"I wish somebody would suck!" John Legend amusingly but not-totally-jokingly gasped at one point during part one of The Voice Season 25's Playoffs Monday, when the 10 contestants comprising Team Legend and Team Dan + Shay competed. There were no more Saves, no more Steals... and Chance the Rapper kept unhelpfully declaring that every single one of these talented hopefuls "needs to go to the Lives!"
But only three singers per team could advance to the viewer-voted live semifinals that will finally begin May 6 — which is why John had hoped that the contestants would make his decision just a little bit easier and clearer. Suffice to say, no one sucked this week, but some singers were more obvious top 12 material. Here's what went down on this decidedly not-sucky episode:
TEAM LEGEND
Nathan Chester, "Oh! Darling"
Beatles covers are always a tall order, but this gospel-tinged ballad was suited to Nathan's Gaye/Wonder/JB-inspired throwback style. (Note: Monday's Playoffs songs were chosen by the coaches, not the contestants. ) John advised Nathan to really lean into the "begging" vibe of the song and work that mic stand, and to be honest, I think Nathan could've taken it even further, dropping allll the way down his knees. But I supposed if he'd done that, he might have ruined his superfly Sunday-best '70s suit, and that would've been a shame. Anyway, Nathan looked and sounded like an old-school superstar — this felt more like a vintage Soul Train or Midnight Special episode, and his splits and choreo and overall theatricality were fire. But as John noted, this performance wasn't all tricks. "You can sang," John said, calling this number an "emphatic statement" and saying Nathan sounded unlike anyone making music today. Reba McEntire simply stated, "Best. Performance. Ever!"
Kamalei Kawa'a, "No Woman No Cry"
Crooning his second Bob Marley cover of the season, Kamalei was flat in rehearsal, so John and Team Legend's guest mentor Maluma (a winning coach on The Voice Colombia and The Voice Mexico) urged him to add more dynamics and level to his arrangement. Kamalei did come out of his shell onstage, working the crowd more than he usually does, whooping it up and improv-ing some call-and-response. And he sounded pleasant, as always — like an "audible hug," according to Dan Smyers. Reba declared herself Kamalei's "biggest fan," and John thought Kamalei once again did an admirable job of honoring Marley's legacy. But Kamalei still seemed too meek and laid-back to survive the fiercely competitive upcoming Lives.
Bryan Olesen, "Africa"
As John's Playoff Pass artist and the season's oldest contestant at age 49, this former Newsboys member had much to prove. He also needed to make a strong impression, because the downside of receiving the Playoff Pass is being off the air for two weeks while sitting out the Knockout Rounds. ("We missed you!" Reba told Bryan this week.) Anyway, I don't think Toto's nostalgic hit was quite the song to achieve all Bryan's goals here. Yes, I love the song, and everyone loves the song. But it has been covered and sampled literally hundreds, maybe even thousands, of times, and Bryan's dated wedding-band version brought nothing new to it. Plus, the mellow-gold yacht-rock tune didn't allow him to showcase his huge rock range, like his previous OneRepublic and Adele covers had. But Chance called Bryan a "100 percent a rock star," and Reba called him "the perfect package."
Mafe, "Someone Like You"
Mafe was worried that this song would be "challenging," not just because, well, it's an Adele song, but because it's wordy and English isn't her native language. (She was born and raised in Venezuela, and moved to Miami in 2017.) But John explained, "You gotta be able to handle the classics," and he felt confident that Mafe could "do it justice." Her voice was not an Adele level, but she did connect to the lyrics — as was evident in any camera closeups on her face — singing the heartbreak ballad like she believed every word. She took some chances with the melody — Shay thought she took too many "melodic liberties" — but I think she handled this classic, as did Reba. "You really sold it to me," Reba told Mafe.
Zoe Levert, "Iris"
The Swiftie that's been hyped as this season's Taylor Swift got a song by... the Goo Goo Dolls. OK, then. I wasn't sure if she could tackle the '90s alt-rock radio hit, but she insisted that it was similar to her original material and seemed surprisingly confident in rehearsal. I have to say, I was surprised by Zoe's performance. She transformed the Goos' mawkish City of Angels power ballad into a different sort of sweet and tender gooey-ness, a country-folk lament. And she also nailed notes I didn't even know she had in her. Dan told her, "You were feeling every bit of this moment, and that matters so much when the stakes are so high." Reba called Zoe "someone to reckon with." Chance declared this his favorite performance of the night and advised Zoe to commercially release of a recording of "Iris." It'd probably be a hit if she did.
So, based on these specific performances, overall track record, and potential of earning America's votes, I would have picked Nathan, Zoe, and Mafe for the Lives. John picked Nathan, Zoe... and Bryan. There's no doubt that Bryan can sing, so I couldn't be too mad about this decision. But no more soft-rockin' Toto tunes for this rocker dude, OK?
TEAM DAN + SHAY
Karen Waldrup, "Heart Like a Truck"
Karen's coaches wanted her to "build an arc" with this Lainey Wilson song, starting small and internal and building to the climax from there. That was a good plan, on paper, but I don't think Karen really got there — and it took too long for her to get wherever she did end up. (It should be noted that Karen performed right after the dynamite Nathan, since the teams' contestants were staggered throughout the night, so this felt like a comedown.) Karen is one of the best vocalists of this season, and one of the most experienced, but she just didn't deliver here. However, Dan thought Karen had followed his directions well, saying, "We all know you're a powerhouse vocalist, but on this song, you connected to the lyrics more." John called Karen a "credible artist," and Reba called her "spectacular."
Anya True, "All Too Well (Taylor's Version)"
Dan + Shay picked a seemingly genius song choice for this tender-hearted songbird. Anya was the ultimate example of someone who doesn't have to belt big notes to make a big impression. There was a winsomeness and lingering tortured-poetic sadness here that felt authentic, almost like she wrote this song herself. I enjoyed "Anya's Version." Chance told her, "I didn't ever see you in the pop space until now"; Shay Mooney compared Anya to Julia Michaels; and Dan told her, "You absolutely stepped up and crushed it."
Olivia Rubini, "I'll Stand by You"
Olivia already has the Chrissie Hynde haircut, so why not give her a Pretenders song, right? Just not this song. I would've loved something more plaintive, like "Kid" or "Talk of the Town," or just more badass, like "Brass in Pocket" or (a censored version of) "Precious," because Olivia didn't really have the lung power to pull off such a soppy AOR ballad. This was anticlimactic. Chance wished "there was a little bit more dynamics and range," and John could tell Olivia was struggling, in vain, to "find some rawk 'n' roll in this song."
Tae Lewis, "Runnin' Outta Moonlight"
Team Dan + Shay's guest mentor Saweetie — who did a great job this week, doling out what Dan called "life lessons" that will help the contestants long after Season 25 wraps — said Tae "radiated joy." And he seemed very comfortable doing this Randy Houser hit, a staple of his own setlists. Everyone thought Tae might be too comfortable, actually, with Saweetie advising him to cycle through more emotions, and Shay warning him, "There's already a Randy Houser" and reminding Tae to make the song his own. But Tae, a recent addition to this Team Dan + Shay via the Steal, wanted to prove to his new coaches they'd made the right decision to recruit him, so he gave it his swing-for-the-fences all. The result was what Chance called his "most soulful performance" yet. Shay said Tae's performance put a "fire in my belly," and Dan freely declared Tae one of the best singers on this team. "Tae has more 'try' than anybody I know," said Reba. Tae tried, and he succeeded.
Madison Curbelo, "Landslide"
I'm sure poor Olivia would have preferred this Fleetwood Mac classic instead of that Pretenders song. But of course, Dan + Shay saved it for their favorite, the one who'd received their Playoff Pass. Madison thought it was the perfect choice for her, since it reminded her of her father. She was clearly feeling it, and she delivered an elegant and poised performance with just the right amount of what Saweetie called "Puerto Rican personality." This was spellbinding. Reba got "chills," and so did Shay — who confessed that he rarely gets chills, ever, and hadn't experienced them all season until now. Chance "wanted to cry a little bit," and even asked the show's producers to give him a recording of Madison's performance so he could listen to it in the future.
I would have gone with Anya, Tae, and Madison. Dan + Shay picked Madison first, of course, followed by Karen (which also didn't surprise me, since she's a "consistent" country music pro), and Tae. I was disappointed to see Anya go, but Tae really wanted and deserved this, so I was pleased that he made it to the top 12. I think Tae could be top four.
So, farewell to Kamalei, Mafe, Anya, and Olivia. Tune in next Monday, when we do this all over again with Teams Reba and Chance, probably no one will suck, and we'll have to say goodbye to four more talented singers.
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