The Voice 2014 - Recap - Live Top 8 Performance Show - 05/05/2014

Welcome to the live blog and recap of "Live Top 8 Performance Show" on The Voice 2014 Season 6! The Top 8 perform for your votes! Can Kat Perkins overcome the Instant Save Curse and last longer than just one extra week?

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

-So The Voice is doing this weird thing now in both commercials and on the website where it's branded all of the contestants. Christina is now "The Internet Sensation," Josh is "The Soul Man," Jake is "The Texas Boy," Sisaundra is "The Powerhouse," Kristen is "The Mold Breaker," Delvin is "The Singing Barista," Audra is "The Country Soprano," Kat is "The Rockin' Nanny," and Carson Daly is "Breaker of Chains and Mother of Dragons" or something. I can only imagine this is intended to add some character to the relatively dry cast we've gotten this year. Only time will tell if it works.

Credit: NBC

-The big topic of discussion as we kick things off is Adam's absolutely terrible, preposterous decision to go blonde. I have no idea what the man was thinking, other than that he was bored with how he looked and wanted a change. Blake rips on him, comparing him to Meg Ryan and Miley Cyrus (this latter burn gets the crowd REALLY riled up, and honestly, it's not that far off).

Anyway, onto the show...

SISAUNDRA LEWIS opens the show!

-Blake's former contestant Gwen Sebastian (who?) is here to help out as mentor. We learn that tonight will be the first time Sisaundra's mother has ever come to one of her performances, since her mother is devoutly religious and refuses to listen to secular music. Gwen tells Sisaundra she represents "making your dream come true," and applauds her on her rendition of "River Deep, Mountain High," which is a spectacularly boring choice, but should still manage to show off Sisaundra's voice.

-There's absolutely no denying that Sisaundra can sing her ass off, but this didn't really do much for me at all. A lot of it has to do with song choice, and the feeling that I've heard this all before. She's probably the best singer in the competition, but her performances are starting to all blend together. Also, this performance seems to just go on and on and on without ever stopping or slowing down, lending this sort of belligerent, shouty, insistent feeling to it that's just wearying as it goes on. I get that she's "The Powerhouse," but I'd love to hear something a little more subtle from Sisaundra in the future.

-Sisaundra is already tearing up just from having her mother here. Usher feels it wasn't too much, even with the band and the dancers. He says she did an incredible job, and declares her a real diva. Shakira calls her a true pro, and says if she ever opened The School of Sisaundra Lewis, all the judges would enroll. Adam loved the song choice, feeling it shows everyone "how potent a performer" she is. Blake, meanwhile, is "absolutely thrilled" with the performance. He wants America to know that, when they set out on this journey, Sisaundra wanted to do all kinds of music during the competition while figuring out who she is as an artist. He reveals she's the one who actually chose this song, and congratulates her on her performance before shouting out Sisaundra's mother in the audience.

-We go to break with a sneak peak of Usher's new music video, "Good Kisser," which he'll premiere on The Voice next week. Of course, you could just skip waiting and watch the whole music video here.

For non-US viewers, WATCH: "River Deep, Mountain High"

-Back from break, as Carson just casually announces that THREE SINGERS WILL GO HOME TOMORROW. What fresh hell is this?!

JOSH KAUFMAN is up next!

-Usher takes Josh to Henson Studio, where Lionel Richie, Cyndi Lauper, and other legends recorded "We Are the World." Usher is currently in the process of recording his album, and he wanted to show Josh the process by bringing him to the studio. Josh will be singing "I Can't Make You Love Me," as we continue circling the drain of tiresome adult contemporary song choices. Usher talks about what a soulful singer Josh is, and says he really wants this for him. Not that you'd ever know from the songs he gives him. I mean, I'm sure the vocal will be great and all, but in a singing competition like this, "I Can't Make You Love Me" is just so groan-inducingly overdone. Let's see how it turns out.

-Well, the arrangement is lovely, and Josh's vocal is certainly up to his usual standard of excellence. So, all-in-all, I think this was a pretty good performance. He makes some unique vocal choices as the song rolls on, showing versatility and a general willingness to mix it up, within the limits of the song he's been given. But I wonder if another "nice but forgettable" performance is what Josh really needs on a week where three people are going home, and he's one of two artists kicking off the show. The crowd loves Josh, at least.

-Shakira feels Josh has good intuition, taking the song and delivering it in his own style. Adam again notes how stupid he is for letting Josh go, but notes how proud he is of Josh, and how much he roots for him. Blake feels we'll be seeing that version of the song on iTunes in no time (and honestly, I don't exactly disagree with him. It was a damn good version). Usher applauds Josh's artistry and again reiterates just how badly he wants this for him. Josh seems genuinely touched, and it's actually a fairly sweet little moment we get far too few of on shows like these. A good performance, but I still worry about just how memorable it will turn out to be by the time the night is over.

For non-US viewers, WATCH: "I Can't Make You Love Me"

-Back from break, and Carson mentions how The Voice is all about Friends and Family, meaning it's time for a corny Sprint "Framily" plug, including a picture of the coaches. Then, it's on to our next performance...

BLAKE SHELTON is up next!

-Blake is performing his new single "My Eyes" alongside Gwen Sebastian. It's a ballad, but with a heel-tapping tempo that makes this far catchier than I would have expected it. Both Blake and Gwen sound pretty good, to boot. Blake has always been a bit underrated as a vocalist, in my estimation, and Gwen more than holds her own with him. Overall, a good little performance.

-Back from break, and Carson Daly shouts out J.K. Simmons in the audience. Love that guy.

KAT PERKINS is up next!

-Adam brings in James Valentine from Maroon 5 as his mentor for this week, and she's lucky to have him, since Maroon 5 has covered "Get Lucky" before, which should prove useful for Kat's upcoming performance. Kat feels she needs to have a moment, because she'll kick herself if she goes home without having had a breakout moment. For his part, Adam was shocked that Kat was in the bottom 3 last week, but feels she could be the one to break the Instant Save Curse and last all the way to the end, so he's putting his all into her mentoring sessions. Of course, Kat's confidence seems shaken when Adam reveals that Pharrell will be in the audience this week. Let's see how she handles the pressure...

-This isn't Kat's best vocal, but I absolutely love what she's doing with this song. The arrangement is anarchic and exhilarating, and is better than nearly everything on last week's show, in my opinion. Seriously, couldn't be more impressed with Kat than I was with this. Granted, I still don't expect her to break the Instant Save curse, but after that? I'd argue she definitely deserves to. I know I'll be downloading her version. It's seriously great. And Adam is understandably psyched by the performance, jumping to his feet and shouting "YES!" once it ends. The crowd is positively wild for her.

-Usher feels the audience reaction is a clear indication of what everyone felt about her performance, and states he wishes he had long hair so he could have rocked out to that performance. Shakira says she's never seen this Kat Perkins before, and loves that she's true to herself and obeys her inner voice. Adam says this performance, song choice, and arrangement was all Kat, and all he did was facilitate it. "Bottom 3, my ass! Vote for this girl! She is incredible!" He praises her for doing a "heavy metal" version of a Daft Punk song, and basically declares how utterly enamored he is with her right now. And I don't blame him.

For non-US viewers, WATCH: "Get Lucky"

KRISTEN MERLIN is up next!

-Kristen will be singing "I Drive Your Truck" by Lee Brice, which is a song she's frequently performed on Sundays at a local bar. On one occasion, she was approached by men who thanked her for her stirring rendition of the song, which is about a person mourning the loss of a serviceman by driving his truck. Kristen notes that she's a bit nervous being the last person of Shakira's team, but it's clear that Shakira has a lot of faith in Kristen. I wouldn't have predicted when the season started that Kristen would be Shakira's sole survivor, nor would I have predicted I'd end up liking her as much as I do. But song choice aside, I'm rooting for her here.

-This performance was actually kind of beautiful. I chalk it up to Kristen's talent for imbuing each performance with a certain emotional honesty that not every contestant is capable of matching. If nothing else, that sort of honesty lends a lot to each performance, even when the vocal isn't as strong as it could have been. Luckily, I think Kristen went above and beyond this week, delivering her best vocal of the competition. I'm really not sure if it'll be enough to keep her around, since I think she has a ceiling with how far she can go, but anything can happen. I know I'm rooting for her.

-Blake thought she did a great job, and says she's made a believer out of him from the blind auditions to now. "And Adam loves you so much, he copied your hairstyle!" Blake adds. Usher, meanwhile, says that while he obviously isn't an authority on country music, when it's good, it's good. "Wherever you're headed in that truck, you're on the right track." Shakira calls the performance "beautiful" and "transcendent," and says she believes that Kristen isn't going anywhere. Shakira sounds choked with emotion as she describes how moved she was by Kristen's vocal. Honestly, I'm stunned by how much that moved me, too. Go, Kristen!

For non-US viewers, WATCH: "I Drive Your Truck"

PHARRELL WILLIAMS is up next!

-Pharrell sings his new single, "Come and Get It Bae," and it's the usual high-energy performance, complete with hot dancers and thrumming beats. I really don't know that there's much more to say about it than that. I do kind of wish Adam had joined onstage for the Miley Cyrus parts of it. Might as well roll with the punches.

-After the performance, Carson notes we've got a performance from our OTHER new coach coming up, as Gwen Stefani hits the stage and I wonder just how much filler two hours can hold.

DELVIN CHOICE is up next!

-Adam praises Delvin for his resiliency in having no chairs turn around for him last season, only to come back this season and find himself in the Top 8. "People are making coffee for you now!" Adam gleefully declares. It's a cute moment that's completely ruined by the news that he'll be singing "I Believe I Can Fly."

SERIOUSLY, "I BELIEVE I CAN FLY." IN 2014.

Image: rage

I seriously think this show hates me sometimes. Delvin breaks down during the performance, getting emotional because he finally believes in himself, and this proves to Adam that the right song has been chosen. But I'm so far beyond Over It, and I'm in the next town over.

-Delvin does his best with it. It starts off incredibly shaky, but it builds in power as it goes on. But it's the same usual, tacky arrangement. AND HERE COMES THE CHOIR! Giving credit where it's due, Delvin really does sing the hell out of the performance, connecting with it emotionally. On that criteria alone, he might manage to stick around. Yet, if this is what he's going to do, I'm in no mood to have him around, unfortunately. I just can't ever get on board with this tired-ass song.

-Blake praises Delvin's soaring vocals, while Usher notes you can't see a man fly until you see a man cry. He notes that Delvin really took off with his vocals, and that he deserves to be here. Adam echoes those sentiments, adding that Delvin has worked hard and has earned his spot. I can appreciate what he was going for here, but I fully anticipate Delvin to be in the sing-off tomorrow night. Whether America saves him or not depends largely on his likability over whomever he's in the bottom four (if they're going to do one) with tomorrow night, along with America's willingness to continue hearing his particular brand of adult contemporary soul. I'm not in that particular voting bloc, but I imagine there are plenty others who are.

-Carson is here with his good "friend" Hoda Kotb, and then proceeds to call her "Hoda Coffee." Glad to know I'm not the only one with Starbucks on the brain. Hoda declares that Jake is her favorite, although she can't remember his name, and simply calls him the tall cowboy.

For non-US viewers, WATCH: "I Believe I Can Fly"

AUDRA MCLAUGHLIN is up next!

-Blake asks if Audra thought about going to Nashville while living up in Pennsylvania, and she talks about having made a list of goals for herself, including auditioning for The Voice. There's a cute moment in which Gwen Sebastian and Audra geek out over shoes, which Blake declares "the dumbest conversation I've ever been a part of." Audra will be singing "Forgive" by Rebecca Lynn Howard, and Gwen feels that if Audra connects with the song, it could be something that propels her to the end of the competition, and the victory.

-Kind of a snoozer. I like Audra, clearly. But this did absolutely nothing for me. Once again, on a week where three people are going home, this is the very last thing she needs to be doing. There's something to be said for remaining in your wheelhouse, but I don't imagine I'm the only one getting a bit weary of all Audra's ballads. She sings it well, don't get me wrong. And her last note, which she holds out for half-past forever, is a real slayer. However, the performance itself is just so forgettable that I don't even remember what the song sounded like anymore. And it only ended fifteen seconds ago.

-Shakira thought the final note was a killer, and praises Audra for her performance. Blake declares Audra "unstoppable," as we're now clearly strapped for time due to all the filler, since we don't hear from Adam or Usher. Not that it wouldn't have been more praise, but still. I wish they'd time these shows out a little better.

For non-US viewers, WATCH: "Forgive"

-As we head to break, Carson teases that Gwen Stefani will be performing "Hollaback Girl" up next, because apparently I fell into a portal to 2004 without being told.

GWEN STEFANI is up next!

-Forgetting she's on a show called The Voice, Gwen is apparently lip-syncing (and if she's not, she deserves all the credit in the world for flawlessly duplicating the sound of the record). She's wearing this weird dress that inhibits movement, not that she really needs to move anyway, since there are dancers, and also Pharrell. He joins her onstage and performs the song with her, and the crowd seems to like it, at least. After the performance, Carson congratulates Gwen on her spelling of "bananas," in a rare funny quip for him.

-Gwen and Pharrell explain how excited they are about joining the show next season, and I learn that Pharrell actually co-wrote "Hollaback Girl" with Gwen. Well, now I can add that to my internal pop culture compendium.

JAKE WORTHINGTON is up next!

-Jake jokes a bit about his allergies and how his mouth doesn't always want to open up. Blake, for his part, decides it's time for America to see "the badass side of Jake Worthington," since so much of his onstage presence this season has been as a balladeer of sorts. Jake is stoked to meet Gwen Sebastian, who advises him to stay in the moment and just have fun with his performance ("Yes, ma'am," Jake says, kind of adorably). He'll be singing "Hillbilly Deluxe" by Brooks & Dunn, which he feels will allow him to show some of his "redneck side." Blake feels it's the best thing he's done on this show, and that it brings out a side of Jake he didn't even know was there, as he proved he could get "outlaw" with it. Gwen says this is how she sees Jake as an artist. However, Blake warns Jake not to oversing it too much, for fear that he'll lose his pitch. Jake notes that he's feeling under the weather, "but no pity party."

-I didn't like the song, but I kind of loved what Jake did with it. He's been a subtle sort of performer, but he dug right into it here. His vocal was as strong as it's ever been, and he adopted a swagger in his onstage manner that makes him an eminently more compelling performer. If I have one complaint, it's that he kept his eyes closed way too much, as it seemed as though he was a bit lost without his guitar towards the end. But other than that, I liked this way more than I thought I would from what I heard in the rehearsal video. I'd never have known he was sick if he didn't say so.

-Shakira: "You had me air-drumming. That's a good sign." She calls his performance very "frontal" and "aggressive," and says he performed with the right attitude, which is a good thing since country music is very much about attitude. Adam says Jake is incredibly cool, particularly with how casual he is about his coolness. He says he's way cooler than Blake, and that he's the real deal. Adam closes by saying he loves Jake, and loves hanging out with him. Blake, meanwhile, says that while everyone loves "Jake the Dude" and knows he's a good singer, he introduced America to "Jake the Artist" tonight.

For non-US viewers, WATCH: "Hillbilly Deluxe"

CHRISTINA GRIMMIE closes the show!

-Christina was relieved to get through last week, but we see backstage video of the singer in tears over the fact that her two best friends in the competition went home. Worse, she's now worried about how she could possibly top last week's stellar performance, which managed to break the Top 5 on iTunes. Christina wants to top last week, but worries that Adam's choice of "How to Love" by Lil Wayne will get her into trouble for being too similar to last week. She asks Adam if it's the wisest idea to be doing another rapper's song, but he feels that if Christina believes she can pull it off, she will. No one else has her sound in this competition, he explains. And sure, some people will complain about HER staying in the same wheelhouse, but Adam genuinely. it has the potential to top "Hold On, We're Going Home."

-It's a good performance, not great. But there's nothing wrong with "good." It just doesn't top her performance from last week. However, I don't think Adam necessarily chose wrong here. It's still one of the best performances of the night, and I see no reason why it shouldn't still chart in a high spot on iTunes. She makes some really interesting vocal choices, making for a more nuanced performance than should have been possible with a fairly straightforward Lil Wayne song. The crowd goes positively nuclear for her once the song ends.

-Blake says he's excited to see the crowd so into her, since she looks and sounds like a star. He tells her to soak this up. Usher, meanwhile, is trying to figure out if she really wants to be a hip-hop/R&B artist, as he knows it's a comfort zone of sorts for her. She says she has no problem going to that well, and Usher notes that R&B transcends all genres. He says it was an incredible performance, a compliment echoed by Shakira, who loves Christina's upper register. Adam notes that the big thing in Christina's favor is that there is no other version of "How to Love." If they want to experience that song in a different fashion, hitting up iTunes to download Christina's single is their best option.

For non-US viewers, WATCH: "How to Love"

-And that's a wrap! So who were your favorites tonight? And which artists will be in danger of going home? THREE singers will get the boot on tomorrow night's results show, and we'll be here, covering it all! Until then, I'll be adding tonight's videos to this post, so keep refreshing. Also, vote in our poll and predict which three singers will be leaving us tomorrow! Thanks for hanging out tonight, and keeping things lively in the comments! You guys really are the best.

GOODNIGHT!