and Don Hensley
The background: Jared Shoemaker, 32, Richmond, Kent., earned the very last spot on Season 29, singing “I Never Lie” by Zach Top. Drew, 32, of Los Angeles, turned John Legend’s chair, singing “Blue Bayou” by Linda Ronstadt. Kelly’s team was already full when she auditioned.
The feedback: John called the performance “really beautiful,” saying he loved the shred in Drew’s voice and proclaiming Jared one of his favorite male singers on the show, calling him “the real deal.” Kelly said they sounded great together. Adam called their performance “so beautiful” and thanked Drew and Jared for doing the song justice. Apparently, Adam and Stevie Nicks sang the song to Adam’s wife at their wedding.
The outcome: Adam named Jared the winner, saying he could win the show. Drew was eliminated.
My take: Drew showed off impressive range, but I remember being impressed by Jared’s voice when he nailed down the very final spot on Season 29. And he sounded excellent on this song as well, so I would have given him the edge.

TEAM ADAM

The match: Aziz Guerra vs. Jeremy Keith
The song: “My Cherie Amour” by Stevie Wonder
The background: Jeremy, 40, of Washington, D.C., turned all three chairs in the blinds when he performed Freddie Jackson’s “You Are My Lady.” Aziz, 20, of El Paso, Texas, performed “El Triste” by José José, turning just Adam’s chair.
The feedback: John said both sounded amazing, but he’s give the win to Jeremy. Kelly praised both singers. Adam did so as well.
The outcome: Adam awarded the win to Jeremy, saying he’s ready now and praising the “presence” of his voice.
My take: I loved Jeremy’s silking smooth vocal on this. I thought he was the clear winner of this battle.

Kendra Remedios and Natasha Blaine listen to the coaches’ feedback on The Voice. (NBC Photo)