“The Voice” Recap: Team Adam & Team Cee Lo Face The Instant Elimination
During that episode, coach Adam Levine seemed a little disappointed in some of his proteges, but when it came time for their last chance performances, they stayed cool under pressure and blew everyone out of the water.
That’s when Adam asked them, why did it take so long for them to act like they were singing for the last time? Every performance should feel like their last and so the genius producers at The Voice concocted the instant elimination scheme.
Everyone watched Team Christina and Team Blake go through it last week, but now it was time for Jamar Simms, Juliet Simms, Katrina Parker, and the rest to face the music.
Were they able to withstand all the added stress? Carson gave us his take on the emotional episode:
TEAM CEE LO
Jamar Rogers – “It’s My Life”
Jamar Rogers delivered another solid performance with Bon Jovi’s “It’s My Life.” The song had a profound meaning to the HIV-positive singer who never believed he would make it to his 30th birthday. He made it through the song with ease, but the tears began to flow during the coaches’ critique.
Adam shared with the audience that while it didn’t appear so after editing, Jamar was actually the first person they heard during the blind auditions. The whole coaching panel was caught off guard and only Cee Lo Green turned around his chair. Now with week after week of incredible performances, Adam says it’s clear that the rest of them “missed out on something amazing.”
James Massone – “Just The Way You Are”
Capitalizing on his “ladykilla” status, James Massone tried to charm the ladies with Billy Joel’s “Just The Way You Are.”
Blake Shelton wasn’t totally on board with it, saying “it just kind of laid there.” Christina said James clearly has a special voice, but she was hoping to see him be more than just a ladies’ man.
Cheesa – “I Have Nothing”
Taking on a Whitney Houston song is a tall order, but Cheesa was up to the challenge. The diva-in-training belted “I Have Nothing” and proved she’s a force to be reckoned with.
Christina Aguilera is no stranger to songs with soaring vocals and even she was impressed by Cheesa’s big risk. “You took it to notes that Whitney actually didn’t hit in the out chorus and I thought that was really original. I’m telling you, this week, Team Cee Lo is where it’s at.”
Cee Lo explained that he’s supported Cheesa because he’s tired of the “auto-tune, Tinkerbell” female pop singers and he told her she did an “exceptional job” filling Whitney Houston’s shoes.
Juliet Simms – “Cryin'”
Leave it to Juliet Simms to finish things off on a high note. The rocker donned a pair of wings to tackle Steven Tyler’s “Cryin’.” And just like a couple weeks ago, she received rave reviews from the coaching panel. Christina praised Juliet when saying, “It’s almost like you black out when you’re on stage because you just go in and you never look back. I love the way you kind of roar on stage.”
Juliet’s coach Cee Lo said her voice is “built to last” and she is one of the hopefuls everyone is rooting for.
Cee Lo’s Instant Elimination
Unfortunately for James Massone, he came up short at the end of the night. Cee Lo has arguably the strongest crew in the entire competition and after a touching speech to his team, he decided to cut the charming boy from Boston.
Katrina Parker – “Jar of Hearts”
It’s safe to say that Katrina Parker had her breakout moment of the season with Christina Perri’s “Jar of Hearts.” She’s been compared to Adele throughout the run of the show, but last night, she proved that she’s more than a cover singer.
Blake couldn’t help but ask Adam, “What are you going to do now, buddy?” He couldn’t stop raving about Katrina’s rendition saying, “You just stepped out on your own there. Your voice is sweet and powerful and it had this rasp to it. That was awesome.”
Mathai – “I’m Like A Bird”
Mathai has been one of the favorites since her blind audition and she’s been trying to recapture the joy she felt that moment ever since. Adam wisely gave her the Nelly Furtado song “I’m Like A Bird,” and although Mathai was worried that she would sound too much like the original, she still managed to make it her own.
Christina told her that she felt Katrina was the stronger one this week and that performance felt “force-fed.” Adam respectfully disagreed. While he wasn’t a fan of the “sketchy dude” flying across the stage, he called Mathai’s energy “infectious.”
Pip – “Somewhere Only We Know”
Although he was missing his signature bow tie this week, “Somewhere We Only We Know” was a classic Pip performance. But singing alone wasn’t enough, he also took the opportunity to show off his talents on the piano.
Blake thought things got a little rocky towards the end and coach Adam had to agree. He told Pip, “There were a couple moments that weren’t perfect, but hey man, it’s not supposed to be perfect.”
Tony Lucca – “…Baby One More Time”
When Tony Lucca performed the last time, Christina called him “one dimensional.” Determined to win her over, he chose to do a bluesy take on Britney Spears’ “…Baby One More Time,” which brought all the Mickey Mouse Club memories flooding back.
Carson described the crowd’s reaction as “Justin Bieber loud” and Christina had to eat her words. She even suggested getting the whole gang, Britney and Justin Timberlake included, on the stage of The Voice for a reunion.
Adam’s Instant Elimination
When it came time for Adam to make his instant elimination, he was clearly conflicted. Before all the performances, he thought he had it all worked out in his head, but he was surprised by those who stepped up their game.
With that being said, he finally settled on sending home Pip.
- What did you think of last night’s performances and instant eliminations? Let us know what you think below in the comments section!
-Sarah Carroll, 97.1 AMP Radio, Los Angeles