Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Two of the four stolen artists during the battle round were revealed in Monday’s episode of The Voice.

Two coaches tried to steal Lauren Frihauf; she opted to join Team John Legend.

And the episode ended with Kelly Clarkson stealing Sid Kingsley.

Here’s a recap. I only agreed with three of the selections for battle round winners.

THE COACH GOT IT WRONG

TEAM JOHN LEGEND

The matchup: Bailey Rae, 18, of Durant, Okla. vs. Sid Kingsley, 37, of Richmond, Va.
The song: Tennesee Whiskey by Chris Stapleton
The background: Sid turned two chairs in the blind audition. Bailey Rae turned just John’s, though he was the only coach with a spot remaining by the time she auditioned.
The feedback: Kelly and Blake gave the edge to Sid. Gwen complimented both singers, declining to name who she thought won.
The results: John awarded the win to Bailey Rae, his first ever country singer. Kelly jumped in and saved Sid, nothing his very first line of the song had her on her feet.
My take: This was a great choice for a show-closer because they delivered the best pair of vocals of the night. As impressive as Bailey Rae was, I would have given the win to Sid on the strength of those incredibly distinctive vocals.

TEAM BLAKE SHELTON

The matchup: Worth the Wait of Centre, Ala. vs. Taryn Papa, 30, of Nashville, Tenn. Worth the Wait includes Tara Matthews, 47, and daughters Mia, 15, and Jacy, 13
The song: Little White Church by Little Bigtown. Blake said he chose the song because it’s perfect for harmonies.
The background: Worth the Wait turned four chairs in the blind auditions; Taryn Papa turned three.
The feedback: Gwen and Kelly gave Worth the Wait the edge; John said he thought Taryn won the battle.
The results: Blake names Worth the Wait the winner. Blake saved Taryn, meaning she advances to a four-way knockout facing off against the saved artists from the other teams.
My take: Worth the Wait’s harmonies were very impressive and unique. But Taryn was clearly the best individual singer on the stage, so I would have awarded the win to her.

TEAM BLAKE SHELTON

The matchup: Jus Jon, 30, of Newport News, Va. vs. Payton Lamar, 23, of Nashville, Tenn.
The song: Dancing with a Stranger by Sam Smith and Normandi
The background: Both singers turned just Blake’s chair during the blind auditions.
The feedback: None of the coaches ventured an opinion on who should win. Payton got lots of compliments on her range; Jus Jon on his stage presence and voice once he got over some initial nerves.
The results: Blake declared Jus Jon the winner, saying he’s eager to see what he does in future rounds.
My take: Jus Jon did start tentatively, until Payton sang lights out on her first solo section, letting him know he was in for a battle. Jus Jon got better; Payton never faded and looked completely comfortable on stage. For that reason, I would have given her the win.
Special Note: There were no saves or steal left when this battle was filmed.

THE COACH GOT IT RIGHT

TEAM JOHN LEGEND

The matchup: Tamara Jade, 30, of Washington, D.C. vs. Olivia Reyes, 19, of Teaneck, N.J.
The song: Hard Place by H.E.R.
The background: Tamara turned four chairs in the blinds; Olivia turned two.
The feedback: Gwen and Blake said they would award the win to Tamara; Kelly applauded both singers on a job well done.
The results: John named Tamara the winner; Olivia was eliminated.
My take: This was an unbelievably difficult pairing for Olivia, who did well given her limited experience. But Tamara is one of just four-chair turns on the show and showed why.

TEAM KELLY CLARKSON

The matchup: Madeline Consoer, 24, of Nashville, Tenn. vs. Eli Zamora, 25, of Las Vegas, Nev.
The song: Nobody Wants to be Lonely by Ricky Martin and Christina Aguilera
The background: Both Madeline and Eli were one-chair turns in the blind auditions.
The feedback: Gwen said she’d go with Eli because his performance seemed so effortless; Blake and John gave the edge to Madeline, with John complimenting her on an urgent, piercing tone to her voice.
The results: Kelly awarded the win to Madeline, calling it a tough decision because they bring something different to the show. Eli was eliminated.
My take: For a long-distance battle, these two brought tons of charisma to the stage. For some reason, I thought Eli would outperform Madeline on this song. It didn’t happen. And she delivered her Spanish portion of the song as convincingly as the rest.
Special Note: There were no saves or steal left when this battle was filmed.

TEAM GWEN STEFANI

The matchup: Payge Turner, 27, of Seattle, Wash. vs. Lauren Frihauf, 16, of Byers, Colo.
The song: If the World was Ending by J.P. Saxe
The background: Payge and Lauren both turned two chairs during the blind auditions.
The feedback: Kelly and Blake said they’d award the win to Payge. Blake predicted Payge will do well on the show. John said the singers were so impressive, he couldn’t make a choice.
The results: Gwen named Payge the winner. But John and Blake both tried to steal Lauren. Lauren opted to join Team John.
My take: Payge came across as a pro on stage. I mean, that was simply an excellent, assured performance, one worthy of a battle round win. Lauren’s etheral vocals were impressive, but you shouldn’t get bonus points on The Voice for being young. Was it a performance worth one of the show’s four steals? I’d want to see all the battles before deciding.