Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Iris Herrera and Simone Marijic perform during the battles on The Voice. Both singers advanced. (NBC Photo)

The Voice finalized the lineup for the Season 23 knockouts Monday night with nine final battle round matches.

Conor James, a four-chair turn recipient in the blinds, advanced. But only after a very even battle with Tinika Wyatt, who was stolen by Kelsea Ballerini.

Jay Ammo, another four-chair turn, wasn’t as fortunate, eliminated after a battle with Renzo, who competed and did very well as Dennis Lorenzo on American Idol seven years ago, finishing in the Top 10.

Also winning battles Monday night were Trevon Dawson, Iris Herrera, Divighn, Adam David, Page Mackenzie, Dan Kiernan and Jacquelyn George. Iris’s battle partner, Simone Marijic, was stolen by Michael Buble.

Eliminated along with Jay were Jordan Allen, Jessica Manalo, Robert Hunter, Ricardo Moreno, Tyler Kae and Dimitrius Graham, another former Top 10 finisher on Idol.

Here’s a recap. Follow the links for more on the singers, many of whom have recently released new music.

BEST OF THE NIGHT

TEAM KELSEA

The match: Simone Marijic vs. Iris Herrera
The song: “Ceiling” by Lizzy McAlphine
The background: Iris, 19, of Newaygo, Michigan, turned three chairs, singing “You Are My Sunshine” in the blinds. Simone, 20, of Los Angeles, turned two, performing “Favorite Crime.”
The feedback: John Legend loved the lilt in Simone’s vocals and Iris’s star presence on stage. Michael complimented both singers. Adam gave the edge to Iris based on her unique vocals.
The outcome: Kelsea awarded the win to Iris because “of how unique she is.” Michael then stole Simone, saying she could be the “dark horse” on his team.
My take: Iris immediately showed off her unique, somewhat Stevie Nicks like, tone. Simone started slowly, but found her sweet spot on her second solo portion of the song. Still, Iris came off as a standout and as slightly more confident on stage. Both are so talented, it would have been a shame to see either leave the show.

WELL-DESERVED STEAL

TEAM ADAM

The match: Tinika Wyatt vs. Conor James
The song: “How Deep Is Your Love”
The background: Conor, 28, of Bridgewater, Mass., turned four chairs singing “I Say a Little Prayer.” Tinika, 50, of San Diego, Calif., turned just Adam’s, performing “Sorry Not Sorry.”
The feedback: Kelsea called it her favorite battle of the day. Michael agreed. Neither voiced a preference. John, complimenting Conor’s vocal versatility, gave him a slight edge. Adam praised both performers.
The outcome: Adam named Conor the winner, saying he’s one of the best singers on the show and a performer with a unicorn quality because he can sing anything. Kelsea then swooped in and stole Tinika.
My take: Tinika, a coach’s replay pick, killed this song in the best possible way. Not sure the song was as close to Conor’s wheelhouse, but he had some impressive vocals moments too. And, remember, he turned four chairs in the blinds. I would give a slight edge to Tinika though.

THE COACHES GOT IT SLIGHTLY WRONG

TEAM ADAM

The match: Trevon Dawson vs. Tyler Kae
The song: “I’m With You” by Avril Lavigne
The background:
Trevon, 17, of Cole Camp, Missouri, was the very last contestant to earn a spot on Season 27 with his cover of “Religously.” Tyler, 22, of Olympia, Wash., turned two chairs performing “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.”
The feedback: Kelsea gave Trevon a slight edge. Michael did as well, based on Trevon’s potential. John loved the intricacies of Tyler’s voice and gave her the edge. Adam loved the performances by both artists.
The outcome: Adam awarded the win to Trevon, his only country singer. Tyler was eliminated.
My take: Forced out of a his country wheelhouse, Trevon did a pretty darn good job. Tyler delivered some pretty amazing vocal moments of her own and sounded a bit more dialed in on that song. I would have given her a slight edge. But I can’t argue too much with Adam’s decision to go with a male country singer given Voice fans’ preference for them and how well Trevon did.

TEAM MICHAEL

The match: Adam David vs. Ricardo Moreno
The song: “Home” by Michael Buble
The background: Adam, 34, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., got Michael to hit his replay button after performing “Baby, I Love Your Way.” Ricardo Moreno, 25, turned just Michael’s, singing “Put Your Head on My Shoulder.”
The feedback: All of the judges thought it was a very even battle. Kelsea complimented Ricardo for delivering the song’s emotion even when he was singing in Spanish. Michael thanked both singers for doing such a wonderful version of his song.
The outcome: Michael awarded the win to Adam, saying he loves his “character voice.
My take: Sorta strange to hear Adam open in Spanish, then Ricardo sing a couple lines in Spanish. But it allows both singers to show off what they do best. But Spanish or English, Ricardo delivered the stronger vocal on this song.

THE COACHES GOT IT RIGHT

TEAM LEGEND

The match: Jay Ammo vs. Renzo
The song: “Is This Love” by Bob Marley and The Wailers
The background: Renzo, aka Dennis Lorenzo, 33, of Philadelphia, Pa., turned three chairs in the blinds, performing “Simple Man.” Jay, 29, of Clarksville, Tenn., turned all four, performing “The A Team.”
The feedback: Adam’s still bemoaning the fact that John blocked him from competing for Renzo in the blinds. Kelsea noted that everyone turned for Jay, but said Renzo has “the thing.” John complimented both performers.
The outcome: John awarded the win to Renzo. Jay was eliminated.
My take: Really sorry this battle took place when so few saves or steals were available, because these are two very talented singers. That said, Renzo is a standout performer with undeniable dynamics when he sings. He gets the edge.

TEAM MICHAEL

The match: Divighn vs. Dimitrius Graham
The song: “Leave the Door Open” by Silk Sonic
The background: Divighn, 33, of Gardena, Calif., turned two chairs performing “I Got You” in the blinds. Dimitrius, 33, of Baltimore, also turned two, singing “Got You.”
The feedback: John Legend said they made him jealous with their tenor voices. He gave the edge to Divighn. Adam called it a dead heat. Kelsea and Michael complimented both performers.
The outcome: Michael named Divighn the winner; Dimitrius was eliminated.
My take: Both guys show off incredible range. Dimitrius, who did very well on American Idol, a while back, might have slightly more power behind that range. And no more than I typed that, Divighn hit one heck of a glory note. He’s also showing a bit more stage presence. He’d get the edge from me, just slightly.

THE MONTAGED

Meaning with saw just a couple of seconds of each battle.

TEAM KELSEA

The match: Page Mackenzie vs. Robert Hunter
The song: “Lies, Lies, Lies” by Morgan Wallen
The background: Page, 32, of Charleston, S.C., turned two chairs, performing “Hell on Heels, in the blinds. Robert, 33, of Garner, N.C., turned two, singing “”Til You Can’t.”
The outcome: Kelsea awarded the win to Page, praising her vocal firepower and consistency. Robert was eliminated.

The match: Jessica Manalo vs. Dan Kiernan
The song: “Good Luck, Babe!” by Chappell Roan
The background: Jessica, 31, of Las Vegas, Nevada, turned two chairs in the blinds, singing “Unholy.” Dan, 33, of Amityville, N.Y., turned three, performing “High Hopes.”
The outcome: Kelsea awarded the win to Dan, calling his vocals “yummy” and dynamic. Jessica was eliminated.

TEAM LEGEND

The match: Jacquelyn George vs. Jordan Allen
The song: “Islands in the Stream” by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers
The background: Jacquelyn, 27, of Franklin, Tenn.,” turned two chairs in the blinds, singing “I Have Nothing.” Jordan, 30, turned two, performing “Old Time Rock and Roll.”
The outcome: John awarded the win to Jacquelyn, calling her voice dynamic and exciting. Jordan was eliminated.

Tinika Wyatt embraces Kelsea Ballerini after being stolen on The Voice. (NBC Photo)