It’s a pretty interesting batch with a couple of polarizing personalities and vocals. But I was fairly impressed with the performances in general. I wasn’t really expecting much from this season, but I really thought they were able to deliver – safe to say more than last season. It was tough finalizing the list, but here we go..
Now, we pay tribute to the performances that made this season worth watching - and reviewing!
Cody Belew
PLAYOFF
I didn't think Cee Lo made the right decision of cutting Avery over Cody, but he proved his worth with this vocal performance. Great dynamics. Beautiful tone. Intense delivery. Stupid movements. Other than his strange movements, I thought he did well.
Bryan Keith
BLIND AUDITIONS
Great control, great power, great tone. Right off the bat, I really noticed Bryan because of this stellar audition and figured that he'll do really well in this competition. Of course, he didn't win, but he proved his worth during his stay on the show.
Aquile & Nicole Hernandez
BATTLE
I love Aquile's blind audition, but I also adore Nathalie's great tone. This battle seemed a little one-sided in favor of Aquile and while he has an amazing voice, Nathalie has the potential to be really great. Her vocals weren't pitch perfect, but her transitions and ad libs were surprisingly good. But yes, Aquile deserves to advance here although I was hoping they would've save Nathalie.
Amanda Brown
TOP 6
If there was any contestant this season that I would pay to see do a solo concert, it would be Amanda. She was the only one who made me feel like I was watching a real concert. Not only can she sing, she entertains. Granted that she was a bit off when she transitioned to her head voice, but everything else was just flawless. And yes, Amanda does connect very well with the audience. Good stuff.
Kayla Navarez
BLIND AUDITIONS
As soon as I heard that first note, I knew she was going through. That rarely happens for me. I think she a great solid voice. Interesting tone. Clear enunciation. Good control. Too bad she got cut really early.
Bryan Keith
PLAYOFF
This was leaps and bounds better than his Knockout Round performance! I though his raspy baritone voice worked pretty well with the song and his pitch was mostly spot on. His voice during the chorus, in particular, was studio quality magic. His stage performance needed some work, but that's me nitpicking. Very nice.
Melanie Martinez
TOP 12
I admit, she was swallowing most of her words, but this was the best Melanie has sounded in a long time - maybe after her Toxic blind audition. Nothing earth shattering, but her distinct vocal tone was front and center here. I thought her performance showed some good dynamics and it's the kind of music that suits her best.
Cassadee Pope
TOP 4
Her rendition of this Keith Urban song was sublime. I liked that the song choice was current compared to the others during this episode, her vocals were fantastic, and she showcased a good amount of range in her voice. Plus, her vocal dynamics were terrific. I guess, I really like Cassadee bet when she sings country rather than the usual pop/rock.
Avery Wilson
BLIND AUDITIONS
Minus the superfluous vibrato, Avery I think is a very good singer. He has a good lower range and his upper register is pretty impressive - especially towards the end when his voice just soared. Plus, he has a good stage presence. After Javier Colon and Jermaine Paul, I did think he'd continue The Voice trend. Haha.
Terry McDermott
KNOCKOUT
I was never a fan of Terry, but this was quite impressive. I thought his tone was perfect for the song as it had enough character to pull it off. He did hit a couple of rough spots especially when he hit that falsetto, but other than that, this was a nice vocal performance from him and possibly his best performance on the show.
Melanie Martinez & Caitlin Michele
BATTLE
GORGEOUS. I love the haunting arrangement of the song and the uniqueness both singers gave to it was phenomenal. I still love Melanie's quirky vibe and phrasing, but Caitlin impressed me. Her pitch was better this time compared to her blind audition and that tone was lovely. Plus, I think she has more range and not everything would sound the same. I guess, quirk trumps vocals around here.
Amanda Brown
KNOCKOUT
Her blind audition was underwhelming and she was screechy during the battle rounds, but this proved me that Amanda did have a legit shot of winning the whole thing. She's just so versatile with tons of charisma and stage presence. Plus, she's vocally good. To be honest, I'd give it to her just on her song choice.
Sylvia Yacoub
PLAYOFF
I hated her in EVERY rounds she was in, but I thought she gave a pretty amazing performance - of course, relative to other contestants. I liked that she rearranged the song to make it sound fresh - take note, Adriana! - and there's an actual progression in the arrangement. Her voice soared towards the end, which was surprising. Her vibrato was annoying as hell, but I digress. In the battle of three wannabe divas in Christina's team, I thought she did the best.
Melanie Martinez
BLIND AUDITIONS
Interesting tone and phrasing choices. I think that her interpretation of Britney Spear's Toxic was really cool and I like that she added a quirky vibe to it. Every season, The Voice has their token "quirky" voice - Dia Frampton and Lindsey Pavao - and I feel like this season, it was indeed Melanie. Oh, and I did like her bow. Haha.
Melanie Martinez
TOP 10
WOW. Aside from the fact that she looked different - in a good way - with a straight hair, her version of Seven Nation Army was gorgeous! It did lack a bit of intensity, but her interpretation was on a different league. I thought her vocals had more power than usual and I'm just in awe as she was able to pull this one out of herself. This was the Melanie I fell in love during the blind auditions.
Dez Duron
TOP 10
There was a part of me that felt like I was being tricked. Haha. Seriously. Was I in bizarro land or was Dez suddenly became a totally different contestant? I NEVER expected to say this, but he actually did an excellent job with this song. Sure, he was still cheesy, but he showed some great control to his vocals, his notes were precise with a surprisingly pleasant tone, and his vocal dynamics were pretty good. Yes, a big step forward. He's no Michael Buble, but this was seriously good and he looked particularly spectacular tonight.
Amanda Brown
TOP 10
Seriously. How did Cee Lo let her go? I'm just glad The Voice did change the format or she would've been cut during the Battle Rounds. Now, Amanda's performance of this obscure Grace Potter song wasn't as jawdropping as her Dream On rendition, but this was still pretty amazing. Vocally, Amanda was flawless. I thought she had great vocal dynamics with amazing pitch and she seemed well connected with the song. I'm hoping the song choice wouldn't hurt her, but I digress. As for you Christina, shut up.
Melanie Martinez
TOP 8
I don't know with everyone else, but after Cough Syrup and Seven Nation Army, Melanie was definitely on a roll. Despite some subtle pitch issues, this performance was actually one of her best. The song choice was genius as it showcased a melodic huskiness to her voice that's just beautiful and her interpretation was stunning. Oh, and to whoever is styling her, kudos! That bow gets less and less conspicuous with each show. Haha.
Cassadee Pope
TOP 10
Readers of this site would know that I'm not Cassadee's biggest fan, but this was a thing of beauty! At first, I thought it was the beautiful song that made this performance special, but she actually showed some brilliant vocal control, a couple of beautiful little touches, and great tone. She also made some notes be so pure and clear and used her vibrato for emphasis. Oh, and this was her most passionate performance on the show.
Amanda Brown
PLAYOFF
Believe it or not, this really happened!! The performance that I almost beg the show to just end the season and give the title to her already. She was a vocal beast, she's unbelievably versatile, she has a hardcore edge to her and shockingly charismatic. This performance seriously gave me chills. I feel like it could have been so easy for a lot of people to flub those screaming high notes - Danny Gokey's atrocious take on the song, for example - but Amanda delivered them effortlessly. She may have hit some flat notes during the verses, but that last note pretty much zoned everyone else to oblivion. Possibly one of the best things I've heard on this show EVER.
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