Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Pharrell Williams poses with his final five singers on Season 8 of The Voice, from left, Lowell Oakley, Caitlin Caporale, Koryn Hawthorne, Mia Z. and Sawyer Fredericks. (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 his 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.

Caitlin Caporale: A veteran of many talent competitions — and a huge fan of Christina Aguilera — Caitlin told The Voice she’s been watching the show since Season 1 and always wanted to be a contestant. Caitlin, 23, of Newburgh, N.Y., sang Christina Aguilera’s “Impossible” during the blind audition, convincing two coaches to turn. She was matched against Briar Jonnee in the battle round. They sang “Falling” by Alicia Keys. Pharrell declared Caitlin the winner; Briar was eliminated from the show. In the knockout round, she went up against Hannah Kirby, who had been stolen from Team Blake. Caitlin performed “Warrior” by Demi Lovato and was declared the winner again.

Koryn Hawthorne: A junior at Lighthouse Christian Academy, Koryn started taking voice lessons at age 8 and has won numerous singing competitions. The 16-year-old from Abbeville, La., sang Emeli Sande’s “My Kind of Love” for her blind audition, turning two chairs. In the battle round, she was matched against Vance Smith. They sang “Love Me Harder” by Ariana Grande and The Weeknd. Christina declared Koryn the winner. In the knockout round, she was pitted against Kimberly Nichole. Koryn performed Pink’s “Try” and received high praise from the judges, but Christina declared Kimberly the winner, pushing Koryn to the brink of elimination. Pharrell rescued her with his knockout round save.

Lowell Oakley: He’s the guy who comes from a long line of businessman but performs with Rip Chord, an a cappella group at Elon University in North Carolina. Lowell, 19, of Durham, N.C., auditioned with Duke Ellington’s “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore,” turning two chairs. In the battle round, he was matched against Kimberly Nichole. They performed “Hound Dog” by Elvis Presley. Pharrell declared Lowell the winner; Kimberly was stolen by Christina Aguilera. In the knockout round, he was pitted against Jacob Rummell. Lowell performed “My Girl” and was declared the winner.

Mia Z.: Her name is Mia Zanotti and she calls herself a blues singer with a modern twist. Oh, and she’s been performing since age 8. Mia, 16, of Pittsburgh, Pa., auditioned with a classic, B.B. King’s “The Thrill is Gone” and turned two chairs. In the battle round, she was pitted against Ashley Morgan. They performed ZZ Ward’s “Put the Gun Down.” Pharrell declared Mia the winner. In the knockout round, she found herself engaged in a three-singer matchup after Anthony Riley exited the competition. Mia sang “Hold On, I’m Coming” in her competition with Paul Pfau and Sawyer Fredericks. She made the live playoffs when Pharrell selected her and Sawyer to advance.

Sawyer Fredericks: Upon meeting Sawyer, we learned that he’s home-schooled and lives on a farm with 19 cows, 14 hens, two roosters, two pigs and one donkey. Oh, and he sings, pretty darn well. The 15-year-old from Fultonville, N.Y., auditioned with the classic folk song “Man of Constant Sorrow.” All four coaches turned; he opted to join Team Pharrell. In the battle round, he was matched with Noelle Bybee. They sang “Have You Ever Seen the Rain.” Pharrell declared Sawyer the winner. In the knockout round, he was pitted against Paul Pfau and Mia Z in The Voice’s first-ever three-singer showdown. That’s because Anthony Riley dropped out of the competition. Sawyer performed “Collide” and advanced along with Mia. During all three phases of the competition, he’s been The Voice’s standout performer on iTunes.

Prediction: Sawyer Fredericks isn’t only a favorite to advance to the finals, he’s the early favorite to win the show. Mia Z. is a one-of-a-kind singer among the Season 8 cast, so it’s going to be tough to deny her a spot in the final 12, too. My guess is that Lowell Oakley will deliver a standout performance to earn the third spot.