The Voice 2014 - Recap - Live Top 10 Performance Show - 04/28/2014

By Nick Roman ·

Welcome to the live blog and recap of "Live Top 10 Performance Show" on The Voice 2014 Season 6! The Top 10 perform! But is your favorite going to deliver?

Add your thoughts in the comments below, and keep refreshing for analysis, thoughts, and videos of the night's big matchups! Videos will be added later. If you can't see them due to being outside the US, Rickey will be posting individual videos later that anyone can see, so check out the individual posts later if you can't see the videos in this post. Let's get this show on the road!

Credit: NBC

RECAP

-We kick things off, and for some reason we're starting off with a performance by Rixton, since singing shows apparently don't have enough filler already. I miss 2002, when guest performances were for results shows and finales.

-That said, "Me and My Broken Heart" is a seriously catchy song, and these guys are a solid band. The lead singer sounds like a studio version of himself, yet he's obviously singing it live, so count me as impressed. I'd enjoy this more if it were on Tuesday night, since it's just the principle with me. Still a hell of a song though, and a really talented band.

Non-U.S. residents, watch here: Rixton, "Me and My Broken Heart"

-So apparently, Adam brought in Graham Nash from Crosby, Stills, and Nash to help mentor his team, which brings us to our first performer...

KAT PERKINS opens the show!

-Kat says her dad is going to die when she sees this, since he's a big fan of Graham Nash, as is she. She'll be singing "Landslide," which Adam feels is a perfect song for Kat. However, he doesn't want it to be too grandiose. Graham warns her about the low notes, but keeps it light and charming when he reassures her about the likelihood she'll cry onstage by saying that Crosby cries onstage all the time.

-I loved this. I mean, it kind of sounded a lot like Stevie Nicks, but she has the depth and fluidity to her voice that is really pleasant to listen to. It's like a warm glass of milk with a shot of whiskey in it, which I admit isn't my finest metaphor. But she connected with this, even fighting back a few tears. Just a terrific way to open the show, I thought.

-Blake loved the layers and depth to her voice, and charmingly pleads with Kat not to cry lest he start crying himself. Usher is happy that Kat got to show a different side of herself. Shakira says Stevie Nicks has mastered vibrato singing (Shakira would know, I suppose), but notes that Kat delivered a good performance. Adam calls it a beautiful, bittersweet, inspiring, perfect song, and he's proud that they got to share it with a generation that might not have heard it before.

Non-U.S. residents watch here: Kat Perkins, "Landslide"

-So apparently, Shakira has enlisted the aid of Busbee as a mentor for her team, which brings us to our next contestant...

TESS BOYER is up next!

-Tess tearfully recounts her time in the Bottom 3, and mentions how thankful she is that Twitter saved her (I don't know why, but I find it weirdly amusing that she's thanking Twitter and not America. It doesn't mean anything, just an observation). Shakira introduces her to Busbee, one of the songwriters behind Kelly Clarkson's "Dark Side," the song that saved her last week. In thanks, Tess gives him a hug, which is kind of adorable. She's singing "Ain't It Fun" by Paramore. Busbee tells her she'll want to have control and not lose herself in those higher notes. Shakira, for her part, wants Tess to be sassier.

-I don't think any sassiness came through, but the vocal was technically sound. I don't think there was a single bum note in this entire performance. All in all, Tess is a far better vocalist than an actual performer, since she's got the sound of a pop singer, but none of the stage presence. Still, her voice is much, much better than some of the other people left in the competition, so I would argue she deserves to survive this week, provided none of her rivals blow her out of the water to where America has no choice but to send her home.

-Adam tells her she should be really happy with that performance. Blake, meanwhile, challenges anyone to find a single note of that performance that wasn't pitch perfect. Blake notes that if he'd been in the same position, he would have "screwed the pooch," leading to a back-and-forth with Adam in which Blake is declared a "pooch-screwer" (um...yeah). Meanwhile, Usher says, as her former coach, he's always proud to see Tess come out and deliver a "pitch perfect" performance. Shakira thought Tess killed it, and that there was something sexy to her performance. No real argument from me there. But then, I find talent insanely sexy, so by that criteria, Tess belongs on People's 50 Most Beautiful right alongside Lupita Nyong'o.

Non-U.S. residents watch here: Tess Boyer, "Ain't It Fun"

-Back from break with Carson pointing out a tweet earlier from Blake, in which he threatened to give out Adam's personal phone number. Adam says Blake would never do it, but then...HE DOES?! Yes, Adam gets a phone call from some stranger live on the air, and actually takes the call. "Seriously?" he says to Blake. "That's not cool." He seems LEGIT angry. I question the legitimacy of this, naturally. But if Blake really did...I mean, I don't even have words.

AUDRA MCLAUGHLIN is up next!

-Blake bought guitars for his team, leading to Audra excitedly telling her mother over the phone. Audra sings "You Lie" by Reba McIntyre, and it really is a perfect song for her voice from what we hear in rehearsals. Blake has brought in country producer Scott Hendricks to help with the performance, and we get a soundbite from Audra in which she says that if you ever want a hit in country music, Scott Hendricks is the guy you need on your side.

-This is an absolutely stunning vocal. I've liked Audra but always found her kind of dull. This won't really remedy that for some, but I'd argue there are ways to be exciting that don't involve theatrics. Like with a vocal with which a singer truly connects -- like this one. I just can't argue with the power of this performance. She connected to the song in a way that few have since this competition began, and that makes her a compelling performer.

-Usher says "It sucks....that I can't do that." Had me going there, for a second. He notes what an amazing vocalist she is, and he's not wrong. Shakira calls it beautiful and amazing, among other superlatives, while Adam calls it a "world class vocal performance" that is as good as any vocal performance could ever be. Blake thinks that Audra grabbed America and the other coaches and forced them to take notice. "I'm so happy for her you," he says, to which she responds, "Thanks, Coach," which I find kind of cute for some reason. Adam once again reiterates that it wasn't cool for Blake to send out his private number, and that he's "got it coming." Let the prank war begin? Either way, Adam did NOT look amused by any of this. And Blake doesn't seem to think he did anything wrong ("It's kinda cool," Blake says, in response to Adam's assertion that this was not cool).

Non-U.S. residents watch here: Audra McLaughlin, "You Lie"

JOSH KAUFMAN is up next!

-Josh misses his family, but states that he's doing this all for them, which is something they understand. Usher brought in R&B star Natural to help his team, as Josh will be performing "This Is It" by Kenny Loggins. Natural thinks Josh can absolutely fit into the current music scene, and that he has such soul that it demands attention. Usher says "I feel Josh should already be on the radio. Thank God I saved him."

-I wanted to love this so much, but I just couldn't get excited about the song choice. It's just such a throwback that doesn't feel in any way relevant to music right now. Just such a dated song choice. That said, Josh sings the absolute hell out of it. Seriously, I'll be stunned if anyone tonight matches the dynamics and character of his performance here, since his voice is just so soulful and colorful that it's hard not to have it emblazoned on your brain at the end of the night. I just wish it were a different song.

-Shakira finds Josh really impressive, and talks about how well he's done. Adam says, "The more I regret my stupid decision, the better that is for you." He adds, "You are so talented, and you have such an incredibly ... unique voice." Blake says if he weren't watching Josh, he would have sworn he was listening to a record. Blake says he doesn't know what kind of guy with his phone number on Twitter would be dumb enough to let a guy like that go. Adam still doesn't seem particularly amused.

Non-U.S. residents, watch here: Josh Kaufman, "This Is It"

CHRISTINA GRIMMIE is up next!

-Christina feels more assured in her performance this week thanks to the presence of Graham Nash, as we continue to attempt to sell to young audiences the idea that they should have heard of these people before. I love me some Crosby, Stills and Nash, and can appreciate the desire to educate younger audiences, but these are just such random mentors. Christina is singing "Hold On, We're Going Home" by Drake, and she'll be playing the piano for the song. Adam says this is her opportunity to trailblaze, and do something no one in the competition can do, and in a way no one else in the competition can do it.

-It's a subtle, earthy arrangement, and I absolutely love it. If this were Idol, only the first fifteen or twenty seconds would have been with piano, before the tempo inexplicably picked up. Here, the song is allowed to build until the point where it actually makes sense for the tempo to pick up. She gets a bit sharp towards the end, but I loved this because it was something different, unexpected, and exciting. On a night with Kenny Loggins and Reba McIntyre songs, this was refreshing and current.

-Blake says Adam has finally gotten him back for the phone number prank, saying that Christina really brought something special to her performance. Usher said her performance will not only make Drake proud, but should earn her a spot in the finals. Shakira said it was her best performance, by far. Adam says that America should be a Christina Grimmie fan, and declares the performance gave him goosebumps. He adds that there's no ceiling for how far she can go. Christina breaks in just before commercial break to tell Shakira how beautiful she looks tonight, which is kind of random and wonderful.

Non-U.S. residents, watch here: Christina Grimmie, "Hold On, We're Going Home"

JAKE WORTHINGTON is up next!

-Blake notes that this is a big week for Jake, and that he'll want to do all he can to impress George Strait, since he's singing George Strait's own "Run". Scott Hendricks tells Jake he tends to push his voice a bit too hard on the big notes, and cautions him to slow it down. Jake seems more nervous in rehearsals than he's seemed before, and I wonder if that's because he's singing a song by his idol. Who knows?

-This wasn't Jake at his best. Nowhere near it, actually. He was off pitch to start, and his voice wavered throughout nearly the entire thing. He just seemed terrified and unsure of himself in a way I'm not used to seeing from Jake. But here's his saving grace: the dude has amazing tone and such sincerity in his performance that even an underwhelming Jake Worthington performance is still pretty damn good.

-Usher applauds him for doing his thing despite criticism, and says he's proud of Jake. Shakira notes how intimidating it must be for Jake to have not made it through the blinds last season, yet managing to make it here. She praises his performance. Adam says Jake is very confident and matter-of-fact as a singer and storyteller. Blake declares it a solid performance, and says Jake represents the country fanbase all around the country. If it wasn't clear before, this seemed to all but solidify that Jake is the person Blake wants to take to the end, more than anyone else on his team. And I'd argue Jake might actually be his best shot. There's something to be said for sincerity and a winning backstory (returned from rejection, makes the finals). Whether he'll get there remains to be seen.

-Back from break, as Carson throws to a video package about the fallout of Blake's phone number prank. Blake has been answering Adam's phone because he feels kinda bad about tweeting it out. Carson reads a Twitter question asking how Adam plans on getting back at Blake, and Adam says the process will involve a fork, enclosed spaces, and "human poop." Um...

Non-U.S. residents, watch here: Jake Worthington, "Run"

BRIA KELLY is up next!

-Bria is singing "I'm With You" by Avril Lavigne, and she says this was the record that allowed people to see that Avril in a different light, that she wasn't this guarded person. In rehearsals, she sounds kind of rough, but honestly, I'm just glad she isn't singing "Hello Kitty." Usher says this will be Bria's "greatest challenge."

-And Usher certainly isn't kidding. This is rough all over. I have no idea what happened between blinds and now, as Bria went from one of my favorites to an also-ran, of sorts. I just don't know how much longer she can possibly last in the competition with screechy, shouty performances like this. I mean, she does end the vocal with a beautiful run, but that's hardly enough to salvage the previous 90 seconds. Maybe the studio version is better, but this just wasn't good. And that's a shame, because I really like Bria.

-Shakira tries to find a polite way to say it wasn't good, and chooses to say that she liked her attempt at infusing the performance with conviction. Adam says, "With respect to you and respect to Usher, I want to be critical." He basically says that it wasn't her best, and implies that this felt like a completely different artist. He says he knows it isn't easy to hear, but he's saying this in the best interest of her place in the competition, because he thinks she's fantastic. Of course, he then says she did a good job, which sends a bit of a mixed message. Blake echoes Adam's thoughts, and says that while he didn't hear anything bad, it did feel like Bria was a completely different artist. Usher says being an artist involves passion and being connected to a song, and says that's what he loved about the song, noting how she started off soft and built to a crescendo. If nothing else, Usher is diplomatic about it, but I just can't imagine how she doesn't land in the bottom 3 this week. Although now I feel kind of lousy, because Bria is fighting back tears. Maybe America will Instant Save her, but after that? I think I'd let her go, honestly.

Non-U.S. residents, watch here: Bria Kelly, "I'm With You"

DELVIN CHOICE is up next!

-Delvin says his parents were almost in tears after his performance last week. He says they're living his dream with him. In a poignant moment, Adam tells Delvin about what Graham means to him, recalling how Graham helped Maroon 5 out after a huge setback, putting them in a studio they couldn't afford with people they couldn't afford to work with, and thanks to his help, Maroon 5 recorded the demo that got them signed. "A year later, they were number one," Graham recalls. That was actually really sweet.

-This week, Delvin will be singing "Bright Lights" by Gary Clark, Jr., and both Graham and Adam say that this needs to be Delvin declaring to audiences that "you're gonna know my name," with Adam doing some impressive runs while showing Delvin how to perform that particular lyric. It really doesn't get said enough what a nuanced, talented vocalist Adam is. Dude is just a good singer.

-As is Delvin, honestly. This is one of my favorite performances of his, mixing soul and hard rock. It shows a completely different side to Delvin, as this is a rock star performance. Seriously, once the song ends, Delvin sing-asks the audience if they know his name, and then sings that they're going to know his name by the end of the night. The band kicks in behind Delvin for his impromptu riff, and it's a wonderful, exciting moment. Delvin REALLY brought it this week.

-Blake loved it, and says Delvin brought a new side to his artistry. Usher says that it sounded like a gospel record, and praises Delvin for his vocal. Adam reveals that the ending to the song was planned (oh, boo) and says they wanted to use the audience and get them involved. It was a smart move, since it paid dividends. Kind of loved it, in fact, rehearsed or not. I don't think this was the best of the night, but this was pretty close, for me.

Non-U.S. residents, watch here: Delvin Choice, "Bright Lights"

-Back from break with Carson giving it up for Paul Mirkovich and The Voice band. Blake shouts, "I love you, Paul!"

KRISTEN MERLIN is up next!

-Kristen talks about freaking out a bit when her mic cut out last week. However, no one was freaking out worse than her father, who was worried this would spell the end for his daughter in the competition. So, naturally, he was the most relieved when she was declared safe the next night, openly crying. She notes how she didn't have much of a relationship with him before, but now they have a strong bond. Kristen will be singing "Let Her Go" by Passenger, and Busbee offers some salient advice, telling her that if she has to choose between technique and emotion during a performance, always go with emotion. For her part, Shakira notes she'll be personally checking Kristen's microphone before her performance this week. Cute.

-Starts off a little shaky, but it gets stronger as it goes on. Kind of like last week. Either way, Kristen is a really strong singer, and one of the more underrated vocalists in the competition. I don't necessarily think she's a threat for the win, but she's got such a unique voice, and she has the potential to grow as the competition rolls on. For instance, her upper register is as lovely as her lower register, and that's not the case for everyone in the competition. She can get really emotional and soft, but also go big when the song requires it. Those gifts made this one of the better performances of the night.

-Adam was really happy the mic was on the entire time, and Kristen notes she has "Interesting luck." He praises her again for her grace under pressure last week, and congratulates her on another great performance this week. Blake was initially worried when he learned she was doing a non-country song, but declares this to be his favorite performance from her so far, noting that she's becoming more comfortable on the stage. Shakira praises Kristen for how she's grown so much in so little time, comparing her to an onion in terms of her layers. Shakira says Kristen represents the minorities in country music. So...Darius Rucker?

Non-U.S. residents, watch here: Kristen Merlin, "Let Her Go"

SISAUNDRA LEWIS closes the show!

-Sisaundra talks about missing her kids, and noting that she tells them they can call or text her whenever, that she'll always have time for them. She says that while she's a singer, she's a mom first. She even talks with Blake about "text parenting" in a clip from after last week's show. Sisaundra will be singing "Oh Sherrie" by Journey, and Scott Hendricks warns her about her vibrato, as Blake once again reminds audiences who this guy is by saying, "Man, I don't know what I'd do without my producer Scott Hendricks." That was such a weird, overly-scripted bit of business. But on the plus side, we can hear bits of Sisaundra from rehearsal, and it sounds pretty great.

-I could have done without the dated song choice, but this is one of the best vocals of the night, full-stop. Her closing note is an absolute killer, and she adapts to rock so effortlessly, you'd never know she made her bones in any other genre. But saying Sisaundra is an amazing singer isn't really anything new. It's an incredible performance, but I wish she were singing songs that were giving us some kind of idea of where she fits in the current musical landscape.

-Usher calls the performance incredible, and saying that the rabid crowd speaks for everyone. Adam says there used to be a roof in this building, but Sisaundra sang the roof off of it. Blake praises Sisaundra for actually making him look smart, since putting her through has proven to be such a great decision. Adam agrees that Sisaundra has done something incredibly rare.

Non-U.S. residents, watch here: Sisaundra Lewis, "Oh Sherrie"

-And that's a wrap! So who will be America's bottom 3? Sound off in the comments! Until tomorrow, thanks for hanging out! You guys made this long, long show zip by.

Goodnight!

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