Top 12 Performers Wow on ‘The Voice’

The competition heated up on The Voice with only 12 singers left, all fighting for a spot in the Top 11. The coaches no longer had any steals or saves, but they continued to prepare their rising artists in rehearsals leading up to the live performances. The night kicked off with the only female country artist left in the competition.

Team Blake’s Mary Sarah decided to sing “So Small” by Carrie Underwood. Singing something a little more contemporary was the right choice for Sarah, and she handled the hit very well. She hit the big notes and intertwined her personality and charm into the performance. Laith Al-Saadi from Team Adam followed with a performance of “Born Under a Bad Sign” by Albert King. A strong blues song was definitely the right choice for Al-Saadi, who gave a powerful performance that truly showcased his impressive musicality skills. “I’m so proud to have you on my team,” Levine said. “You do blues in such an authentic way.”

Pharrell’s comeback artist, Daniel Passino, was up next, singing “Human Nature” by Michael Jackson. It was another strong song choice of the night. “I knew that he would do it his own way,” Pharrell said. Passino proved to be one of the standout performances of the night and left everyone watching wanting more. Team Pharrell’s Emily Keener — the lucky artist Pharrell saved during the eliminations last episode — took the stage for a performance of “Lilac Wine” by Jeff Buckley. The young artist mentioned that she chose the song because she appreciates emotional songwriting that taps into a deeper level of human experience. Keener gave a very haunting performance and showed off her unique ability to transport people back in time.

Team Christina’s comeback artist, Nick Hagelin, sang “Mine Would Be You” by Shelton and accompanied himself on the piano. The song allowed him to really showcase his range and smooth, beautiful tone. Team Blake’s Adam Wakefield performed “Soulshine” by the Allman Brothers Band. Wakefield brought his own musicality to it, proving himself to be a very seasoned musician. “You are just so far beyond the real deal,” Levine said. “You’re a star, man,” Shelton added. Bryan Bautista, who Christina saved during eliminations last week, chose “Kiss From a Rose” by Seal. It was one of the stronger performances of the night, hands down. Bautista has been consistently adept at making songs sound like his own, and this performance was no exception.

Owen Danoff from Team Adam opted for a recent popular hit, singing “7 Years” by Lukas Graham. His version of the hit seemed to dig even deeper than the original recording. “I felt like that performance packed such a mean punch,” Pharrell said. Levine said Danoff busted out of his shell during the performance. “It warms my heart just to see you do that,” Levine said. “You came alive tonight.”

Team Christina’s Alisan Porter chose to sing “Stone Cold” by Demi Lovato, and it was another highlight of the night. Porter has been so consistently strong all season, and she seems capable of singing just about everything she wants to. Ported belted the song as if it were her own, connecting with the lyrics in a way that took the performance to the next level. All four coaches gave her a standing ovation. Paxton Ingram, who Shelton saved last week, sang “Hands To Myself” by Selena Gomez. And even though he was doing a ballad this time around, he still brought his infectious energy to the stage.

Team Pharrell’s Hannah Huston decided to sing “Something’s Got a Hold On Me” by Etta James, and she killed it. She had so much control over her vocals, nailing her runs and affecting her voice at just the right times. “You have mountain ranges of notes,” Pharrell said. “It’s amazing what you’re doing right now.” Team Adam’s Shalyah Fearing, who had the best performance of last week’s episode, closed out the night with “Up to the Mountain.” Fearing put on a phenomenal performance that really set her apart from everyone else in the competition. She may be the youngest artist left, but she has a raw and undeniable talent that makes her a frontrunner in this competition.

The Voice airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on NBC.

Watch the surprising results from the live Voice eliminations:

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