The Voice 7 - Live Blog and Recap - The Live Playoffs, Night 2 (VIDEO)

Welcome to the live blog and recap of The Voice 2014 Season 7, "The Live Playoffs, Night 2"!

Last night's show was pretty terrific, considering the level of some of the performances on display. By the end of the night, there were some clear contenders for the title, which should probably make the decision pretty hard on America and on the coaches (Damien, Reagan James, Matt McAndrew, Taylor Phelan, and Jessie Pitts were the big standouts, in my opinion).

Team Gwen and Team Pharrell compete tonight, as the two newest coaches present their five acts for America's vote! Each coach has five artists but only three spots in next week's Top 12 show! America picks two, and the coaches pick one to round out their three finalists, so the pressure is on!

Tonight's performers and song spoilers are...

Credit: NBC

NOTE: Click on the artist's track title to download their single in iTunes!

Team Gwen Stefani:
Anita Antoinette ("All About That Bass")
Bryana Salaz ("Amnesia")
Ricky Manning ("Lay Me Down")
Ryan Sill ("I Lived")
Taylor John Williams ("Stuck In the Middle With You")

Team Pharrell Williams:
DaNica Shirey ("Help Me")
Elyjuh René ("Latch")
Jean Kelley ("Piano In the Dark")
Luke Wade ("Let's Get It On")
Sugar Joans ("I Say a Little Prayer")

I'll be posting individual videos as the night rolls on. Until then, add your thoughts in the comments below, and keep refreshing for analysis, thoughts, and links to videos of the night's battles as they become available.

Let's get this show on the road!

Credit: NBC

RECAP

-So we kick things off with Pharrell hitting the stage, and he's decked out in a headband, which makes this the first time in MONTHS I've seen him without the Smokey the Bear hat. Hell, I almost didn't recognize the guy. He performs his new single, 'Hunter', and the opening bass line almost had me thinking he was performing 'Blurred Lines'. The last thing dude needs is to get sued by Marvin Gaye's estate AGAIN.

That said, I really enjoyed this performance and this song. It's hard not to when one of the lyrics is a nonchalant declaration that 'Duck Dynasty is cool and all/But they got nothin' on a female's call'. Pharrell Williams is a man for all seasons.

RYAN SILL (TEAM GWEN STEFANI) opens the show!

-Ryan talks about pursuing engineering before realizing music was his passion in life. Gwen talks about the sweetness of Ryan's voice, explaining that she gave him 'I Lived' by OneRepublic to allow him to show a little more grit. However, 'I Lived' is about as far away from grit as I am from Japan right now. Still, he sounds pretty damn great on it, from what little we hear. Gwen is a little worried that he won't be able to get the crowd chanting along with him, and wishes she could step inside his body and make him feel what she would do with the performance, which sounds far dirtier than she probably intended it to.

-Ryan sounds really good in this performance, but kind of unspectacular. I find it hard to imagine anyone will remember this by the end of the night. Maybe if he'd gone a bit later in the show? That said, his stage presence is very bouncy and fun, and I honestly didn't know he had this much charisma. Maybe he's feeling empowered by the loose dress shirt/tight leather pants combo.

-Adam says Ryan has always been one of his favorites, adding that Gwen has helped him a ton with his performance. He notes that Ryan's pitch is amazing. Pharrell and Blake agree with Adam, regarding Ryan's progress in the competition. We then get to Gwen, who is the only person wearing more makeup than Ryan is. She loved the performance and is very high on Ryan, and honestly, she probably should be. The guy did a surprisingly good job. I mean, yeah, it was kind of forgettable, but it wasn't bad or anything.

WATCH: Ryan Sill sings ‘I Lived’ (VIDEO)

JEAN KELLEY (TEAM PHARRELL WILLIAMS) is up next!

-Jean gets emotional during her rehearsal with Pharrell when he gives her a pep talk about how good she is. Pharrell even reworks "Piano In the Dark" to better fit Jean, which is a surreal feeling for her, since she notes that Pharrell doesn't just rearrange a track for everybody. Pharrell loves the drama in Jean's voice, and feels "there's an actress in there." I totally agree, and it's part of why I find her so compelling.

-I thought this was really good. Jean really brought the drama, practically acting out the song onstage. I was impressed with her showmanship, as well as the power and passion she brought to the vocal itself. I would also be remiss if I didn't mention that she looks amazing. She would be such a welcome addition to the Top 12, in my opinion, if only because we don't have many artists in this competition right now with such an inherent sense of theatricality.

-Gwen not only loves Jean's outfit, but thinks she's also an incredible singer. She does feel there's a balance between the drama and -- well, she can't finish the statement because she isn't sure what she wants to say. But she notes that she doesn't want to sound negative, saying that it's all about believability. Adam agrees with Gwen by saying Jean absolutely deserves to be here, but needs to scale back the drama a bit. We then skip Blake and go right to Pharrell, who feels it's important that Jean had a good time doing her thing. He feels this is only the beginning for her.

WATCH: Jean Kelley sings ‘Piano In the Dark’ (VIDEO)

ELYJUH RENE (TEAM PHARRELL WILLIAMS) is up next!

-Elyjuh talks about how some online have been criticizing his performance style for being too much, as he's been accused of overdoing it. Pharrell, however, feels it's good for him to let go and not worry about what other people think, simply feeling the song and moving with the music. He gives him 'Latch' by Disclosure (featuring Sam Smith), and while it starts out in the slower, stripped back Sam Smith version, it eventually picks up the tempo, which I think is a bit of a mistake. But I guess we'll see how it turns out.

-I wish Pharrell had kept the piano arrangement, since I felt it suited Elyjuh's voice far better. That said, once the tempo picks up, Elyjuh's voice doesn't miss a single note. Seriously, with all that swaying and dancing, you'd think his voice would have faltered. But his vocals remained impeccable. This kid has TALENT. Serious talent.

-Gwen is amazed by Elyjuh's stage presence, making note of his swaying and his confidence. Adam can't believe what he just saw, calling it precise, perfect, and soulful. He feels Elyjuh has just become a frontrunner on one of the strongest teams on the show. Blake praises Elyjuh for his perfect pitch, and states he's the one to beat. Pharrell says Elyjuh has shown everyone who he really is, and adds that his voice is amazing. This was a great performance, and I'll be absolutely stunned if Elyjuh isn't on top of the rankings by the end of this show.

WATCH: Elyjuh René sings ‘Latch’ (VIDEO)

BRYANA SALAZ (TEAM GWEN STEFANI) is up next!

-Bryana brings her father to rehearsal to meet Gwen, and he's honored. Bryana is stoked to have her father see her perform, since she almost lost him to liver disease. She'll be singing 'Amnesia' by 5 Seconds of Summer, and she plans to dedicate it to her father, a former veteran himself, which makes this a surprisingly astute song choice on Gwen's part. Gwen wants Bryana to try and sing the song straight, with no runs, as a test. And it sounds alright, but some people just need to be able to do runs, I think. It's a hard habit to break, but even if it were easy, some people just sound better when they're doing vocal gymnastics, and I think Bryana is one of those people.

-There are a couple of rough spots in this song as she tries to sing it fairly straightforward, but I ultimately ended up really enjoying this by the end. The more emotional she gets, the more compelling the performance becomes, as she fights back tears and belts out these glory notes that are among her best moments in the competition. I felt Bryana was under the radar before this, but I think this performance, and its poignancy, might make her one of the more memorable artists by the end of the show. Whether or not that translates to votes? I'm not sure. But I wouldn't exactly be angry if she managed to get through.

-Adam praises Bryana for making it through the performance at all, since he would have been an emotional mess. Blake praises her voice, as does Pharrell, who note that it was a very emotional performance that was real for Bryana. Gwen echoes this, adding, "You're so talented, we just want to get to know who you are." She ends by noting Bryana is adorable, although I find myself wondering just how much being adorable counts on this competition when you're a girl. I wouldn't be surprised if it got Bryana the grandma vote though, assuming the grandma vote is something that exists anywhere other than my head.

WATCH: Bryana Salaz sings ‘Amnesia’ (VIDEO)

LUKE WADE (TEAM PHARRELL WILLIAMS) is up next!

-Luke talks about how The Voice has been rocket fuel to him, since he sold more albums after his blind audition than he had in all the years he's been trying to make it in the music business. Pharrell gave Luke 'Let's Get It On' by Marvin Gaye, and Luke is already feeling the pressure due to the iconic nature of the song. But Pharrell has faith in him, and hell, he should. Luke sounds absolutely stunning in what little we hear of him in the rehearsal.

-This started out a bit on the rough side, since he sounded off key. But he quickly recovers and delivers a great vocal. He even shows some swag onstage, greeting the audience and even kissing a hand or two. He ends up on his knees, really digging into the track with some killer runs. He reminds me more and more of Josh Kaufman with each passing week, but with a bit more of a modern feel. I hope Luke makes it through.

-Gwen thinks Luke did an incredible job, and says she knows working with Pharrell is amazing. Adam and Luke exchange "I love you"s, before Adam notes that it can be hard to get out of "karaoke zone" with a song like this. However, he feels the performance was all "Luked out" and "Luke-a-licious". Blake theorizes that some people may have actually gotten it on during that performance. He doesn't know if he had more fun watching Luke or watching Pharrell groove along. Pharrell simply declares, "#Lukify".

WATCH: Luke Wade sings ‘Let’s Get It On’ (VIDEO)

ANITA ANTOINETTE (TEAM GWEN STEFANI) is up next!

-Anita is singing 'All About That Bass' because Gwen doesn't want her to be pigeonholed as only a reggae artist. She encourages Anita to be "an island girl," saying there are no limits to how far she can go with this song. Anita loves the message of the song, and totally gets into it. Gwen wants Anita to be over-the-top, and Anita seems all too willing to accommodate her. And I love that about Anita. She seems game for just about anything. I'm also loving Gwen's song choices so far.

-There have been better singers tonight, but I thought this was a really good little performance. Granted, Anita is only the sixth person to go tonight. Still, this was fun in a way nothing else has been over the past two nights. And I appreciated that, even if I wasn't crazy about the vocal. And the reggae part was actually the best part, which has me wondering why Gwen wanted to take her away from that direction in the first place, since it works so well. Okay, I do get why Gwen would want her to diversify, but hey, if it ain't broke...

-Adam agrees that the reggae part was the best part, and asks if he can hang out with Anita, a proposal she's SUPER eager to accept. Pharrell can't believe Anita was someone who ever had stage fright, praising her performance, her style and her personality. Gwen adds that Anita IS fun to hang out with, and Adam once again vows that he and Anita are going to hang out before this is all said and done. As for Gwen, she thought it was a terrific performance, and lets Anita know that she loves her. Awww.

WATCH: Anita Antoinette sings ‘All About That Bass’ (VIDEO)

DANICA SHIREY (TEAM PHARRELL WILLIAMS) is up next!

-DaNica tells Pharrell how much her daughter loves him, and he's so charmed that he vows to meet her. DaNica will be singing 'Help Me' by Joni Mitchell, which is a great song for her. However, Joni is worried because it's unlike anything she's ever done before, with all its complex key changes. Pharrell notes that one a scale of 1-10, this song's difficulty is a 10, but he believes in DaNica's ability to pull this off. DaNica says she's trying to remain as loose as possible, and notes that she would love to have a career where she could provide for her daughter with music. I hope the same for her too. Us Pennsylvanians have to stick together, after all.

-This was a tremendous vocal, although a bit too heavy on the runs towards the end. And the arrangement didn't make DaNica feel current or relevant at all, although I suppose you could make the case that she has a ready-made market in the Adult Contemporary genre. Either way, her tone is outstanding, so I can't fault anyone for voting for her. Hell, I'm probably going to. I've loved DaNica since her blind audition, and while this wasn't the blowaway I was hoping it would be, I still thought DaNica did a great job.

-Gwen notes that her sister is here, and that they both love Joni Mitchell, and loved DaNica's take on the Joni Mitchell song. She encourages everyone watching at home to check out Joni Mitchell, since she's a genius. Adam thinks it's amazing how DaNica and Pharrell were able to flip a Joni Mitchell track and make it sound like something out of Chaka Khan's song catalog. Blake, who doesn't know the song and gets ragged on for it, says he loved what DaNica did up there. Pharrell concludes by stating DaNica is a "songbird".

WATCH: DaNica Shirey sings ‘Help Me’ (VIDEO)

SUGAR JOANS (TEAM PHARRELL WILLIAMS) is up next!

-Sugar says that Pharrell is a huge influence on her, noting that part of her dream is to make a modern soul record, which Pharrell would know how to do. Pharrell has given her 'Say A Little Prayer', since it's part of the classic soul vibe Sugar has going for her. He notes that she doesn't sing it the way Aretha Franklin does, and here, I could have sworn it was a song Burt Bacharach and Hal David wrote for Dionne Warwick. But alas, there is a Grammy-nominated version from 1968 by Aretha Franklin. Anyway, this should be good stuff.

-Sugar sings her ass off, but I can't help but feel she might have overdone it a bit. With that said, it's almost like she exchanged vocal control for fearlessness, because this was downright fierce. Even though the vocal wasn't perfect, I absolutely loved this performance, because Sugar just has an intangible quality that makes her compelling to watch. Much like Jean, she has this theatricality that's utterly engrossing. I love me some Sugar.

-Gwen loves Sugar's fashion, and notes just how good her performance was. Adam thought it was cool, and says Sugar took them all to church. Blake goes a step further and calls it the best performance of the night. He says her vibrato is a unique sound that he simply loves. Pharrell, meanwhile, declares how proud he is, and says he felt every moment of what Sugar did. "You're never going back," he tells her. "Keep moving forward." He finishes by adding how much he's looking forward to working with her in the future. So yeah, even if America doesn't put her through, there's almost no way on Earth Pharrell lets her go. And, frankly, he'd be crazy if he did.

WATCH: Sugar Joans sings ‘I Say A Little Prayer’ (VIDEO)

RICKY MANNING (TEAM GWEN STEFANI) is up next!

-Ricky is singing 'Lay Me Down' by Sam Smith, and he connects with the song by thinking of his girlfriend, with whom he's in a long-distance relationship. However, he's thinking too much during the performance, concentrating on the falsetto notes and failing to hit them, as a result. Gwen encourages him not to think, and to just live in the moment, to just think about his girlfriend. Hopefully, he can work it out, because this has the potential to be a real moment.

-Ricky sounds sensational here. Even without the runs, his tone sounds gorgeous. My only complaint is thatthe falsetto notes are still a bit dodgy. But come on, this is just too passionate for me to dislike. Ricky has such a subtly powerful voice, and such an interesting tone that I don't want him to go just yet. He would be a tremendous addition to the Top 12, since he's one of the purest vocalists the competition has right now, in my opinion.

-Adam says that it has been Ricky's responsibility to make people believe in him, and he's succeeded over the course of the competition. "That's a great thing to see, someone who's motivated, dedicated," Adam says. Blake states that Ricky was calm and in control during the song, and applauds Gwen for fixing the falsetto parts. Pharrell feels Ricky is someone who wants it, and says watching his progress has been an amazing thing to watch. Gwen is every bit as high on Ricky's performance and his progress. She is, after all, his coach.

WATCH: Ricky Manning sings ‘Lay Me Down’ (VIDEO)

TAYLOR JOHN WILLIAMS (TEAM GWEN STEFANI) closes the show!

-Taylor plans on doing a 'swampy' version of 'Stuck In the Middle With You' in half-time. And it sounds absolutely fantastic. Seriously. However, Gwen is a little worried that people will see Taylor as someone who doesn't have fun with music. She notes that he comes across as kind of a dark guy, when his personality is anything but. Taylor starts thinking of ways he can imbue some lightheartedness into the performance, since he wants people to see that he has fun with music. I like Taylor a lot, and not just because he adorably notes that his grandmother is his rock. Dude has a serious voice, and a clear-cut style.

-Best performance of the night, in my opinion, hands down. Taylor gets even better with each week, and this was his best vocal. Maybe it's not as uptempo and lighthearted as Gwen might have wanted, but I thought he really brought some genuine artistry to this performance. It felt bluesy and dark and cool in a way the original song doesn't (as much as I love it). A superb job, and a great statement for why Taylor should still be here, come next week.

-Adam says he had his doubts when he read that Taylor would be doing this song, but felt Taylor did an excellent job. Blake teases that Taylor looked in his direction when he said 'Jokers to the right,' before making a strange analogy about an underwear commercial. Yeah, Blake seems kind of off tonight. Pharrell just wants the coaches to get back to telling Taylor how good he is, and comes in on Gwen's critiquing time to add that Taylor has a Terrence Trent Darby quality to his voice, a comparison Adam loves. Gwen notes that Taylor has genuine artistry, and I agree. Dude is the total package. He MUST get through!

WATCH: Taylor John Williams sings ‘Stuck In the Middle With You’ (VIDEO)

-And as we close the show, Carson gives us the vote rankings for each team so far on The Voice app...

Team Gwen:
1. Anita Antoinette
2. Bryana Salaz
3. Ryan Sill
4. Taylor John Williams
5. Ricky Manning

Team Pharrell:
1. Luke Wade
2. Elyjuh Rene
3. DaNica Shirey
4. Sugar Joans
5. Jean Kelley

Naturally, the ones who went early seem to be getting the advantage. But these are by no means the final numbers, as anything could change in the next 24 hours.

Which artists do you think should go through? Vote in our poll, and join us tomorrow night for the results, as we find out who the Top 12 are for The Voice Season 7! Until then, thanks for hanging out!

GOODNIGHT!