Idol Chatter & Voice Views

 

So, if you checked out today’s iTunes results, you know who should be worried tonight.

Finishing at the bottom of the list: Bryan Bautista (72 on the iTunes 200), Daniel Passion (79), Mary Sarah (86) and Paxton Ingram (164).

Mary Sarah is the most surprising. Remember, this is the country gal who turned four chairs in the blind audition and has easily the biggest social media following of the contestants remaining on the show.

But even going current — Carrie Underwood’s “So Small” is decades newer than any solo she done so far — couldn’t keep her out of danger tonight.

My guess: Mary Sarah did better in the voting than her iTunes votes would have suggested last week, and I suspect the same will happen this week, leaving Daniel and Paxton fighting for the Twitter save.

Not sure how to Twitter save a singer? Season 9 standout Korin Bukowski provides a delightful guide through the process here.

And after a performance by Gwen Stefani, it’s time for results:

Advancing to the Top 11:
* Adam Wakefield: Get used to this. He’s going to be in this for the long haul.
* Alisan Porter: She’s still the front-runner, but winning Season 10 won’t be easy.

And now the results are interrupted as Team Blake takes the stage for a performance of “Love a Rainy Night.”

Also advancing:
* Bryan Bautista: Okay, so Mary Sarah, Daniel and Paxton just got a bit more nervous.
* Daniel Passino: But Daniel wasn’t nervous for very long. So much for my prediction above.
* Shalyah Fearing: No surprise, though I’m hoping all three of Adam’s singers advance.
* Paxton Ingram: What? How the heck did that happen? I thought for sure he was going home tonight.
* Laith Al-Saadi: Thrilled to see him advance. He’s not your typical Voice contestant, but he’s oh, so talented.

Team Adam’s turn to perform. Owen is the only one still in danger. Individually, I like all three of these singers. But this isn’t working.

Also advancing:
* Hannah Huston: She certainly delivered a Top 11 worthy performance last night.
* Nick Hagelin: So the comeback artist has now advanced all the way to the Top 11.
Mary Sarah: Wow, just goes to show iTunes results aren’t always indicative of how the voting goes.

That leaves Emily Keener and Owen Danoff in danger of elimination. Crap! Based on their pre-show music, they are two of my absolute favorites.

Save-me performances

Emily Keener: She’ll sing “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain.” Wow, love that voice. She’s turning in a very strong vocal in a high-pressure situation. And she added some nice frills to that performance. But as I’ve said before, this show isn’t particularly embracing of female singer-songwriters. Christina says she’s shocked to see Emily in the bottom two. Pharrell lobbies for votes for Emily, saying she’s “special.” Grade: B+

Owen Danoff: He’ll perform “Lego House.” Another solid performance, but I’m not sure the vocal is quite as good as Emily’s. And if Owen advances, he’s clearly going to have to raise the performance dynamics a couple of notches. Adam is asking voters to support Owen, promising great performances to come. Grade: B–

And the instant save goes to: Owen Danoff

That means Emily Keener is eliminated.