Niall Horan with his live show contestants, Mara Justine, Nini Iris and Huntley. (NBC Photo)
Well, fans of The Voice, we can quibble over the 12 artists who made the live shows.
Based on musical preferences, I’d sub out a couple of the members of the Top 12 myself.
It’s a whole lot harder to argue that anyone who made the Top 12 are not worthy.
That was a splendid set of playoff performances we witnessed over the past two weeks.
And this is as solid a Top 12 as The Voice has presented voters in recent seasons.
Huge kudos go to The Voice casting department for rounding up so much talent in Season 24.
And here’s a rare thank you to Voice producers. For recognizing that the female talent in Season 24 was off the charts and not insisting that the Top 12 be evenly divided between guys and gals.
All of which is why I’m bummed that there are only three lives shows.
I’d love to see a full complement of five of six with only a couple of singers going home each week as this Top 12 battles it out for the season title.
With all of that out of the way, here are the Voice Views rankings of the Top 12 for Season 24. The live show fun starts Monday night at 8 p.m. on NBC.
1. Nini Iris, 27, Brooklyn, N.Y. (Team Niall): This is where you land when you combine great vocals, phenomenal stage presence, a clear sense of artistic identity and a star aura. That said, Nini’s probably going to need a Chloe Kohanski “Total Eclipse of the Heart” (Season 13) type moment to win. Why? Because she’s a bit more edgy than Voice fans prefer their contestants.
2. Mara Justine, 21, Galloway, N.J (Team Niall): I still can’t believe John Legend let her slip away from his team. She’s the type of artist The Voice has trouble landing: a fabulous singer in her early 20s, sprinkled in stardust, who showed up on the blind audition stage ready for the finale.
3. Huntley, 33, Fredericksburg, Va. (Team Niall): I’m not sure he’s as vocally versatile as the two singers ahead of him on this list. But a combination of that rasp and the right song choices could very well carry the day. If I had to pick a winner right now, without another performance, my money would be on Huntley.
4. Ruby Leigh, 16, Foley, Missouri (Team Reba): Her country is a bit too classic for my taste. That said, there’s no denying her talent. I expected her to advance from the playoffs. All I had to hear were two lines from Ruby and I decided she needed to advance. Could she win? Given Voice fans preference for county singers, oh, yeah.
5. Lila Forde, 24, Seattle, Wash. (Team Legend): The Voice has never crowned a female singer-songwriter. Lila’s best hope: This list is loaded with singers who specialize in moving feet. She has the ability to move hearts. Her playoff performance was sublime.
6. Bias, 23, Little Rock, Ark. (Team Gwen): During the playoffs, he said he doesn’t consider himself fully country. But Bias would be wise to lean into that side of his artistry given fans’ preference for male country artists and the dearth of guys in the lives. He certainly sounded at home with a bit of twang in the playoffs.
7. Mac Royals, 30, Wrightsville, Ark. (Team Legend): His vocal versatility and that incredible range probably make him the best male singer on Season 24. He delivers stage presence too. A key will be selecting songs that connect to The Voice audience.
8. Jacquie Roar, 37, North Plains, Oregon (Team Reba): Want a fiery stage presence? Jacquie has proven she can deliver. Voice coaches sometimes push artists to show their versatility. But I just want to see Jacquie rock out every time she takes the stage.
9. Kara Tenae, 33. Riverside, Calif. (Team Gwen): Her past two performances have been superb, but I wonder if she’s connecting with fans that way she’s connecting with the judges. Also worth noting: A female R&B singer has never won The Voice.
10. AZAN, 28, Austin, Texas (Team John): Her playoff performance was the best on Team Legend and her best performance on the show to date. But she’ll enter the lives as the underdog since she’s the only super save singer to advance.
11. Jordan Rainer, 33 Atoka, Okla. (Team Reba): She performs like a pro and was at her best in the playoffs. But while I know she considers those dark glasses her “bat cape,” I find them off-putting.
12. Tanner Massey, 19, Choctaw, Okla. (Team Gwen): He might be the least fully baked of the artists on this list. But he’s young and “cute as a button” in Reba’s words. More importantly, the passion he poured into that playoff performance was undeniable.
Azan Bias Huntley Jacquie Roar Jordan Rainer Kara Tenae Lila Forde Mac Royals Mara Justine Nini Iris Ruby Leigh Tanner Massey The Voice
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9 Comments
Only three live shows?
Mara Justine just missed the finals on her season “American Idol.”
When was the last time a “Voice” winner relased a full album?
Ranking the teams overall, I prefer Team John first, followed by a tie between Team Gwen and Team Niall, with Team Reba wayyyy at the bottom.
Huntley is the clear winner for me! Every coach would have stolen him if Niall had ever let him go. He is a seasoned singer/songwriter with stage presence that none of the others possess. I am Team Huntley all the way❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Good job everyone
Team Niall but I see Huntley, Nini, and Mara. Really talented people this year except for 1or 2.
Yes Nini and Huntley should be the winners! Amazing artista!
With what I seen tonight….. I would say Mara or Huntley. Huntly should let his hair down and let the world see what he is really like
I believe that BIAS should be up at the top instead of Huntley. Huntley’s walk to center was awkward and seemed to be singing more to the choir than audience. BIAS sang his butt of AND owned the entire stage! Top 3 performance IMO.
Huntley all the way!