The Voice 8: The Knockouts Part 1

I'm back! The Battle Round is finally done - as you should know by now, I don't review them for the most part - and The Knockout Round is here. To be honest, I'm still not particularly fond of this stage of the competition as I feel like some of the pairings are a little unfair since they usually throw in favorites with some cannon fodders, but I digress.. This episode managed to deliver some of the best performances this season. Personally, Season 8 is turning out to be quite stellar.

On with the show!

TEAM CHRISTINA

Ashley Morgan

Heartbreaker

There's no doubt that Ashley's a pretty strong vocalist - her pitch were always on point and there's a good amount of power in her vocals. That being said, there's not much dynamics as she started off really loud and there's nowhere else to go and not much identity in her performance. I felt cold after watching this. 6.5

Sonic

A Woman's Worth

She may not beat Ashley on technical vocal skills, but Sonic's palpable connection to the song was pretty impressive. The soul and emotion she put into the delivery of her performance was good, the liberties she took with the melody were on point, and there's a great deal of dynamics. Very nice. 7.5

WINNER: Sonic

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TEAM BLAKE

Brian Johnson

Nothing Ever Hurt Like You

Not really a fan of Brian, but this was seriously good. His tone worked perfectly well with his brilliant song choice, it showcased another side of his voice, and there's a right blend of attitude and vulnerability to his performance. 7

Sarah Potenza

Wasted Love

I never thought someone from The Voice would actually cover a song from one of the show's past contestants. Ok, they've done it with a Cassadee Pope song before, but I digress. This was fantastic from Sarah! The grit in her voice when she started belting the chorus sounded terrific, the intensity was riveting to watch, and the quiet moments were just as solid. 8.5 

WINNER: Sarah Potenza

STEAL: Brian Johnson (Team Adam)

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TEAM ADAM

Clinton Washington

Wanted

Not going to lie. I don't usually enjoy nasal tone - it's annoying - but somehow Clinton made it work for him. I'm not particularly sure if it was the song choice, but I found some of his melodic choices to be informed and precise, and the growl in his voice was a pleasant surprise. 7

Nathan Hermida

Leave Your Lover

This was a bit underwhelming. His transitions were jarring, his pitch was uneven, his falsetto sounded odd, and there's not much weight to his delivery. I don't know. Not his finest moment. 5

WINNER: Nathan Hermida

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TEAM PHARRELL

Mia Z

Hold On, I'm Coming

I admit, the arrangement at first sounded sluggish, but somehow Mia turned it around with her impeccable vocals. Her vocal choices were on point, her runs were precise, and her range was excellent and how she used it to deliver a showstopping performance was genius. I've never considered her as an actual threat in the competition, but I think she just made a solid case for herself with this one. 9

Paul Pfau

I Don't Need No Doctor

This was decent. Nothing particularly special. I though he sounded good, his pitch didn't waver as much, and there's some connection to the material. But having to follow Mia Z was a tall order, and this one paled in comparison. 6

Sawyer Fredericks

Collide

Still conflicted with this performance. Yes, Sawyer sounded good on the song and how he navigated the tune with his signature style and specific tone was quite evident. However, I felt like his phrasing on this particular song was strange, the arrangement felt languid, and his stage presence was almost non-existent. 6.5

WINNERS: 

Mia Z 

Sawyer Fredericks

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TEAM BLAKE

Meghan Linsey

Natural Woman

Overdone song. Great vocals. I don't know what else to say. She did some slight tweaking with the melody and her phrasing, but it was the same overdone song. Meghan needs to be careful with her song choices if she wants to last longer than the Playoffs. 7

Travis Ewing

I Don't Want To Be

This was, sadly, the weakest performance of the entire episode. Sure, Travis sounded like he was trying his best to impress - he was up against a professional - but her vocals were just all over the place, which was unfortunate. 4.5

WINNER: Meghan Linsey

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TEAM CHRISTINA

Kimberly Nichole

If You Love Somebody Set Them Free

While I had reservations with her song choice, she actually sold me the song. Her voice sounded great on the song, she's a totally awesome performer with a charisma and stage presence to boot, and there was such an ease in her delivery. Plus, she was fierce with those heels no? 8.5

Koryn Hawthorne

Try

It started off a little tentative, but when she hit the chorus, everything exploded. Her unique tone was front and center and there's a rawness to her that's very compelling. She may not be as seasoned as Kimberly, but she has sass and she's someone I can watch grow over the season. 8.5

WINNER: Kimberly Nichole

STEAL: Koryn Hawthrone (Team Pharrell)