‘The Voice’ recap: Battle rounds build to speed

The battles reached full speed on “The Voice” on Tuesday night, with the contenders stepping up their performances in hope of sticking around and the coaches swooping and sneaking in to steal.

“The battle rounds are where we start to see stars start to emerge,” Blake Shelton – a true master of “The Voice” positioning statement -- observed at the show’s outset.

The cowboy coach (who could be seen making sweet goo-goo eyes at his girlfriend and fellow team mentor Gwen Stefani during this week’s proceedings) is right. There were some especially strong singers staking their claim on Tuesday:

Shalyah Fearing vs. Tamar Davis (Team Christina): Fearing, a 15-year-old with a voice that coach Christina Aguilera described as “beyond her years,” and veteran singer Tamar Davis, who had been in the band that morphed into Destiny’s Child, were gifted the song “Lady Marmalade,” on which they were given direction by two singers responsible for making it so iconic: team mentor Patti LaBelle, the song’s original singer, and Aguilera, who helped bring it to another generation. “They both have ‘it,’” LaBelle asserted during rehearsals. And they both killed it, leaving Aguilera with a tough choice. Youth or experience? Both had so many things to offer, Adam Levine observed, telling Aguilera she couldn’t go wrong. Ultimately, Aguilera went with experience -- handing the win to Davis, saying it was the “powerhouse” singer’s time and she deserved it. Fearing will remain in the competition, though; Pharrell Williams snatched her right up in a steal.

Justin Whisnant vs. Mary Sarah (Team Blake): Shelton paired two classic country singers on Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty’s “Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man.” Despite the fact that Whisnant, like Shelton, hails from Oklahoma, you had to figure Sarah was going to get it, given that she’d turned four chairs to Whisnant’s two, has been working in Nashville, and has already had some country-music success, including a duet album featuring the likes of Dolly Parton. And in fact, while Shelton and the other coaches had nice things to say about Whisnant, he did select Sarah to move forward, explaining that there was something about the way she looks, performs and sounds that makes her seem like a “star.” Whisnant went home unstolen.

Jessica Crosbie vs. Nick Hagelin (Team Pharrell): These two singers from Atlanta – she a British transplant, he a former ballet dancer with an impossibly adorable son – faced off on MGMT’s “Electric Feel.” During rehearsals, they gave team advisor Sean “P. Diddy” Combs “goose bumps,” which was kind of sweet. (It’s a hoot to watch Combs work: He sees himself as a “director,” and the singers as “actors” and kept taking them aside to give them notes.) Aguilera and Shelton said they felt Hagelin had won the battle, while Levine played it a little closer to the vest. Williams picked Hagelin as the winner, saying he’d “worked on the things I asked him to work for vocally and just delivered so much energy.” But Crosbie got scooped up by Levine, who said she had “a lot of power and consistency,” and came out all right in the end.

Chelsea Gann vs. Kata Hay (Team Christina): These two twenty-something vocalists – Hay the spitfire who kissed Aguilera during blind auditions and Gann a much more sedate sort – needed to work on opposite challenges during their performance of Melissa Etheridge’s “I’m the Only One.” Hay was tasked with gaining more control, Gann with loosening up a bit. While the other coaches seemed to consider Gann the victor, Aguilera went with her heart and chose Hay, explaining that she had to give it to her because, she said, “she brings so much energy and charisma to everything that she does.”

Natalie Yacovazzi vs. Nate Butler (Team Adam): Season 9 returnee Yacovazzi and 19-year-old Butler both had a lot to prove with their performances of Tori Kelly’s “Hollow,” on which they were advised by guest mentor Kelly herself. (No pressure.) Levine said they were “both on the cusp of being really great singers,” and at the final rehearsal, he seemed especially impressed by Butler’s growth and progress. Shelton said Yacovazzi had “originality” on her side, whereas Butler, who he said sounded a lot like Levine, had a more solid grasp on pitch. Aguilera thought they’d been “neck and neck.” Levine chose the singer he believed he could “move forward with confidently”: Butler. No one stole Yacovazzi, but her cute young daughter was happy to have her come home with her, which was sweet.

Hannah Huston vs. Maya Smith (Team Pharrell): These two “Voice” roommates and pals squared off – in a friendly sort of way – on Sia’s “Elastic Heart.” Huston, a three-chair turn with admirable energy (she’s a preschool teacher, after all), seemed to have the edge going in, and the passionate, full-bodied performance she delivered sealed the deal. The coaches complimented both singers, and after Williams chose Huston as the winner, Aguilera moved in to steal Smith. Shelton, who has been needling Aguilera all season, tried to undercut her by pushing his own button for Smith, making a half-hearted play for the singer. But no worries. Smith picked Aguilera, and even Shelton had to concede that she’d “made the right choice.”

More next week. Such fun.

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