On to the rankings!!
Okie From Muskogee
TEAM BLAKE
Oh. My. God. What was with the song choice? Was this meant to be comedic or insulting? I honestly hated this. Not that they sounded bad because they were their usual generic sounding self, but I just can't get pass the song choice. Oh, and Blake quit using sympathy to get votes. Geez. 3
When God Fearin' Women Get The Blues
TEAM BLAKE
Hmm. I'm not sure what to think of this performance. It was relatively more entertaining than most of her performances on the show, but her vocals were unfortunate. Her voice wavered in the verses, her pitch were all over the place, and she hit a bunch of wobbly notes. On paper, this should send her home easily, but Holly's a tough one to get rid of, so we'll see. 4
Wagon Wheel
TEAM BLAKE
I admit, this was fun - the dancers were a bit distracting, but very compelling to say the least - and they sounded not too bad. Pleasantly predictable, but musically, it's hard to believe that they've beaten Judith Hill and Sarah Simmons. 5
Shake The Sugar Tree
TEAM BLAKE
I'm usually a big fan of Danielle, but this just wasn't her best night. Shake The Sugar Tree gave away her biggest weakness. She has ZERO connection whatsoever to her songs. Yes, she technically sounded lovely, but she struggled in bringing the emotional depth of this song. I mean, this was a bitter song, and she sang it like it was a Disney love song for kids.. It felt hollow and off putting. Sigh. 5.5
My Wish
TEAM BLAKE
To be fair, Holly sounded better on this one than her dreadful first song. Her voice just lends well with big country ballads and this was no exception. Sadly, she has a personality of a cedar fence post and she's just not relating well with the song enough to make an impact. 6
Crazy
TEAM ADAM
I guess, Danielle should take note on how to put emotion into a song. Not Crazy about the song choice as the whole performance fell flat and I felt like some of her lower notes got lost in parts and it was a little too sleepy for my taste, but the jazz inflections in Amber's voice was a pleasant surprise. Who knew she had this in her? 6.5
A Little Bit Stronger
TEAM BLAKE
While I prefer Jordis Unga's version two seasons ago, this was still a pretty solid rendition. Again, I saw her eyes wander the crowd, registering people, and there's NEVER any emotional punch there about what she was singing. That said, her vocals were golden on this. Her voice was pure and strong yet effortless. I also liked that she tried to push her vocal range quite a bit and I felt like she pulled it off quite nicely. Actually, Danielle reminds me now of Scotty McCreery - not entirely the most creative contestant, but exceedingly consistent. 7
Somewhere Only We Know
TEAM USHER
I just love how Michelle once again showcased the vulnerability of her vocals and then switch into something with more edge, but still maintaining the control over her voice. The dynamics here was spot on and her emotional connection with the material was palpable. I'm not sure if it's one of her best performances, but this was still pretty strong. 7.5
I Remember You
TEAM ADAM
.. and yes, Amber brought what Danielle and Holly didn't. EMOTION - and better vocals on a more challenging song. This song choice came out of nowhere from Adam, but it was wonderful. The arrangement was great and her vocals were fantastic. Very nice. 8
Before He Cheats
TEAM SHAKIRA
Sasha Fierce! Haha. This song choice made me nervous - I thought Shakira was overreaching by making Sasha sing country - but this surprisingly worked. It was breathy and slightly sloppy in parts, but I liked the arrangement - she took the song from country to the city - and she had the attitude down. Heck, I was half expecting her to get a baseball bat and hit something. Haha. This was fabulous. 8.5
Ain't No Way
TEAM SHAKIRA
Oh yes, Before He Cheats wasn't Sasha's best performance of the episode. Ain't No Way was even more revelatory than her Carrie Underwood cover. This felt like a singing clinic. She showed incredible versatility with impeccable range, control and emotions. Her tone was perfect, the attitude was spot on and the arrangement was stunning. There's a quiet elegance and confidence in this performance that was just magical. 9
I Knew You Were Trouble
TEAM USHER
Brilliant! To cover a Taylor Swift song was a smart move and, strategically, this proved that she can be relevant. She left everything on stage, she wasn't holding back and coasting, and her vocals were superb. I thought the arrangement was a total homerun - especially when the band suddenly kicked in and turned the ditty into rock. It's so funny how the non-country contestants made country sound better than the actual country contestants themselves. 9
PREDICTION
Holly Tucker
0 comments:
Post a Comment