‘The Voice’ Top 11 Recap: Stop, Drop, and Soul

Monday night on The Voice, the top 11 sang their hearts out and their faces off, but three contestants were especially jaw- and knee-dropping. TSoul, Hunter Plake, and Chris Blue stood out from the rest, even though they were — quite literally — brought to their knees during their performances.

Let’s get to the recap!

Stephanie Rice (Team Alicia)

Stephanie’s signature strategy has been warbling — or growling — dark, depressing songs that tap into her deep reservoir of anguish and her past of familial abandonment. This week, she decided to change things up… with “Behind Blue Eyes.” No, the Who tune wasn’t exactly “Walking on Sunshine” (we already suffered through that cheery debacle during the Battle Rounds), but her uptempo, stadium-rockin’ performance was a slight departure from her previous efforts. Apparently this move was inspired by Stephanie’s good mood after being voted through by America last week (“This is a special moment to sing a song that doesn’t sting so bad, because I feel so much hope now,” she explained), but I was worried for her. Let’s face it, the great artists of our time, everyone from the Cure to Mary J. Blige, have created their best music in times of sorrow and stress. Would a shiny happy Stephanie be as memorable as the one who sang the tear-jerking “Piece by Piece” and “Safe & Sound”?

Well, this wasn’t my favorite performance from Stephanie, but she gave the classic rock ballad her special Fiona Apple/Lana Del Rey/Alanis Morissette-esque twist (while dressed like Lita Ford, which was not necessarily a bad thing). And thankfully, she didn’t do the Limp Bizkit version. The performance did take a while to get going, but when the electric guitars kicked in and Stephanie started to earnestly rock out, I didn’t mind seeing her have a little fun. After the life she’d led, she deserves it! I just hope this usually brooding songstress doesn’t start covering songs like Pharrell Williams’s “Happy” or Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe” on future episodes; this is about as cheerful as I ever want Stephanie to get. (But she can keep the Benatar headband. That’s a good look.)

“It’s so nice to see this side; I think it is definitely a different side. It’s not necessarily a happy-go-lucky tune — there is still some darkness in it, which I like. It’s got a little bit of everything. It’s nice to see you get up there and kick ass,” said Adam Levine. “You are blossoming like this powerful, feminine phenomenon, and I’m loving the energy… That was a killer performance,” said Alicia Keys.

Aliyah Moulden (Team Blake)

Blake Shelton keeps pushing 15-year-old Aliyah, this season’s youngest remaining contestant, down an old-school soul lane — I assume because he was so impressed by her cover of Big Mama Thornton’s “Hound Dog” back in the Blind Auditions. He explained this is why he picked “Take It Back” — a Reba McEntire song, yes, but one with a bluesy vibe — for this week’s performance. (“It’s a throwback to that Motown sound,” he said.) I am still not entirely convinced that classic soul is really Aliyah’s stock-in-trade, especially after last week’s woefully old-fashioned “Heatwave” number, but this week she did come into her own as a sassy performer. I still think Aliyah’s peppy, pageant-y style would have been better suited for America’s Got Talent (or, if she were able to access a time machine, for American Idol Season 2), but her “gravelly, raspy thing,” as Alicia put it, worked well with this tune. “Take It Back” was definitely hotter than “Heatwave.”

“There are moments where I’m like, ‘How is she so confident and so comfortable onstage at that age?’ And it keeps getting better… You are adorable, and very, very talented,” raved Gwen Stefani. “I’m blown away right now. America is falling in love with you — because it’s impossible not to, for one thing. They’re becoming invested in you as an artist, because they can literally hear you getting better every week that goes by,” said Blake.

TSoul (Team Blake)

TSoul is not the most note-perfect singer of Season 12, but he’s one of the most unusual, and no matter what, he always makes me feel something. No one on this show, not even Stephanie Rice, does vulnerability like TSoul. He is fearless, and he leaves everything on that stage. This week, he literally left an imprint of his body on the stage, when he reclined on his back during the melodramatic chorus of Sam Smith’s “Lay Me Down.” I am sure this performance was polarizing — some viewers might have found TSoul too over-the-top; others might have thought he let his emotions overpower his vocals. But I am sure no one watching The Voice Monday night will forget this tour de force.

“As a singer, it is not easy to do crunches and sing, so your gymnastic game while singing is really mind-bending,” joked Alicia. Added Blake: “TSoul is a beast. A beast! I have never heard you sing like that, man. You always get lost in the moment, but you just let your voice go; you didn’t hold anything back.”

Lilli Passero (Team Adam)

Lilli, who’d previously seemed like a frontrunner to me, had a rough time last week — battling illness, a terrible song choice (Shania Twain’s ill-suited “Man! I Feel Like a Woman”), and a poor showing on the iTunes chart. Thankfully, she escaped the bottom two last week, and I was rooting for a Lilli comeback this Monday. I was even excited when Adam gave her Gene Pitney’s “A Town Without Pity,” which I thought would play to her theatrical strengths. But this didn’t totally work. Adam requested an Amy Winehouse-esque rendition from Lilli, but the polished, poised professional didn’t quite have the grit, edge, or sense of desperation and danger to pull that off. So instead, her performance came across as old-fashioned and cabaret. And surprisingly, the usually flawless vocalist even hit a few bum notes! Maybe Lill is still ill. She seems to have lost her mojo, which is a shame.

The coaches were without pity for Lilli, however; they didn’t think she needed it, because they loved her performance. Alicia called it “relevant” and “magnificent,” and Adam was pleased, saying, “Man, I am so happy. It took so long for us to crack the code on what to do, what direction to go in… We found this song out of nowhere, and it was so beautiful to find a song that we got to take full ownership of. You made it your song, and people are going to want that song.” We will see if Adam is correct… or if Lilli stalls on iTunes again at No. 124.

Hunter Plake (Team Gwen)

Hunter sang “All I Want” by Irish indie band Kodaline. All I want is for him to win The Voice. Hunter has always delivered exquisite performances, with his impeccable musicality (the guy played drums during this week’s rehearsal, almost making me hope for a Phil Collins/Don Henley/Andy Sturmer-of-Jellyfish moment) and gorgeous, goose-bump-raising vocals. However, his one drawback has been a certain sense of detachment; his air of mystery can heighten the drama of his performances, but it can also be perceived as having a wall up. Well this week, that wall came crashing down, spectacularly. This was Hunter’s most vulnerable effort yet — has he been taking lessons from TSoul? — with lovely phrasing, an otherworldly falsetto, and a passionate, emotionally resonant delivery. I want a whole album of Hunter performances like this one. And I want it now.

Apparently, so does Adam, who said, “I am so happy about your success on the show. There is a lot of ways to be a great singer. People have a hard time understanding — you are very subtle, simple. The best thing about your voice is there is no way of mistaking your voice. You know you are hearing Hunter. That’s what makes you so special.” Said an excited Gwen: “This is talent. A real artist that writes music, that plays instruments. Hunter is full of music… There has been nobody like Hunter on this show. And I think people are just going to die when they get your record one day. Everybody, vote for Hunter. He is an incredible artist.”

Vanessa Ferguson (Team Alicia)

Vanessa occupies a similar space as Hunter: She’s a true, serious artist, but she is also reserved. This can be a problem on TV talent shows, when it’s as important to be “likable” and connect with the home audience as it is to pull off a great vocal. Likability and relatability might even be more important. “I think I am realizing I am somebody that internalizes my feelings,” Vanessa admitted during rehearsal. (She also revealed that she was extremely laid-back and unfussy as a infant, so apparently she literally came out of womb being cool.) Alicia advised Vanessa to let go and let loose on Rihanna’s “Diamonds,” but I still think Vanessa held back a bit. She looked fantastic — like a real star, even a Prince protégé — in her sharp white suit and trademark wide-brimmed hat, and her wailing and belting during the song’s climax was fantastic. But she didn’t quite bring the fire she needs in order to avoid becoming a middle-packer contestant.

“I love your vibe… You really stand alone in a lot of ways, because you know yourself. And knowing yourself is a hugely important part of being successful when it comes to singing. I just love you,” said Adam. “You have this thing about you; it is so effortless. When you sing, it’s so easy, it’s almost like she is in her bathrobe,” said Alicia. Um, is that a good thing? I am worried that Vanessa makes it all look too easy.

Lauren Duski (Team Blake)

Doing “Somewhere in My Broken Heart” by Randy Travis/Billy Dean, Lauren also seemed effortless onstage. But even when doing such a simple and stripped performance, she had emotional heft. Lauren just possesses a natural storytelling ability, a way of connecting with a lyric that always feels authentic. And she exudes class; she carries herself regally, like a grand country diva onstage at the Grammys. This was another beautiful performance from the woman who not only might win Season 12, but might actually sell some records once Season 12 is over.

“You are going to be in the finale. You just have what it takes. And you do it effortlessly, in such a classy, simple way. There is nothing I love more than when someone can get up there and sing a song and make us all feel the way that we feel right now,” said Adam. “The thing that we are all starting to realize about you is, you’re special, you are different, your voice sounds classic, but it doesn’t sound like anybody else. And I think the main thing is we all realize that you are a star. It is exciting for us. It is exciting for the show. Your story is continuing to build. America, don’t forget to vote for this girl. She is important to country music,” said Blake.

Mark Isaiah (Team Adam)

Interestingly, Adam revealed this week that he has allowed Mark to pick his own songs — a rare situation for Team Adam, or for The Voice in general. Well, maybe it’s time for Adam to have more of a say (as long as he doesn’t give Mark “Man! I Feel Like a Woman,” that is). Mark could use some guidance. He landed in the bottom two last week after covering Drake’s “One Dance,” and this week he chose a song in a similar wheelhouse, Lil Wayne’s “How to Love.” (If it’s broke, don’t fix it, I guess?) Mark fared better this week, mainly because he spent most of his performance sitting on a stool instead of trying to dance around the stage, so he didn’t get winded this time. His vocal was definitely stronger than last week’s. But “How to Love” wasn’t exactly a showcase for whatever range Mark may have; the song was monotonous, and this performance dragged on for way too long. There was also a blank affect here. But, that being said, at least Mark seemed current. He wouldn’t have been out of place at Sunday’s Radio Disney Awards. He just wouldn’t have won any awards.

“I believe that is the kind of modern record you would make,” said Gwen. Adam was even more optimistic for Mark’s future, or at least relieved, saying, “I can’t believe this, because I was a little worried; the rehearsals were tough. That is a constant mouthful of words to say… It was kind of a mess when we did it. But I trusted that you were going to come out here and blow me away, constantly surprise me. This guy does not deserve to go home.”

Jesse Larson (Team Adam)

For the second consecutive week, Jesse, the blues guitar virtuoso of Season 12, performed without his blues guitar. I know this show is called The Voice, not The Guitar, but I really feel Jesse’s rendition of Rag’n’Bone Man’s “Human” could have benefited from some of his signature searing guitar work. The song was a decent fit for his reedy, soulful, gospel-tinged voice (for the first time this season, I finally understood why Adam keeps comparing Jesse’s vocals to CeeLo Green’s), but his performance was often overpowered by the pounding, Stomp-like percussion, and the song didn’t go anywhere. A few tasty blues licks could have taken it to another level.

“Jesse is not a pop star. And I say that because the winner last year of The Voice was not a pop star: Sundance Head. You remind me of him, in a way,” said Adam. “You sing your face off. That’s what propelled him to victory. That’s what should propel you to victory. I believe that you are an incredible talent, only getting started. America, this is the best singer in the competition, right here.”

Brennley Brown (Team Gwen)

Gwen has made some questionable coaching choices in the past, but she’s really doing right by Brennley this year. The ’70s California country/folk-rock vibe is totally working for this 15-year-old. Last week, Brennley went to No. 7 on iTunes (the highest chart showing among the top 12) with Linda Ronstadt’s “Long, Long Time,” and she’ll probably have similar chart success this week with her sweetly twangy, countrified cover of Joni Mitchell’s plaintive, tender “River.” Taking the stage in a floor-sweeping Loretta Lynn frock and center-parted Crystal Gayle hair, Brennley looked like she dropped in from another era, from the 1973 Opry, and she sounded just as classic. With her pretty vibrato and sophisticated phrasing, Brennley is steadily moving to the front of the Season 12 pack; at this point, the only thing that might keep her from making it to the finale would be if she and Lauren cancel each other out.

“I don’t know how to get all my thoughts together right now. I literally almost got my phone out to start filming you when you started singing,” gushed Gwen. “I think someone needs to find your birth certificate; there is no way you are 15 years old and you can channel a Joni Mitchell song and lyric that is so deep. And your voice is so beautiful. You are so beautiful. I don’t know what else to say.”

Chris Blue (Team Alicia)

Chris Blue was giving me some serious Joshua Ledet/Terrence Trent D’Arby vibes during his stupendous performance of Percy Sledge’s “When a Man Loves a Woman.” I didn’t think I needed to ever hear this song again — and if I’m being completely honest, I do think Chris needs to continue covering modern material, like he did with Miguel’s “Adorn” and Rihanna’s “Love on the Brain,” lest he start seeming like some retro tribute act — but Chris brought such theatricality and dynamite showmanship to this singing-show staple, he made it seem fresh again. Like TSoul, Chris is one contestant who has no trouble letting his guard down. He was practically in tears by the song’s end, as were the coaches and audience.

“Whoever sent you to me blessed me, seriously blessed all of us, to be able to hear your voice. When you just came out here, I felt like I was watching Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke, Nat King Cole, the greats. And I really, really, really am so thankful that America sees how powerful you are,” raved Alicia.

So now, it is prediction time. Who will land in the bottom two this Tuesday? I think Mark Isaiah will be in trouble again — historically, contestants who win the Instant Save, as Mark did last week, are up for elimination the following week — along with, sadly, Lilli Passero. If I am right, I expect Lilli to easily win the Instant Save showdown… but she seems to have lost her momentum, so she may not remain without pity for long.

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