Camila Cabello isn’t shy about robbing John Legend, while Blake Shelton is amazed he’s never heard of this ’90s classic.
Counting Crows becomes Shouting Crows as a contestant loses all sense of the original song and lyrics to “The Voice” as blind auditions begin to wind down.
The penultimate episode of Blinds this season sees some compelling arrangements, including a haunting version of a Justin Bieber track that puts the lyrics front and center. It’s okay to make bold choices with the arrangement of a song, but it has to make sense for the message and story of that song.
Getty
Lil Nas X Explains How Wearing Skirts On Tour Helped Him Break Free From His Younger Self
See the story
The generation war continued with Camila Cabello offering to send Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani a playlist – which they’re not even sure how to open – while Blake offered to send her a tape.
This battle also unfolded at a contestant, whose influences go back more than 50 years in some cases, with coaches believing he sounded a bit like Elvis Presley on a Hank Williams classic.
Fair warning, since I’m safe at home, I’ll probably be a little harsher than my colleagues Blake Shelton, Camila Cabello, Gwen Stefani and john legend. And just for fun, I’m going to rank the performances from worst to first and then see how they go over the season.
Jillian Jordyn
(“Problems”, Julia Michaels – 17, Melville, NY) It’s such a character piece that it’s hard to come to terms with it unless you share that similar vocal approach, or have a totally different approach to the song itself. Jillian was very strong in those opening lines where she was practically cooing the melody, but she got a little off the rails when the chairs started spinning. Her chest voice sounded a bit shaky and off-key at times, though it was also clear that the youthful excitement was knocking her down a bit. She got stronger again towards the end, as she settled in. It wasn’t perfect, but there’s a great quality to his voice and a lot of range. What she has to do is find that way to stand out, which is hard to do at such a young age.
Results: Gwen, John Turn [Team Gwen]
DWTS 5th judge: Kourtney Cheers, Selma Blair blindfolded, Vinny stumbles again
See the story
The little lady
(“You were meant for me”, Jewel – 31, Los Angeles, California) With influences ranging from Nat King Cole to Green Day to Johnny Cash, she promised a voice the judges wouldn’t expect to come from her. She definitely has a different tone, but we wish she’d picked a song with more punch so she could put out more of what she can deliver vocally. The falsetto moments were a little weird, and it didn’t quite pan out, but she definitely has a bit of that 90s alternative vibe in the way she approaches a song. There were just a few too many inconsistencies overall. But we are perhaps even more surprised that Camila does not know this song at all? How old are we?!
Results: No chair turns
austin montgomery
(“I can’t help it (if I’m still in love with you)”, Hank Williams – 19, Hemet, CA) Austin has only been in music for two and a half years and has talked about choosing the best parts from the vocals of various legendary singers like Hank Williams and Johnny Cash to find his own voice. He also said he pretty much only plays in his bedroom, so it was a huge moment for him. Camila and Blake thought he looked too much like Elvis at first, but then they were into it. They’re not wrong in that he definitely mimicked that earlier style almost too much. It has a nice tone, although we always felt it was a bit too karaoke and needs time to figure out who he is as an artist for it to work out its performance.
Results: Blake, Camila, Gwen Turn [Team Blake]
Hany Ramadan
(“Round Here”, Counting Crows – 23, Voorhees, NJ) Hanny was really trying too hard to showcase his rock side in the opening bars of this extremely sweet alternative song. He might find some moments there, but it has to make sense with the lyrics and tone of the song and it was shocking when he almost shouted a word at the start. He has a cool vibe and a very rocking voice, but we think that song choice was just a little out of touch with what he was trying to do. That said, it’s disappointing – and another testament to rock’s downfall as a popular genre – that no one has turned to it. There are so many good songs that he could have killed with that cool raspy, that full-throated scream and that powerful resonance in his voice. Maybe the only thing we would have suggested is that he make sure he doesn’t lose his musicality even in those lines he delivered with more than one shout.
Results: No chair turns
YouTube/SiriusXM
Megyn Kelly Blames J.Lo and Shakira for ‘Showing Their Vaginas’ at Super Bowl 2022
See the story
Benny Weag
(“Chills”, Ed Sheeran – 29, Lake County, MN) We only got a snippet of this audition, but we really enjoyed the quality of voice Benny had through the chorus. There was a richness to the texture of his voice that really drew you in. It’s a storyteller’s voice that can sell you a song’s heart and message at the same time it takes your breath away at times.
Results: Blake spins [Team Blake]
Dia Malai
(“Real Love”, Mary J. Blige – 26, Queens, NY) It couldn’t have worked better for Dia, who shared a connection to John Legend with his late father, who died of Covid. She came out immediately with those early rap bars and there was such confidence and control that it was clear she was a born artist. She hasn’t totally nailed the vocals, but it’s a great song for any artist to tackle. There were plenty of awesome moments, including a few races, but we were hoping she’d take a better chance on the track somewhere to punctuate her own artistry a bit.
Results: John spins [Team Legend]
Grace Belle
(“Ghost”, Justin Bieber – 21, Lacey, WA) Grace’s influences come from her parents, who are Cuban and Sicilian, creating a unique musical blend, as well as a cultural cachet all her own. We also liked that she applied some of her own artistry in her approach to the song, tweaking it a bit to make it more her vision. There was a beautifully haunted quality to the way she approached the song, and she really brought the lyrics to the fore in a way that was just beautiful. It was a performance that demanded your attention, as the response clearly demonstrates. He’s someone who understands who he is and has the beautiful ethereal voice to support that vision.
Camila is clearly comfortable with this stage of the show as she took Coach trolling to the next level by tweaking John’s “Legend” jacket. He’d given her one earlier, and she’d added a strip of tape over it so it now read, “Camila is a legend.” She used it to convince Grace to come with her and even tried to give it to her – before John snatched it away!
Results: Four chair turn [Team Camila]
Getty
Why Post Malone Says His Baby Girl Is “Much Cooler” Than Him
See the story
COACHES’ PENDULUMS
- “I hear the legends in your voice.” –John (in Austin)
- “I had to put your name in there. Alright. We know you’re John Legend.” –Blake
- “If you made me a playlist of your influences, I would go and do my research.” –Camila (in Austin)
- “So you can coach her. Camila, who do you choose to coach?” –Blake
- “In the end, old soul, he had to go with an older person.” –Camila (in confessional after Austin chooses Blake)
- “I listen to the same music over and over again.” –Gwen
- “We don’t go out of our decades, do we?” –Blake
- “I could send you playlists.” –Camille
- “We don’t know how to play the stuff you send us. It just looks like a bunch of letters and numbers and stuff.” –Blake
“The Voice” continues Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.