Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Only three battles remain on The Voice.

And only one steal remains; it’s in the hands of Christina Aguilera.

What comes next on The Voice?

Glad you asked, because next Monday and Tuesday we’ll move on to new “knockout” rounds.

During those, remaining singers on each team will be paired off again.

Except this time, they won’t know the identity of their opponent until minutes before their performance.

This time they’ll be singing solo, supposedly a song of their own choosing.

And this time, there will be no steals. And, hence, no second chances.

I was hoping there would be no hokey boxing ring either. But given the name of the round, I fear that’s probably not the case.

On to the matter at hand == the final battles.

Battle 1: Adriana Louise vs. Jordan Pruitt Adriana is the 22-year-old from Brooklyn who credits music with helping her cope with an attempted holdup at her father’s store when she was 9. And she got all four judges to turn around for her exuberant performance of Jessie J’s “Domino” in the blind auditions. Jordan is the 21-year-old Georgia native who scored two Hot 100 hits with Disney as a teen, then watched fame vanish from her grasp. She says she’s now looking for a chance to make more mature music and rejuvenate her career. They’re going to sing “Hot and Cold.”

This should be one of the best match-ups of the night. And it’s do or die for these two girls, because the only steal left belongs to Christina and she can’t use it on one of her own. Disney is in her past as Jordan belts out the opening of this tune, complete with a “b–ch” line. Adriana seems to have shaken off any nerves. Unfortunately she also seems to have gone sharp occasionally in the process of jazzing up her performance. Meanwhile, Jordan sounds completely in control, from start to finish. My pick: Jordan Pruitt.

Christina picks Adriana.

Battle 2: Kelly Crapa vs. Michaela Paige: Kelly is 15, from the small town of New Fairfield, Conn., and she’s one of the younger contestants who got just a snippet of airtime during the blind auditions. She auditioned with Taylor Swift’s “Sparks Fly” and says Taylor and former Idol champ Carrie Underwood were two of her inspirations. Most of Michaela’s blind audition wound up on the cutting room floor as well, but she’s the gal who showed up on stage with a mohawk. She’s also an Internet radio show host and has released a couple of electronic dance singles you can find on iTunes at the young age of 16. Interesting, Blake’s pairing a country singer against a punk-rocker type. They’ll sing “I Hate Myself for Loving You.”

Well, Michaela sure looks the part of a young Joan Jett doesn’t she. Full of attitude and sass, she has no fear of the stage at age 16. Kelly says she wants to show she can sing more than country, and she’s doing that. She just doesn’t look quite as natural on stage. Nor does her sweet appearance help sell this song. Vocally, both turned in solid performances. My pick: Michaela Paige.

Blake picks Michaela Paige.

Battle 3: Chevonne vs. Avery Wilson: Chevonne is one of the background singers enticed to audition for The Voice in part because of the success of Season 2 winner Jermaine Paul. In her case, she sang background with none other than Lady Gaga on her Monster Ball tour and calls the experience “larger than life.” Avery, 16, of Hamden, Conn., comes from a family of dancers but wants to make his mark as a singer. He’s off to a good start on The Voice after his performance of “Without You” got three judges to spin their chairs. This should be interesting. Cee Lo says he paired them because of the dramatic qualities of their voice. They’re going to sing “Titanium.”

Strong opening by Avery, who looks the part of a star, doesn’t he? And the Monster Ball certainly taught Chevonne a flair for the dramatic, if she didn’t already have it. But look at Avery steal the limelight with some dance moves while Chevonne is doing her solo. Excellent battle from those two. Stolen vocals and solid performances from both singers. I’d give Chevonne the edge on performance; I’d give Avery the edge on vocals. My pick: Avery.

Cee Lo picks Avery.

But Christina steals Chevonne.