‘The Voice’ season 23 episode 14 recap: Team Kelly and Team Niall compete in ‘The Playoffs Part 2’ [LIVE BLOG]

John Benutty and Denton Davidson
·10 min read
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Tonight on “The Voice”: The Playoffs continue as the 10 artists remaining across Team Kelly Clarkson and Team Niall Horan hold nothing back. Tough decisions are made when each coach chooses just two artists to advance to the live semi-finals. Blake Shelton and Chance the Rapper, who completed their team Playoffs last week, sit back and watch the competition unfold.

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 14 to find out what happened Monday, May 8 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: Grace West, Noivas

TEAM NIALL: Ross Clayton, Michael B., Ryley Tate Wilson, Gina Miles, Tasha Jessen

TEAM CHANCE: Sorelle, Ray Uriel

TEAM KELLY: Holly Brand, D.Smooth, ALI, Cait Martin, Neil Salsich

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 13, the Playoffs premiered with four artists advancing to the live semi-finals. Which four artists from Team Kelly and Team Niall will emerge as semi-finalists tonight?

8:03 p.m. – The night kicked off with D.Smooth taking the stage for Team Kelly with “Location.” D.Smooth’s goal with the song was to bring nostalgia back to music and, of course, to show off the silky texture of his voice. He and Kelly agreed during rehearsal to slow down the arrangement of the song, a moment that impressed Kelly with how much of an artist he is as a vocalist and producer.

8:08 p.m. – Chance called the performance “insane” and noted all of the improv he included in the runs that made it uniquely his own. Blake mentioned that his name is a perfect representation of his voice and attitude. Niall called it his best performance so far in the show and Kelly added that it’s her favorite that he’s done. She also noted that he did the song different every time and they were all amazing.

8:12 p.m. – Team Niall started the night with the performance from Ross Clayton. Niall was thrilled that they were able to get rights to “With or Without You” because it’s a song with range and a build that he felt worked really well for Ross. In rehearsal they worked on ways to make the song more individual and conversational for Ross.

8:17 p.m. – Kelly was impressed that Ross brought the “ache and longing” at the end of the song and she loved it. Blake called it “incredible” because he had a powerful moment with the song. Chance said it was his best performance despite having never heard the song before. Niall was proud of Ross because he tends to lean more country and so that he nailed the bigger rock song was a huge accomplishment.

8:24 p.m. – Kelly recognizes Cait Martin as one of the best singers in the competition and because she can sing anything, they chose the big rock ballad “Alone.” Kelly said she didn’t have any notes for her after the dry run at rehearsal, noticing that she’s “so comfortable in [her] skin.” Going into the performance, Kelly would be looking for who would be the best to compete with in the live shows.

8:30 p.m. – Niall was wowed, calling Cait’s big notes “pure and clean” and applauding the song choice. Chance liked the pacing of the vocal and performance. Blake said that she hit all the big parts of the song perfectly and only got off pitch during some of the runs. Kelly reiterated that she has to think about who Cait would be going up against in the competition and says the she should feel really good about conquering that big song.

8:36 p.m. – Gina Miles felt very comfortable with her song choice “Wicked Game” because it’s something she’s performed many times before. Niall said that he thought of that song for her since day one and so this was the moment they felt was right for her to perform it. Gina’s nervousness and confidence was a topic of conversation during rehearsal, so her stage presence was something he’d be looking for from her.

8:41 p.m. – Chance was surprised at the control and clarity Gina had in her lower register and called it amazing overall. Kelly echoed what Chance said and called Gina “rad.” Blake was bowled over by the performance, threatening to fire Niall if he doesn’t put her through. He called it his favorite thing he’s heard in a long time. Niall said it’s her best performance “by far” and thinks she has a distinct sound that is recognizable as her own.

8:47 p.m. – Kelly refers to Neil Salsich as “my pro” because of how reliable he is. She liked his choice of “Have a Little Faith in Me” as a song because it’s hopeful and shows off his rock voice in an interesting way. She told him that she can see him thinking about where he’s going with the song while he’s singing and he needs to put that aside and just perform.

8:52 p.m. – As his former coach, Blake called Neil one of the most consistent artists on the show. Niall called his runs and the passion of his performance amazing. Chance called it a dynamic performance that puts him in position to win the competition. Kelly said she learns more about him while he’s performing and he seems like he’s at home on stage.

8:57 p.m. – Niall brought his own steal to the stage next with a performance of “Here” by Tasha Jessen. She chose the song because of how it’s about not fitting the mold and that’s a personal story for Tasha. Niall wanted to teach Tasha how to find spots in the song to bring because she was running out of breath during rehearsals.

9:03 p.m. – Blake said that Tasha kept it “on 10” from beginning to end and that he sort of regrets letting go of her. Chance said it started out rocky, but she found her way into the song and eventually had control over it. Kelly called her a talented artist, but thinks the song got away from her so it wasn’t her best performance in the competition. Niall admitted that the song was always going to be a big task, but agrees that the way she got the song back in her control is impressive.

9:09 p.m. – ALI chose the big song “Never Alone,” which Kelly appreciated because it’s a big song that she was using to make a statement in the competition. It was a personal choice for her because it was in memory of passed loved ones who have made them her special. During rehearsal, Kelly suggested that they do a more acoustic version of the song to make it more special.

9:14 p.m. – Niall told ALI that she told the story of the song with her soul and it came through clearly. Chance said that he’s been impressed by her every week, always surpassing his expectations. Blake thought the song got away from her, but acknowledged that she’s a fan favorite and he can’t imagine her not going forward. Kelly called ALI’s runs interesting and she feels moved by her performances.

9:20 p.m. – Niall’s next performance was from theatrical pop artist Michael B. on the track “The Joke.” Michael acknowledged that it’s a big song to tackle, but there’s so much meaning in the song that he connects to that it’d be perfect for him. Niall asked Michael to bring his vibrato and some drama into the vocal because it’s what he liked from him last week.

9:25 p.m. – Kelly was moved by the performance and, holding back tears, wanted to hug Michael after. She said he has a booming voice that belongs on Broadway. Blake called it incredible and thinks he poured himself into the performance like he’s never seen before. Chance appreciated that he did sustain notes instead of runs because it showed a different style. Niall was looking for his connection to the lyric and he achieved that while also hitting the technical points of the song.

9:32 p.m. – Kelly returned with Holly Brand, her country artist “with a twist” because she always shows a new aspect of her style. Holly chose “Bring On the Rain” because it reminds her of her brother in the military and how she would support him from afar. Kelly was hoping that this week Holly would show the emotional side of herself as an artist and after rehearsal she thinks she’ll accomplish that.

9:37 p.m. – Blake told Holly that she took risks by changing the melody and it paid off. Niall appreciated that Holly showed a new side and urged Kelly to move forward with her. Chance said her voice and control are amazing. Kelly repeated that this was a new side to Holly’s voice and she conveyed the pain of the song.

9:43 p.m. – Niall finished the round with his Playoff Pass artist Ryley Tate Wilson on the song “when the party’s over.” Ryley was psyched for the song because he’s a huge Billie Eilish fan and felt comfortable connecting to the loneliness of the song because of how different he’s felt from his siblings. At rehearsal, they saw that his voice was where it needed to be, but Ryley needs to work on connecting to the song to bring the emotional depth to it.

9:49 p.m. – Chance said he’s surprised by Ryley every week and called it the “greatest show of control” of the night and fully supports him moving on. Kelly said that Ryley is the artist she’s scared of from another team because of his control and how he can sustain notes with drama. Blake called his performance unbelievable because there’s so many different parts to his voice. Niall stressed that Ryley is only 15 years old and what he accomplishes in his performances is mature beyond his years.

9:55 p.m. – Carson brought Team Kelly out first for the big decision on which two artists she’d move on to the live shows with. Kelly chose D.Smooth because she’s loved him since the blinds and he’s different from a lot of artists they’ve had on the show. Her second artist to advance was Holly because she’s exciting as an artist because of how many different genres she can weave through.

9:57 p.m. – Team Niall came to the stage to hear his decision about who would move on to the Top 8 live performance show. His first artist to advance was Ryley Tate Wilson because he’s never done something wrong on stage and he sees him as the future of the industry. His second choice came down to his gut and what they accomplished in this round and that was Gina Miles.

9:59 p.m. – On the way out, Carson mentioned that for the live shows there will be live voting and real time results delivered that same night to narrow the competition down even further for the final.

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