‘The Voice’ season 23 episode 12 recap: The Knockouts Part 2 with Mega Mentor Reba McEntire [UPDATING LIVE BLOG]

John Benutty and Denton Davidson
·9 min read
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“The Voice” Season 23 Knockouts continue on Monday, April 24. Country music legend Reba McEntire joins as Mega Mentor while coaches Blake Shelton, Niall Horan, Chance the Rapper and Kelly Clarkson prepare their artists to go head-to-head in hopes of advancing to the Playoffs.

The show’s innovative format features five stages of competition: Blind Auditions, Battle Rounds, Knockouts, Playoffs and Live Performance Shows. Shelton announced last year that this season would be his last. Can the nine-time champ make it an even 10 before signing off for good?

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Below, read our minute-by-minute “The Voice” recap of Season 23, Episode 12 to find out what happened Monday, April 24 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT. Then be sure to sound off in the comments section about your favorite artists on NBC’s long-running reality TV show, which coach you’re rooting for and who you think will ultimately join “The Voice” winners list for this 23rd season. Carson Daly hosts the Emmy-winning program.

TEAM BLAKE: Neil Salsich, Mary Kate Connor, Kylee Dayne, Grace West, Noivas

TEAM NIALL: Ross Clayton, Michael B., Ryley Tate Wilson, Jerome Godwin III, Gina Miles, EJ Michels, Tasha Jessen

TEAM CHANCE: Sorelle, Magnus, Jamar Langley, Manasseh Samone, Ray Uriel, Tiana Goss, Kala Banham

TEAM KELLY: Holly Brand, D.Smooth, ALI, Rachel Christine, Cait Martin 

SEE Everything to know about ‘The Voice’ Season 23: Mega Mentor announced

Keep refreshing/reloading this “The Voice” live blog for the most recent updates.

8:00 p.m. – “Previously on ‘The Voice’!” In Episode 11, the Knockouts premiered with eight artists advancing. Six won their contest, while Niall stole Tasha from Team Blake and Chance stole Kala from Team Kelly. Who will earn spots in the Playoffs tonight?

8:01 p.m. – Team Niall returned to the rehearsal stage with EJ Michels and Michael B., two artists their coach sees as “big dramatic singers.” EJ wanted to show off “front man vibes” with “Flip Switch,” which Niall liked because it’s a song that requires the stage presence he was looking for from him. Michael chose “When You’re Gone” because of the personal message, but liked that it’s an uptempo song still. For Niall and Reba, the key to this knockout was going to be the performance quality because they both chose such different songs.

8:12 p.m. – Chance told EJ that he has an energy that feels personal, but he was so into it that his pitch wasn’t always there. On the flip side, he was more attracted to Michael’s performance because the pitch was always there. Kelly agreed, adding that he sees like such a quiet guy and so it’s captivating that he lights up on stage. She thought EJ chose a smart song in order to separate himself from the rest of the competition. Blake thought EJ had a huge performance and that Michael was “exactly in the pocket.” Niall spoke to the diversity of song selection that EJ has shown and said that Michael has improved every week that he’s now a dark horse in the competition. Niall said he was going with his gut and the “bulletproof-ness” for future rounds in his decision to keep Michael around.

8:21 p.m. – For Chance’s next pairing he brought together his blues and soul artists Magnus and Jamar Langley. Magnus went with “Ordinary People,” the first song he learned on the piano (same for Chance!) and wanted to return to roots of being a gospel soul singer. Reba liked that he showed his range and Chance thought it was important for him to put his own touches on it. Jamar chose “Cruisin'” because of how well it represents his musical genre and the joy he gets “telling love stories” with music. Reba worked with the band to make the music more dynamic so that there’s some gentle moments in the song to match the way Jamar was comfortable approaching the song.

8:34 p.m. – Kelly was drawn in to Jamar because of the guitar playing and thought it enhanced his vocal ability. She was worried that Magnus sounded like “an imitation” and wasn’t able to create his own sound. Blake thought Jamar got lost in the music, but leaned more toward Magnus because of his huge voice. Niall called Jamar’s performance cool and applauded Magnus for being a big vocalist. Chance clarified that his choice comes down to what you can hear and that makes him really drawn to Magnus because of his vocal identity. He thought Jamar wrestled with the song in a positive way though and so he selected him as the winner.

8:42 p.m. – Blake’s next knockout matchup brought Grace West and Neil Salsich together for a set of tunes that Blake sees as perfectly in their own lanes. Grace went the classic route with “Here You Come Again,” which Blake thought was a good chance for her to be playful on stage. His only note was a single word where he thought she fell flat and Reba advised her to play with the camera a little bit because it helps the storytelling. Neil went in a more rock direction with “Takin’ It to the Streets” because he liked that it represents where he comes from in St. Louis. Reba and Blake reminded Neil that the song calls for a little seriousness that didn’t quit come through on his first pass.

8:56 p.m. – Niall thought they both did really well, but especially liked the changes Neil made to the song and thinks Grace has more potential in the future of the competition. Chance likes Grace’s tone, but thinks Neil has the stage presence that makes a performance exciting. Kelly appreciates that Neil is a versatile singer that can attack different styles of music with control and thinks that Grace is a star, even if the song wasn’t the best choice she could have made in this round. Blake thinks they both deserve to remain in the competition, but in going his own way he stuck with Grace for the next round. Before Neil could walk off the stage though, Kelly chimed in to steal Neil. She said that he can sing anything and that makes her excited to work with him.

9:05 p.m. – Niall brought Jerome Godwin III and Ross Clayton in for the next rehearsal, knowing that they both have very different styles of music. Jerome impressed Niall with the choice of “Someone You Loved” because it is taking a step back with a ballad. Reba liked the roundness of Jerome’s voice, but asked him to let his guard down a little to show the pain of the lyric. Ross went with “Dirty Work” because of how it honors his childhood years with his dad before he passed. Reba worked with Ross on his breath because he was losing it by the end of the song.

9:14 p.m. – Chance called both performances amazing, but said Ross had the edge because of how clear the meaning of the song was for him. Kelly agreed that they were both great and thinks Ross performs like he’s having a conversation with the audience. She said Jerome is a perfect singer for the show, but Blake disagreed because it sounded to him like Jerome was still finding his footing in the song. Niall felt, too, like Jerome’s confidence was knocked by some early pitch issues and knows that Ross still has more to show in the competition. It seemed like an easy decision for Niall to make the decision to stick with Ross this time around.

9:21 p.m. – Team Chance returned with the trio Sorelle vs. Tiana Goss, the artist he stole in the battles. Tiana wanted to go slower this around with “God Is a Woman” and changed the song up to be even more stripped down. Chance told Tiana she has to bring more feeling to the song so that it is a personal performance. Chance liked the choice of “Blame It on the Boogie” from Sorelle, a song they say they grew up singing on their karaoke machine. Reba was ecstatic about the energy Sorelle brought to rehearsal with their dance moves and loved their three-part harmony.

9:35 p.m. – Kelly thought Tiana had a “tender way of singing” that felt effortless and that Sorelle chose a cool song she never saw coming. Blake called Sorelle rare, saying they sound so perfect and unique. Niall agreed that there’s a shock factor with Sorelle that he likes, but he has history with Tiana from his team and thinks that her pure and sweet sound is nice. Chance sees Tiana as a strong performer and talented vocalists, but that Sorelle has a skill with harmonics that separate them within the context of the competition. Chance decided that the winner was Sorelle because he was blown away by their stage presence.

9:42 p.m. – Kelly closed out the round with Holly Brand and Rachel Christine, two big singers that she wanted to see go against each other. Holly chose “Blue Moon of Kentucky,” a song Kelly was not familiar with from the Pasty Cline or Leann Rimes versions. Reba thought Holly took the song to different places, but asked for a little more yodel in places that she missed from the Patsy version. Rachel’s song “Rhiannon” is one that Kelly knew and was important to Rachel because of the connection to her mom. Kelly stressed the breaks in Rachel’s voice because they’re what makes her special as a singer.

9:56 p.m. – Blake kicked off critiques by naming Holly’s yodel as great and controlled, but acknowledged that Rachel had a tough act to follow and still nailed it. Chance agreed that Rachel came back on his radar with this performance, but was blown away by Holly because of her perfect pitch and the whistle note at the end. Niall liked that Rachel changed things up with such a recognizable song and that Holly finally brought to the stage what she’s about as an artist. Kelly called both song choices perfect for them, noting that Holly pushed herself based on the rehearsal and gave compliments to Rachel for being able to perform with confidence after Holly’s performance. She said that musically they’re both artists she understands, but that this time she’d be sticking with Holly. This was the perfect opportunity for Blake to jump in with his final steal, claiming Rachel to his team because she’s a diverse vocalist that he needs on his team.

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