Kelly Clarkson's 'Team Estrogen' gets new masculine energy on 'The Voice'

Team Kelly has earned the nickname “Team Estrogen” this Voice season, since up until this Monday’s Battle Rounds, Micah Iverson was the only male singer out of coach Kelly Clarkson’s 10 contestants. But it looks like Team Estrogen will have a double-shot of testosterone this season, as this team’s demographics notably shifted during the course of the night. First, Kelly was smart to put emo-indie-pop singer Micah to good use in a heartbreak duet of Lewis Capaldi’s “Someone You Loved” with Gigi Hess, who was clearly basking in Micah’s masculine energy. Gigi and Micah shared chemistry that was so intense — during rehearsal, they actually seemed to forget that Kelly and guest mentor Dua Lipa were even in the room — that Kelly not only wanted them to become a duo, but suggested that they date in real life. I think they were an even match in rehearsals, but once they got in the big ring, their connection was slightly diminished, and Micah truly stood out. His emotion was so palpable and convincing, he was serving it and pulling focus even during Gigi’s solo lines. Micah was giving the audience theater, and they ate it up — as did Kelly, who declared him the obvious winner of this Battle. But then came Team Legend’s Mandi Castillo and Cammwess. Kelly has a well-known obsession with Spanish-language singers and desperately wanted four-chair bilingual contestant Mandi for her team during the Blinds, so I knew she would swoop in for the Steal if she got her chance during this Battle. What I didn’t expect was Kelly stealing… Cammwess. Of course, stealing Mandi was never going to be an option: While the Camila Cabello/Shawn Mendes Latin/pop/soul crossover hit “Señorita” was a good song selection for these two very different vocalists, Mandi and Cammwess didn’t have the same sort of onstage connection that Gigi and Micah had shared, and Cammwess’s performance was generic and restrained while Mandi’s was confident and bubbly. But their coach, John Legend, said Cammwess reminded him of himself, and Kelly explained, “I love John, so I love you too!” So, there ya go. Or maybe Kelly just wanted some more testosterone to balance out Team Estrogen?