Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Berritt Haynes has been montaged in both of his Voice performances so far in Season 21. (NBC Photo)

The knockout round begins Monday night on The Voice.

One of the most intriguing questions entering the round: Will Team Kelly’s Xavier Cornell or Team Blake’s Berritt Haynes earn a spot in Voice history?

After all, both are just one montage away from joining an exclusive club.

Only Season 10’s Megan Lee and Season 7’s Rebekah Samarin made it through three rounds of the show without ever having a full performance air.

Montages — where full performances are shortened to just a few seconds of airtime — had been limited on The Voice in recent seasons, partly because the show scaled back teams from 12 members each to 10.

But they’re certainly back in Season 21.

Xavier, 17, from L.A., and Barritt, 19, from Pell City, Alabama, joined Clint Sherman and Sabrina Dias as montaged victims in the blinds.

During the just completed battles, montage victims included:

Berritt’s match with Kaitlyn Velez,

Xavier’s match with Carolina Alonso,

Jim and Sasha Allen’s win over Sophia Bromberg,

Holly Forbes’ win over Wyatt Michael,

Shadale’s win over Janora Brown,

Libianca’s win over Tommy Edwards.

And it’s all completely unnecessary.

But, you might say, The Voice has increased the size of the cast to 48 singers again. Of course, airtime would be tight.

My response: Nonsense.

Xavier Cornell listens to feedback following his battle round match on The Voice. Fans saw just a tiny snippet of his performance. (NBC Photo)

Why? Who knows?

It’s not as though the bio packages were unique. An athlete who suffered an injury and discovered a love for music? Wow, we’ve never heard that on The Voice before (insert lots and lots of sarcasm). At least not more than a half dozen times.

And it’s not as though the performances were must-see TV. Truth be told, a couple were so shaky the singers might have been better off it they didn’t air.

Couldn’t that airtime have been better spent introducing us to the four montaged singers who made the show? And airing their full auditions?

Especially since the singers spend about a month in L.A. preparing for that 90-second performance?

Of course.

Which brings us to the battle round, during which The Voice insists on an abysmal pacing that results in about 15 minutes of music in a two-hour episode of a show that’s supposed to be about finding great singing voices.

Let’s see. Suppose we cut out most of that rehearsal footage.

And suppose we get rid of battle round advisers and the obligatory need to waste airtime having contestants fawn over them.

Instead, how about we introduce each match with a brief reminder of each contestants’ background. And a brief explanation from their coach about why they were matched against one another and why the song was selected.

Even with a healthy heaping of commercials, The Voice should be left with four hours of true airtime in the six hours they use to air the battles.

That would leave 10-plus minutes to devote to each of the 24 battles without montaging anyone.

Which would be plenty of time to add back more filler content since the YouTube videos of full battles, complete with coaches’ comments, run between five minutes and six and one-half minutes.

Remember, folks, the number one reason a singer goes on a show like The Voice is to build a bigger fan base.

In order for that to pay off, your performance(s) need to air on TV.

I can’t imagine how disappointing it must be to invest all that time in preparing for a performance only to have the bulk of it and most of the coaches’ feedback wind up on the cutting room floor.

Back in 2014, using the hashtag #forevermontaged, thrice-montaged Rebekah Samarin wrote this while trying to process “why The Voice decided to treat me so poorly.”

“I honestly have no words to describe my emotions at the moment. I feel honored and privileged to have been a part of such an incredible adventure. I will forever cherish the relationships I have made, and the opportunity to learn from Adam Levine along with the other coaches. While I am appreciative of the experience, I am baffled by The Voice’s blatant disregard and disrespect of my time and efforts.”

Seven years later, The Voice still hasn’t learned to show respect for contestants’ time and efforts.

Or for their families and fans.

See also …
Why The Voice battle round is so unfair