HOUSTON – This past Monday night's episode of The Voice was one of the all-around best I've seen thus far. Even the ones I didn't like, I kind of liked. Crazy huge shout out to all of the contestants!
Sylvia Yacoub started off the night with Alicia Keys' "Girl on Fire," and I had very high expectations. I thought this was a great song choice and I always look forward to seeing her at the piano, but this was… not her best. I don't know what's going on with homegirl, but this was probably one of the worst performances of the night. She was all over the place, in and out of tune, and she just sounded straight up amateur. If she makes it to next week, she got some ‘splainin' to doooo.
Next up was Mr. Classic Rock himself, Terry McDermott, singing Bryan Adam's "Summer of 69." This was probably the best Terry has sounded since "Baby I'm Amazed," and I thoroughly enjoyed this performance, but my fear is that he has pigeon-holed himself so completely that America will get bored of hearing the same kind of thing every week. This is where Blake needs to step it up as a coach. Terry needs to rockify a current song and show where he fits in today's music scene. 1969 called. It said to get your own damn music.
Oh, Melanie Martinez. If I hadn't heard this exact same thing for the past FOREVER, I would probably have really liked the performance of "Seven Nation Army" by the White Stripes. It was cool and quirky, but I think I'm just… over it. Sorry tiny two-tone.
Now when I went back to look at my notes for Cody Belew's performance of Beyoncé's "Crazy in Love," the only thing I had written was, "I have no words." I think I was just overwhelmed by all the BAM BAM, ya know? I mean there was the Janet Jackson leather jacket, the complete disregard for the actual song he was supposed to be singing in favor of some totally random riffs and wails, the dance breakdown at the end where he literally threw the microphone off the stage, and then the final button with the fiercest of jazz hands… Just watch the video for yourself. I dare you to only watch it once.
Cody Belew Top 10
I think I've figured out what I do and do not like about Bryan Keith. I would totally wear out an album of his from listening to it too much, but I would never pay money to see him live. I love his voice. Like I love it. But I just don't feel him as a performer. He's basically the opposite of Cody Belew, who I would pay MAJOR money to see perform live but probably wouldn't listen to of my own free will. So I guess in the context of The Voice, Bryan's got it goin' on in a very serious way. I'm not sure he could've sung Billy Joel's "New York State of Mind" any better, and I'm just about ready to surrender to his gritty awesomeness… just about.
Bryan Keith Top 10
But my favorite performance of the night (vocal, since Cody takes best visual performance by a MILE) was from Amanda Brown. It's like Grace Potter's "Stars" was written for her, and I could so easily see her releasing this as a single. It sits right in her sweet spot and she conveyed so much sincere emotion in the performance… I was putty by the end of it. She has to go through to the very end. She just has to.
Amanda Brown Top 10
HEY NAH Nicholas David! Hey. Nah. I truly thought it couldn't get better after Barry White night, but last night's performance of "Lean on Me" proved me wrong. I mean it's really hard to do poorly when a gospel choir is involved. Granted. But add Nicholas behind the piano and that crazy leg that just could not contain the awesomeness of that entire situation and you get something pretty, as Blake put it, legendary. HEY NAH!
Nicholas David Top 10
Trevin Hunte's performance of Usher's "Scream" is a perfect example of why parents don't let toddlers dress themselves or cut their own hair. They don't know how to make good decisions yet. Trevin is like a toddler diva. He doesn't know which songs to pick for himself, and Cee Lo should have been a better parent. This song choice was simply a disaster, and Trevin is just lucky he could lit'rally sing Rebecca Black's "Friday" and have it sound like a musical masterpiece. Come on, America. Give this guy a break. He didn't know any better!
Now Cassadee Pope, on the other hand, had one hell of a lucky break with this song choice. I'm not sure you can get much better than singing a song written by your superstar coach and his superstar wife about the passing of his brother while he proudly watches with tears in his eyes. Slam, have you met my good friend dunk? But to be fair, she did do a wonderful job with the song and sounded absolutely lovely. I totes cried.
Cassadee Pope Top 10
Dez Duron wrapped up the night with a performance that proved once and for all that this dude is more than just a pretty face. "Feeling Good" has been done so many times that it's hard not to be compared with someone INSANELY AWESOME when you're singing it. And in this case, that someone awesome is Michael Bublé. Dez used pretty much the exact same arrangement as Bublé, and I kind of expected him to tank. But he was just oozing the kind of sex that women of any age can lust for without shame and that men dream of possessing whenever they put on a nice suit. And his final note was bangin'.
Dez Duron Top 10
My prediction for the bottom two: Sylvia Yacoub and Melanie Martinez.
Thanks for reading, and as always, thanks for watching KPRC Local 2!