Things got hot on "The Voice" on Monday night, and it wasn't only because this season's remarkably talented top 12 burned things up with their live performances.
With Los Angeles in the midst of a heat wave, the air-conditioning had gone on the fritz,
Still, hot or not, the show had to go on, with the first few contestants bearing up under apparently miserable conditions, before the A/C finally kicked back in to cool things off.
Team Usher's Vedo showed off his smooth dance moves and ability to hit the notes of
Baylor University student Holly Tucker, of Team Blake, sang
Team Shakira's 17-year-old Garrett Gardner proved himself perhaps the evening's weakest link, though he didn't get a lot of help from his coach, who assigned him a "rock interpretation" of the
Team Adam's Sarah Simmons displayed her range, going from soft sweetness to grit and power, on
The Swon Brothers, Team Blake's trailblazing duo, asked to perform a tribute -- all-acoustic, accompanying themselves on piano and guitar -- to late country great
Sasha Allen, Team Shakira's powerhouse, erstwhile of Team Adam, sang Heart's "Alone" and tried to make it more pop than Broadway. (Turns out, she'd had a role on Broadway in "Hair.") Levine called Allen "miraculous," and acknowledged that she showed, week after week, why he was "stupid" to have ever let her go. Usher said Allen had taken him "to church." And Shakira pulled out all the stops, calling Allen's voice "one of the best voices I've ever heard" and her performance "beautiful," "heartfelt," "emotional," as well as "fierce and really powerful." "America, please vote for my Sasha," she said. "If you vote for her, I promise I am going to write a song called 'My Sasha.'"
Team Usher's male model Josiah Hawley looked to make his mark with an "intimate" acoustic performance of the Script's "The Man Who Can't Be Moved," a move Usher, for some reason, found "gutsy." Seated on a platform above an enthusiastically waving audience, Hawley, in a white T-shirt and jeans, gave his best performance on the show to date, for what that's worth. Levine said he'd finally found his vocal "sweet spot." Shelton said his combo of "Adam's clothes and Usher's advice" had been a winner. Usher enthused that Hawley's performance was only the beginning, saying he felt as if he were working with "a young Adam." Levine didn't look too flattered by the comparison.
Sixteen-year-old country-pop hopeful and Team Blake member Danielle Bradbery assured us that, back home, she was just a regular teen, and then showed off her arrestingly clear, strong, confident tone on
Attacking stardom from another angle, former Michael Jackson backup singer Judith Hill, of Team Adam, hopped on the acoustic, self-accompanying bandwagon and performed a soulful rendition of Carole King's "You've Got a Friend," while playing a very white, very grand piano. Shelton said Hill was "one of the ones we can count on for greatness every week." Usher said she was "totally in control of [her] destiny." And Levine said she'd separated herself from the other great voices in the competition by showing her prowess at the piano and proved herself to be the "most talented human being in this competition."
Team Usher's unusual, and unusually appealing, nerdy free spirit Michelle Chamuel, was as interesting to watch as ever on
High-voiced smooth crooner Kris Thomas, of Team Shakira, took on the second Michael Jackson song of the night, the Jackson 5's "I'll Be There." It was an uneven performance of a vocally complicated song that showed off Thomas' pretty tone but occasionally slippery grasp on pitch. Levine and Shelton acknowledged the toughness of Thomas' task but said he'd risen to the challenge, though Usher seemed unimpressed. Shakira said Thomas had shown "sincerity … sweetness and honesty" and told him he "should feel very accomplished today."
The evening's capper was Team Adam's powerful country artist Amber Carrington, who sang Martina McBride's "I'm Gonna Love You Through It," dedicating it to her mom, who died of cancer at 38. It may have been the second McBride song of the evening, but in Carrington's hands, it was a standout. It was as if the song had been written for her. Shelton reluctantly admitted Levine had "a star on his hands." Usher said Carrington had defied the laws of gravity. "I see you having an incredible career," whether or not she won the competition, he said. Levine said she had a way of touching him on an emotional level that astonished him every time.
Who do you think will go home?
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