‘The Voice’ Knockout Rounds, Pt. 1: Gotta Have Faith (and Tim)

The Voice Season 11 Knockout Rounds kicked off Monday, featuring key advisors Tim McGraw and Faith Hill — the first time two celebrities have been brought in to jointly mentor at this stage of the competition. And thus, television history was made! And I am sure country’s cutest couple signed on because they just really love doing everything together, and not because they have their Soul2Soul World Tour to promote or anything like that.

But I digress. Tim and Faith did a solid job — as did the coaches, although I did question some of their decisions. But questioning and complaining is all part of the fun when it comes to The Voice. Let’s get to the recap!

TEAM BLAKE: Josh Gallagher vs. Sundance Head

Blake Shelton explained that he pitted these two singers against each other because they occupy the same country-radio-friendly lane, and he wanted to leave that lane open for just one contestant this season. I appreciated Blake’s strategizing – there’s a reason why he’s won this show four times, you know. The man obviously knows what he’s doing. But I never felt like Josh and Sundance were all that alike. If Blake really had wanted to keep both these guys going into the Live Playoffs, he probably could’ve found room. C’mon, remember Season 4, when pretty much everyone on Team Blake was country?

Anyway, Josh Gallagher went first, sticking with a sentimental country classic, B.W. Stevenson’s/Brooks & Dunn’s “My Maria.” Faith didn’t think Josh would be able the nail the almost Roy Orbison-like falsetto in the song’s ambitious chorus, and actually suggested he pull back from those high notes. But onstage, Josh totally pulled it off. However, that was the only memorable thing about his performance. Yes, he was confident, and capable, and definitely commercial… but so, so generic. This was not the sort of electric performance that would give a certain judge on American Idol an armful of “goosies.”

But – speaking of American Idol – up next was Season 6 Idol semifinalist Sundance to save the day. His performance was a risky one: He elected to do Miley Cyrus’s own power ballad “The Climb,” a sappy song she dropped from her own tour setlists years ago, and he sang without any accompaniment besides his acoustic guitar. But these risks paid off, handsomely. Sundance had a magical moment here, transforming the cheesy Hannah Montana movie theme into a credible country weeper. He made the song special. Miley even approved, excitedly singing along and later telling Sundance, “You gave it so much you-ness!”

It was no surprise that Blake awarded the contestant who delivered the “more solid performance” and saved Sundance. But why did that trigger-fingered Adam Levine buzz in so quickly — in the first Knockout of the season — to steal Josh? Adam had exhibited similarly impulsive behavior in the Battle Rounds, but at least in the Battles he had two Steals to squander. This time, in the Knockout, each coach only has one Steal. I do not know what Adam was thinking.

WINNER: Sundance Head

STOLEN: Josh Gallagher moves to Team Adam

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TEAM ALICIA: Kylie Rothfield vs. Whitney & Shannon

Alicia Keys came up with this pairing because both contestants supposedly have a folksy/rootsy style — but their Knockout performances could not have been more different. One was pure fire, and the other one was all fizzle.

First up, and an extremely tough act to follow, was Kylie, who awesomely belted the original Big Mama Thornton version of “Hound Dog” and just completely owned it. As Blake might say, she was badass. Taking Tim and Faith’s advice to keep the song “swampy,” “smoky,” and full of “whiskey,” she dug in deep – growling, snarling, raging on her guitar, and seemingly singing to some jerky ex-boyfriend who done her very, very wrong. She was a little bit KT Tunstall, and little bit Bria Kelly from The Voice Season 6, and yet very much her own thing. She seemed like a star. “The impactful way you played the guitar made me realize you’re a real player and you’re really good. And then you did, like, a walk-off, which was supercool. I thought you were just gonna leave the building and disappear in a cloud of smoke,” said Adam.

Whitney & Shannon’s sweet and restrained cover of Jason Mraz’s “I Won’t Give Up” was total 180 from Kylie. It actually sounded like, well, they had given up. Part of this was their coach’s fault: Alicia split their voices into solos on the bridge, which exposed all of their shortcomings. (The problem with these sisters is they have always sounded much more impressive together than apart.) The girls were nervous and wobbly from the start, and they didn’t really get their act together until the very end. They finished with a couple of lovely moments, but by then, it was too late.

Alicia saved Kylie, which was the right choice; that girl just might be this season’s dark horse. And no one stole Whitney & Shannon. That was also the right decision, but it still makes me a little sad to realize this show will probably never have a duo in the Live Playoffs ever again.

WINNER: Kylie Rothfield

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TEAM MILEY: Ali Caldwell vs. Lauren Diaz

Lauren Diaz started off as a frontrunner this season, getting the pimp spot on her audition episode and memorably dueting with her childhood idol (and future coach), Alicia Keys. But then Alicia dumped her in the Battle Rounds. Lauren got a second chance, thanks to Miley, but then this Monday, Miley pitted her against another frontrunner, Ali. The fix was in.

Perhaps that’s why Lauren sounded a bit desperate singing Andra Day’s “Rise Up.” Sure, her vocals sounded impeccable. And you can’t fault the girl for trying. She was really trying. But it all came off forced and false. Her phrasing felt rushed, and she seemed disconnected from the lyrics. It just seemed like she was trying to put on a show.

Ali hit all the right money notes, too (Faith even described her voice as a “freight train”), but she made it look and sound effortless. Doing seductress Sade’s “No Ordinary Love,” Ali was no ordinary contestant. She really knew how to masterfully build the tension and excitement in a performance, with perfect pacing that led towards a glorious big finish. And for the first time this season, she seemed fresh, sexy and modern – not old-fashioned or matronly in the least. This was stupendous.

Miley picked Ali, but I did think Lauren, with all her polished pop-star potential, had a shot at getting stolen again – maybe even back to Alicia’s team. But it was not meant to be. Lauren didn’t rise up this time.

WINNER: Ali Caldwell

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TEAM ADAM: Dave Moisan vs. Simone Gundy

This was a very mismatched pairing, in more ways than one. Not only were they very different singers, but one of those singers slayed, and the other slipped.

Dave, the high-pitched Maroon 5 fanboy, did Sam Smith’s “Like I Can” – a song that quickly got away from him, pretty much the moment he entered the ring. (“I’m not sure you chose the best song for your voice in this particular case, because I know what’s in there,” Blake later diplomatically told him.) Although Dave did possess the range to hit the song’s high notes, the chorus lacked power. Everything felt so feather-light and wispy, so underwhelming. The performance just never got to where it was supposed to go, and towards the end, when Dave tried to vamp and ad-lib, it was a total mess. The coaches’ reaction was noticeably subdued. No one looked that impressed. No one was singing along or jumping out of their red chairs. It was hard to believe Dave had been a four-chair turner back in the Blinds.

All Simone really had to do to beat Dave was stay in key and not go totally off the rails. But she did so much more than that. Her performance of Gladys Knight’s “Midnight Train to Georgia” was smooth and classy and polished, but with just enough edge and raw emotion to keeps things interesting. And when she improv’d at the end, she didn’t come unglued like Dave had. This just worked.

So, Simone stayed, and Dave unsurprisingly went. There would be no second Steal for Dave (who started off on Team Alicia before moving to Team Adam during the Battles). To loosely borrow a line from Dave’s favorite band, Maroon 5, this show had taken its toll on him.

WINNER: Simone Gundy

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TEAM ALICIA: Courtnie Ramirez vs. Wé McDonald

It seems the contestants get younger and younger on The Voice every season — but I can’t really complain or accuse the show of ageism when the youngsters are as talented as these two, can I? These girls really showed the women and men how it’s done.

Seventeen-year-old Courtnie, a former Team Miley contestant and a Team Alicia Steal, must have realized she was the underdog in this Knockout, singing against the phenomenal Wé. But she wasn’t going to let that stop her or rattle her nerves. She’d survived near-elimination before, after all. So she came to win. Belting Beyoncé’s “If I Were a Boy,” this scrappy little spitfire channeled her inner Sasha Fierce — and, while her performance was not perfect (her loud/soft dynamics needed some fine-tuning) she certainly was passionate. Courtnie was not going quietly – I mean that literally, because she sang this song at the top of her lungs. And she was not going home without a good fight.

And then came Wé. She’s also 17, but she was all woman doing Mary J. Blige’s “No More Drama.” Her performance has so much heft, tension, darkness, passion, and pain, and her deep, distinctively booming vocals made contestants twice her age look like amateurs. This mighty performance felt important, like a Grammy night number – right before Wé accepts her Best New Artist or Record of the Year award.

Wé won, and rightfully so. I thought Courtnie might be Steal-worthy – that maybe Blake, who admiringly called her a “rooster” during the Battles, would nab her – but instead, Courtnie flew the coop.

WINNER: Wé McDonald

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TEAM ADAM: Jason Warrior vs. Riley Elmore

Teen crooner Riley played it safe with Michael Bublé’s “Just Haven’t Met You Yet.” I would have preferred if he’d gotten creative and done a Great American Songbook-style interpetation of a modern, outside-the-box song pick, instead of being so predictable and literal. Riley’s voice was as smooth as the pomade in Adam’s hair (or the figurative snake oil that Adam peddles when trying to lure auditioners to his team), but let’s face it: The pop market already has a Michael Bublé.

Jason’s gospel-tinged take on Luke James’s “I Want You” perked me up a bit after Riley’s Lawrence Welk Variety Hour snoozefest. I’ve found his theatrically grating in the past, but this time, it worked. It was a perfect case of the right singer with the right song. I even forgave his not-so-perfect falsetto, because he was feeling it.

Bu apparently Adam wasn’t feeling it — he chose Riley. This was a shock. Jason clearly won this round. I’m grateful that Blake stole Jason, but this makes Blake Jason’s third coach of the season, after his short stints with Alicia and Adam. That doesn’t bode well for Jason’s chances. Will the third coach be the charm? We will see when the Playoffs begin.

WINNER: Riley Elmore

STOLEN: Jason Warrior moves to Team Blake

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But before that, there will be more Knockouts! Come back Tuesday and see what happens then.

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