The Voice Season 14 Recap: Top 11 Performance Live Blog (VIDEO)

The Voice Season 14 Song Spoilers – What Will the Top 11 Sing?

In order to vote, download The Voice Official App to your smartphone, head over to nbc.com/voicevotetv, stream and/or download an artists song from iTunes. Also, XFinity cable customers can vote through their set top box. Check this link for more information.  Fans will be tapped to announced each song pick!

Pryor Baird – Team Blake Shelton – Night Moves by Bob Seeger – Blake brought his team to a honky-tonk bar in order to teach them some sort of life lesson. Pryor has spent years on the road, in plenty of honky-tonks, I’m pretty sure he doesn’t need the lesson. The Bob Seeger tune brings him back to playing the song during summers on the lake. The fans did good here. Pryor’s style is very Seeger-esque. right down to the gravelly vocals. The arrangement isn’t very innovative and it comes off a bit karaoke. But when he hits the bridge and the music drops out–the moment feels authentic.  This is a dude who is used to covering songs. Kelly says, “You can’t teach being comfortable on stage…you are so great at entertaining,” Blake says, ” I felt the softer side of Pryor. You have so much momentum building right now on this show.” He mentions Pryor’s iTunes rankings. He’s charting higher than his fellow contestants. But compared to prior seasons? Not so much. –  Download from iTunes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGcvInd18aU

Sharane Calister – Team Adam Levine – Hero by Mariah Carey – She dedicates the song to her twin sister whom she was separated from as a child. Adam warns her about taking too many liberties with the song–at first. He’s attempting to craft a “super diva moment” for her. Good luck with that. Some Mariah songs are better than others. Personally, I find this one totally cornball, and at this point, really dated. The performance gets off to a slow start. Pitch wise it’s a little wobbly. But Sharane finds her footing eventually. She sounds a little hoarse tonight? When she gets to those big crowd pleasing notes, she seems comfortable. Former coach Alicia says, ‘I feel such a connection to you…I feel you finding your footing.” Adam says, “Full disclosure? I was afraid. I’m so proud of you of tackling a complete beast of a song.”  –  Download from iTunes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZ5ovPdzesw

Oh. If fans say nice things on social media and tag it #KindComments they could end up on the Kind Comments board! Whee!

Kaleb Lee – Team Kelly Clarkson – T-R-O-U-B-L-E by Travis Tritt – Kelly likes that fans picked a “personality” song for him. It’s one of his favorites.  He performed it in elementary school. And of course there is a clip. Cute. Oh. Her team went along with Kelly to the Ellen show, where they watched her rehearse. The band is rippin! Unfortunately, Kaleb isn’t matching their energy level. He’s a bit stoic up there. He needs to loosen up! He is literally not moving a muscle. Oh, finally, he begins to move around and play off the band a little. But he should have been doing that the entire performance. Blake wanted to jam with him! He felt the song showcased his energy and range. Kelly confesses the song was on her list. “You did a killer job. Nailed it.” –  Download from iTunes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFPqdbKJC6o

Interviewing the fans, host Carson Daly feels like he’s back on TRL. Heh. 

Jackie Foster – Team Alicia Keys – Love Reign O’er Me by The Who  –  Her fanbase is called the “Jackpack.” Her dad is a big fan of classic rock. Jackie feels like she’s going back to her roots. Jackie is very hands on with the arrangement. Her boyfriend is a singer too, we’re told. Heh.We finally meet him–American Idol Top 24 contestant Brandon Diaz! Needless to say, he did not get as far on HIS competition reality show as his girlfriend did on hers. Imagine if Amy Lee  from Evanescence covered “Love Reign O’er Me” That’s pretty much what this is! She hits some pretty impressive high notes on the last verse, but while there’s power, I’m not feeling the pain. Former coach Adam is happy that she’s doing well on Alicia’s team. He notes that the arrangement is significantly different than the original. “It was perfect,” he says. “I’m so ridiculously proud of how you create this energy,” says Alicia, while shouting Rah Rah Rah!-  Download from iTunes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwrL-yH15mY

Jackie Verna – Team Adam Levine – Strawberry Wine by Deana Carter  – Jackie appears to be unfamiliar with the song. But once she begins rehearsing, she likes it a lot. Jackie admits The Voice experience has been overwhelming, but Adam helps her feel comfortable.  Her fans know her hella better than Adam. Last week’s song pick (Avril Lavigne) was ridiculous. This tune is well suited to her trembly country twang. Her gentle phrasing, with a well placed scoop here and there, coveys a plaintive ache. Blake says, “That song is so perfect for your voice…when you held out some of those notes…that song worked for you.” Adam says, “This girl is more dynamic and better every show.” He insists she is one of the better singers in the competition. I wouldn’t say that.  –   Download from iTunes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVHrBmOAe84

Kyla Jade – Team Blake Shelton – Sweet Sweet Baby (Since You Been Gone) by Aretha Franklin – I like that Kyla is singing a great Aretha song that is NOT overplayed. Blake is happy Kyla will have the chance to bring some sass to the stage. This song has SUCH A GREAT HOOK. Dressed in a gold sheath, Kyla’s throaty vocals are perfect. She doesn’t veer much from the original until she adlibs at the end, but the performance is upbeat and fun. She ends the song on a soaring note and a defiant yelp.  Alicia is out of her seat, calling Kyla “phenomenal” and “inspiring” in how she owns her own space. Kelly calls Blake lucky. Kyla snarks that they all should’ve hit their button in the Blinds. Kelly insists that she did!  Blake is proud how she’s found courage to step into the foreground. –  Download from iTunes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twDFiXsmRDY

Christiana Danielle – Team Alicia Keys – Umbrella by Rihanna  – Oh. Alicia contacted Jay Z personally to get the song cleared. No wonder Christiana needed special permission. Melodically, the verse is unrecognizable. It’s a little weird. The chorus brings the song into focus as her unique vibrato caresses the melody. She’s an odd odd singer, but also compelling. The timing feels a little off her and her vocals thin and a bit pitchy in her upper register. But the arrangement had some solid moments. Her potential can’t be denied.  Alicia calls Christiana “lovable” and “unique.” –  Download from iTunes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oy37a12eb_g

Brynn Cartelli – Team Kelly Clarkson – You and I by Lady Gaga  – When Kelly’s team meets Ellen she dispenses some advice: Sing because you love it not to get rich. And don’t be someone you’re not. Fairly generic advice.   We Brynn’s supporters back in Western Massachusetts cheering her on. Brynn and Kelly plan to put a “swampy” feel on the song. A steel guitar and harmonica give the arrangement that soupy feel. Brynn approaches the song like a teenaged Bonnie Raitt. She doesn’t have the elder singer’s grit yet, but that will come with time. Her tone and phrasing are A+.  By the end Brynn is fully inhabiting the song. Kelly calls Brynn “captivating.” She adds, “You’re just cool.” –  Download from iTunes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0-r-ah5lfY

Rayshun Lamarr – Team Adam Levine – Try a Little Tenderness by Otis Redding  – I can’t think of another song that would allow Rayshun to go complete full on nutso on stage.  America saved him last week! And may again this week. We’ll see. Adam tries to keep Rayshun from performing on full blast 11. He thanks the entire RayshunNation fam! Online, he connects with a fellow cancer survivor. Touching. He does manage to hold back for the first few verses of the performance. Then he gets to that bridge/chorus…time to go wild. And he does, with dance steps and even a few hip thrusts. Ok, that wasn’t bonkers like I was expecting, but still very energetic. Adam reminds viewers he was in the B2 last week. Now he’s number one! The judges are standing! “You are unstoppable,” says Adam.  – Download from iTunes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYdGxrzEMbI

Britton Buchanan – Team Alicia Keys – Perfect by Ed Sheeran  – Britton is excited. He has a girlfriend. Oooh. It’s Livia Faith who was eliminated from Team Alicia in an earlier round. Love is just blooming all over these singing shows, isn’t it? They met at the Blind Auditions. He sent her chocolate covered strawberries. Aw. Alicia works with him on how to be both vulnerable and soulful. Livia will be in the live audience where Britton will dedicate the song to her. The arrangement has a tenderness the original does not. Britton takes his time with the vocal, which is dripping with emotion and vulnerability. If this isn’t an iTunes hit, well then I just don’t know.  She’s crying. HE’S CRYING! Dude must really be in love. Alicia says, “You are not a joke…there’s no bells, no whistles. Just you and your voice and your music and your power…”  –  Download from iTunes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KksXbA66RQQ

Spensha Baker – Team Blake Shelton – Better Man by Little Big Town – At the bar where they’re rehearsing this week, Spensha plays pool for the first time. Blake gifts his team with guitars, and Spensha is moved to tears. Also crying–Kyla as Spensha rehearses. The singer has been a consistent performer throughout the competition, making it clear that country music is where she really belongs. Such a self-assured singer, emotionally, she’s fearless. Kelly says, “It’s crazy how big your voice is–your big round sound.” She says there’s a lot of room in the genre for females to add some soul. Blake is so glad she didn’t give up on music. He tells her she’s important to the country world.  –  Download from iTunes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8hxpKIBmjA