The Voice 7 - Live Blog And Recap - Live Top 12 Performances (VIDEO)

Welcome to the live blog and recap of The Voice 2014 Season 7, "Live Top 12 Performances"!

After last week's controversial results show, the Top 12 for Season 7 was finalized. There were some controversial picks by both America and the coaches, as underdogs Ryan Sill and Chris Jamison were put through by Gwen and Adam, respectively, while Elyjuh Rene and David James Carter were cut by Pharrell and Blake, respectively. This left us with one of the more eclectic, divisive Top 12s in recent memory.

But who will standout in the Top 12 show?

Tonight's performers and song spoilers are...

Credit: Trae Patton/NBC

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

Team Adam Levine:
Matt McAndrew ("Take Me To Church")
Damien ("He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother")
Chris Jamison ("Jealous")

Team Gwen Stefani:
Anita Antoinette ("Redemption Song")
Ryan Sill ("Ordinary World")
Taylor John Williams ("If")

Team Pharrell Williams:
DaNica Shirey ("Creep")
Luke Wade ("Thinking Out Loud")
Sugar Joans ("Take Me To the River")

Team Blake Shelton:
Craig Wayne Boyd ("You Look So Good In Love")
Jessie Pitts ("Don't You Worry Child")
Reagan James ("It Ain't Over Til It's Over")

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 performances as they become available.

Let's get this show on the road!

Credit: NBC

RECAP

-We open the show with Carson revealing that later in the season, the coaches will be teaming up with "some of the most prolific songwriters in the business" to create original songs for the finalists. Interesting. I really liked the originals from the season one finale.

SUGAR JOANS (TEAM PHARRELL WILLIAMS) opens the show!

-Sugar feels humbled because she realizes she wouldn't be here if Pharrell hadn't saved her the past two rounds. She talks about her brother Jules, who is a guitarist who plays in a wedding band with her. He'll be in the crowd tonight, so she wants to make him proud. She'll be singing 'Take Me To the River', a song she and her brother have done countless times. She gets to into it during rehearsal that her hat falls off. So cute.

-I adore what the styling team has done with Sugar. Her curly, ribbon-like hair looks amazing, as does her outfit, which...eh, if I had better skills in describing style, I'd be able to say what this is. Maybe someone in the comments can help me out.

-Oh yeah, the performance. I thought this was a wonderful way to kick off the show. Tons of grit and attitude, showing that Sugar is a modern take on a classic soul artist. Her stage presence has grown by leaps and bounds since the start of the competition, and her vocals are on-point once again, particularly that closing run at the end. Loved it.

-Gwen likes Sugar, but is uncertain what kind of record she would make, since she's retro but with a current vibe. It sounds like she's criticizing Sugar, but Gwen makes sure to stress that the performance was incredible. Adam thinks this song suited her, and praises her for what she's accomplished. Blake says that just when you think you've heard everything Sugar is capable of, she continues to surprise you by taking it to the next level. Pharrell tells Sugar he's proud of her, and that he's believed in her from the very beginning. He thanks her for following through and showing the audience her talent, song by song. Once again, this was a great way to kick off the show. A really soulful performance, but also high energy. I dug it a lot.

WATCH: Sugar Joans sings 'Take Me To the River' (VIDEO)

RYAN SILL (TEAM GWEN STEFANI) is up next!

-Ryan admits that he needs to really nail it, since there are no more saves (um...hello?). He'll be singing "Ordinary World" by Duran Duran, and it starts off pretty well. Even Gwen notes that he seems cool and sexy like James Dean. But halfway through, he seemingly becomes self-conscious, and thinks too much about his performance, which takes him out of it. Gwen encourages him not to think about it, suggesting that it's as much about the presentation here, saying the girls are going to go nuts for him. Did she really only save this guy because he's cute?

-This basically is the opposite of the rehearsal, in that it starts out kind of dry and lifeless, but becomes better as the song goes on. Seriously, I was genuinely impressed with how much he gets into this song as it builds, leading to some absolutely killer notes in his upper register. He nearly sings himself hoarse, but I thought he sounded pretty damn good. He gets a standing O from Gwen and Pharrell. Ryan seems happy with the performance, but also kind of stunned. Carson notes that even Ryan seems shocked at how well he did.

-Adam says America doesn't realize just how good of a singer Ryan is, noting that he should do rock music more often. Pharrell didn't know Ryan had all that in him. He advises Ryan to pick a lane where he can do what no one else can do, and he'll be good. Gwen listened to his rehearsal audio 15 times in her car, and was thrilled to get a chance to see him perform this live. She thanks him for being her friend, in an adorable little moment.

WATCH: Ryan Sill sings 'Ordinary World' (VIDEO)

-Back from break with Katherine Heigl and Alfre Woodard from State of Affairs, because NBC is hellbent on making this show happen. Honestly, it looks kinda good. Like Homeland before it went all haywire.

JESSIE PITTS (TEAM BLAKE SHELTON) is up next!

-Jessie thanks Blake for saving her, calling him her hero. He gave her "Don't You Worry Child" by Swedish House Mafia, and she wants to play piano on the track, since piano was one of her first forms of musical expression as a kid. She relates to the song, feeling it reflects her journey, in a lot of ways. Blake feels this could be the song that proves to America that she deserves to be in the Top 10.

-I hate that I didn't love this, because I love Jessie. But pulling back on the falsetto in the chorus hurt her a bit, since I think those falsetto notes on the word "worry" are crucial to the song. I loved the luminescent white piano, and I loved how Jessie was styled, but man, did I not like the arrangement once the tempo picked up. Jessie sounded great as the song came to an end, but those last couple seconds of the song weren't enough to sell me on the track overall. Ugh, I wanted to love this so much.

-Gwen loved it, and said she didn't even know Jessie played piano. She liked hearing it broken down like that, and feels there's nothing she can do wrong at this point. Adam liked the performance, and encourages her to keep exploring "the big part" of her voice. Blake feels it's clear that Jessie deserves to be here, and said if the show was called The Artist, she'd still deserve to be here. He compares her to Miranda Lambert, in her artistry. And he's right about her artistry and talent. But I just wasn't feeling this, unfortunately.

WATCH: Jessie Pitts sings 'Don't You Worry Child' (VIDEO)

DAMIEN (TEAM ADAM LEVINE) is up next!

-Adam feels Damien had a real moment last week that opened America's eyes. But he wants to give Damien a song that is about passion. He'll be singing "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother," a track that Damien loves since it relates to his role as the eldest child in a Christian family. He recalls his father telling him about the responsibility of being the oldest, and says he's tried to live up to that role by being there for his siblings. Adam notes that he's an eldest child as well, and they bond over that. Adam genuinely feels Damien can win this, and...well, hey, if Jermaine Paul can win, why not Damien?

-Another terrific vocal from Damien. I'm not big into gospel-style tracks like this, but Damien made it sound current and new. He also makes it sound effortless, not only in how he delivers the vocal, but in the amount of passion he's able to imbue each track with. This was almost as good as last week, and it wouldn't surprise me if this was one of the best of the night by the time all 12 artists have performed.

-Blake loved it, and praises Damien's vocal talent. Pharrell says it was downright Pentecostal, noting how amazing it was when Damien hit the last run, then paused and hit'em with some more of the same. He was blown away by Damien. Adam congratulates Damien for trusting him, and says he couldn't be any more proud of Damien than he is right now. I thought Damien did a hell of a job, and he should be proud of himself as well.

WATCH: Damien sings 'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother' (VIDEO)

DANICA SHIREY (TEAM PHARRELL WILLIAMS) is up next!

-DaNica chose "Creep" by Radiohead, which surprised Pharrell. He comes up with a fairly novel idea: arrange it like an Al Green song. Seriously, it's such a stunningly genius idea that I'm shocked no one has ever thought of this kind of arrangement before. It plays right into the pocket of DaNica's voice, allowing her to show off her range more than the original arrangement did. I can't wait to hear the finished product.

-DaNica really sings the hell out of this, and the Al Green-inspired arrangement serves her well. If there are any complaints, it's how distracting those giant fans behind DaNica are. I have no idea what the point of that choice was, and it just seemed kind of silly. Also, while I loved the arrangement, it does make the track sound a little dated if you aren't someone who's already inclined towards loving Al Green's particular brand of soul music. But DaNica just sounded so good here that I can't really fault any of it.

-Gwen loved watching DaNica onstage, and notes she loved the performance. Adam notes the "champagne problem" with DaNica, which is that she can essentially sing anything, which makes it tricky choosing for her. However, he was so surprised by the choice, and so impressed by what she did, that he couldn't help but love it. Pharrell thought DaNica was wonderful, and while I'm not sure everyone else in the world is necessarily going to agree, I'm 100% with the judges. This was something I'd totally buy on iTunes, and intend to.

WATCH: DaNica Shirey sings 'Creep' (VIDEO)

TAYLOR JOHN WILLIAMS (TEAM GWEN STEFANI) is up next!

-Gwen has given Taylor the song "If" by Bread, noting that it's sweet but also kind of dark, like Taylor himself. She feels it will allow Taylor to show off just how good of a singer he is, since he'll be singing it fairly straight. From rehearsals alone, it sounds pretty terrific. Gwen notes that if Taylor wrote a song like that for his album, she'd buy it. Hell, I would too.

-This is the best Taylor has sounded in the competition, in my opinion. I genuinely feel like he's Gwen's best chance at winning this season, and more performances like this will get both Gwen and Taylor there. At least, they should. Because this was great. It was heartfelt, melodic, and moving. This is my favorite performance of the night so far.

-Adam says it was the perfect song for Taylor, because it was "delicate and different". He says it was the best thing for Taylor to do at this moment, since he has such a pure voice. Blake says that Taylor's "dark thing" is his biggest advantage, saying that element of his artistry always shines through no matter what he does. Pharrell feels Taylor really brought the tenderness out of the song. Lastly, Gwen says it was beautiful, and notes that she could really hear what his voice is. "It was so emotional, and it was so you, and I love Bread. Everyone should check them out, they're amazing." Agreed. About the band and the food. You know, unless you're trying to cut back on carbs.

WATCH: Taylor John Williams sings 'If' (VIDEO)

REAGAN JAMES (TEAM BLAKE SHELTON) is up next!

-Blake celebrates Reagan's birthday, saying she got the best gift she could have received when America voted her through to the Top 12. He gave her "It Ain't Over Til It's Over" by Lenny Kravitz, since it's the kind of song that should be in Reagan's wheelhouse. He asks her about her influences, and she notes Tyler the Creator, whom Blake actually knows about! With that in mind, Reagan begins changing up the arrangement to make it distinctively her own, and Blake is impressed. So am I, honestly. Reagan is the real deal.

-Reagan's upper register is just so lovely. Those falsetto notes on the chorus were gorgeous and breathy and distinctive. Loved it. This was a perfect song choice for her, and she performed it like a total pro. The verses could have been a bit more pronounced, since those felt like a bit of a throwaway. But Reagan did such a good job overall that I'm having a hard time picking nits over it.

-Adam loves that someone finally did this song, but his enjoyment was affected by her breathiness. He blames it on jitters, and says that overall Reagan still did an awesome job. Blake says the way Reagan navigates a melody just blows his mind. "The way she thinks and the way she creates, you are so far ahead of your time," Blake says, noting that Reagan doesn't just copy other artists, she puts her own stamp on everything.

WATCH: Reagan James sings 'It Ain't Over Til It's Over' (VIDEO)

LUKE WADE (TEAM PHARRELL WILLIAMS) is up next!

-Luke talks about how his family has supported him since Day 1, and notes how his schoolteacher sister has been using his songs as poetry lessons. Pharrell loves the closeness of Luke's family, and notes his excitement about Luke's song choice this week, since he'll be singing something contemporary finally. "Thinking Out Loud" by Ed Sheeran will give Luke the chance to show his artistry, since he not only plays guitar, he sings softly as often as he sings in full voice. Luke considers himself a romantic guy, and thinks this song is right up his alley.

-I wanted to like this so much more than I did, but even without the slip-up at the beginning, the vocal seemed off-pitch in places. That said, Luke deserves a lot of credit for recovering so well, to where you might not have even noticed he came in too early on the verse. But that slip-up did seem to derail his confidence for the rest of the performance, and that affected the vocal a bit. He's a great singer, and I hope he doesn't beat himself up over this too much. He deserves to stick around, and I'm confident he will.

-Adam praises Luke for recovering like a pro, since it happens to everybody. Gwen concurs, saying that it's happened to her tons of times, and she actually like when it does, because it makes a person seem more human. Pharrell agrees with the other coaches and says that Luke was able to get things back on track, and that people will be hashtagging "Lukify" once again.

WATCH: Luke Wade sings ‘Thinking Out Loud’ (VIDEO)

MATT MCANDREW (TEAM ADAM LEVINE) is up next!

-Matt shows Adam his tattoos, which include his life goals such as "Get Signed", with a box next to it so he can get a check mark tattooed into the box once he does get signed. He felt showing the tattoos helped Adam see more of who he is, which will help him better understand where he's coming from as an artist. Adam gives Matt "Take Me To Church" by Hozier, and it already sounds like a potential moment in the making. Matt could seriously win this thing, and right now, I'm expecting him to. I'm hoping for it, to boot.

-Best performance of the night, and it's not even close. He killed that song, in the best way possible. If I have on critique, it's that the band is swallowing him up a bit. I don't know if it's that the band is turned up too high, or that Matt is pitched too low, but these audio guys need to get their stuff together, because Matt should be the thing we hear most of all. Still, I thought this was a compelling performance regardless, with Matt ending up on his knees and singing the soul into it.

-Blake feels a bit frustrated because he knows it was great, but he couldn't hear Matt that well. Pharrell said if he were KROQ, he'd be calling this show right now. He can't wait to hear the album Matt is going to make after this show. Gwen says it's strange: despite this being a show where the artists sing covers, he felt like this is exactly the kind of track Matt would put on his album. Adam says Matt might not have noticed, but he was flipping out on the audio team for not having the vocal turned up high enough. He tells Matt that his runs on the word "Amen" were perfect, and that he's the kind of artist who could win this show. I agree 100%. Such a terrific performance.

WATCH: Matt McAndrew sings ‘Take Me To Church’ (VIDEO)

CRAIG WAYNE BOYD (TEAM BLAKE SHELTON) is up next!

-Craig says it was humbling to be voted through by America. He notes that all the struggles to make it in the business have been worth it now that he gets to be in the Top 12 on Team Blake. Blake has given him "You Look So Good In Love" by George Strait to allow him to show a softer side away from the typical "Southern Rock Guy" vibe Craig gives off. I think this is a smart move on Blake's part. Craig is a damn good Southern Rock singer, but his performances ran the risk of becoming too similar from week to week. This will allow him to show variety in both his vocal and performance styles.

-This was one of the better vocals of the night, I thought. Craig has a very rich, soulful country voice. I did think the song choice was a bit sleepy, but I don't disagree with the notion that a ballad was something Craig needed to do. He brought out something different from his usual Southern Rock aesthetic, and I really appreciated that choice. Craig is a good singer with loads of potential, and I think this performance proved that he can do more than just rock out.

-Gwen felt the song was directed at her, since that was the perfect song to make her feel horrible about letting him go. She loved it, and says it felt like she was at Craig's show. Adam says this is exactly what Craig needed to do, saying he needed to have a softer moment like this, since they already know he can get the room riled up. Pharrell loves having someone like Craig on this show, who can go from a looser Southern Rock style to a "clean, clean, super-professional" vibe. Blake says Craig has now had two breakout performances in a row. "Every time you get on this stage, you show a different side of who you are, AND you take it to the next level. And that's the mark of a star, dude," Blake says. I wouldn't say he's shown tons of variety in his presentation, but I do think he has serious potential to actually be a success in country music. The guy just feels authentic in a way not all artists do on this show. I like Craig a lot, and feel he might end up being this season's Kristen Merlin (i.e., person some people expect to be an early boot, who proves to be surprisingly popular, building a resume of solid performances over the course of the season).

WATCH: Craig Wayne Boyd sings ‘You Look So Good In Love’ (VIDEO)

-Back from break with Carson plugging that you can vote via The Voice app, The Voice Facebook page, and NBC.com, in addition to phone voting. He also notes that if an artist finishes in the Top 10 on the iTunes singles charts, that artist's votes will be multiplied by TEN!

CHRIS JAMISON (TEAM ADAM LEVINE) is up next!

-Adam gives Chris 'Jealous' by Nick Jonas, noting that the ladies love him and he has a certain presence to him. Chris talks about the meaning behind the song, having seen a video of Nick Jonas talking about his impetus behind writing the song. He then asks Adam for advice on commanding the stage. Adam advises Chris to just "move like Chris." It's clear that Chris really looks up to Adam, and their brotherly vibe is kind of endearing. I really hope Chris delivers this week, because I like him.

-This was MILES better than last week. Chris sounded perfect here. This is exactly the kind of artist he needs to be, swaggering in his suit, and using that falsetto to flirt with the audience. I had no idea he had a voice like this, and he immediately went from a surefire first boot to one of my favorite performers of the night. I know it might sound strange, but I just can't get over how much I enjoyed this. Go Chris! I would also be remiss if I didn't point out Adam vibing along with Chris in a downright adorable moment.

-Pharrell says that was 100% the best performance he's ever heard from Chris. He says he gracefully floated across the stage, and handled the falsetto perfectly every time. Gwen says it's encouraging to see people doing songs they would actually have on their album. She feels like that was a Chris song, and she notes that the screaming for Chris was so loud she might have permanent damage. Adam says, "Yeah, you're cute, but you are a talented, talented singer. ... Ladies and gentlemen, I give you...Chris Jamison."

WATCH: Chris Jamison sings 'Jealous' (VIDEO)

ANITA ANTOINETTE (TEAM GWEN STEFANI) closes the show!

-Anita recalls growing up in Kingston, Jamaica, and how much her parents sacrificed to raise them. She'll be singing "Redemption Song" by Bob Marley, and it's a song that sounds perfect for her. However, the song is pitched too low in the rehearsal, so they change it to a higher key, since Gwen is trying to find the sweet spot in Anita's voice. It works, and they move on to trying to style her into a traditional "Kingston Girl". I do love the connection Anita has with Gwen, since they seem to instinctively understand each other.

-This is my favorite Anita performance. She just felt like a total star here. I might be wrong in my assertion that Taylor is Gwen's best chance at winning, since Anita is growing into a hell of an artist with each week. The arrangement was low-key, emotional, and very moving. It also allowed Anita's vocal to take center stage. The crowd waving its phones around was a bit much, but it wasn't enough to detract from what was an impressive performance.

-Adam believes "Redemption Song" was one of the most important songs ever written, and recalls that Tessanne Chin performed the song once. He said she did a great job in performing a song that's so important to the heritage of the wonderful Jamaican people. Blake says Anita did a great job, while Gwen notes that Bob Marley was a prophet with a message, and they got to hear and feel that message through Anita.

WATCH: Anita Antoinette sings 'Redemption Song' (VIDEO)

-And that's a wrap! Voting is now open! Who was your favorite tonight? Vote for your favorites, and also vote in our prediction poll on who you think will be tomorrow night's bottom three! Until tomorrow, thanks for reading!

GOODNIGHT!