Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Jershika Maple embraces John Legend after being declared the winner of her knockout round match on The Voice. (NBC Photo)

Paris Winningham nabbed the last remaining steal of the knockout round and eight other singers advanced to the live playoffs on The Voice Tuesday night.

Also advancing were Jershika Maple, Bella DeNapoli, Lana Scott, Peedy Chavis, Shadale, Jeremy Rosado and the father-son duo of Jim and Sasha Allen.

As for Paris, he became a member of Team Blake Shelton. After singing a country song, of course.

The live playoffs begin Monday night. Tuesday, The Voice will air a “Road to the Lives” recap in its 8 p.m. time slot.

Here’s a recap of Tuesday’s show.

A DESPERATELY NEEDED STEAL

Team Legend

The match: Paris Winningham vs. Jershika Maple
The songs: “Tennessee Whiskey” by Chris Stapleton for Paris; “Inseparable” by Natalie Cole for Jershika
The feedback: Both singers received well-deserved praise for their performances, which The Voice wisely used as the final knockout aired in Season 21. Only Kelly offered an opinion as to who should win, naming Jershika because she started the season as a member of Team Kelly.
The outcome: John declared Jershika the winner of the match. But Blake swooped in and stole Paris.
My take: Halfway through Jershika’s vocal, Ariana Grande was grabbing her head in amazement. Yeah, it was pretty special and leaves me wondering which of the wonderful Season 21 soul divas is going to prevail when the voting starts. That said, I might have enjoyed Paris’ take on “Tennessee Whiskey” even more. So I was delighted to see that performance earn Blake Shelton’s steal. Seeing either of those singers go home after those performances would have been a crime.

KUDOS TO THE VOICE

Team Blake

The match: Berritt Haynes vs. Peedy Chavis
The songs: “I Swear” by John Michael Montgomery for Berritt. “Unchain My Heart” by Ray Charles for Peedy.
The feedback: This match was sorta montaged, so we didn’t hear feedback from any coach but Blake. He said he thought nerves affected Berritt’s performance. He praised Peedy for his vocals and his stage presence.
The outcome: Blake named Peedy the winner; Berritt was eliminated.
My take: Kudos to The Voice for finding time to air most of the performances, though this match was sorta montaged with rehearsal footage and most of the judges’ comments ending up on the cutting room floor. Peedy delivered an impressive vocal, worthy of the win. Though I would prefer a few less of those Elvis moves Blake seems to love so much.
Note: No steals remained when this match was filmed.

SURPRISE OF THE NIGHT

Team Ariana

The match: Manny Keith vs. Jim and Sasha Allen
The songs: “Golden” by Harry Styles for Manny; “Home” by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros for Jim and Sasha
The feedback: Manny drew high praise the the joy he brought to the stage. Jim and Sasha received the same for their father-son chemistry. Kelly said she would give the win to them. John and Blake declined to express a preference in the comments we heard.
The outcome: Ariana named Jim and Sasha the winners. Manny was eliminated.
My take: I keep expecting Jim and Sasha to come off as hokey. And they keep impressing me. As John noted, it’s just fun to watch them perform together. And Sasha’s vocals were quite impressive. Ariana definitely made the right choice.
Note: No steals remained when this match was filmed.

THE COACHES GOT IT RIGHT

Team Blake

The match: Lana Scott vs. Carson Peters
The songs: “Wildest Dreams” by Taylor Swift for Lana; “Amarillo by Morning” by George Strait for Carson
The feedback: Ariana said she though the win belonged to Carson. John said he favored Lana. Kelly complimented Lana note only for piercing vocals that cut right through but for the sultry vocals on the verses.
The outcome: Blake named Lana the winner; Carson, a four-chair turn in the blinds, was eliminated.
My take: Lana won this, hands down. Her vocals were so unique on the intro, I momentarily forgot she was singing a Taylor Swift song. And she sustained a couple of great glory notes down the stretch. Four-chair turn Carson? Well, he played the fiddle well. With a dearth of country artists on Season 21, it’ll be interesting to see how much support Lana gets from Voice fans.

Team Legend

The match: Shadale vs. Samara Brown
The songs: “Impossible” by Shontelle for Shadale; “The Best” by Tina Turner for Samara
The feedback:
The outcome: John named Shadale the winner; Samara was eliminated.
My take: Samara showed off a rich tone and tons of stage presence. But Shadale won the battle of the glory notes. And she delivered “Impossible” with so much passion and emotion that Kelly could barely speak when she finished singing. Which is saying something. She deserved the win. As for Samara, take special note of the line below.
Note: No steals remained when this match was filmed.

Team Ariana

The match: Bella DeNapoli vs. Katherine Ann Mohler
The songs: “Chandelier” by Sia for Bella; “Poison” by Bell Biv Devoe for Katherine Ann
The feedback: John said he favored Bella. Kelly and Blake both gave a slight edge to Katherine.
The outcome: Ariana named Bella the winner. Katherine Ann was eliminated.
My take: Both of these young ladies put their own stamp on the songs they performed. I enjoyed Bella’s performance of “Chandelier” considerably more, especially the soft opening and ending.
Note: No steals remained when this match was filmed.

Team Kelly

The match: Xavier Cornell vs. Jeremy Rosado
The songs: “Falling Slowly” by Glen Hansard for Xavier; “Run to You” by Whitney Houston for Jeremy
The feedback: John said he would have given the edge to Xavier. Ariana thought Jeremy had the edge.
The outcome: Kelly named Jeremy the winner. Xavier was eliminated.
My take: Jeremy showed off great range, but won me over with the passion he showed over the last half of that performance. He’s been strong ever time on stage. Monday, on the other hand, marked the first full performance we’ve seen from Xavier. Shame on The Voice if he was that strong on the others. He’s certainly got a distinct voice.
Note: No steals remained when this match was filmed.