‘The Voice’ recap: Pink offers pointers in Season 10 semifinals

Pink has definitely perfected the art of TV-singing-show overstatement. That became clear as soon as she was introduced as a mentor to “The Voice” Top 8 on the semifinals performance show on Monday night.

“’The Voice’ is awesome. It’s the most talented singers I’ve ever been around in my entire life,” she declared. “They’re already better than an entire awards season in music.”

Aw, Pink’s a gusher.

“You are so amazing I can’t stand it,” she told 16-year-old Shalyah Fearing, of Team Adam, enveloping her in a hug immediately upon meeting her. (Pink is also a hugger.) “I want to punch you I love you so much.”

The pop singer told Fearing that she had “the most beautiful voice I’ve ever heard in my entire life.” But whatever, just a few minutes later, she was telling Team Blake’s Paxton Ingram that he had “the most beautiful voice in the whole world,” so, you know, clearly she gets swept up.

She was also a font of advice, both helpful and curious. She suggested that Team Blake’s Mary Sarah open her mouth to open her sound, saying she herself sounds less “whiny” when she does so, and that Team Adam’s Laith Al-Saadi “clench” his “butt cheeks” in order to reach a high note. It worked for her with a hard-to-hit note at the Oscars, she shared; one “butt clench” and she hit a worrisome note “like a beast.”

Body-part tips and strategies aside, it’s a big and potentially brutal week for the Top 8. Four of them will go home Tuesday night, ahead of next week’s finals. Yep, we’re nearly at the end here, and the contestants were obviously feeling the pressure on Monday and doing their best to deliver performances that would take them past the drastic cuts and through to the end.

In addition to singing their solo songs, the contestants were paired to tackle duets. Team Blake’s Adam Wakefield and Team Christina’s Alisan Porter blended beautifully on “Angel From Montgomery.” Team Christina’s Bryan Bautista and Team Blake’s Mary Sarah sounded strong on “Break Free.” Team Pharrell’s Hannah Huston and Team Adam’s Laith Al-Saadi appeared to have fun with “Knock on Wood.” And Team Blake’s Paxton Ingram and Team Adam’s Shalyah Fearing played off each other well on “Masterpiece.”

But it was the solo performances that will likely seal the contestants’ fates. Here’s how those went down:

Shalyah Fearing (Team Adam): Fearing stood her ground and staked her claim with “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” from “Dreamgirls,” earning a standing ovation from all four coaches. Christina Aguilera called the performance “fearless” and said Fearing had “brought it” while singing an “extremely difficult song.” Williams complimented Fearing not only on her singing, but also on her connection, saying it was “a lot for a 16-year-old.” Levine said Fearing had had the “moment” he’d been waiting for and begged the audience to put her through to the finale.

Paxton Ingram (Team Blake): After his near-elimination last week, Ingram set out to prove he deserved to remain in the competition with a suitably dramatic rendition of Meat Loaf’s “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That).” Aguilera said she “never would have expected” Ingram to sing a Meat Loaf song, but that he had pulled it off, as he always did, with his “energy” and smile. Pharrell Williams admired Ingram’s theatricality and thought he might try to do some work on Broadway. Shelton said that he didn’t know if he had “ever been more proud of an artist” that he’d worked with over the 10 seasons he’d been coaching and that he didn’t “know anybody who works harder than Paxton” to make his performances the best they could be.

Laith Al-Saadi (Team Adam): Declaring himself to be “floored and humbled’ by the support he has received, Al-Saadi attempted to build upon it – and to prove he could make songs from any genre or era his own -- with Adele’s “One and Only.” Shelton called both Al-Saadi’s singing and his guitar solo “beautiful.” Williams urged the audience to “pay attention” to Al-Saadi’s “success story” and to “keep supporting” him. Levine said he’d be “most proud” if Al-Saadi made it through to the finale because he was “so different” and had stayed true to himself throughout.

Alisan Porter (Team Christina): Porter, who Pink said was “so good” she made her hands sweat, put her own spin on the Eagles’ “Desperado.” Levine said that Porter had yet again proven that she can “do everything” and in a way that connects emotionally to the audience. “You really do have it all,” he told Porter, saying that’s what it takes to win the show. Shelton said he always looked forward to Porter’s performances and called her “awesome.” And Aguilera said she was “bursting with pride and admiration” for Porter and called the performance “beautiful” and “epic.”

Adam Wakefield (Team Blake): Tackling “I’m Sorry,” a song by his very own coach, Shelton, and written by Chris Stapleton, Wakefield accompanied himself on the piano and continued to distinguish himself musically. It was a tender performance, prompting Levine, Williams and Shelton to stand and applaud. Williams said he didn’t even feel as if Wakefield was “competing anymore,” presumably meaning that he was already a pro, and added that he brought “a different kind of soul to country music” and had built an “unbelievable” rapport with the audience. Levine said he had been “blown away” and “moved” by the performance, “as everyone was.” Shelton said Wakefield had shown him how the song should be sung and said it had been a “breakout moment” for his team member. Wakefield had had a lot of “big moments,” Shelton said told him, but he had “never had a moment like that right there.”

Bryan Bautista (Team Christina): Also singing his own coach’s song, Bautista brought his own pain – stemming from his relationship with his father – to Aguilera’s “Hurt,” turning in an emotionally searing performance that brought all the coaches to their feet and Bautista’s mother to tears. Levine commended him on harnessing his emotions and channeling them into his music, which he said was “not an easy thing” to do. Aguilera said she herself had sworn off singing the song because it’s so grueling, and called Bautista’s rendition “incredible.”

Mary Sarah (Team Blake): Although she may have been hidden for much of the performance behind some gauzy curtains, Shelton’s young country singer of the season did not hide her light under a bushel as she tackled Randy Travis’ “I Told You So.” Aguilera called the performance “absolutely beautiful” and said she felt as if Mary Sarah was becoming “a woman” before our very eyes. Shelton said it was Mary Sarah’s “best performance” yet and said it had been basically defined “phenomenal” country music.

Hannah Huston (Team Pharrell): Huston continued to wow with a raw, emotional take on Percy Sledge’s “When a Man Loves a Woman.” Levine said Huston had maybe been taken “for granted” because she had been “so consistent,” but added that she had also managed a “slow, steady build” and may turn out to be the “weird stealth assassin” of the season. “Here we are a week before the finale and you’re killing it,” he told her. Shelton said Huston had pulled out a winning “card” at the perfect time. And Williams said she had transformed from a “beautiful preschool teacher” with a gorgeous voice into a serious contender, telling her she deserved to be there.

Who will survive? Well, Wakefield, Porter, Mary Sarah, Huston and Bautista are all doing well on iTunes, and that counts for a lot, but only four can go through. Stay tuned!