The Voice 9: Live Playoffs #TeamAdam

Song choices have been abysmal on #TeamAdam and I couldn't understand his thought process while picking these songs for his artists. To Be With You? You're No Good? The Way You Look Tonight? Halo? Sure, they somehow fit the artists, but these choices were terribly lazy and predictable, I wanted to barf.

As for the performances? I expected a lot more from Adam's team - he probably has one of the most diverse artists this year - so I was a bit disappointed with how most of them faltered. I'm crossing my fingers that it was just a simple case of first live show syndrome and things will get better from here on out.

On with the show!

06. Chance Peña*
Barton Hollow
What was that? Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed some of his previous performances, but this was terrible. His vocals sounded harsh for the most part, his pitch was all over the place, and there's no finesse to his delivery. It's a shame given that he probably has one of the more decent song choices of the evening and yet unable to pull it all off. 3

05. Keith Semple
To Be With You
Eh. Other than the fact that his tone was a tad annoying - at least to my ears - there was nothing memorable about the performance. It sounded like a bland karaoke version and I was a bit irked that he never really sang the chorus straight and opted to do unnecessary adlibs. Why? 4

04. Blaine Mitchell
Never Tear Us Apart
Given that he performed first (death spot), he had to deliver something remarkable, but that didn't happen. Yes, this was a pretty solid number and his vocals were spot on, but it didn't leave much of an impression. I actually forgot about him after three performances. 6.5

03. Amy Vachal
The Way You Look Tonight
I would've liked a little more dynamics and some consistent breath support, but her voice had this arresting quality that I didn't mind that she didn't do anything to veer away from the blueprint of the original. Sure, the song choice was too predictable - almost lazy - but I thought it was brilliantly sung. 7.5

02. Shelby Brown
You're No Good
I've never been a fan of this song and I don't think it was the best choice for her, but Shelby made the most out of it. I thought her upper register sounded gorgeous, I loved how she infused some much needed personality and attitude to the performance, and her vocals were really strong. I'm afraid this might get lost in the shuffle, but I digress. 7.5

01. Jordan Smith
Halo
Jordan just murdered everyone on stage - including all of Team Gwen - and I don't even like the guy. Sure, it was all vocal bombast with very little emotional connection to the material, but with no competition whatsoever on vocal fronts, he was just far ahead of the pack. It was predictable and everyone will eventually get tired of him, but for now, this deserved that top spot. 8

TEAM ADAM PREDICTION

Jordan Smith
Shelby Brown

Amy Vachal