I'm going to preface this with: I started with this season during The Knockouts, so I haven't seen anything prior to that because that's just way too much to watch. I think it's good I didn't see anything before because The Voice never gets it right, in my opinion (they sort of did this season, eh), so it would have just pissed me off to see great people eliminated. This was a really good season to stop back in on, there were some real standout performances (and acts), aside from Jordan Smith because The Voice threw him into his own league. Below is a very subjective/biased (sort of, because this is all opinionated) list of the top 20 performances from The Voice US 9! I tacked on another 4 performances, in honor of the wild cards that turned the Top 20 into 24!
20. JORDAN SMITH (ADAM)
"Halo" // Live Playoffs (Top 24)
We don't have to talk about the beauty of the chord progression into the first chorus. We don't have to talk about how gorgeous his tone was and how effortlessly he hit the notes in the performance. I got goosebumps as he held out this certain note and just allowed it to change note after note. This kid has a gift, he has an amazing voice and he is clearly not going anywhere anytime soon. His final "fade away" had my hand up in the sky and I had an absolute eargasm. I would love to see him do something different and show off his versatility but if he continues to give performances as vocally stunning and emotionally on point as this performance...I'm with it. That was beautiful. "All I can think of is God when he sings." Same, Gwen, same.
19. VIKTOR KIRALY (GWEN)
"All Around the World" // Live Playoffs (Top 24)
The minute this man opened his mouth up to sing, I saw heaven. What I will say is I wasn't a fan of hearing him belt out in his falsetto on the live show because it felt like we were at the bottom of the mountain then almost at the top of Mt. Everest. It felt to rushed but when I listened to the studio version, everything fit together so effortlessly and the huskiness of his voice near the end of the song is what completely sold me as a fan of his. I've been following him ever since then, I listened to some of his original music and it was very beautiful, especially his ballads. He has such a soulful voice, he can bring it to any song. During his clip package when he said he wants to be a soul singer, my fanboy heart sunk. Yes. Please. Viktor. Do it. "Ooh, fuck." Is what I said when he did the run in his clip package. Yes, sir. He looked great on stage, he was very smooth and you can tell that he has so much experience just the way he carries himself on The Voice stage. Like it was nothing, he went from his chest voice into falsetto then sunk back down into his chest and I was looking around like, what? His belting is also absolutely gorgeous because he has such a voice on him that hearing his natural voice extend itself is amazing. His falsetto switch ups can get old quickly if he keeps doing the same things in every song but it's just enough to get him by now.
18. CELESTE BETTON (PHARRELL)
"Something in the Water" // Live Playoffs (Top 24)
She knows what she's talking about and she internalizes a song in order to find a deeper meaning to it. It's not very common to see a black person singing a country song but as she started off I was sold on her. Her vocal dynamics were gorgeous as she hit the run "I'm changed." She has such a strong voice as well and she has a very commanding presence to her. She brings her personality to the stage and she sells every bit of it to us. Not only that but when this woman belts I see heaven. Her vibrato is so beautiful. While she was over singing a bit I thought it fit the song well and it didn't annoy me at all. Her commitment to the meaning of the song as she sings, "I once was lost, but now I'm found. T'was blind but now I see," is just a testament to why Pharrell brought her back. That was amazing. I loved seeing that white woman behind her family smacking him on the shoulder like "damn she's good!!" Damn, she was good.
17. SHELBY BROWN (ADAM)
17. SHELBY BROWN (ADAM)
"You're No Good" // Live playoffs (Top 24)
Shelby's voice is gorgeous. She has such a strong voice and it complimented the song in wonderful ways. I'm not sure what type of artist she wants to be because she has a clear country voice but she's switching up genres on us when we're supposed to be getting introduced to the type of contestant she will be in the competition. I have to say I was very wrong because when she opened her mouth and ripped into that chorus like an old shirt she shut me right up. She legitimately crossed over the song's genres just with the tone of her voice. Her vocal prowness is what carried the performance but by the end when she "went off" on that person who was "no good" and just stuck it too them all that passion just resonated through my television set. She's also adorable, she looks like she's having the time of her life and the smile on her face is just infectious.
"Don't Know Why" // Top 12 Instant Save
This was the point in the competition where Korin started looking like an actual competitor. Her voice fit the song like a glove and it was as silky and smooth as butter as she effortlessly sang this song. I wish she picked her songs more or at least that Gwen didn't try and switch her up so much because she is perfect the way she is and this performance proves it.
15. JEFFERY AUSTIN (GWEN)
"Believe'" // Top 9
The reason why I'm so excited isn't just because it's "Believe" but because of the fact that it was so different from what Jeffery usually does that I knew he was going to strip it back and turn into into something so emotionally raw and beautiful and did he ever. The visual at the beginning was crazy. There was almost no light on him so he looked like a shadow in front of that glowing doorway and he emerged like an angel and it was even more beautiful when two more doors kept opening and closing with the two "lovers" of the performance (at least that's what I took away). I'm so grateful to have been able to witness this version because it allowed for the perfect opportunity to actually listen to the meaningful lyrics that might get lost in the fact that the tune is so infectious that it makes you want to dance and not really just sit down and get in your feelings. The way Jefferey modernized it while paying homage to the classic it was, was beautiful. Have I talked about his vocals yet? There is so much grit in his voice that it would usually irritate me but for some reason his voice just blends so well with the ballads he tends to do. The difference between him and fellow balleeder (you know who I'm talking about it, don't make me say it) is the fact that you are actually able to really feel something from him and it's not the "same" thing ever week. It was so beautiful.
"Hotline Bling" // Top 12
Let's talk about this brilliant song choice for Amy. I may not love Adam as a mentor, but he has some stellar ideas when it comes to arrangement. It worked out every time Tessanne rearranged a song and whenever Christina Grimmie would rearrange her songs. I wasn't sure what Amy would do this week, but I remembered she's on team Adam, where basically anything is possible. I never would have thought of this song so the moment the words came across the stage and I heard her in rehearsal I got excited. She looked absolutely gorgeous and the background's color absolutely did wonders for her dress. The directing of this performance also added to it's wonderful affect. My only problem with Amy is her limited range. She's the opposite of, say, Alessia Cara. Cara has a very unique voice but she can also hit all these crazy notes and her voice is so strong. Amy's voice is very petite and soft so she can't do a lot with a song. Given the material, she made some wise stylistic and octave choices and it paid off for her. Blake was absolutely right when he told her this was the classiest way to sing a booty call song. The performance was probably the most "original" performance on this season so far.
13. MADI DAVIS (PHARRELL)
"Don't Dream, It's Over" // Top 9 Instant Save
I was disheartened when my girl Madi didn't make it through to the finale, but the worse part was that her Instant Save performance was absolutely breathtaking. She doesn't need anything but her voice to give a moving and gorgeous performance. Her voice is so distinct and rich and this song was the perfect balance for her.
"Turning Tables" // The Knockouts
This was my first impression of Jeffery Austin and it was an amazing one. I raved all season about how you don't need to look at Jeffery on a stage, although it adds to the magic, because his voice is rich enough that if you close your eyes you feel all types of emotions you never knew you had. Seriously, he could make me feel something about this water I'm drinking right now and make me tear up. Add onto that, I absolutely love this song, so the song choice was good enough for me.
11. BRAIDEN SUNSHINE (GWEN)
"Feeling Good" // Live Playoffs (Top 24)
A lot of people disagree with my view on Braiden's more "old school" performances, but I truly think that's where he shined the most. Braiden has a killer voice, but also a very dated voice, so I think it shined the most during numbers like this. There was a certain power and commanding stage presence he had here that I didn't see from him for the rest of the season so this was really his standout performance to me. The grandma's love it, of course.
10. AMY VACHAL (ADAM)
"To Make You Feel My Love" // Top 9
Amy has a very old school vibe to her, especially in her voice, so the jazz element was going to compliment her voice gorgeously. She looked amazing on stage and the song was amazing for her. The way she effortlessly and gorgeous held out her first belt was amazing. She doesn't have an amazing range but what she does have is a very unique voice and a very unique look to her and that might work in her favor. When she hit the bridge and held out that note, I wasn't feeling it, but I think I loved the rest of the performance. My only problem with her is how good she did at this performance. By that, I meant the song is very cabaret and she pulled off an amazing cabaret performance that you would see on a cruise ship or in Vegas in a hotel. It worked tonight, though.
09. EMILY ANNE ROBERTS (BLAKE)
"Burning House" // Top 4
This was the closing/final performance of this season of the Live Shows for this year's season of The Voice and it was gorgeous. I think Emily has been a really cutesy, fun type of contestant the whole season so to see her sing such a meaningful song with the passion she did was a really nice change from what we saw from her typically. The vocals were stunning and the stage was amazing, plus she looked great.
08. JEFFERY AUSTIN (GWEN)
"Jealous" // Top 10
Why, oh why, would they open the show like this? Not because it was bad but because The Voice already had me in my feelings six minutes into the show. The lighting was perfect as Jeffery stood there with that absolutely breathtaking black smokey background. His vocals hit a new high tonight. There was grit, there was rasp, his lower register is SO powerful. The bonafide Sam Smith of The Voice, Season 9. I'm calling it now. By the second chorus, I had goosebumps all over my body. You didn't even need to look at the gorgeous silhouette in the background or the staging to feel something -- if you closed your eyes, by the last few notes you could just feel his emotion.
07. ZACH SEABAUGH (BLAKE)
"Brand New Girlfriend" // Live Playoffs (Top 24)
I get immediately sketched out as I see an attractive white guy coming on one of these competitions because the demographics are either really old or really young and old ladies and young girls just eat that up. He seems cool enough and he clearly has a voice on him. I don't feel as comfortable reviewing this because I don't find type of voice very easy on my ears but this dude is so smooth, like man! He started out flirting with the audience and immediately as he did that drop kick I quietly when "Ooh shit." He knows how to work this audience, his little ad libs were hilarious and just as hilarious were his Elvis Presley pelvis swivels. And I'm a sucker for a killer end and got a case of life when he jumped at the end. Nice job yo. Way to gyrate your pelvis with your mother in the room.
06. MADI DAVIS (GWEN)
"Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" // Top 10
Yes, boo, you better sing for the girls. I think Madi and Amy are neck and neck when it comes to arranging songs to fit their vocal style. The difference, however, is that Amy comes into rehearsal with a vision and Adam puts his personal touch on the performance, which is great. But the great thing about Madi is how she comes in with the direction she wants to take a song and basically does all the work for Pharrell (aside from the few notes he gives to tweak it just a tad, because he's Pharrell and he's the absolute master of producing) and all he has to do is nod and say "flawless, b." That's in no way to knock down Amy, because she is a beautiful artist in her own right, Madi is just more aware of who and what she wants to be and that's to be commended. You can see it on her face and through her body language how much she wants this, even if she's on the more shy and reserved side. She gives me Alex Preston vibes (American Idol, Season 13). The soprano saxophone at the beginning and throughout gave the song such jazzy vibes that I loved. Madi was able to capture the essence of this song and strip it back and give it a different meaning. I think on the surface the song is about girl power and having a good time, but Madi's arrangement absolutely captured what the song is truly truly about. It was haunting, complimenting her vocals as she poured through every emotional beat as masterful as she could. I personally think this earned the pimp spot that it didn't receive, but it's fine because she still gave the performance of the night.
"If I Ain't Got You" // The Knockouts
This is what drove me to start watching the show this season. I hadn't paid attention to The Voice since Season 6, and I was going through Apple Music and found this and his voice is absolutely stunning. This performance showcased all of his strengths and listening to it over again makes his elimination sting even more. He has so much soul in his voice, he looks like a seasoned performer and that falsetto came out of nowhere and he absolutely hit in on the nail. The whole performance was just stellar, man. I preferred it to Jordan's knockout performance, but luckily both of them were saved!
04. EMILY ANNE ROBERTS (BLAKE)
04. EMILY ANNE ROBERTS (BLAKE)
"9 to 5" // Top 9
I'm just going to preface this by saying, I really didn't want to care that much about this performance. I had typed out "I'm sorry, I can't do it. I probably won't write that much about Emily because I just don't have much to say about her. Okay, she's a fun little thing to have around and she has a cute voice. Me being, I'm not going to say against country music, but so biased towards other genres that I listen to on a regular basis, I can't get too into her. A lot of the time when I was reviewing Blake's team (his big ass Top 12) I wrote time after time "very generic." Just because a lot of country music rings together with me and Emily is in that category because I probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference between her and Danielle Bradberry. That was her name, right? I literally stopped tuning in after Sasha and Judith left." For what it's worth she does have a nice little voice on her and I was pretty pissed off because after I wrote this essay about how generic she was, I found myself bopping along to it. Mostly it's due to the song, so hey Dolly Parton! The beginning sounded like everything Emily's been doing before but the minute the song hit the chorus she showed a lot of sass and her voice was in top form, probably the best I've ever heard it. I definitely spoke way too soon because in my opinion at this point in the show, I think she had given the best performance of the night. She showed personality, her voice was fantastic and I loved the way how she successfully moved around the stage and livened up the crowd. The only thing that could have made the performance better was if she had completely took us to church during the last note.
I'm just going to preface this by saying, I really didn't want to care that much about this performance. I had typed out "I'm sorry, I can't do it. I probably won't write that much about Emily because I just don't have much to say about her. Okay, she's a fun little thing to have around and she has a cute voice. Me being, I'm not going to say against country music, but so biased towards other genres that I listen to on a regular basis, I can't get too into her. A lot of the time when I was reviewing Blake's team (his big ass Top 12) I wrote time after time "very generic." Just because a lot of country music rings together with me and Emily is in that category because I probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference between her and Danielle Bradberry. That was her name, right? I literally stopped tuning in after Sasha and Judith left." For what it's worth she does have a nice little voice on her and I was pretty pissed off because after I wrote this essay about how generic she was, I found myself bopping along to it. Mostly it's due to the song, so hey Dolly Parton! The beginning sounded like everything Emily's been doing before but the minute the song hit the chorus she showed a lot of sass and her voice was in top form, probably the best I've ever heard it. I definitely spoke way too soon because in my opinion at this point in the show, I think she had given the best performance of the night. She showed personality, her voice was fantastic and I loved the way how she successfully moved around the stage and livened up the crowd. The only thing that could have made the performance better was if she had completely took us to church during the last note.
03. MADI DAVIS (GWEN)
"Love Is Blindness" // Top 11
This song was absolutely in her freaking wheelhouse, I am so happy she is doing it. From rehearsals when she was sitting at the keyboard she immediately was so in the zone and you could tell she was so much more comfortable with this type of performance. The beginning was absolutely haunting. The vocals, the chord she played on the keyboard, even the streamers were kind of haunting. The gentle breeze in her hair was beautiful and when she hit the run they were talking about I got a little giddy. Madi is most definitely a more intimate and emotional performer than she is with the whole reggae thing. All of her vocal riffs were hit effortlessly and when some of them came out of nowhere I couldn't help but get chills. I had no idea she had such a strong voice! When she begun belting, the goosebumps kept coming and I was so taken over by the song. Madi really was able to convey the emotion through this performance. It came off a bit theatrical at times, but it was absolutely what the performance called for. This was a glorious comeback performance from her and to see her so emotionally drained at the end when Pharrell came up to hug her was just a testament to what she brought to the table this week.
This song was absolutely in her freaking wheelhouse, I am so happy she is doing it. From rehearsals when she was sitting at the keyboard she immediately was so in the zone and you could tell she was so much more comfortable with this type of performance. The beginning was absolutely haunting. The vocals, the chord she played on the keyboard, even the streamers were kind of haunting. The gentle breeze in her hair was beautiful and when she hit the run they were talking about I got a little giddy. Madi is most definitely a more intimate and emotional performer than she is with the whole reggae thing. All of her vocal riffs were hit effortlessly and when some of them came out of nowhere I couldn't help but get chills. I had no idea she had such a strong voice! When she begun belting, the goosebumps kept coming and I was so taken over by the song. Madi really was able to convey the emotion through this performance. It came off a bit theatrical at times, but it was absolutely what the performance called for. This was a glorious comeback performance from her and to see her so emotionally drained at the end when Pharrell came up to hug her was just a testament to what she brought to the table this week.
02. JORDAN SMITH (ADAM)
"Great Is Thy Faithfulness" // Top 12
I think we've reached the moment in the competition where we are starting to see what kind of artists these contestants want to be and if the balladeer is what Jordan wants to be, you can't argue because it's his choice, and his singing is absolutely breathtaking. I almost got tears (I don't cry, though) when I saw him tearing up. This song clearly meant so much to him and I couldn't wait to see if he was actually able to exhibit emotions this weak with such a "vulnerable" performance. The acapella at the beginning was absolutely fantastic. His voice gives me all kind of goosebumps. He is a natural born singer. He has such a beautiful tone and his subtle runs were beautiful. He has absolutely stunning vocal control. The way he holds back while still having such a grasp on a note is something to just praise. I didn't know he could play the piano. When he hit the bridge, his voice against the piano was just stellar to listen to. He belted with such conviction and his last note took my breath away.
I think we've reached the moment in the competition where we are starting to see what kind of artists these contestants want to be and if the balladeer is what Jordan wants to be, you can't argue because it's his choice, and his singing is absolutely breathtaking. I almost got tears (I don't cry, though) when I saw him tearing up. This song clearly meant so much to him and I couldn't wait to see if he was actually able to exhibit emotions this weak with such a "vulnerable" performance. The acapella at the beginning was absolutely fantastic. His voice gives me all kind of goosebumps. He is a natural born singer. He has such a beautiful tone and his subtle runs were beautiful. He has absolutely stunning vocal control. The way he holds back while still having such a grasp on a note is something to just praise. I didn't know he could play the piano. When he hit the bridge, his voice against the piano was just stellar to listen to. He belted with such conviction and his last note took my breath away.
01. JORDAN SMITH (ADAM)
"Somebody To Love" // Top 9
If you didn't get chills from the cold opening he gave us and the choir opening up allowing for him to make his way through...why didn't you? It was nice to hear his voice in a different genre and see him do a little more than just look like he's about to cry because the song is just, you know, so powerful and means so much to people. He sort of moved around the stage and I'll be damned if I didn't hop up from my couch and jump around when he hit that final crazy last few moments of this song. His falsetto is incredible. It was more than a little much to have the choir circle around him with jazz hands...but his voice is incredible and you cannot deny that. Shut up, Adam, by the way. You're doing the most when you hype him up like it's the queen of Elizabeth and Amy and Shelby are just sitting around, like nodding. The Voice makes me want to rank this performance much lower but, dude, Jordan earned this!
If you didn't get chills from the cold opening he gave us and the choir opening up allowing for him to make his way through...why didn't you? It was nice to hear his voice in a different genre and see him do a little more than just look like he's about to cry because the song is just, you know, so powerful and means so much to people. He sort of moved around the stage and I'll be damned if I didn't hop up from my couch and jump around when he hit that final crazy last few moments of this song. His falsetto is incredible. It was more than a little much to have the choir circle around him with jazz hands...but his voice is incredible and you cannot deny that. Shut up, Adam, by the way. You're doing the most when you hype him up like it's the queen of Elizabeth and Amy and Shelby are just sitting around, like nodding. The Voice makes me want to rank this performance much lower but, dude, Jordan earned this!
HONORABLE MENTIONS
21. KORIN BUKOWSKI - Same Old Love (TOP 10)
22. AMY VACHAL - Blank Space (TOP 11)
23. SHELBY BROWN - You and I (TOP 11)
24. AMY VACHAL - The Way You Look Tonight (TOP 24/LIVE PLAYOFFS)
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