Idol Chatter & Voice Views

John Legend with five of his playoff contenders, Lila Forde, Taylor Deneen, Kaylee Shimizu, Mac Royals and Kristen Brown. (NBC Photo)

Mac Royals, Lila Forde and AZAN earned spots in The Voice Season 24 live shows Tuesday night.

Those were the artists John Legend opted to advance after The Voice aired the final playoff performances.

AZAN became the only super save contestant to advance to the live shows. Lila has been with Team Legend since turning four chairs in the blinds. John stole Mac from Team Reba in the battles.

Eliminated from the show Tuesday were Kaylee Shimizu, Kristen Brown and Taylor Deneen.

Here are Voice Views’ song by song grades for the pre-taped performances that aired Tuesday.

AZAN, 28, Austin, Texas
Song: “Adorn” by Miquel
Feedback: Reba loved AZAN’s stage presence and said her voice is incredible. Niall called it her best performance by miles. Gwen called it sexy and swaggy.John called the performance perfect and said she completely nailed it.
My take: Azan delivered a nice sultry opening and certainly looked the part in that outfit. And as the performance continued, she showed how much she deserved that super save, turning in perhaps the most self-assured performance of the night for Team Legend. She was spot on right through the final note. Grade: A–

Kaylee Shimizu, 17, Ewa Beach, Hawaii
Song: “Put a Move on My Heart” by Quincy Jones featuring Tamia
Feedback: Reba called Kaylee’s range “out of this world” and said she’s destined for stardom. Niall loved the versatility she’s shown on the show. John said her vocal ability shows she’s “ready to be a big star.”
My take: I did not like this song choice for Kaylee at all. She’s 17. She should be young and fun. This song seemed to constrain her. And it wound up being my least favorite Kaylee performance. She showed off plenty of vocal firepower and hit an impressive high note. But it didn’t add up to a performance I’d be eager to watch again. Grade: B–

Kristen Brown, 24, Roseville, Calif.
Song: “Need You Now” by Lady A
Feedback: Niall said the song was absolutely perfect for Kristen and called it an unbelievable job. Gwen loved the dynamics in her voice. Reba said she represented country music “so well.” John called the performance perfectly executed.
My take: I loved Kristen’s vocals and soft opening on this. And she looked like a star. But like in the knockouts, she tried to belt like Carrie as the song swelled, and her voice wasn’t quite up to the task. Grade: B

Taylor Deneen, 23, Midwest City, Okla.
Song: “Get Here” by Oleta Adams
Feedback: Reba called the performance great. Gwen complimented her on how recognizable her voice is because of her unique tone and said the song was a perfect fit. John said he loves the combination of sweetness, soulfulness and power in her vocals.
My take: In the blinds, John dubbed Taylor the best female soul singer on the show. She certainly demonstrated why at times during this performance. But the song was a bit sleepy for the occasion and the competition, and then Taylor seemed to try to do a little too much to enliven the performance at the end. Grade: B

Lila Forde, 24, Seattle, Wash.
Song: “Angel from Montgomery” by Bonnie Raitt
Feedback: Niall called Lila “incredible” and “one of his favorites” on The Voice. Gwen called her authentic and pure and said she’s a big fan. Reba called her the “complete package” and added that she should advance. John call her fresh, but classic at the same time.
My take: This is one of those songs done too often on singing shows. But, you know what, when it’s done as well as Lila did, I don’t mind it one bit. This was a perfect showcase for her unique singer-songwriter sound. And going a cappella for a bit in the middle of the performance was a magical touch. Not sure the frill at the end was needed, but the rest was brilliant. Grade: A–

Mac Royals, 30, Wrightsville, Ark.
Song: “Untitled (How Does it Feel)” by De’Angelo
Feedback: Gwen said she was blown away by the performance and called Mac “a star.” Niall called the performance “insane” and said he has to go through. John called Mac the complete package of “what R&B needs right now.”
My take: The cut-aways to coach reactions were never more annoying than early in this performance. Listen, producers, can we please, please focus on the singers and let viewers decide whether they like a performance and cut off the coaches’ mics while they’re singing? Msc did show off impressive range and appeared in control of the performance from the word go. But it didn’t live up to the over-the-top reactions from the big red chairs. Grade: B+