The Voice's battle rounds for season 9 have come to a close. After four episodes, on Tuesday (Oct. 20), the show's final three battles were aired. And though the choices the coaches have to make are typically easy or obvious ones, these three were a little more puzzling.
Because Gwen Stefani's team has been stiffed all season with montages, Blake Shelton, Adam Levine and Pharrell all sent out singers, and got to use that one final steal.
How'd it pan out before the show is joined by Rihanna for the knockouts?
Amanda Ayala vs. Shelby Brown, "Edge of Seventeen": Amanda Ayala may be the rock singer to Shelby Brown's country thing, but when it came to this Stevie Nicks battle, their voices struck as incredibly similar to my ear, except for a slight rasp to Amanda and a twang to Shelby. But the twang made Shelby unique and ma It was nice to see Shelby gain the confidence to perform with a band, which is something she struggled with in rehearsals but gained, probably thanks to a bump from Amanda. But, who to pick?
Who technically won the battle? Adam has always been bursting at the seams to beat Blake Shelton with a country artist, and for season 9, he is banking on Shelby. So, she won this battle.
Who should have won the battle? I can't get over how generic Amanda felt, which is something that harkens back to her audition song "Mississippi Queen," which was also underwhelming. So, Ada very much picked right with Shelby.
Amy Vachal vs. Jubal & Amanda, "To Love Somebody": These two acts could not have been any more different, and it seems like Pharrell just paired them together because he wasn't sure what else to do with them. And, of course, he also gave them a track by The Bee Gees, because Pharrell cannot pick a song that's from this century. Against a duo, the relatively quiet voiced Amy Vachal had a hard time standing up against them, though her own vocals and harmonies were just as pretty as that newly engaged couple. Adam Levine even called her a third wheel, for goodness sake!
Who technically won the battle? Despite being overpowered by the strong vocals and harmonies of Jubal & Amanda, Pharrell couldn't resist the smooth, calming voice of Amy and chose her for his team.
Who should have won the battle? Most of the battles have not been tough choices so far, but this one actually felt like a struggle, perhaps because these two acts were just so different. I feel like the power of Jubal & Amanda deserved another round, but there is a bit more star-factor for Amy, so choosing her made sense too. I'm at a loss, y'all.
Emily Ann Roberts vs. Morgan Frazier, "I'm That Kind of Girl": It's a little surprising that Emily Ann Roberts and Morgan Frazier even both landed spots on Team Blake because their vocals are so strikingly similar. Strong, but similar. Emily Ann has a bit more of a sweetness to her, both in her vocal and personality, but Morgan has a sturdiness and strength to her range and performance capability. This was the final battle of the season... how did it go?
Who technically won the battle? Blake Shelton went for the girl he felt he could mold a little more and went for the sweet Emily Ann.
Who should have won the battle? I don't think there was a real winner or loser here, except maybe Blake who lost one of these country hopefuls. So, Emily Ann was a totally solid choice. But, Morgan will live to see another day; a country artist was too appealing to Pharrell, and he scooped her up for his team with the final save of the battles.
