Idol Chatter & Voice Views

The Voice Top 5 of Girl Named Tom, Jershika Maple, Wendy Moten, Hailey Mia and Paris Winningham (NBC Photo)

Hooray, the Season 21 finale is upon us, and fans of The Voice did a fabulous job of rewarding the most deserving five singers with spots in Monday’s show.

Two notes before we get to this week’s rankings.

First, a thank you to Voice producers for giving up a complete slate of live shows in Season 21 instead of going from a Top 24 to a winner in just three weeks, as they’ve done the past three seasons.

I still think The Voice could do better in many, many ways (for instance, how about if we got rid of those insipid questions from Carson Daly on results night). But a return to the pre-season 16 format was a nice first step.

And I’m convinced two feel-good stories in Monday’s finale — twice-saved Jershika Maple and 14-year-old sensation Hailey Mia would not be in the finals if they didn’t have the showcase offered by more live shows.

The second note is a word of advice to Girl Named Tom fans: Take nothing for granted.

Yep, the sibling trio has been the favorite to win the show for weeks now. But remember Season 12.

That’s the season Team Blake’s Lauren Duski consistently led The Voice on the iTunes charts, even after the performance finale. But, inexplicably, confetti fell on the head of Chris Blue on results night.

So, if you’re a fan of Girl Named Tom, vote, vote and vote some more. From every email account you control. Make the outcome undeniable and indisputable.

Voice fans should also note that Tuesday’s results show doesn’t begin until 9 p.m. eastern time, an hour later than usual, and will last for two hours, meaning we won’t know the winner until just before 11 p.m.

Now, this week’s rankings:

1. Girl Named Tom (Team Kelly): Yep, The Voice had a new coach in Ariana Grande. Yep, it reverted to its much better expanded format. But what made Season 21 seem fresh to me was the presence of Bekah, Caleb and Joshua Liechty. Simply put, The Voice hasn’t seem a duo or group of their caliber. Between Bekah’s gorgeous voice and the trio’s sibling harmonies, nearly every one of their performances has been a pure delight. They deserve the Season 21 title.

2. Jershika Maple (Team Legend): This ranking is wishful thinking. But Jershika is the only finalist I could swallow as an upset winner Tuesday night. Who turned in not just the best, but the best two performances in the semifinals? Jershika with her Monday cover of “Don’t Lee the Sun Go Down on Me” and her Tuesday save-me performance. And, you know what, her instant save performance the week before might have been the best cover on Top 10 week.

3. Paris Winningham (Team Blake): He seems so cool and unflappable on stage. But he’s the contestant who comes closest to Jershika in delivering intensity and passion week after week. He’s been my favorite performer from Team Blake for a while now. And we might be talking about him as a front-runner if Season 21 hadn’t been so loaded with vocal talent.

4. Hailey Mia (Team Kelly): Ditto for Hailey Mia, who’s blossomed in the lives. To me, she’s been just as impressive as Brynn Cartelli, who won Season 14 at age 15 and Chevel Shepherd, who won Season 15 at age 16. Which team did they sing for? Ah, yes, Team Kelly as well. Hailey’s just 14 and was on the verge of elimination twice before finding her footing on the show.

5. Wendy Moten (Team Blake): Wendy’s done exactly what I’d expect of someone who’s been singing professionally for three decades and spent 15 years touring with Julio Iglesias. Which means she’s delivered high-quality performances week after week. But she’s yet to move me the way the way the contestants above her on this list have done over the course of Season 21.

See also …
Song by song grades for the Top 8
Chart rankings after Top 8 week
Top 10 week chart results
Top 11 week chart results
Top 13 week chart results