Idol Chatter & Voice Views

The Voice Top of Kennedy Holmes, MaKenzie Thomas, Sarah Grace, Lynnea Moorer, Chevel Shepherd, Kymberli Joye, Reagan Strange, DeAndre Nico, Dave Fenley, Kirk Jay and Chris Kroeze. (NBC Photo)

The Top 11 on The Voice Season 15 perform Monday night for a spot in the Top 10.

I think.

The Voice is clearly slipping in terms of keeping its website up to date. It’s still promoting the Comeback Stage and second chances for six artists.

Hmm, didn’t that end two weeks ago?

Anyway, there are only four more weeks of live shows remaining,

I think that means a Top 11 this week, followed by a Top 10 (which would mean a single elimination Tuesday), followed by a Top 8 (which would mean a double elimination next week), then a Top 4 in the finals.

Regardless, here are my rankings for the Top 11, with last week’s rankings in parenthesis.

Voice viewers somehow eliminated the singer I had at number one last week; I still think Sandy Redd was the best performer and one of the best singers on the show.

Hopefully, the same won’t happen to this week’s number one.

1. Kymberli Joye (Team Kelly) (2): Since they call this show The Voice, I’m putting the singer who’s impressed me the most with her vocals since the blind auditions in the top spot. Kymberli also happened to deliver last week’s best vocal with her rendition of “Diamonds.” A gospel singer by trade, Kymberli is slaying pop songs week after week on The Voice.

2. Chris Kroeze (Team Blake) (3): No one has flipped a song more impressively in Season 15 than Chris did with his rendition of Cam’s “Burning House” in the knockout round. So, with Sandy Redd eliminated, I’m moving him up a spot and hoping he shows up on stage with another pleasant surprise along the same lines.

3. Sarah Grace (Team Kelly) (4): Every week, I’m more convinced Sarah is the most well rounded artist of The Voice’s youthful quartet of female singers. That said, I’m not sure last week’s song choice (“Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”) was a crowd pleaser or hiding her high on stage behind an organ was best for showing how invested she is in every performance.

4. Chevel Shepherd (Team Kelly) (9): Chevel went young and fun last week and it worked brilliantly. Not only did Chevel breeze to safety, she gained tons of new fans. Just check out her social media numbers over the past week. Her rendition of “Little White Church” was one of my favorite Top 13 night performances.

5. Kirk Jay (Team Blake) (8): The Voice has pretty much anointed Kirk a finalist, a front-runner and they’ve given him prime placement in the performance order for two straight weeks. Again, I’ve heard a string of impressive performances, but nothing yet that would suggest to me he should waltz to victory in Season 15.

6. DeAndre Nico (Team Adam) (5): Speaking of performance placement order, it hasn’t favored DeAndre, another four-chair turn from the blind’s who’s been every bit as impressive as Kirk. He sang second among the six Team Adam singers in the live playoffs, then performed fourth in a two-hour show last week. He’s been solid every time out.

7. Dave Fenley (Team Blake) (6): Dave’s in need of a moment — like the one he created by singing Lionel Richie’s “Stuck On You” in the knockout round — to stand out on a team where Chris Kroeze and Kirk Jay currently look more like the front-runners. That said, I think he has a more distinct sound than Kirk.

8. Kennedy Holmes (Team Jennifer) (7): At one point, I thought Kennedy might be Season 15’s Brynn Cartelli. But two weeks of ill-advised song choices will change things on The Voice, where the finals only last five weeks. Last week’s “Wing Beneath My Wings” might have been the night’s most ill-advised song choice.

9. MaKenzie Thomas (Team Kelly) (10): Last week, I wrote that I was waiting for MaKenzie to show more versatility. I’m still waiting after she served up another power ballad — “I Am Changing” — on Top 11 week.

10. Reagan Strange (Team Adam) (11): Yep, I know her song was the most streamed last week. Yep, I know her social media numbers jumped through the roof. Let’s just say Reagan has more to prove to me, especially as part of a cast that includes three other exceptionally talented young females.

11. Lynnea Moorer (Team Kelly) (13): The Comeback Stage winner looked noticeably more comfortable on the stage during her second week on the show and turned in her best performance yet — and I’m including her online performances — on Top 13 night when she sang “Wolves.” With surging social media numbers, don’t bet against the YouTube star in a save situation.

See also …
Social media gains for the Top 11
4 singers The Voice should invite back in Season 15