Idol Chatter & Voice Views

As I wrote late night, I wasn’t thrilled with the idea of a second round of battles on The Voice.

I’d rather hear the singers go solo, because that’s how we’re going to be judging them once the fan voting starts.

The coaches react to a battle round performance on The Voice. (NBC Photo)

But last night’s show went a long way toward changing my mind. Let’s just say 12 singers did one heck of a sales job.

As they were pushed by one another, we got six battle round matches and every one rated as at least very good. A couple were simply outstanding.

We also heard a couple of none-too-subtle references last night about The Voice being the best singing show on TV. In fact, I think Adam Levine used those exact words at one point.

Gotta say, I can’t ever remember a night on American Idol where everyone sang that well, not even back in my favorite of all seasons, Season 7.

More battles loom tonight. For a photo gallery from last night’s show, head here. For a look at how last night’s songs did on iTunes, head here.

Now, the battles …

TEAM BLAKE

Biff Gore

Sisaundra Lewis

Sisaundra Lewis vs. Biff Gore: Biff Gore, 45, of Denver, Colo., turned four chairs with his blind audition to land a spot on Team Usher. But he lost his battle round to T.J. Wilkins. Blake saved him from elimination with a steal. Sisaundra Lewis, 44, of Orlando, Fla., sang Aretha Franklin’s “Ain’t No Way” in her blind audition and turned four chairs. She was equally impressive in defeating Paula DeAnda in the battle round.

Blake says this is a tough duo to pit against one another because they’ve done so well on the show. But he also says they both fit the same spot on the team — that of a power R&B/soul singer. They’ve picked James Brown’s “It’s a Man’s, Man’s, Man’s World.” And Blake and Chris Martin aren’t sure what to tell the two to improve on a great first rehearsal. Biff’s anxious to make his children proud and wants to prove you can be relevant regardless of age. Sisaundra said losing isn’t an option for her. Just wish they were singing something that hadn’t been done on singing shows a million times. What can you say? That was fantastic. Sisaundra’s voice is just incredible. Biff has incredible stage presence. Both of them sounded great. I like Biff’s on-stage charisma more, but Sisaundra hit a prolonged glory note near the end that was unbelievable. Adam says he’s sure she’s “not from planet earth.” My choice: Sisaundra. You just can’t top that voice. And that, after all, is the name of the show. Blake’s decision: He awards the win to Sisaundra.

The steal? No one steals Biff. Wow, a little surprised by that.

TEAM SHAKIRA

Ddendyl

Deja Hall

Deja Hall versus Ddendyl: Deja Hall, 16, of San Antonio, Texas, turned three chairs in the blind audition, then toppled a singer more than 10 years her senior, defeating Ayesha “Music Box” Brooks in the battle round. Ddendyl, 25, of Washington, D.C., sang “Stand By Me” for her blind audition and turned one chair, but sounded a lot better than that would suggest when she defeated Lindsay Pagano in the battle round.

Interesting pairing. Deja says she likes it because they both have soft voices. They’ve decided to sing “Say Something.” Hmm, this is normally performed by a guy and girl, right? But, gotta say, it should fit Ddendyl perfectly. Deja, who says she’s never been in love, is having trouble connecting with the song. Chris gives them mic stands to help them with stage presence during the performance. Dang, love Ddendyl’s tone. And if selling the song counts, she’s doing a wonderful job. Deja has a great voice, too, And for someone who was having trouble connecting with the song during the rehearsals, she sure seems to be connecting now. We have seen absolutely fantastic performances this week on The Voice, and that twosome just delivered another. My pick: Ddendyl, just because of the incredibly interesting tone of her voice. Shakira’s decision: Deja wins.

The steal? Ddendyl does not get stolen. Wow, shame again.

Now, a quick look at one battle …

Kristen Merlin and Emily B. square off singing “I Can Love You Better.” Shakira says Kristen wins.

TEAM USHER

Stevie Jo

Morgan Wallen vs. Stevie Jo: Stevie Jo, 19, of Tyler, Texas, turned just one chair with his blind audition but was impressive in the battle round, besting Jake Barker. Both wound up safe when Adam stole Jake. Morgan Wallen, 20, of Knoxville, Tenn., turned two chairs in the blind audition, then defeated The Brothers Walker in a battle round match we didn’t get to see. He sang “Collide” in the blinds.

This is a battle of friends. They’ve decided to sing “Story of My Life” by One Direction. Well, The Voice has once again ruined the suspense. The individual who loses this battle will be stolen. These guys sound great on the harmonies. And if Morgan gets nervous, he’s not showing it during this performance. There’s a very nice touch of rasp to his voice. Meanwhile, Stevie Jo is delivering a crystal clear vocal and hitting some really nice glory notes. Whoa, Morgan just responded in kind. Twice. Now that’s the way a cover is supposed to be performed. Shakira compliments them both for doing great. Adam says the song originally performed by boys was just performed by a pair of men. Blake calls it evenly matched, but says he’d give it to Stevie Jo. My pick: I’d give a narrow edge to Morgan. Just really like his tone. Usher’s decision: He awards the battle to Stevie Jo.

The steal? And Adam Levine steals Morgan Wallen.