Hello everyone, and welcome back to another recap of The Voice. This week was the second week of the battles round (check out last week’s here) and thought it felt a little more laid back, the performances were still show stopping. After taking a listen, these are my winning picks and feedback:
Drew vs Jared (My Winner: Jared)
I loved Jared’s voice with this song. The silkiness, yet smoky tone of his voice was so warm and calming, yet it told a story. It brought this extra element to the song and the performance. I felt like Drew sounded well, but Jared’s voice just fit the song better. I also liked the places that Jared took the song. They both sounded very well together though, so I do agree with the judges on that.
Tia vs Houston (My Winner: Houston)
I was very indecisive when making this choice. I couldn’t really get a feel for who I felt the winner was. I felt like they both performed at the same level and brought a bit of their own personalities. I ultimately chose Houston because I felt his performance showed a little more depth for me. I felt like both styles and executions were a bit predictable, but the range that Houston displayed felt vaster than his audition.
Jeremy vs Aziz (My Winner: Jeremy)
This was such a pairing that I couldn’t decide officially until the end. My initial opinion was to pick Jeremy. He started off strong and his voice was just so smooth with a bit of twang to it. Then in came Aziz with his sweet sounds. I mean, when he sang and elongated that mine at the end of his first solo, it really just did something for me! It just kept going back to Jeremy though, and I had to follow my heart.
Kendra vs Natasha (My Winner: Kendra)
Immediately when I saw Kendra I got so excited! This was so mesmerizing to watch these two together. They both held their own and I love it. I also love how they still were able to bring their own style and uniqueness yet blend so beautifully. I really am not trying to be biased, but there is just something about Kendra and the way she attacks these songs. Her voice just physically moves me inside. I will say that I loved Natasha’s voice and the softness in it. I also loved the drawls at the end of her lines. I get the pick for Natasha in some ways, but I am disappointed that Adam did not use his steal on Kendra!
Aaron vs Jonah (My Winner: Jonah)
I truly just think that Jonah took over this performance in all aspects. Aaron has a beautiful voice, but I just feel like he lacked the ability to own the stage like Jonah did. Sure, maybe Jonah overly did it, but he gave us a show with the vocals to back it up. This is exactly what an artist should be doing. I was shocked and amused by Aaron’s high note though! I really agree with Adam and John’s feedback for them too because it is exactly what I was feeling.
Syd vs Ashley (My Winner: Syd)
I think that this song was just made for a voice like Syd’s. It required a powerhouse singer and I don’t feel like that is Ashley’s singing style. Syd was just able to take control vocally and stand out more than Ashley. Now I did pick both of these ladies to be on my team, so I was going to lose either way. Ashley is amazing though and if the song selection had been a bit fairer, she would have had more of a chance.
Abigayle vs Julia (My Winner: Abigayle)
This was an interesting pairing to me. Julia sounded more light, airy, and mysterious in this performance. Abigayle brought more of a rock feel to the performance. For me, it just came down to liking the register that Abigayle sang from, as I felt it had more longevity within the song. I felt like the higher register that Julia took in the harmonies just sometimes got tiring for me.
Now I did the process of elimination to know there was going to be a steal with this performance. After watching, it was definitely deserving! I mean this was just incredible. It was so incredible that I was just left speechless. KJ kind of has the same vocal type as Mario (the song’s original singer), so it just sounded like him but hyped up on steroids. Mike with his low register and those runs were just absolutely insane! I am so grateful for Adam using his steal because I would have been devastated if either of them went home.
Team Update
So out of my picks I still have 8 out of 10. This is not a bad number honestly to be heading into the knockouts. I am excited to see what is ahead for this team!