The Voice Top Ten; Alisan Returns

By Erica

Another week down, some great performances to enjoy, and another artist went home.    No artist performed so badly on Monday that I thought “Whew, it is easy to say that person is going home”.  Not even Hunter!  My opinionated adversary, Tamara Tattles, watched this week so wondering if she is still willing to do naughty things to Hunter’s balls.  It might improve his voice, actually.  

At this point, if I was in Vegas or on a cruise and for the most part, if any of their names were announced as a performer in some sort of venue, I’d get tickets and enjoy the show as long as the price wasn’t too cray cray.  However, what I would be willing to pay is different for some, and whether or not I’d buy the T-Shirt is questionable. I have to believe that any of the artists are now in position to make career improvements based on the Voice exposure.  

I’m a bit flabbergasted at what appears to be some favorites, but so far I’m NOT surprised at who ends up at the bottom two.  I’m getting ahead of myself though.   The coaches were pretty straight forward this week.  No Shania or anybody else they focused on, so that was a relief.  I do think there were a few missteps made this week, and at least one coach who needed to be blunt with her artist.  Oh, and Tuesday’s show should NOT be missed!  

THE TALENT:  MY FAVORITES

TEAM BLAKE:  Aaliyah Moulton   SONG:  Take It Back, by Reba McEntyre

I didn’t recognize the song – but what a great one!   Yet another facet to an amazing talented girl.  She makes it seem so easy!  Alicia pointed out a gravelly raspy sound that came out of her vocals that we’ve never heard before coming out of her.  It was perfect for the bluesy feel to that song.  Her personality is so youthful, but I feel like this girl taps into some past life or has an incredible imagination that lets her sing these song lyrics with such sincerity.  Also, what genre CAN’T Aaliyah do?

TEAM BLAKE: TSoul   SONG:  Lay Me Down by Sam Smith

This might get boring because my favorites still are killing it.  There is something wrong with you if you don’t like TSoul.  The dude LAID DOWN ON THE STAGE… flat on his back, and then GOT UP WHILE SINGING.   If you don’t get how that shows what a powerful set of vocal cords and lungs he has, then I want you to go lay down and do crunches while singing Mary Had a Little Lamb.  I’m tired at the concept!  As someone shouted out from the audience, he’s a BEAST!  (I think it was his brother.)  It was a great time to switch up the song choices.He and Blake have been picking older, classic, well known songs that were over 40 years old at least.   This one was from 2013, proving he CAN do more modern stuff.

TEAM ADAM: Lilli Possero    SONG:  Town Without Pity by Gene Pitney

I could almost cry when in the rehearsal Adam said he asked himself if Amy Winehouse was still alive and did a cover song, what would she do?  So he picked this song… and from the rehearsal I heard the Amy influence in her voice while was still definitely Lilli.  I still miss Amy Winehouse – what a tragic loss.  During the actual performance I immediately thought that with her dress and the graphics on the screens behind her – can’t you see Lilli getting the honor of performing a Bond song?   Oh shit… Carson said the same thing after she finished.  HONEST, I SAID IT FIRST!!!  Carson and I are just on the same wavelength.  So glad she feels better – I can hear it in her voice!

TEAM BLAKE: Lauren Duski  SONG:  Somewhere In My Broken Heart by Billy Dean

I just love her voice.  I can’t wait for her to make an album.  It is one I will buy.  The arrangement she and Blake came up with for this was excellent.   I loved the acoustic guitars and violins, such a lovely compliment to the song and to her range.  Adam, NOT her coach, proclaimed very matter of factly that she will be in the finale.  Adam described it better than I could, using the words effortless and simple. Remember simple doesn’t mean easy or ugly!

TEAM ALICIA:  Chris Blue  SONG:  When A Man Loves A Woman by Percy Sledge

There is no denying that Chris Blue has a breathtaking voice.  But while he stated in rehearsals that he was nervous singing such an iconic voice, I feel like something clicked for him this week.  I think it past weeks he wasn’t one I really thought of, in part because I thought he seemed nervous. Alicia said he was peeling back the layers with this, and that after it all, he had to feel like he’d gone through therapy.  It worked.  Goosebump time.  He was FEELING it, and left everything he had in him out there on the stage for us to see.  His movements, his stage work, and his vocals were all very “real” and sincere.  Simply extraordinary.  

HONORABLE MENTIONS:  I honestly could have written more about three more artists, but a girl has to stop sometime.  Vanessa Ferguson (Team Alicia) was brilliant as always, singing Diamonds by Rihanna.  The fucking hat is back though, and it is distracting.  Seriously, if one must wear a hat, can’t one pick a different STYLE of hat than the flat large brimmed one?  Gwen’s Brennley Brown was wonderful singing Joni Mitchell’s River.  Jesse Larson, where did this dark horse come from?  He really wasn’t on my radar before.   Didn’t recognize the song, but he made me want to march and raise my fist in the air.  Great choice for his voice, and now I see why Adam picked him.

THE BOTTOM, THE INSTANT SAVE, AND NON COMPETITION PERFORMANCES

Mark Isaiah and Stephanie Rice were in the bottom two, and I’m not surprised.  I didn’t remember Mark’s performance on Monday… and even though he was in the bottom two last week, I didn’t remember his name and had to look it up!  Seriously, good or bad performances is better than someone just being neutral to you.  Stephanie performed first on Monday, and I knew it was a big mistake for a song choice.  Alicia was right that The Who’s Behind Blue Eyes could have been written for her.  But in rehearsals all Stephanie could talk about was doing something “fun” and full of energy that just explodes. Um, then why did you pick THAT song, Stephanie?  It is a SAD song, and really, that is all Stephanie has done!  Alicia should have told her to save Behind Blue Eyes and do an actual fun song!  Something that gets us stomping our feet with you! (something Carole King perhaps?  Or the Rolling Stones?)

I’m not really caring about the Instant Save yet.  In my opinion, Mark Isaiah is really only getting them two in a row because he appeals to the tween type of crowd who might be watching with their parents, a Justin Bieber type if you will.  But to get to the finals on The Voice, you need to be liked by more than one demographic, which is why personality and song choice also matter along with talent.  He’s too quiet of a personality to last much longer.

The non competition performances made Tuesday enjoyable to watch once again.  Team Gwen did a decent job of covering Coldplay’s “Fix You,” a song more suited for Gwen than her team, quite frankly. That’s okay.  Team Alicia sang “(You Make Me Feel) Like a Natural Woman”.  DAYUM.  They all sang like this was part of the competition and the votes counted (as they should – at this stage, the numbers are still high enough that you still need to be noticed and recognized.)  

The BEST performance on Tuesday by FAR was from Season 10 winner, Alisan Porter!  She was back promoting her new album (to be released later this summer), and sang “Deep Water”, the debut single from it.  It was superb.  I loved that they really treated it like a homecoming, and she got an amazing set and dress for it.  I WILL be buying the album when it is released.  She wrote all the songs herself (well, I have no idea if she had a writing partner or not on some of them).  I was kind of disappointed Christina didn’t pop in, but honestly, that might have distracted from the idea that Alisan is independent of the show now.   I read in a People magazine interview online today that Alisan and Christina have remained close, and Alisan said Christina has still been “coaching” her, offering advice, etc. during the past year as she has been working on the album and her career.  Again, why I love this show!

OH.. are any of you using The Voice app to vote?   I do, and they also have a part of the app that lets you make song suggestions for particular artists.  I’m interested in knowing what YOUR suggestions would be (whether you have the app or not).  I suggested that TSoul sing Sweet Caroline the other day. Considering how I couldn’t understand Hunter’s lyrics this week, I will probably suggest he sing Louie, Louie sometime, or some other famous song where everyone argues what the lyrics really are.