The Voice 2014 - Top 10 Post-Show Power Rankings
The Top 10 have performed on The Voice 2014! So how did the artists do?
Well, to be frank, looking back on the evening, the night was kind of dull. It was a perplexing, troubling mix of good and bad: technically excellent performances hampered by the reality that they were good performances of lousy, dated song choices; and then there were some solid performances of good song choices that ultimately turned out to be forgettable just the same; and then there was the bad. In short, I struggled to come up with rankings for this Top 10, since nothing really set my world on fire, except for one particular performance. So these are probably going to be more random than they've ever been before, since I'm going by my gut and trying to keep my brain out of it altogether. Basically, this is my disclaimer that these picks are likely to angry up the blood, for some.
A reminder, these are in no way meant to be my predictions for which artists will be in the bottom 3 or which will go home. These are simply my own subjective rankings for whom I think the best performers of the night were, and whom were the ones to take a bit of a hit in The Voice standings. Feel free to add your own Top 10 power rankings in the comments below. Let's get to it!
Credit: NBC
1. Christina Grimmie, "Hold On, We're Going Home": This was far from the best vocal of the night, yet, for me, this was pretty much the most exciting performance of the night. We get a lot of talk of "artistry" and "bravery" on the show, but it seems as though hardly any of the contestants this season have taken risks. Tonight was a wearisome melange of straight versions of songs everybody already knows, and weird versions of tracks that are far less known. But Christina took a Drake hit and flipped it on its head with a piano arrangement that was allowed to build into a thrilling crescendo. Christina has fallen by the wayside a bit in recent weeks, wind up getting overlooked in the shadow of stronger performers. But I feel she's returned to form here, and has made a hell of a case for herself as a potential winner. (WATCH)
2. Delvin Choice, "Bright Lights": Call me crazy, but I loved this. Delvin has spent a sizable portion of the competition playing it fairly low-key. This isn't to say he hasn't shown flashes of personality and stage presence here and there, but rather that he's seemed far more focused on vocals over performance. Yet, over the past two weeks, he's shown considerable growth as a live performer. This reminded me a lot of something James Brown might do, rushing the stage and going out into the crowd, and digging into the grit of the vocal, as if he were trying to stomp it into the ground. It was not only a compelling performance, but it was also a dynamic vocal that illustrated, to me, at least, why Delvin deserves to be here. His riff at the end with the crowd was fun, and energetic in a way that few things tonight ever managed to be. And when you're watching a show for two hours, you kind of just want to be entertained after a while. (WATCH)
3. Audra McLaughlin, "You Lie": Another one for the "Call me crazy" department, but I thought this was a gorgeous vocal. One of Audra's key strengths is that she's capable of really tapping into the emotional component of a song, and finding a way of conveying sincerity in her performance. I know the prevailing opinion will likely be that this was dull as dishwater, but I couldn't help being compelled by it. Never mind that there wasn't a bum note in the entire vocal, or that there was hardly a note that didn't soar, for that matter, I was simply drawn in. And that's hard to do in the space of the 100 or so seconds they give these contestants each week. (WATCH)
4. Josh Kaufman, "This Is It": A terrible song choice sung with such passion and conviction that it almost made me a fan of the tune itself. I mean, it didn't, but this performance still came close to pulling it off. Josh just has such a unique performance style, looking as comfortable and as loose onstage as he would if he'd been born on it. And it reflects in his vocal, since I can't imagine that someone who wasn't 100% comfortable on that stage would think to even go for some of the notes Josh goes for. The man is a beast -- a soulful beast who can turn questionable song choices around to where it almost doesn't matter what he's singing. And THAT is serious talent. (WATCH)
5. Sisaundra Lewis, "Oh Sherrie": I like Steve Perry and I like Journey, but this song choice didn't really do it for me. And yet, here comes Sisaundra with an absolutely killer vocal performance. There isn't anyone left in this competition who can outsing her, for my money. But I do feel there's a bit of an issue, in that Sisaundra's place in the current musical landscape isn't immediately apparent. She can do just about anything with that voice of hers, but it's hard to know what she should be doing with it. What's Sisaundra's wheelhouse? Is she a Pattie Labelle-type soul singer for the adult contemporary market? Is she a Tina Turner type, who dips into rock every once in a while? Or is she straight-up soul, like an Aretha Franklin? Sisaundra can be any one of those types of performer, and that's what makes her interesting. But as much as I enjoyed her vocal this week (song choice notwithstanding), I wonder if her reticence to define her musical style will put her at risk. (WATCH)
6. Kristen Merlin, "Let Her Go": I thought this was a wonderfully understated vocal. I worry it might not have been anywhere near as memorable had it not come towards the end of the program, but I still feel Kristen acquitted herself quite well here. More than that, in fact, as this was her best performance of the competition, in my opinion. She's so immensely likable and sincere that it shines through in her performance, making every word she sings more believable. I'm not sure how far she can go, but I'd love to see her advance to Top 8. (WATCH)
7. Jake Worthington, "Run": This is why it helps to have videos to rewatch after the show, since I was kind of sour on this performance in the live blog, but have warmed up to it after getting the chance to rewatch it, free from the constraints of typing at the same time. I still think this was Jake's worst of the competition, but so many of his performances have been terrific that I don't feel as if it's necessarily some huge blight on "Run." Outside of the killer runs he was doing towards the end, this was just "okay." Granted, "okay" should still be enough to get him into next week. (WATCH)
8. Tess Boyer, "Ain't It Fun": This was a lively, fun performance, although I kind of wish that joyful, exuberant feeling would come through a bit more in Tess's performances. She just seems so stiff and rigid onstage sometimes, even while her vocals soar to impressive heights. She's seriously one of the best singers this season, and there's no reason this shouldn't have been a grand slam. But while the vocals were air tight, I just wasn't feeling it as a performance. She seemed so disconnected from the lyrics, and after a while, it just felt like she was singing the song to herself. Again, love Tess, but I have a love/hate relationship with some of her performances. Still, I hope she makes it to next week. (WATCH)
9. Kat Perkins, "Landslide": In no way, shape, or form was this a bad performance. But this was the definition of "beautiful but forgettable." I started off the show loving this performance, but by the end of it, had a hard time remembering anything about it. I love "Landslide," but I'm not sure it was a smart song choice, nor do I think a straightforward, acoustic take on the original arrangement allowed Kat to put her best foot forward. Maybe a piano arrangement? I'm not sure how she could have done this song in a more memorable fashion, but I just wasn't feeling this as much as I felt last week's performance. (WATCH)
10. Bria Kelly, "I'm With You": It's easy to forget that Bria is just a teenager, but that still shouldn't excuse a performance as rough as this one. In all her time on the show, I don't think I've ever heard her as screechy and shouty as she was tonight, and that's unfortunate, since I was one of Bria's biggest proponents early on. However, she just hasn't managed to live up to her earlier performances in these live rounds. I have no idea what happened here, but it seemed as though Bria knew early on that the performance wasn't going well, and it all blended together to make for some real cringeworthy television. My heart went out to Bria, because you could just see how much she was hurting. It's not like she's a bad singer, or that she's untalented. Quite the opposite, in fact. This wouldn't have been such a heartbreaker if Bria hadn't previously shown herself to be such a solid talent. Her confidence has been shaken, and once that happens, it can be hard to find your footing again. That's not to say she can't still turn things around if she makes it into next week, but after a week like this, I wonder if she'll even get the chance. (WATCH)
So how would you rank the Top 10 on The Voice 2014? Sound off in the comments!