Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Chance the Rapper with his playoff contestants, Manesseh Samone, sister trio Sorelle, Jamar Langley, Kayla Banham and Ray Uriel on The Voice. (NBC Photo)

Chalk up a second major rookie mistake by Chance the Rapper in his first season as a Voice coach.

First, he let Noivas, a potential winner, be stolen away by Team Blake.

Then he advanced Ray Uriel to the semifinals Monday night, despite clearly stronger performances from Jamar Langley and Kayla Banham.

If he’s watched the voice, he’d know it wasn’t even wise strategically given the type of singers Voice voters gravitate toward.

He did get this right: He advanced the sister trio of Sorelle to the semis.

They were impressive again. They’re also unique, giving them the best chance of landing him a spot in the season finale.

Here are song by song grades for Team Chance from Monday’s playoffs.

Jamar Langley, “The Thrill is Gone” by B.B. King — I think it would be a thrill to watch this confident singer perform live. Love the way he ab libbed, giving us so much more than a karaoke version of the classic. That was a fabulous ending too. A pro performance from Jamar. Grade: A–

Ray Uriel, “Essense” by Wizkid featuring Tems — A silky smooth vocal perfomance by Ray, who got a chance to show off his tender side and his range. But it’s not a performance I’ll remember by the time I finish writing this blog, so I’m not sure it was the right song choice with a playoff spot on the line. Grade: B

Kala Banham, “My Funny Valentine” by Chet Baker — The a cappella vet has a lovely voice and put it to great use here. And she showed a wonderful ability to let her voice soar and maintain the deep emotional connection to the song. A very classy performance from Kala. Grade: A–

Sorelle, “Something’s Got a Hold on Me” by Etta James: Love this sister trio of Madi, Ana and Bella Heichel and I’m thrilled to see them semifinal bound. They’re known for their harmonies, but the solos here were surprisingly good. Most of all, they’re fun, sassy and fearless on The Voice stage. Loved the triple hair flip and scream at the end. Entertaining, and that’s the idea, right? Grade: A–

Manesseh Samone, “Speak the Name” by Koryn Hawthorne — Look at this, Manasseh is performing a song made famous by a Voice alum. Manesseh has a powerful voice. But I sensed a touch of nerves here. Remember, she missed the knockout round experience because of The Voice’s stupid playoff pass gimmick. She cut loose nicely at the end, but failed to land all those big notes. Grade: C+