The Voice 2014 - Recap - The Battles Continue, Part 4 - Video
Welcome to the live blog and recap of "The Battles Continue, Part 4" on The Voice 2014 Season 6! Which singers will advance? Which coaches will use the Steal?
Last night features some incredibly close battles. For the most part, I felt as though the coaches made the right choices, but will the same be able to be said for tonight's crop of contestants? Usher still has a Steal left, so it should be a pretty exciting conclusion. Will tonight's matchups overcome last night's solid battles? Or will these artists pale in comparison? Add your thoughts in the comments!
Let's get this show on the road!
Credit: NBC
RECAP
-We kick things off with Adam and Aloe Blacc gushing with each other in the studio about how great The Voice is. Yes, this continues to happen.
TEAM ADAM: CARY LAINE VS. SAM BEHYMER
-They're singing "Give Me Love" by Ed Sheeran! One of my favorite songs.
-Aloe calls Sam out on inserting this breathy quality into some of her notes, and he warns that if she overuses it, it can come across as an insincere affectation. Adam, meanwhile, warns Cary against getting too nasally, as she drifts in and out of pitch, in places.
-In the studio, Sam admits that she sometimes uses quirk to avoid having to push herself too hard, and Adam really loves her honesty and the self-awareness it takes to admit that. Aloe, meanwhile, feels that while Cary always gives a great performance, he doesn't always feel it.
-Both women enter The Voice studio with nerves weighing heavily: Cary doesn't want to go back home to her normal life, and Sam has no way to pay her bills if music doesn't work. Drama! Let the Quarter Quell begin...
-The enthusiasm displayed by Cary's son is just so endearing that I find myself rooting for her for that reason alone, even though I think Sam is the better singer.
-With that said, I think it's a pretty even battle all the way through. Part of it is that "Give Me Love" just isn't the right song for either of their voices. Or, at the very least, this isn't the right key for either of them. It's pitched way too high, although both women have lovely moments in their upper register. I'm not really sure who to pick.
-Blake notes that both women fell off pitch while weaving in and out of falsetto, and tells Adam it'll basically be a matter of taste whom he picks. Usher feels both women have distinctive enough voices that they could both fit well into the competition. Shakira loved Sam even though she didn't always land on the right notes. I presume she feels this way because Sam, in her upper register, kind of sounds like her. But that's just a theory. Adam, for his part, talks about how the song was out of their comfort zones, and that it was intended to place them on neutral ground. He declares his intention to go with his gut, since they both did roughly equal tonight:
SAM BEHYMER WINS THE BATTLE!
-Sam tearfully expresses her joy backstage. "I'm excited for the next step."
-Cary thanks Adam for stepping out of his comfort zone and taking a chance on her. Unfortunately, no one steals her. Usher admits he thought about stealing Cary, but says he's looking for something very specific for Team Usher.
TEAM BLAKE: KALEIGH GLANTON VS. NOAH LIS
-Oooo, this should be an interesting battle. I wouldn't have immediately thought to put these two together, but I think it'll totally work.
-The duo is singing "Everything" by Michael Buble, but not before Kaleigh gushes about The Band Perry, in a way that totally doesn't sound at all scripted. Look, I'm sure she actually does listen to The Band Perry, and might know some of their songs. But this just sounded so canned.
-With that out of the way, I'm immediately impressed by how they both bring something unique to the song. Noah is really jazzy, while I think Kaleigh has something smoky and cool in her tone. There are timing issues, but Kaleigh vows to work on it.
-In the studio, Blake warns Noah against overdoing it on the ad libs, since "a little goes a long way." Amusingly, he notes that while the ad libs sound cool, they don't really have any place in this song. Kimberly Perry encourages them to look at each other and play into the roles the song requires, and it leads to a cute little moment where Noah winks at Kaleigh while singing to her, prompting her to become flustered and completely forget her place in the song. Is "shipping" allowed for singing competitions?
-Immediately, I'm reminded how much this song sounds like "Islands in the Stream," but that thought is immediately knocked aside by how stunned I am by this battle. Seriously, this is GREAT. Not a false note in the entire thing. They're both fantastic but for different reasons. Kaleigh is more nuanced and varied in her vocal prowess, while Noah is the better traditional vocalist, and is much better at conveying the emotion and conviction of the song. His little spin dance towards the end is fantastic, to boot. I'd give it to Noah, by an eyelash.
-Carson notes it was "the nicest battle" he's ever seen. "So polite!"
-Usher feels Noah was too "loungy" with his performance, and notes that when Michael Buble performs, he can get sexy with it, leading to Usher having to qualify his statements about not meaning it in a crude way. Noah admits that he finds Buble sexy, and this goes on for way too long. Ultimately, Usher surprises by declaring he'd go with Noah. Adam, meanwhile, picks Kaleigh. Blake praises both artists on their ability, but decides the "tiebreaker" is that ineffable quality you can't teach people...
KALEIGH GLANTON WINS THE BATTLE!
-Noah thanks Blake for the opportunity, and vows to continue at music. For his part, Usher explains he didn't steal Noah because he just wasn't what he was looking for.
-From there, we get a MONTAGE...
TEAM BLAKE: CALI TUCKER VS. RYAN WHYTE MALONEY
WINNER: Ryan Whyte Maloney
TEAM ADAM: CHRISTINA GRIMMIE VS. JOSHUA HOWARD
WINNER: Christina Grimmie (seriously surprised they montaged her)
TEAM SHAKIRA: LINDSAY BRUCE VS. KRISTEN MERLIN
WINNER: Kristen Merlin
-Once again, they montage a trio of battles I would have loved to see. I hope they upload them in full online at some point.
TEAM SHAKIRA: CIERRA MICKENS VS. EMILY B.
-The ladies will be singing "Brave" by Sara Bareilles, and Emily hopes she'll be able to convey her emotion through her performance, since brain surgery has taught her what it means to be brave. However, she's faced with "volume issues," as Shakira describes it. In an enlightening moment, Shakira explains how Emily should declare herself with the word "SAY" that kicks off the chorus, since she should be asserting herself. Great stuff.
-Unfortunately, Cierra is having some trouble actually connecting with the song. She sounds great though, so it really just comes down to a matter of confidence, as she seems kind of shaken by her inability to really convey the emotion of the song.
-Miranda notes that while Cierra and Emily are friends, they need to leave their friendship at the door, since it could mean the difference between advancing to the next round, and going home.
-I dig this battle. Both bring unique elements to it: Emily connects with the song more, but Cierra has a slight edge in the voice department. Really, it's a matter of deciding whether Shakira prefers performance/connection over pure vocal talent. I'd argue they both deserve to stay though.
-Adam applauds both women on their performance, although he notes that they fell out of rhythm in places. He'd give it to Cierra, however. Blake, meanwhile, disagrees and gives it to Emily B. on the strength of her big run just before Cierra's show-stealing note at the end. Usher splits the difference between the two singers. This doesn't exactly help Shakira, who discusses how hard it is to make a decision, since both their strengths and mistakes were similar. But she has to make a choice, so...
EMILY B. WINS THE BATTLE!
-Emily is thrilled to make it through, and notes how great Cierra is. She breaks down backstage in triumphant tears.
-Cierra thanks the coaches for their guidance and for the opportunity, and then leaves the studio...until Usher hits his button at the last minute! She falls to her knees in tears, and it's a wonderful moment.
USHER STEALS CIERRA MICKENS!
-Usher claims he sees something in Cierra that he wants the world to be a part of. He argues she has star quality, which is something not everybody has.
-And that's a rap on the Battle Round! Well, the first Battle Round, anyway. Next week is Battle Round 2! Whom the artists battle will be a surprise, and they'll also have to agree on their song. Chris Martin will act as mentor for all the remaining acts, with each of the coaches having one remaining steal to use before the Live Playoffs! Which acts will soar? Which will fall by the wayside? Join us again next week!
-Until then, I'll be adding videos as soon as they become available. Thanks for hanging out, guys! It's been great, as usual.