Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Gwen Stefani tried to save Kiera Brown. Kiera opted to join Team Kelly Clarkson instead.

Gwen tried t save James Violet. James, at the start of Tuesday’s show, instead decided to join Team John Legend.

But it all worked out in the end.

Because that meant that when Rose Short and Jessie Lawrence dazzled the coaches with their performance of “Can’t Feel My Face,” Gwen still had the save at hand to ensure they both advanced.

Marybeth Byrd and Zach Bridges also moved on to the knockout round as a result of battles that aired Tuesday. That meant the end of The Voice road for Cory Jackson and Dane and Stephanie, one of two duos to earn a spot on Season 17.

Here’s the Voice Views recap of what went down.

THE COACH GOT IT RIGHT

Team Legend

The match: Marybeth Bryd vs. Dane and Stephanie
The background: Marybeth Byrd, 18, of Armorel, Ark., turned four chairs, performing “Angel from Montgomery” by Bonnie Raitt. Dane and Stephanie, both 21, of Bloomfield, N.J., turned two chairs, performing “Angela” by The Lumineers.
The song: “Burning House” by Cam.
The feedback: Blake and Kelly were both amazed by the progress Dane and Stephanie made. In fact, Kelly thought Dane and Stephanie took the battle. Blake, however, thinks Marybeth could make it all the way to the finale.
The outcome: John declared Marybeth, his first-ever country singer, as the winner. Dane the Stephanie were eliminated when they weren’t saved or stolen. Kelly said she would have saved them if she had a steal left.
My take: A superb opening had me thinking Marybeth would run away with the battle, but Dane and Stephanie delivered some wonderful harmonies. Marybeth captured my attention again, though, with a couple of great glory notes. It’s very, very tough for duos to shine in a battle setting.

THE COACH GOT IT WRONG

Team Blake

The match: Zach Bridges vs. Cory Jackson
The background: Zach Bridges, 28, of Pearl, Mississippi, turned two chairs with “Ol’ Red” by Blake Shelton. Cory Jackson, 24, of Jonesboro, Ark., turned three chairs with “Galveston” by Glen Campbell.
The song: “Should Have Been a Cowboy” by Toby Keith
The feedback: Kelly thought they sounded so good together they should form a duo. John gave Zach a slight edge for his rich tone Gwen was captivated by Cory’s stage presence. Blake called it an incredibly tough call.
The outcome: Blake advanced Zach, saying afterward that it’s Zach’s deep tone that won his over. Cory was eliminated when he wasn’t saved nor stolen.
My take: I saw the same thing Gwen did. On a fun, playful, up-tempo tune, Cory looked like he was having fun on stage. Zach delivered a fine vocal, but not nearly as much stage presence. So I’d disagree, albeit mildly, with Blake’s verdict.

A WELL-DESERVED SAVE

Team Gwen

The match: Jessie Lawrence vs. Rose Short
The background: Jessie Lawrence, 31, of Newark, N.J., turned one chair with “All or Nothing,” by O-Town. Rose Short, 34, of Killeen, Texas, turned two chairs with John Legend’s “Preach.”
The song: “Can’t Feel My Face” by The Weeknd
The feedback: Kelly and Blake congratulated the pair on a great performance and declined to pick a winner. John gave a slight edge to Rose, calling her a “phenomenally talented vocalist.” But he also complimented Jessie for delivering “fire” during his performance.
The outcome: Gwen declared Rose the winner. Then, rebuffed in efforts to save James Violet and Kiara Brown, she immediately saved Jessie. Blake pushed his steal button for Jessie, but only as a sign of respect for his performance.
My take: Having both of them advance was a good outcome. Jessie showed tons of stage presence and delivered a pitch-perfect vocal. But I would have given a slight edge to Rose too based on her vocal firepower and that great glory note she delivered toward the end of the performance.