HOLLYWOOD—The second week of “The Voice” season 9 battle rounds began Monday night on NBC. The coaches welcomed back guest advisers to help mentor the contestants. Country superstar Brad Paisley joined coach Blake Shelton, while pop star Selena Gomez teamed up with coach Gwen Stefani. Rapper and producer Missy Elliot joined coach Pharrell Williams, while Creedence Clearwater Revival’s John Fogerty teamed up with coach Adam Levine.
With each of the coaches having one steal left, it made for a one heck of an exciting night! Let’s recap some of the best performances of the “night three” battles.
Team Adam’s Cassandra Robertson vs. Viktor Kiraly perform “Nobody Knows”
Both Cassandra and Viktor are exceptional soul singers. Cassandra has incredible range, while Viktor has a powerfully distinct tone. Could it be because of his Hungarian background? He does have a slight accent that lends itself to creating an interesting edge to his voice. Both artists harmonize impeccably together and really commit to the meaning behind every lyric.
During rehearsals Fogerty describes their performance as “scary good,” which totally translates on the night of the battle.
The battle receives a standing ovation by all the coaches with Blake saying he felt like he was listening to a record.
Pharrell particularly praises Cassandra, saying, “When you were singing it’s like an effortless trance. The notes, the range, there’s something magical and undeniable about your performance.”
Gwen agrees, stating that Cassandra is meant to be on stage.
Adam says both have the technical skill and were able to connect with each other, which he describes as “a lethal combination that was executed with such passion and feeling.”
Nevertheless, Adam ends up choosing Viktor as the winner of the battle, saying his voice has an edge that he couldn’t bare to let go.
Team Gwen’s Chase Kerby vs. Korin Bukowski perform “Samson” by Regina Spektor
This was a battle between two Indie artists. Korin has such a tender quality to her voice, while Chase masterfully juxtaposes between falsetto and full voice. Both of their quirky tones allow them to paint a hauntingly beautiful story. There were no stand out vocal acrobatic moments, but there didn’t really need to be. They nailed their delivery of the lyric with such profound emotion.
Adam applauds both singers for their ability to sing the narrative in such a bittersweet and genuine way. He particularly commends Korin for sailing through the emotions of the song, while maintaining a pitch perfect vocal.
Blake says he is mesmerized by the performance, while Pharrell tells Gwen she really has a tough decision to make.
Gwen, who admits to feeling like a Mama Bear with these two contestants, says she died for their performance because it was so intense and emotional. She explains that she is very touched by both, but has to pick Korin.
Team Pharrell’s Evan Mckeel vs. Riley Biederer perform “Higher Ground” by Stevie Wonder
Evan proved his ability to cover a Stevie Wonder song during the blind auditions when Pharrell asked him to cover his favorite hit from the legendary artist. Singing a verse from the chorus of “Overjoyed,” Evan proved he is a force to be a reckoned with, especially when it comes to singing Stevie songs. However, Riley really stood her ground during the battle by coloring the song with captivating runs. Riley’s fierceness and sass, which Missy Elliot pointed out during rehearsals, transferred over to the night of the battle.
Gwen says Evan’s presence is magic, while she describes Riley as having a rich and beautiful voice and seems to be having so much fun on stage.
Adam says both did phenomenally well, while Blake expresses his belief that Riley has the type of voice he would recognize, but Evan won the battle.
Pharrell ends up choosing Evan as the winner of the battle, but, fear not Riley fans! Gwen comes in for the kill, in a last second shocking steal! Welcome Riley to Team Gwen!
The battle rounds will continue with a one-hour episode on Tuesday, October 20 at 9 p.m.
