The Voice 7: Top 4

The Voice 7 Finale night was indeed the Twilight Zone episode! I've been bitching for weeks now as to how this season turned out to be a dud, and then suddenly everyone's delivering good to outstanding performance. Did they just need enough time to settle and be comfortable? If this season consisted only of tonight and last week's performance shows, this season would probably one of the better ones. 

As of now, I just can't, for the love of me, figure out how will America vote. There's Damien who's probably the underdog in the competition after getting eliminated last week, but can't be disregarded as he has his own genre behind him. He could pull a Jermaine Paul - remember him? - and win the competition when no ones expecting him to. 

Then there's the country block supporting Craig Wayne Boyd. He's definitely not my cup of tea, but he has people and with Blake by his side, a possible win is imminent - especially with the song choices given to him. Then, we have Matt McAndrew, who's been probably the most consistent of them all. He's been charting iTunes incredibly well and Adam Levine seems to back him up more than his other acts.

And lastly, Chris Jamison, someone who no one thought will make it this far - especially after just being saved by Adam during the Live Playoffs - but he's been proving week after week that he deserved the spot and probably the win. The momentum is in his side and he's peaking at the right time, but is it enough? I genuinely think he's the most marketable, but we shall see.

On with the inevitable Adam Levine show! Haha.

SOLO

4. Damien

A Song For You

[TEAM ADAM]
This song should've been retired after Elliott Yamin. I don't know. Damien, for the most part, sounded fine, but this was a very safe song choice for him and I've heard better variations of this for years. Plus, I didn't like the arrangement and flubbed his lyrics. 6

3. Craig Wayne Boyd

In Pictures

[TEAM BLAKE]
So after pulling the religious card last week, Craig decided to connect via the single dad card this time. By the time he said "I love you, son." at the end of his performance, it was GAME OVER for me. Haha. Yes, this might have won him the whole thing, but while his vocals were mostly on point, it just didn't excite me. Maybe I'm not the core audience for this? 6.5

2.  Matt McAndrew
Over The Rainbow
[TEAM ADAM]
Why this song choice? Was Over The Rainbow more of a strategic choice? While I admired the risk in tackling something as iconic as this, I didn't think Matt had the subtlety and tender vocals to pull it all off. Yes, he had lovely moments, but it was mostly uneven. Plus, the last note was really shaky. 7

1. Chris Jamison
Cry Me A River
[TEAM ADAM]
Absolutely fantastic. Chris taking on a Justin Timberlake hit was clearly a walk in the park for him and it showed. His vocals were effortless, the transitions were flawless, it had presence, and it was just an all around outstanding performance. Not sure how Chris had me so interested in him, but it happened. 9

DUETS

4. Damien

Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me

[TEAM ADAM]
This duet sounded like mixing rock and ice cream. Haha. It's just not meant to be. Adam sounded weird on this song and Damien may have sounded fine without his coach. 6

3. Craig Wayne Boyd

Boots On

[TEAM BLAKE]
So. Much. Fun. Not particularly a country fan, but I genuinely enjoyed this. They brought that much needed energy and the combined stage presence of both Craig and Blake was compelling. 8

2. Matt McAndrew
Lost Stars
[TEAM ADAM]
I've been in love with this song for months now, and I thought Matt gave it justice. Sure, Adam sounded better with his own song, but Matt held his own and his falsetto was stronger than I remembered.  Just can't help myself but smile with this performance. 8.5

1. Chris Jamison
Lost Without You
[TEAM ADAM]
Awesome! Both Adam and Chris sounded divine on this song, and together, they sounded great. I had reservations initially, but this was one of the few times that I've witnessed a contestant be as good as their coach in a duet. 8.5

ORIGINAL

4.  Craig Wayne Boyd

My Baby's Got A Smile On Her Face
[TEAM BLAKE]

Was it just me or did Craig sound slightly sharp the entire song? The song had a stronger melody compared to, say, Chris Jamison, but this sounded very generic and it just didn't go anywhere. I'm pretty sure country fans will eat this up, but not me. 7

3. Damien
Soldier
[TEAM ADAM]Other than the botched note somewhere in the middle part of the song, Damien delivered possibly his strongest performance of the night. It's actually a relatively good song for his kind of music, and while I don't see this selling well in the future, this will make people vote for him. Oh, and this was a lot more radio friendly than expected, which is good. 7.5

2. Chris Jamison
Velvet
[TEAM ADAM]
Lyrically, the song was a little too dirty and creepy for my taste, but Chris gave it a cool funky vibe to balance the words. His lower register was solid and when he transitioned to his falsetto, everything sounded glorious. It had a lesser hook compared to the other original songs, but I actually didn't mind. 8

1.  Matt McAndrew
Wasted Love
[TEAM ADAM]
Hands down, the strongest original song in the bunch. It's moody, almost anthemic, and a vibe that sounded like a lovechild of Hozier and Coldplay. True, he had some minor pitch issues during the bridge, but that's forgivable. Solid performance. 8.5

WHO SHOULD WIN?

Chris Jamison

WHO WILL WIN?

Matt McAndrew/Craig Wayne Boyd