The Voice 2014 - Recap - The Playoffs Continue - Video - 04/16/2014

Welcome to the live blog and recap of "The Playoffs Continue" on The Voice 2014 Season 6! Which singers will advance from the Top 20 to America's vote?

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 tonight is Team Shakira and Team Adam, and man, can I not wait until we go live, because I'm sick to death of these previews giving away every single nook and cranny of the show. But at least they keep it short this week. Not even two minutes in, and we're on our first singer of the night!

TEAM SHAKIRA: KRISTEN MERLIN

-After a moment in which Shakira gets to meet Kristen's family and her girlfriend, we learn that Kristen has chosen "Two Black Cadillacs" by Carrie Underwood. Shakira is invested in Kristen because she's her only country artist, and, by the same token, Kristen wants to do right by her coach.

-The song is a pretty good fit for her voice. She sounds a bit like Alannah Myles, actually. Wouldn't surprise me if she sang "Black Velvet" at some point, if she advances.

-Killer note towards the end. I swear, it's like she doesn't even have to breathe between notes. I really wish her style of bluesy, country rock was more in my wheelhouse, because she's really impressive, and she's genuinely likable.

-Adam indirectly calls her "a very serious contender," and adds that she's one of the best he's seen this season. Blake says that was his favorite performance of hers, which makes Shakira giddy. He states it was as perfect as a live performance could be. He then makes fun of the audience for their terrible rhythm ("They have worse rhythm than I do!") but saves his own ass by calling them all good-looking. Usher, meanwhile, says Kristen is one of the strongest, most consistent voices in the competition. Shakira states that Kristen is different, and she likes different.

-After the performance, Blake and Adam talk about how Shakira needs to keep Kristen, with Blake even noting that Kristen is intimidating.

TEAM SHAKIRA: DEJA HALL

-Deja explains she chose Shakira because she felt a special connection to her, adding that she's gained confidence from Shakira as the competition has rolled on.

-She's chosen "Battlefield" by Jordin Sparks, and from what little we hear in rehearsals, I wish someone could explain how the hell she's still here. It's not that her voice isn't nice, but it's not TOP 20 nice. She also has no stage presence to speak of. Gorgeous girl, but she just seems a bit stiff and robotic, like a teenage pageant contestant performing for the first time in the talent competition.

-Her performance is technically sound but lifeless. Her movements just seem so over-rehearsed. Not that I don't expect Shakira to keep around just because. For whatever reason, Shakira really likes her, but I don't think America is going to feel the same way if she makes it through to the vote. Of course, I could always be wrong. But I did not feel this at all.

-Blake applauds Deja for coming out of her shell, while Usher echoes Blake's sentiments about how much older and more mature she seems. He notes she almost oversang the song in places. For his part, Adam says that she's really far along for someone her age. Shakira then states that she's proud to be coaching Deja as she starts to bloom. "You're not just that sweet, angelic voice. You can be more aggressive." She then congratulates her on her "amazing performance," and I find myself wondering when the hell these coaches are going to start getting real with some of these contestants, instead of persisting in the Mutual Admiration Society known as The Voice.

TEAM SHAKIRA: TESS BOYER

-Tess recounts her up-and-down journey through the competition, from Team Usher to Team Blake to Team Shakira. Blake notes that he and Usher basically handed Shakira one of the best voices in the competition. In fact, between Blake's comments and Usher's, it's rare for any coaches to be this high about an act they didn't keep.

-Tess reveals she's chosen "Human" by Christina Perri, and talks about some of the difficulties of being a pageant girl, and how people have certain preconceptions. She sounds a bit shaky in rehearsal, actually.

-Of course, rehearsals are much different from a live performance. For the most part, Tess really brings the goods once she gets out of the verses. The chorus allows her vocals to soar, although she gets a little hoarse in her upper register. But I think that crying sound adds a lot to the performance, in terms of communicating the rawness and emotion of it all. Without that element, you end up sounding as robotic and over-rehearsed as Deja.

-Adam says if Tess wins, she'll make him look like a moron for being the only coach that hasn't coached her. He applauds her for her lower register, and then calls out Blake and Usher for letting Tess go in the first place, leading to a cute back-and-forth with Blake. Usher talks about how Tess has reaped the benefits of the entire panel, with each of them adding to who she is as an artist. Blake says, "Not Adam," noting he hasn't contributed anything. He praises Tess for taking up every challenge thrown at her. Shakira calls her "a little miracle," and praises her upper register and proclaims how lucky she is to have Tess on her team.

-Adam talks about Tess, saying she's a real contender to win this. I'd argue this was the best of the night so far, but I don't know that Tess is necessarily even in the top 6 or 7 voices remaining, honestly. A great singer, to be sure. But I haven't seen "winner potential" in her just yet. Hoping to be proven wrong though.

TEAM SHAKIRA: PATRICK THOMSON

-Patrick talks about his family background in music, with his folk music parents and his soulful upbringing. He then reveals he's chosen "Trouble" by Ray Lamontagne, because of course he has. You shaggy, bearded singers know Ray Lamontagne had other songs, right? "Hold You In My Arms"? "Jolene"? Any one of those would be great, and far less overdone.

-In rehearsal, Patrick actually sounds far less impressive than I was expecting him to on the song, since this is still a good song choice for his voice, objections over the choice itself notwithstanding. Shakira says he doesn't have to convince her he's a great singer, but from what I'm hearing, she should probably have advised him to pick something else.

-This is more or less borne out in his performance itself. It isn't bad by any stretch, but it's profoundly unimpressive pretty much all the way through, save for the final note. In fact, that last note is so good, it almost redeems the rest of it. Almost.

-Adam wishes he could sing raspy high notes like Patrick can, and praises him on how far he's come. Usher says he didn't understand who Patrick was until now. He applauds Patrick on his "great performance," and notes that Shakira has a tough decision ahead. Blake tells Patrick to stick to his routine of gargling broken glass, or whatever it is he does to get that rasp. Blake adds in a bunch of other strange anecdotes that prompt Adam to chucklingly declare, "You are SUCH a stupid person!" Shakira adds her usual boilerplate about how happy she is to have a singer like that on her team.

-After the performance, the judges talk about how great Patrick was, and I'm wondering if The Voice studio is just some echo chamber for self-congratulatory opinions.

TEAM SHAKIRA: DANI MOZ

-Dani talks about how she's been holding down a job in public relations, while noting that music has been her real passion. She reveals she's chosen "The Edge of Glory" by Lady Gaga, and while I've never really liked this song, Dani has real potential to do a terrific job with it.

-During rehearsal, Shakira notes that the best performers are the ones who allow their souls to be seen onstage, which sounds like something Deepak Chopra might say. In nailing the final big note, Dani breaks down in tears, and Shakira notes that THIS is what will win the audience over. Dani really is quite endearing, beyond just having a killer voice.

-Dani performs on the piano, and smartly keeps the arrangement bare. No tempo pickups, no superfluous instrumentation, just a sparse piano arrangement that highlights her vocals in striking fashion. She even cries in the same place as she does in rehearsal, although she recovers really nicely, while still remaining connected with that emotion.

-Adam says Shakira is "loony" if she doesn't pick Dani (dude, you can't say that about EVERYONE), while Blake applauds Dani's connectedness with the emotion of the song. Usher says it was raw and vulnerable, and claims that her emotion brought him close to tears. Shakira never thought this Gaga song was that emotional, but says that Dani made her really hear the lyrics. She's torn on who she's going to pick, since her team is "killing it." Shakira declares, "You've just made my job twice as difficult." I don't see how. I think it's an easy pick: Tess, Dani, and Kristen. I could see her picking Patrick, but I think she'd be better served with an all-girl (excluding Deja) team.

SHAKIRA'S CHOICES

-Shakira applauds her team for all they've done, and praises them a bit more before getting to her choices.

TESS BOYER advances to the live shows!

KRISTEN MERLIN advances to the live shows!

-Before the final choice, the three remaining artists get to speak up to Shakira one last time...

-Deja thanks Shakira for helping her come out of her shell, while Patrick says Shakira has taught him so much about not only singing but also performing. Lastly, Dani thanks Shakira for her advice about letting her soul be seen.

-Shakira makes her final choice, calling this woman "the real deal" and "the woman of today"...

DANI MOZ advances to the live shows!

-The coaches congratulate Shakira on her choices, while Adam warns, "Wait til ya'll see my team."

TEAM ADAM: DELVIN CHOICE

-Delvin recounts his story, from Starbucks to Season 5, and back to Starbucks, before returning for Season 6. Usher says Delvin's voice is so strong he doesn't even need a microphone.

-Delvin has chosen "Let's Stay Together," and he sounds pretty good, although Adam warns against being flat on the chorus. He suggests Delvin go a little sharp, illustrating it with his own Al Green impression that's actually great. Adam is still my favorite mentor.

-During the performance, Delvin seems really comfortable. It's his most relaxed performance, as his voice never struggles, nor does his body language seem forced. He does have a few obnoxious runs that he overdoes in places, but for the most part, this was a strong performance.

-Blake says that since he changed his hair, Delvin has become an entirely different singer. Adam, however, credits Delvin's "amazing mentor". Usher says there's not a more unique voice this season, while Shakira adds that all the coaches were basically just hanging back and enjoying his vocal. After the performance, the coaches gush about the crazy, laddered run he did towards the end of the performance (which I actually thought was a bit much, but they all seemed REALLY into it).

TEAM ADAM: JAKE BARKER

-The coaches praise Jake's ability, with Usher saying how much Jake sounds like Justin Timberlake, and Shakira talking about his runs (although warning against too many vocal flourishes). He mentions how big an honor it was to be saved by Adam, since he's such a big fan of Maroon 5. Such a big fan, in fact, that he's chosen "She Will Be Loved," which Adam sees as an honor in itself.

-I really dug their mentoring session, with Adam showing Jake how to hit the upper register of his own song. Not often you see coaches/judges teaching a contestant how to nail a song they wrote themselves. I wonder if it ever gets surreal for him. I know it would be kind of uncanny for me, but then, I'm not famous. Maybe Adam is used to it all by now.

-Jake delivers one of my favorite performances of the night. His voice is perfectly on-pitch, and it never strains to hit the high notes during the chorus. The only detraction is that some of his runs sound forced, and his facial expressions seem pained. But the vocal is damn good.

-Blake praises Jake's falsetto, and notes he never made the Justin Timberlake connection until Usher made it. Usher says it isn't just Justin though, it's also himself and Adam and other singers like that. But adds that Jake has come so far, and he's enjoyed watching Jake's progress. Shakira says she wasn't expecting to like this song in someone else's voice, but notes she really liked it. Adam says it's rare to see someone go from 0-60 like Jake, since he's only just started singing live not too long ago. He calls Jake the most improved artist he's ever seen.

-After the performance, Blake says it'll be interesting to see if Jake makes it through, while Jake says he did everything he could, and hopes it's enough.

TEAM ADAM: KAT PERKINS

-Kat Perkins recounts her journey, before detailing her family history, particularly the musical relationship she shared with her father. She's chosen "Open Arms" by Journey, citing the personal nature of the choice. For his part, Adam tells her not to hold back, to really push the vocal, since Steve Perry is iconic in his performance.

-Kat sounds pretty good in rehearsals, honestly. I see absolutely no reason she shouldn't be able to slay this.

-And then this performance happened. I mean, I knew she could kill it, but I didn't know she could actually do THIS. Neck-and-neck with Dani for best of the night so far. Nothing complicated here, just a straight-up, powerhouse vocal that's packed with emotion, but also, surprisingly, with control. You'd think she'd get caught up in the emotion, but she keeps relatively even throughout, making for a truly impressive performance. She gets a standing O from Adam.

-Usher tells her she should be very, very proud of herself, telling Adam he's got a sure thing in Kat. Usher tells Kat she was "flawless," which thrills Adam. Shakira commends Kat for being "in the moment," which made her feel in the moment as well. Blake states, "Open Arms, my ass! Open LUNGS!" He thinks the power of her voice is incredible. Adam feels this is only the beginning with Kat.

TEAM ADAM: MORGAN WALLEN

-Morgan recaps his journey, and talks about how shocked he was to be stolen by Adam. Meanwhile, Blake notes that Morgan's one-dimensional nature is his weakness, since his gravelly style is all he's shown so far. Morgan reveals he's going to be singing "Stay" by Florida Georgia Line. Adam is excited to get Blake angry by doing a country song, while Morgan is just excited to be working with Adam, saying that if Adam used his one Steal on him, he must see something in him.

-During rehearsal, Morgan sounds really damn good, far more soulful than Patrick did on a song that doesn't naturally lend itself to soulfulness like his did. Adam calls him an unpolished diamond, and notes that the girls love him. Um, do they?

-I don't really care for the song, but Morgan definitely sounds great. He looks a bit listless on the stage, just wandering around, with a facial expression that implies he's concentrating really hard. But his voice does sound great. It truly does.

-Usher says he now realizes some of the choices he made with Morgan weren't in his best interests, as he now sees Morgan should have started out with country. Blake thinks everyone should start out with country, and even compares Morgan to Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam (of course, he needs the other coaches to remind him of Vedder's name). Shakira loved the performance, while Adam says that while he mentored Morgan, it was all him. Adam says he's long looked for what constitutes "country" to Blake, but hearing Blake's endorsement lets him know that Morgan is the real deal. Blake adds that Morgan brings to country what Travis Tritt brought to country, but in a different way.

-In an amusing bit, the coaches get on Blake's case for forgetting Eddie Vedder's name, with Adam noting that the man was on the cover of TIME. "But I was on the cover of Us Weekly!"

TEAM ADAM: CHRISTINA GRIMMIE

-Christina recalls making videos on YouTube, before talking about the indescribable feeling of getting a four-chair turn. Blake says all Christina needs to work on is consistency, but thinks she can be a real contender. Christina reveals she's chosen "I Won't Give Up" by Jason Mraz in honor of her mother, who's fought breast cancer three times, and is still here.

-During the rehearsal, Adam warns Christina against running wild. He wants her to have control, and to know what she plans to do with her vocal. "Make a plan, and stick to it," he tells her, and she's eager to follow his advice. "I really believe in that girl," Adam tells the camera.

-Christina sounds so lovely in the verses, as well as the first chorus. Just such a poignant, subtle vocal. However, it kind of balloons out of control as she gets deeper into the song and starts pushing herself. Her voice just sounds unstable, the more the song calls upon her to hit power notes. With that said, I actually think this was better than both her blind audition and her battle round performance. In fact, the more I think of it, this might actually be her best, period.

-Blake says she's the best singer on Adam's team, and wonders how such a big voice comes out of such a little person. In the search for something critical to say, he tells her that her shirt is too shiny. She jokingly apologizes, which I find kind of endearing. Usher, meanwhile, praises Christina for maintaining control as her voice modulated, and calls her a mini Celine Dion, which has Christina gushing, since she adores Celine. This somehow leads into Blake or Usher implying that Adam is not well-endowed, and it's basically your standard Voice silliness (although I thought Carson cupping 20-year-old Christina's ears a cute touch). Shakira gushes about the performance, while Adam talks about Christina getting "the mastery" of what she does under control. He says he feels like this is just the beginning, and he loves feeling that way this late in the competition. Um, is it late?

-Christina says she can't beat the feeling of Adam loving her performance. She hopes she did enough to make it to the lives.

ADAM'S CHOICES

-So it's time to learn which three singers will advance to America's vote. Adam praises his team and notes it's not easy, and it's the usual boilerplate. He says his decision will be based on who he feels his farthest along now, at this moment. However, he notes that no one let him down.

-His first spot goes to the person he feels has been succeeding above the rest...

CHRISTINA GRIMMIE advances to the live shows!

-Adam says his second spot goes to someone whose incredible change from rehearsal to live performance shows a willingness to listen, learn, and grow...

DELVIN CHOICE advances to the live shows!

-Each contestant gets to speak up before the final decision. Jake says this is a dream come true, and he wants to keep learning and growing. Kat thanks Adam for everything he's done, and for believing in her. Morgan says he can't even believe how much he's learned, and although he wants to continue on, he'll take everything he's learned with him no matter what.

-Adam says he's making the best choice he can for the team...

KAT PERKINS advances to the live shows!

-So Jake and Morgan have been eliminated, breaking a fair share of hearts, I would imagine. I do think Adam mostly made the right choices though, from performances alone. With that said, I don't think he has a shot at winning with any singer but maybe Christina. And that all depends on whether she delivers, or if she just sort of peters out like Caroline Pennell.

-And that's a wrap! What did you think of tonight's performances? What about Adam and Shakira's choices? Sound off in the comments!

-Thanks for hanging out tonight! Join us tomorrow as we live blog and recap the final Playoffs show before the live shows!

GOODNIGHT!