It might only feel like March, but the madness began Monday night on "The Voice" Final Four.
After 25 episodes, a gifted crop of singers has been whittled down to
the bitter end, and still there's no telling who will come out on top.
Even after an episode in which every singer had the opportunity to
perform three times, no clear frontrunner emerged. Jeffery had a slow
start, but his main performance of the night put him back in the mix.
Emily Ann Roberts and Barrett Baber were remarkably consistent
throughout and Jordan, as always, was brilliant, though he couldn't
quite reach Adam's registers in their duet on "God Only Knows" by the
Beach Boys.
Every artist had the chance to sing with his or her coach, and the
duets were overall the low point of the night. Blake and Barrett were
bro-ing out on "Rhinestone Cowboy," and if you could get past the oddity
of Blake and Emily Ann singing the love song "Islands in the Stream"
together, you might have been able to appreciate it. Gwen and Jeffery
were solid on "Leather and Lace," but nothing special.
Temperatures across the U.S. have been uncharacteristically warm this
December, but "The Voice" worked hard to ring in the Christmas spirit
Monday night. Each vocalist belted his or her favorite holiday tune,
which did not work in Jeffery's favor.
It was a bittersweet two hours knowing that the artists were performing
for the final time this season. Tuesday night's finale will be devoid
of their voices and studded with celebrities who have little impact on
the trajectories of these young artists' careers.
Still, there were no disappointments from the last four standing, no
slip-ups or forgotten lyrics. Their performances were unblemished, and
though only one can win it all, there are promising musical things ahead
for all four.
Here is what the artists brought to the table Monday night.
Jordan Smith — "Climb Every Mountain" from "The Sound of Music"
There really was no topping Jordan's performance from last week, which has been lauded as the best the show has ever seen.
"There's only one word, fantastic," Pharrell, who no longer holds
allegiances to anyone with all of his artists eliminated, aptly said.
This performance was nothing short of incredible, especially when he
held the note on "rainbow," but that is really not news when referring
to Jordan. What we did hear for the first time was a voice that is as
fitting for a Broadway musical as it is for a record deal.
Jordan hasn't had to climb many mountains throughout Season 9. He started out at the peak.
Jordan Smith — "Mary, Did You Know?"
Last week, Jordan was surrounded by a church choir, but in this performance he was a one-man chorus.
Jordan has more than once delivered on a religious melody, and this one
resonated well with the crowd and, most likely, with voters at home.
It wasn't his most memorable performance, but when standing next to
what he's done in the past few weeks, it was enough to keep him at the
top of the pack.
Emily Ann Roberts — "Blue Christmas" by Kelly Clarkson
Standing atop a lit up snowflake, Emily Ann sang this holiday classic
with a candy cane sweetness. She built up to a powerful ending after
starting off with cheery simplicity, which has become a trend in her
performances.
Emily Ann Roberts — "Burning House" by Cam
"Flawless," Pharrell said succinctly.
Taking on a modern country song for the first time was a risk for Emily Ann, but she sang this with genuine warmth.
That wasn't just because of the jarring special effect flames
flickering in the background throughout her performance. Emily Ann has
the makings of a star — what's most amazing about her, though, is that
one week she can tackle Dolly Parton and the next she sounds like Carrie
Underwood.
Her versatility rings true and she gave herself the chance for an upset.
Barrett Baber — "Die a Happy Man" by Thomas Rhett
A true family man, Barrett always seems to be singing directly to his
wife and children, which is part of the reason he appeals to so many
fans.
This performance made him a contender — it had heart and feeling and was technically flawless.
He is nothing like the other two male vocalists left, which may work in
Barrett's favor. The grittiness in his voice truly stands alone.
Barrett Baber — "Silent Night"
This holiday melody had Barrett's kid snoozing peacefully at the end, but that was no fault of his father's.
It was a soothing and unique take on a song that can turn repetitive fairly easily, but Barrett made it his own.
Jeffery Austin — "Oh, Holy Night"
As the underdog coming into the finale, Jeffery needed to be at the top of his game for every performance.
This was a strong rendition with some difficult notes that Jeffery
nailed, but his voice is not suited for Christmas music in the way that
Emily Ann's was. That's no knock on him as a singer, because holiday
tunes occupy a strange space in the business.
But Jeffery could have done more with this soulful classic.
Jeffery Austin - "Stay" by Sugarland
Who needs Christmas music when Jeffery can sing the way he did on this number?
It's a country song that Jeffery turned into a powerful pop solo, and
it launched him right back into the competition. He may have been in the
bottom three last week, but this was the final Sam Smith-esque
performance Jeffery needed.
Blake once again said that Jeffery "snuck up" on everyone, but there's no mystery anymore. He's here and he deserves to be.
Prediction: Emily Ann will be a very close second, but there won't be a
major upset this season. Jordan Smith will take the crown.
Make sure to check back Tuesday night to find out the Season 9 champion.
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