For the first time this season — with only two weeks left in the season — The Voice finally went live Monday. The top 12 really went for it and gave crowd-rousing performances, creating some fantastic live television. But the episode saved the very best for last: Nathan Chester.
Remember that name (which should be easy, since it was spelled out in wall-sized neon lights during his bonkers performance), because his guy's a superstar. And whether or not he wins The Voice, this cool cat needs his own variety show on NBC. Mark Burnett, can you make that happen?
Season 25's first live episode was perfectly paced, opening with the blast of Team Legend rocker Bryan Olsen's boisterous Queen cover and ending on an even higher (no pun intended) note with Team Legend throwback showman Nathan's "Higher and Higher" Jackie Wilson number. This was some Soul Train/Midnight Special magic, or basically what The Voice might've looked like if it had aired in 1976. The Afro. The maroon leisure suit. The horn section. That giant neon "NATHAN CHESTER" sign. That James Brown drop-split at the end. Everything.
"I just love the clarity of your vision," Nathan's proud coach, John Legend, told him. "You knew who you wanted to be when you came to the show. You knew before you came to the show! And I love your commitment. Every time you come out here, you give everything."
But, while I eagerly wait for The Nathan Chester Power Hour to be greenlit from NBC programming execs, I have 11 more strong performances to assess. The decision-making power now rests in viewers' hands, and I honestly don't know how America is going to vote, because, like I said, everyone brought it. I bet the coaches are glad they can sit back and just enjoy the performances now.
Bryan Olesen (Team Legend), "Don't Stop Me Now"
This is my favorite Queen song, so I was worried if Bryan could pull it off. But he did! Maybe he wasn't at a Freddie Mercury level (or at a Bono level, which John keeps weirdly saying), and Adam Lambert is in no danger of losing his job. But the can't-be-stopped Bryan still brought a sense of camp that reminded me of Robbie Williams, and he had the pipes to hit all the power notes. He was having a ball, all right, and so was everyone in the audience. Chance the Rapper said this performance felt like "the intro to an awards show," and John was glad that Bryan went first, because this rock 'n' roll spectacle was "too much magic to put in the middle" of the episode. "I pity everyone who has to go after you," John chuckled.
Tae Lewis (Team Dan + Shay), "19 You + Me"
This felt like a slight comedown after Bryan high-energy tour de force, but Tae delivered a classy, polished performance of his coaches' sentimental hit. He seemed so comfortable on that stage, and oozed a certain likability that simply can't be taught. "I just love you to pieces!" gushed his former coach, Reba McEntire, while Shay Mooney said he was proud to call Tae his friend. Aw. "It hurts your heart when someone sings your song better than you do," Shay also joked, telling Tae he "crushed it."
Maddi Jane (Team Chance), "Happier Than Ever"
This was a different side of the once-kooky wannabe rapper, and I think this is what she needed to do to be taken seriously by the voters at home. She started off seated, and as the song built to its crescendo she rose to her feet, resplendent in a sculptural gown and silver space-cadet platforms, really wailing as she tapped into all her bitterness and anger from being burned in the music industry. This was very Joanne-era Lady Gaga. "I felt like I was at The Maddi Jane Show," host Carson Daly quipped (maybe NBC can greenlight that one too), while John called Maddi a "star" and praised her for making the song her own. "It sounded like you, not like you were trying be [Billie]," John said.
L. Rodgers (Team Reba), "Up to the Mountain"
The connection between Reba and L. was evident from the moment they reunited in the rehearsal room and L. broke into tears, then showed her coach her new Reba tattoo. "Reba, she sees me, ... It's people like Ms. Reba who have picked me up and kept me going," L. said. Vowing to be "the most vulnerable that I have been on this stage" with Reba's support and encouragement, she delivered a stunning performance of this evangelical Patti Griffin classic. L. may find it hard to connect with people (she is autistic), which is why she values her bond with Reba, but she always connects onstage. "When you start singing I can feel it, because you feel it first," Reba told her.
Madison Curbelo (Team Dan + Shay), "Yesterday"
Covering Beatles songs, let alone one of the most famous Beatles songs, is a tall order, but Madison, who Shay called "one of the best singers I've ever heard," pulled it off. She's a near-Kelly Clarkson-level vocalist who can sing just about anything. Standing alone and still, accompanied by a string quartet, was all Madison needed to do to cast her spell. John called this performance "so beautiful and tasteful," and commended Madison for making "choices that were within the classic nature of the song but added just enough flavor and personality."
Asher HaVon (Team Reba), "I'll Make Love to You"
This was a challenging choice, because this former gospel singer, who didn't even hear secular music until he was in his twenties, thought this Boyz II Men bedroom ballad was a bit "spicy." ("How do you tell a story that's not your story?" he wondered aloud.) Plus, Boyz II Men are known for their four-part harmonies. However, Asher pretty much possesses the power of four God-given voices, and as he tapped into his "masculine energy" by performing without a wig for the first time this season, he convincingly told the song's sexy story. "If anyone outside of Team Chance should win, it's you," Chance boldly told him.
Zoe Levert, "Stick Season"
The girl who's been compared to a young Taylor Swift (I think she's more like a young Kacey Musgraves) chose wisely with this Noah Kahan folk song. Zoe freely admitted she's "not the powerhouse of the season," but she knows who she is, and she seems to know what kind of albums she wants to make. "You're a real recording artist," John told her. I also give Zoe props for her breath control on this extremely wordy, polysyllabic song. "That song is so rhythmic, and you nailed it; your pocket was spot-on," observed Dan Smyers.
Karen Waldrup (Team Dan + Shay), "I Hope You Dance"
This is a very overdone singing-show staple, and it's hard to do anything new or exciting with it. It was smart of Karen to play the guitar, which added a bit of grit to her usual razzle-dazzle Nashvegas polish. This was classic country stuff, and Karen did it well. Shay was "blown away" and "so proud."
Serenity Arce (Team Chance), "Traitor"
Serenity delivered another powerful vocal performance that Dan said was "so sick" and had "so much conviction." There's no doubt that this girl is a budding pop star, and Chance said she "made the stage her own." I just don't think she made this song her own. This was very Olivia Rodrigo copycat.
Nadége (Team Chance), "He Loves Me"
Wow. This was theater, from moment the newly engaged Nadége, who was clearly feeling Jill Scott's loved-up lyrics as she serenaded her fiancé in the audience, appeared onstage lounging in a chair in a cloud of pink smoke while holding a flower. This felt like the performance of a Grammy-winning jazz great on the opening night of her Vegas residency. "You could have charged us admission for that one," Carson told Nadége. "This performance felt like this is you," John said.
Josh Sanders (Team Reba), "Angels (Don't Always Have Wings)"
John excels when she sticks to ballads, and this Thomas Rhett ballad, dedicated to his ride-or-die wife, was right in his wheelhouse. As the only pure country male singer on a season presumably drawing many country fans because of coaches Reba and Dan + Shay, Josh probably has a good chance of winning this season. "You have grown by leaps and bounds — and you were great when you first got here," Reba told him.
On Tuesday's live results show, the top eight vote-getters, regardless of team affiliation, will automatically advance to the next round, and the remaining four contestants will then sing for the Instant Save to fill the last spot in the top nine. My favorites this week were Nathan (of course), Maddie, L., Asher and Nadége, so I hope they're all safe. As for the ones I think won't be safe, it's really hard to predict... but I'd recommend that Bryan (who admitted he's polarizing), Serenity, and maybe Asher have their save-me songs ready to go. See you then.
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