Idol Chatter & Voice Views

What happened: Billy Gilman and Josh Gallagher were voted into the Top 12 by fans. That put Brendan Fletcher, Simone Gundy and Riley Elmore on the brink of elimination. Adam Levine decided to save Brendan Fletcher.

What should have happened: Based on Monday’s performances, Simone deserved a spot in the Top 12. But, remember, voting took place as the singers were performing under this ridiculous format. My guess is that in saving Brendan, Adam was considering his strong showing on iTunes through three rounds and a crowded field of R&B singers in the finals. I actually feared his might save Riley.

Song by song grades follow:

Billy Gilman: “Crying” by Roy Orbison — Interesting that the guy who wants to transition from country to pop went back to country in the live playoffs. That said, he turned in yet another solid performance with not one, but four of the requisite glory notes near the end. Grade: A–

Brendan Fletcher: “To Love Somebody” by the Bee Gees — His deep rasp gives him one of the more recognizable voices on the show and fans are enjoying what they’re hearing, based on his iTunes rankings through three rounds. He turned in another solid performance tonight and delivered a particularly strong ending. Grade: B–

Josh Gallagher: “Colder Weather” by Zac Brown Band — A really nice song choice by/or for Josh, perfectly suited to his voice. And he really delivered over the final 30 seconds, convincing me that he deserved to advance to the Top 12. Remember, he’s the country singer Adam stole from Blake. Grade: B

Riley Elmore: “Luck Be a Lady” by Frank Sinatra — Riley proved what I wrote when he advanced from the knockout round — that someone else deserved this spot in the Top 20. Look, the 16-year-old has a fine voice, but there was no pizzazz in that performance until the final line. Worse, Riley’s voice seemed to fade into nothing on a couple of occasions. Grade: C–

Simone Gundy: “Diamonds” by Rihanna — Given voting history on The Voice, female R&B singers were over-represented in the Top 20. That said, Simone made a convincing argument for advancing that far with this performance. I particularly liked the way she changed the typical Voice narrative by deliver big moments throughout the song, then ending softly. Grade: B+