Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Christina Aguilera poses with her final five team members from Season 8 of The Voice, from left, Rob Taylor, Lexi Davila, India Carney, Sonic and Kimberly Nichole. (NBC Photo)

The Voice goes live this week.

And voters will get a say in the outcome for the first time.

In fact, they’ll pick two members of each team to advance to the Season 8 finals. Then each coach will select one of the remaining three singers to advance as well.

Below is a look at how each singer got to the live playoffs, followed by my prediction on who will advance.

Follow the link attached to each singer’s name and you’ll find a bio blog, complete with pre-Voice videos.

And check back Monday and Tuesday for a live blog with song-by-song grades.

India Carney: She’s the student in her final year in the music department at UCLA and hoping to pursue a career as an R&B/pop singer. The 21-year-old from of Brooklyn, N.Y., sang Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind” in the blind audition, prompting all four coaches to turn their chairs. In the battle round, she was matched with Clinton Washington. They performed “Stay.” Christina declared India the winner; Clinton was stolen by Adam Levine. In the knockout round, she was pitted against Joe Tolo. India turned in the best vocal of night three of the knockouts, singing “Big White Room” by Jessie J. She was again declared the winner.

Kimberly Nichole: She was known as the rock ballerina in New York because of the custom tutus she wore on stage. The 32-year-old club singer from New York auditioned with “Nutbush City Limits” by Ike and Tina Turner, and turned two chairs, joining Team Pharrell. In the battle round, she was matched against Lowell Oakley. They performed “Hound Dog” by Elvis Presley. Pharrell declared Lowell the winner. Kimberly was stolen by Christina Aguilera. In the knockout round, she was pitted against Koryn Hawthorne. Kimberly performed “If You Love Somebody, Set Them Free” and was declared the winner.

Lexi Davila: She’s the team following in the footsteps of her grandfather, who was a singer in a nightclub. The 17-year-old from Lorain, Ohio, performed Selena’s “Dreaming of You” in the blind audition and turned two chairs. She was matched against Bren’nae DeBarge in a battle round that was part of a montage package. They performed “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield. Adam declared Lexi the winner. In the knockout round, she squared off against Joshua Davis. She performed Ellie Goulding’s “Anything Can Happen,” impressing all the judges. When Joshua was declared the winner, Lexi wound up being stolen by Christina, with the very last steal of Season 8.

Rob Taylor: He’s the guy who at one point stepped away from a chance to attend Berklee College of Music to care for his mother, who suffered a stroke. The 22-year-old from Donaldson, La., sang Luke James “I Want You” in the blind auditions and turned three chairs. In the battle round, he was matched against Jeremy Gaynor, who turned four chairs during the blind auditions. They sang “Animals” by Maroon 5. Christina declared Rob the winner. In the knockout round, he was pitted against Treeva Gibson. Rob sang “Love and Happiness” by Al Green and was declared the winner again.

Sonic: She’s been singing since age 10, even though she was deaf in one ear since age 6. Pre-Voice, she was performing in a group known as Killer Dude. Also a jewelry designer, the 23-year-old from San Francisco, Calif., sang Sam Smith’s “Money on My Mind” in the blind audition, turning two chairs. Sonic was matched with Ameera Delandro in the battle round. They sang Jessie J.’s “Masterpiece.” Christina declared Sonic the winner; Ameera was eliminated. In the knockout round, she went up against Ashley Morgan. Sonic performed “A Woman’s Worth” by Alicia Keys and won the match.

Prediction: If Christina is going to win the seven-season stranglehold male coaches have on The Voice title, India is her best bet. But voters haven’t always been kind to R&B singers, so song selection will be key. A veteran club singer, Kimberly looks at home on stage and should advance. The third spot will likely go to Rob and his remarkable range, giving Christina a male presence in a final 12 that might otherwise be largely female.