The Voice: Top 8 Performances and Results

The Same Page is a blog; currently dedicated to reviewing Season 4 of NBC’s The Voice. Written by friends for life Giselle Carrington and Tonia Holder, this blog puts together all their thoughts while watching episodes of The Voice. This Blog is a bit different from your average review blog between friends, mainly because Giselle is in Grenada and Tonia is in Trinidad! They converse over Whatsapp on Mondays and Tuesdays and DRAMATICALLY express their views on the happenings of the episodes. They now wish to share their comical analyses with the world at large!

The Top 8 Performances:

*Please click on the performances headings to view videos of the performances*

Tonia:

Blake opened the show with Boys Round Here, just as Adam did last week (just in case you missed Maroon 5’s performance of ‘Love Somebody’ click here) and I know I say it all the time, and that is because they do it ALL THE TIME. Yes Blake I know, we all know by now that you are country and proud, so why would I ever expect you to perform something other than a country song, I mean you are after all a country artiste. Now don’t get me wrong people, I do enjoy a good country song every once in a while, but oh gosh man not EVERYWEEK. That being said I did enjoy the performance, the song itself was humorous and I do like Blake. I will be reviewing the first 4 performances so here we go.

Team Adam: Judith Hill – That Power

Now you guys know I just LOVE me some Judy and so does everyone else, the coaches, the fans and America loves Judy. I was so glad to see her perform this song, not because I absolutely love it (the song that is), but because I love how she had so much fun with it! Compared to last week, we definitely see a big change in this performance, she was soo into it, and so was Adam (love you Adam). You could tell she was having a blast on stage and the coaches saw it, because all they had were praises. Adam was so proud of her and I loved hearing him say that she performed like a true professional. One thing, it’s minor but still I should mention it to be fair, I guess. As Giselle rightly said some time ago, Judy brings us to the edge of our seats with her performances, with her voice, with her theatrics and when we think she’s going to hit the most magnificent high note ever, she pulls back slightly and it kind of deflates me for a minute, but just a minute because she just pulls you right back into her performance so much so you hardly notice that she didn’t hit the high note as high as you’d have liked.

Team Blake: Holly Tucker - Done

I love Holly’s voice, I really do because let’s face it I am a sucker for power houses and Holly is a true power house, country, but still a power house and I love listening to her. I like that Blake gave her this song to sing because it showcased her range and her grittiness and her power. She got into the song as well, she was interacting with the audience and I felt like she was talking to an old boyfriend, telling him that she is through with him. She sang with such conviction. I will say though, that even though she has the voice and she had the stage presence this time around, I looked at her face and it was eerily calm. She was singing about being done with a man that had done her wrong and she still managed to look calm. Who does that? Ummm Pyschos maybe. But I love how she sounded, as usual and I enjoyed the performance. Giselle thought that Holly was great, she felt though that some of her lyrics were getting a bit lost, but she loved it.

Sasha, Judith, Michelle & Sarah – Diamonds

These girls performed this to the best of their abilities. I liked it, I loved Judy’s part of course lol, and while I loved Sasha’s parts as well, I do think that she was a bit over powering in the chorus, I kept hearing her above everyone. I guess that comes from being trained on Broadway as those performers have to project their voices so everyone can hear them, so I could excuse her.  Giz didn’t particularly care for this performance.

Team Blake: The Swon Brothers – Seven Bridges Road

I have really grown to love these boys. Giselle loves the younger one but I have affection towards the older one, he sings the most and he’s just so chubby and cute. I love to hear them sing acoustic because they blend together so well. Blake was right though that because they depend on each other so much to match their harmonies, if one of them goes off by a little bit, it could throw them off completely. This performance reminded me a lot of ‘Fishing in the Dark’ and i enjoyed it a lot, Adam was correct in saying that there were minor things that could have been different, but it didn’t over shadow their performance at all. Giz agreed that their vocals were on point and she has also grown to love her some Swon Brothers.

Giz: Zach looks like Wreck It Ralph! Epiphany!!!

Team Shakira Sasha Allen – Without You

Omg now you guys know that I have been an advocate for Sasha from the very beginning, from her audition, to her getting rejected by Adam, to her being picked up by Shakira and working it. I am so glad that she has made it this far, she is the only member of Team Shakira remaining and she deserves it. When she started to sing I was like yes, vocals on point and everything, she sounded great, in the back of my mind I was thinking, ‘I know this song, who sang it again’ and it only clicked to me at the end that it was Usher’s song lol. Giselle really laughed at me there. But her vocals were strong, this is an R&B powerhouse, she showed her strength and although there were parts that I’d have liked her to hold longer, she made the song her own and she had the crowd involved and loving it. Adam again kicked himself for having let her go, but I’m actually beginning to ease him up on that, because she has truly grown with the help of Shakira and she also  has the same vibrato as Shakira so, she ultimately was the best coach for her.

Giselle

Let’s get straight into the last four (4) performances for the night. No time for dillydaddling, ain’t nobody got time for that! Lehgo!

Team Adam: SarahSimmons- Somebody That I Used to Know

Sarah’s is a talent beyond compare, but to be perfectly honest, she’s hasn’t been thrilling me lately. Her performance of Jessie J song last week was AWESOME, totally bringing me back to the  blind auditions where I first fell in love with her.
This week, Adam chose Gotye’s Somebody That I Used to Know and immediately I was sceptical. It’s an epic song, but I didn’t think the song choice was for her. Adam told her to not be to gentle with it, but to harsh it up a bit. Both Tonz and I agreed with that.
On stage, she came out and did her rendition. It was filled with all the thrills that Sarah usually does. The only thing about it for me was, it did not suit the song one bit. Her dynamics were good and all, as Blake mentioned how she moves from melody into the falsetto and back with ease, however that was misplaced in this performance. All in all, I thought the performance was not up to par for this level of competition, taking into consideration her last EPIC performance. I wish her all the best though.

Team Usher: MichelleChamuel – Grenade

I was excited when Usher put on his Michelle glasses. He has so much passion for his one remaining contestant. Such love…awww. I was a bit worried when I heard her chose Bruno Mars’ Grenade for her to sing though, because it is not an easy song to perform. Bruno is a very unique performer, so it is very difficult to capture the song it’s true essence yet still make it your own. If anybody could make it happen though, it would be Michelle.
On stage she came out in her usual way. Initially the phrasing and breathing in the verse seemed slightly off but, again, this song can do that to you. She attacked it head on, Michelle style (squats and all). She even had backup singers joining her onstage. Wow! That was different! Adam said that in his review and Tonz and I totally agreed! Same Page! I wasn't enjoying it much though, until she did that crescendo with that note and totally owned the remainder of the performance. Too bad there was only a small portion left in the song. Overall I thought it was a great attempt at a difficult song. Plus, I love Michelle! It definitely was not her best in my opinion, but I’m sure America has enough faith in her to vote her on to the next round.

Team Blake: DanielleBradbery - Grandpa (Tell Me 'Bout the Good Old Days)

Danielle is the little princess of this season. She has such a mature sound. Blake had her sing one of his favourites; Grandpa. In the practice, Blake appealed to her to do her research on the song in order to perform it in the best way she can, because the she has an amazing voice, lack of knowledge of the song could have been her downfall.
She came out and did her thing on stage the way she usually does. Tonz said she thinks she needs more crowd interaction, which I agreed with. She usually just comes on, performs the hell out of the song vocally with little to no interaction with the audience. I sum it up as not having performed before the show. Tonz thought that after weeks of being on the show, she should have picked up a few tricks by now. Valid point! But, as usual, they loved her! One point though, that Tonia and I agreed on is that sometimes, Dani (yes, cause we’re familiar like that) seems to go flat a lot in some of her songs. Though her voice is strong and her vibrato is amazing, her notes are sometimes flat. I thought I was unconsciously hating on her, but Tonz hears it too! SAME PAGE! I didn’t happen to hear it in this performance, but I did before so I thought I’d bring it up. Overall her performance was good, as usual.

Team Adam: AmberCarrington – Skyfall

Amber has been steadily improving throughout this entire competition. Last name aside she has be impressed ALL the time. When Adam chose Adele’s Skyfall for her though, I was very apprehensive. As we all know, Adele is probably one of the best vocalists of our generation. It’s hard to cover an Adele song and do it justice, mainly because her songs are very personal and she puts everything into it, added to that, she’s freakin’ awesome. I was very worried, but Tonz said she could handle it. Adam told her that Skyfall is not a personal Adele song, so she didn’t have to be Adele, just own it. HE chose the song to be risky and push her to her limits.
When she started, I thought it was a bit shaky, but I assumed it was just nerves. As the song built up, she pushed through it, owning it and never once tried to channel Adele. She was Amber all the way through and THAT ladies and gents is how you UnAdele an Adele song. It was awesome, definitely my favourite for the night. Great Job!

Giz: At the end of the night, I was a bit torn. I wasn’t sure who would be the one to go home. I knew for sure though, that Sarah Simmons would be one of them. My second choice, though I was very uncertain, was Danielle. Sarah and Danielle; my elimination choices.

Tonz: How in the world after watching these performances are we supposed to send people home? I just don’t know, but great performers are what we have right now, so some great ones have to go I guess. Although I love them I think it’ll end up being, The Swon Brothers and Michelle Chamuel.

Live Elimination written by Tonia

So after last night’s performances we are again at the bitter sweet night that defines the rest of the competition. Who is going to go home? Who will America save? This is so nerve wrecking! I’m practically pulling out my ras. My choices for elimination were The Swon Brothers and Michelle Chamuel and Giselle’s choices were Danielle Bradbery and Sarah Simmonss.

We started off with a performance from Sheryl Crow and Team Blake followed by a duet from Judith Hill & Michelle Chaumel. Then Carson announced that the first saved artist saved by America was none other than Michelle Chamuel. I was like what?! So who’s going home then?

Giz: I knew it wouldn't be Michelle. Tonz & I were actually on different pages about Michelle and Sarah. I had more faith in Michelle and clearly rightly so.

Then there was a duet from Sasha Allen & The Swon Brothers, followed by another saved artist announced and it was Danielle Bradbery. So Giselle and I were one off, we were off, America saved two of the artists that we chose to send home.

Another duet performance by Danielle Bradbery & Sarah Simmons, then more anxiety as we wait to hear who else has been saved…Sasha Allen.

So basically the other saved artists were, The Swon Brothers (so my choices were obviously off), Amber Carrington, and Holly Tucker.

SO Judy went home, America sent home Judy! What the HELL!

Giz: They also sent home Sarah, like I knew they would. But seriously THIS is the reason I hate when the audience gets involved. It becomes a popularity contest. The fact remains, the reason The Voice has been different from all the other shows so far is because it focuses on The Voice of the artistes, hence the Blind Auditions. I’m probably being a sore-ass loser as Judith was my pick and maybe it’s fair to the others who haven’t had the glorious experiences that Judith has had in her time, but realistically, if the coaches alone were picking people to eliminate in the same manner in which they choose people for their teams, there’s no way Michelle’s performance or Danielle’s performances could have outdone Judith’s performance vocally. The audience votes dilutes the essence of the competition.

I am done with watching the voice this season, because someone of Blake’s people will win and I am sorry but Amber you are great and all but I can’t see you beating Sasha.

Giz: I on the other hand, am on Usher’s team. #4eyesontherprize. Can’t say I’ll actively sit to watch anymore though, I’ll just catch the results on a next day.

WE ARE DONE. GOODNIGHT

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Giz & Tonz

The Voice: Top 12 Results

The Same Page is a blog; currently dedicated to reviewing Season 4 of NBC’s The Voice. Written by friends for life Giselle Carrington and Tonia Holder, this blog puts together all their thoughts while watching episodes of The Voice. This Blog is a bit different from your average review blog between friends, mainly because Giselle is in Grenada and Tonia is in Trinidad! They converse over Whatsapp on Mondays and Tuesdays and DRAMATICALLY express their views on the happenings of the episodes. They now wish to share their comical analyses with the world at large!

The Voice: Top 12 Eliminations

Giz: This elimination episode was probably the first time I was actually nervous for The Voice Season 4. Firstly, I didn’t watch the live playoff eliminations (I was at the movies J), but I knew one person from each team had to go. But this time, it could have been ANYONE! There was no saving! The people going home could have been amazing, but not have the texting support necessary. I was seriously nervous. So was Tonz! I bite her nails over Whatsapp, mainly because I just had mine done. J. My prediction was, based on the top 12 performances, Kris Thomas and Garrett Gardener would be leaving.

Tonz: I was sooooo nervous, oh my goodness. My heart was racing each and every time Carson was about to announce, i mean i knew who i wanted to stay for sure and just as Giselle my bottom 2 predictions were Kris, because his last performance was not his best at all and Garrett, basically because there was no one else and also his last performance was a bust for me as well.

Giselle (with Tonia’s input)

NBC tried to take our minds off of the pending results, by bringing on Robin Thicke, Pharrell and T.I to perform Blurred Lines with Kris Thomas and Vedo. Man oh man, did that distracted us! Let’s take a moment to think about all the kinds of fine that were present on that stage. *complete silence* Excuse me a minute while I shift uncomfortably in my seat.

Tonz: AHHHHHHHH Robin Thicke, Pharrell, T.I.!!!

The distraction did not last long, because in no time at all, Carson was ready to name the first two saves: Kris Thomas and The Swon Brothers. Imagine MY SURPRISE! I was sure that Kris would have been one of the bottom 2. The Swon Bros. I knew would be saved because their rendition of Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes was wonderful. Kris’ rendition wasn’t his best, but he got the votes. Alright Alright…this means someone else is going to be sent home. My new predictions were either Josiah or Vedo and Garrett.

Tonz: Now I knew The Swon Brothers were staying I just didn’t expect them to be one of the first called, but nonetheless I was really pleased that America backed them. I was SO SURPRISED when Carson called Kris’ name, I was like WHAT??! So who is going home now??

Team Blake then took the stage to sing Play Something Country! I LOVED IT! Awooooohoooo! J Couldn’t ask for anything more country or better than that!

Tonz: ok seriously I know you guys are country and proud, but no need to throw that in our faces EACH episode. By the end of the performance and into the break I caught myself singing Awooooohooo play something country *hangs head*.

The next two saves were: Sarah Simmons and Josiah Hawley. We all knew Sarah was going to be saved, no news there. I was really glad for Josiah, because I love his sound. This meant that the only other logical send home would be Vedo.

Tonz: Totally agree with Giselle here, I knew Sarah was safe and I expected America to save Josiah because of his growth and his sexiness.

Lady Antebellum performed Goodbye Town with Judith Hill, Sarah Simmons and Amber Carrington. I loved it. I loved them! The performance was really nice, there’s nothing else I can say.

Tonz: two words alone: Adam’s Angels.

The next saves were: Judith Hill and Danielle Bradbery. Again, there’s no surprise for either Judith or Danielle. It’s still nerve – racking though. We were literally hiding our faces while waiting, at least I was. I’m such a punk.

Tonz: Oh yea, these two were hands down saves. Just thought they’d have been the first two called.

Team Adam came on next to perform Lovesong! Hey now! This was AMAZING! They each sounded so wonderful. My goodness, I don’t think they could have done any better than that. I’m a huge Adam fan anyway, so whatever he sings brings joy to my heart. That aside, this performance was so, simple yet so effective. Loved it!

Tonz: Adam and his Angels J loved it.

The next two to be saved were: Michelle Chamuel and Amber Carrington. No surprise to them both. They both have been getting better and better every week. I was happy to hear their names get called.

Tonz: Great artists and America would have been fools to let them go. Thanks for not being fools America J.

Nervously we were on to the final four; who would be the last two saves? Okay, so by the process of logistics and elimination, we came to the conclusion that it would be Vedo and Garrett, but, history has shown that America surprises you. The last two saves were: Holly Tucker and Sasha Allen, leaving, as we suspected, Vedo and Garrett to be sent home. Thankfully Holly and Sasha were saved. There was no surprise at Sasha though.

I hated to see Vedo go. I really grew to like him. Unfortunately at this level, it’s no longer about whom we like. It’s crunch time! The better voices have to take precedence. Both Vedo and Garrett made significant improvements since their auditions and I know that whatever they learned from their amazing coaches, will carry them on to do great things! J

I cannot wait to hear the top 10 perform next week. This is the time we hear the best of the best. I’m literally at the edge of my seat! Next week, please come quickly!!!

Tonz: I hated that for the sake of ratings (at least this is my opinion) that the show chose to keep us in this kind of nervous suspense and had us thinking that Holly or Sasha could have gone home. I mean I wasn’t expecting it but I didn’t appreciate the suspense. So in the end Vedo and Garrett had to go, but they had a good run, they showed what they are capable of and maybe a record  label would pick them up and they continue to make music J.

Just as Giselle, I am looking forward to the performances to come because with the artists that remain you can be sure that we are in for a treat.

Stay tuned with us for next week’s Top 10 Performances. Share us, like us, talk about us on the twitter! Follow us by email and google +. All those buttons on the side to the left. *Beyonce voice*

Till Next Time

Giz & Tonz

The Voice: Live Top 12 Performances

The Same Page is a blog; currently dedicated to reviewing Season 4 of NBC’s The Voice. Written by friends for life Giselle Carrington and Tonia Holder, this blog puts together all their thoughts while watching episodes of The Voice. This Blog is a bit different from your average review blog between friends, mainly because Giselle is in Grenada and Tonia is in Trinidad! They converse over Whatsapp on Mondays and Tuesdays and DRAMATICALLY express their views on the happenings of the episodes. They now wish to share their comical analyses with the world at large!

The Voice – Live Top 12 Performances

Tonz: So we’re into the top 12’s live performances and boy oh boy, these are the best of the season. These artists have really done the work necessary to make it thus far and they’ll have to give even more to stay. It’s no longer the coaches’ decision who stays or who is saved, there are no second chances. It’s now or never, they’ve really got to sing out their hearts and leave it all on the stage, give America everything they’ve got so that America will continue to vote for them and keep them here. I have my favorites as I am sure you can discern from my reviews and I want to see them stick around so I hope they know what they have to do. That being said I will be reviewing the last six performances of the night.

Giz: Tonz just said everything I have to say as an introduction, so…I’ll be reviewing the first six performancesJ. Yay!

*Please click on the performance headers to view video clips of each Live Show performance*

Giselle

Team Usher: Vedo – Rock With You – Michael Jackson

It’s no secret that Vedo is my soft spot. I mean he’s worked so hard through all the turmoil and whatsoever. He’s improved greatly and I truly believe that Usher was the right choice for him. Anyway, not to digress since we have 12 performances to review, I’ll get straight to it. Vedo’s song was Rock With You. Hmmmm…MJ. At practice, Vedo danced the hell out of the song while singing. I like that Usher let him sing it all before he and his choreographer told him that his dance style wasn’t too appropriate. Dance battling during a groovy love song. Lol…it was funny when Usher did it. Anywho, they gave him some pointers and continued.
For the rendition on stage, Vedo came out in glory, like a true celebrity. He was really good. His movement was fluid, he sounded great and he just had a good ole time. Tonz said, and I agreed, that he sounded a bit breathy. Same Page there Tonz.I figure it’s cause he was moving so much, he really was. As Blake said though, it wasn’t too much movement so that it took away from his vocal performance. I really like when Adam said Vedo always gives so much heart. It’s so true, he really does. Good Job Vedz! (Yes, we’re THAT familiar now lol). I know America will vote for ya! J

Team Blake: Holly Tucker – A broken wing – Martina McBride

I love Holly. She’s so calm, so nice. I just want to be her friend. I hope that’s not creepy. I just enjoy her voice. She’s been one of those I loved since her battle round singing Carrie Underwood’s Blown Away. Blake’s been a great coach for her thus far. Not because she’s a country artiste, but because she’s been getting better as the weeks go by. She’s just wonderful. Holly rocked her practice and came out to the live shows with the intention to wow everyone. She rang out those notes like it was nobody’s business. It was really the best I’ve heard her, since Blown Away. I told Tonz that to me and me alone, I’m not speaking on behalf of anyone else; Holly is a bit more likeable that Sarah. I group them together ‘cause their voices remind me of each other. Sarah’s quality is on a higher scale though, ‘cause she does unimaginable things. Holly’s, like I’ve mentioned before is a more Hillsong Gospel voice. I think she’s more likeable because she’s just so sweet, which when you think about it can be a bit scary. Adam pointed out that even after her intense performance, she just took a breath and smiled sweetly. Sarah on the other hand has a darker feel when she sings, which is awesome, but not as sweet as Holly’s demeanor. That’s why I said that. I love them both. I really loved Holly’s performance and I loved even more that the coaches loved it. I know she will be voted for!!!! Yay Holz!

Team Shakira: Garrett Gardener – I want it that way- The Backstreet Boys

Let me start off by informing everyone that I am the ultimate BSB and NSYNC fan! I love them to this day! I listen to them at work in the office, on buses to and from work, when partially singing karaoke, EVERYWHERE! I get excited when I hear them on the radio at the supermarket. It’s serious!!! *grumpy cat face* I’ve said all that just to emphasize that when I heard Garrett was going to sing I want it that way, I was very very very skeptical. So was Tonz. We share a love of the boy bands! Same Page. We do not, however, share a love for Justin Beiber! LOL! Different Book! Anyway, I gave Garrett a chance because he’s been proving himself to me for some weeks now. I like his voice. Maybe I didn’t like that he advanced initially, but he’s definitely been showing me why. During his rendition on the big stage, it was not impressed. The arrangement was sped up; No Bueno. It didn’t work for me. He literally had to run through the words. Tonz also said it was sped up (Same Page) and she went on to rant a little about why the song was slow in the first place. I love when she gets passionate. The end story is, I didn’t like it. Shakira did though. Adam didn’t think it was fitting and I totally agreed! He’s on our page! I like Garrett though and I hope he gets the votes he needs. Based on this performance alone, I’m not too sure if he will, but he’s been working very hard. Good Luck Garrett!!!

Team Adam: Sarah Simmons – The Story – Brandi Carlile

 Sarah’s voice is amazing. We say this every week. I really can’t say it any more. She was given The Story to sing. Personally, I don’t think she sings songs. I think she masters them, embodies them and blows them up into people’s faces. Was that too much? Nope, it wasn’t ‘cause that is EXACTLY what she does. In rehearsals, she went through the performance with Adam, taking his instruction to heart. She came out as only Sarah can and destroyed the song. She was wonderful and everyone loved it. There’s really not much more we can say, we’ve said it every week. Therein lays my issue. I love Sarah, but I think she’s made little progress, compared to some others. She came with that wonderful voice, that shocking falsetto and that grit. I don’t think that she’s every really come out of her comfort zone and did something outside of her own little Sarah box. Tonz agreed that she’s sounded the same epic way every week but also thinks it’s because it’s her niche and compared her to the country artistes of Blake’s team who’ve done nothing but country music for weeks on end. A point well made! But I long to hear Sarah with something different, just to show her versatility. It’s no secret though that what she’s been doing thus far is amazing. I’m so looking forward to seeing her pass these rounds and go into the next. I just hope she can give me something different so I can drop the mic the way I always do and say “I’m Done! Sarah takes it”. Nothing but love for Sarah though, I hope you don’t get me wrong. You definitely have my vote! J

Team Blake: The Swon Brothers – Who’s gonna fill their shoes – George Jones

The Swon Brothers are winning my lil country heart over every week. I was not too much of a fan after they beat the Wiggle Guy at the Battle Rounds, but now, it’s like they want me to love them, which I now do. Side note: Hey Colton, you’re such a cutie!!! Wanna sing a duet? *wink*. I was going to make a Fishing in the Dark reference from last week’s performance but I think that would be inappropriate. Moving along, the Swon Bros. wanted to do Who’s gonna fill their shoes a tribute to George Jones. At rehearsals, Blake made sure they were tight on the technical bits, and worked with them to do justice to this country classic. At the live shows, they we’re amazing. I mean, I do not know this song, but I love it. It was so nice to see them in this more serious light. I loved that Zack was at the piano this time and I really loved that Colton sang a bit on his own. They transformed from the guitar bearing country bros to musical artistes last night. The tribute was wonderful. George Jones fans must definitely be proud. I just loved it and so did Tonz. She’s loved them since Fishing in the Dark. She’s a piece of work! Smh! The coaches loved it, the audience loved it and I know for sure that they will be voted for! Great Job Boys!

Team Shakira: Sasha Allen – Alone – Heart

You won’t find many powerhouse artistes like Sasha Allen. When you do though, you keep them…ADAM! That’s what most people would say. Not I, said Giselle Carrington. I like Sasha, I love her voice, but she doesn’t move me like she moves Tonia. She was given Alone because Shakira thought it was perfect for her voice. That was undoubtedly true. At rehearsals she was amazing. Shakira reminded her not to go too Broadway on her entry since there is a difference between Broadway performances and pop entertainment performances. Great advice!!! It was advice which Sasha definitely listen to because she came on stage at the live show and totally owed the song. Her belts, as usual were on point, amazing and wowing. The entire performance was emotional and definitely top class. Beautiful! The coaches once again loved it, poking fun at the fact that Adam let her go and we loved it. Tonia was probably in tears, with good reason. I wasn’t though. See, Sasha doesn’t move me as she does the others. It’s not because she doesn’t have a lovely voice. It’s amazing. She comes out every week and belts the best belts ever. I think that’s my issue. It’s expected that she’ll knock your socks off. It’s not really surprising to me anymore and for that reason I think I’m getting bored.  There’s no mystery to it. I can’t honestly ask, “OMG what is she going to do this week?” I usually just ask “What’s she going to sing this week?” ‘cause I know she gonna come really good. Ever see Glee? Where Mr. Schu always had Mercedes sing the final high note and Ms Pillsbury told him she knew he was going to do that, because he always does?! That’s how I feel. I do not fault Adam for giving her up. I think in the battle between her and Amber, Amber was the better one. Not necessarily the better voice when it comes down to it, but she excelled in that battle. I think it’s a good thing that he let her go, because she’s learned from what he told her and has gone on to a coach that’s been amazing for her. Things happen for a reason, this worked out real well for her. Adam did what he had to do at that time. *shrug*.  Without a doubt though, Sasha is one of the top contenders for this show and I know she will get the votes needed. She’s amazing and I look forward to what she’s going to sing next. Good job as always Sasha.

Tonia

Team Usher: Josiah Hawley – The Man Who Can’t Be Moved – by The Script

Now this boy is just so cute eh oh my goodness, but I mean the name of the show is not ‘The Cute Boy’ it’s ‘The Voice’ and in both mine and Giselle’s opinions this fella has improved tremendously. His progression from his blind audition to his performance last night is completely evident and that is due solely to the awesome coaching skills of Usher. His mentorship in helping Josiah improve not only his vocal skills but his overall performances is a great thing to witness. And we can all see that he (Usher) is very impressed and excited about this fact as well, you can hear it in the way he speaks about Josiah after his performance. Now Josiah started off nice and strong, the song choice of The Script’s – The Man Who Can’t Be Moved suited his voice perfectly and like the coaches rightly said, I believe he has found his niche, the place where his voice is at its best. This has hands down been the best performance he has given on the show to date, his smooth transitions from high notes to falsettos were great, he maintained his grittiness and sex appeal with his Adam-esk attire and that model stare that he has perfected (whoo! *fans oneself*) and was able to get the crowd into his performance. I totally enjoyed it and I know the young girls of America did as well.

Team Blake: Danielle Bradbery – Wasted – Carrie Underwood

This young lady has a beautiful and powerful voice for her age. Just know that even if she doesn’t win, this is one girl that is definitely getting a record deal anyways, and she still has a lot of maturing to do so imagine how she’ll evolve and become a force to be reckoned with on the country music scene. However she has not improved to me as Josiah has, she has a great voice don’t get me wrong, but it’s always been the same ballad and high notes and almost power house performances that we’ve seen from her each episode. She also has not veered out of the realm of country music, so it makes me wonder can she be diverse. Giselle made the point that Blake’s all country team have sung non-country songs, but have always put a country twist on it and in my books that means they’ve never sung anything but country. And I mean, why try and fix something when it isn’t broken right, so I don’t mind that they are country strong, because that is their niche and it’s what Blake wanted. I do however have a grouse with Adam, although Danielle is has a great voice, she is not the one to beat, so no need to be telling your angels to watch out (I still love you Adam). I know that she is definitely going to make it to the finals, but I’d like to see her do something a little different.

Team Adam: Judith Hill – You’ve Got A Friend – James Taylor

I LOVE that I always get to review Judy J she is so soulful and such and all round great artiste. She was so cute as a child, who wouldn’t want to be that little half black, half Asian cutie’s friend, if I was her age at the time I would have definitely befriended her. Normally I dislike sad stories because this show is not about, how tough your life was, or who you lost or anything, it’s about your voice. I do appreciate that these background stories are the driving forces behind the voices becoming prominent and Judy’s story about not having any friends and music being her friend almost moved me to tears, I think it’s also because I am so biased when it comes to her, that she can do no wrong for me, sad story and all. Anyways on to her performance, there is nothing bad that I can say about it at all. It was perfect, she was her soulful self, and she carried her notes perfectly. She was able to bring forth her artistry and theatrics even while being behind a piano. I will say though Giz made a good point, we keep waiting for her to hit some ridiculously high perfect notes and we keep thinking she’s going to, but then she pulls back. I think it has to do with her vocal nods though, so I’m not stressing, I totally get that you play to your strengths. Judith’s performance was great, I cannot see America not voting for her and keeping her around. I tip my hat to you for another sound, good vibe and soulful performance Judy.

Team Usher: Michelle Chamuelle – Call Your Girlfriend - Robyn

I really like her, because she seems like the weird girl in school, but even so she’s totally likeable. I love the bug eye glasses. I also see her growth, not as much as her team member Josiah, but I definitely see her growth, more so in her confidence. Usher is a totally awesome coach isn’t he, I think he, and not Blake deserves the title ‘Best Coach’. We’ve seen Michelle be diverse during this season, she’s never stuck to one genre and I like that. Her and Usher’s song choices always suite her voice nicely. The fact that she showed off her ability to do falsettos was nicely done, and she didn’t stray from her usual way of doing moving and doing swats while performing and still maintaining her strong and clear vocals. If I had to make a critique it would be that on her low notes, she broke up a tad bit, but I think that it added to the performance as it kind of sounded like it wasn’t a negative in her voice but rather emotion coming through. Her performance was really nicely done, I enjoyed it.

Team Shakira: Kris Thomas – I’ll Be There – Michael Jackson

Kris has a unique voice, and I’ve said it before. He has the ability to hit notes that women normally make and that gave him an edge in the competition. He sang songs from Whitney Houston and nailed her notes, this Michael Jackson song however….not so much. Before he started to sing Giz and I agreed that this was a good song choice for him as it fell in his range and we assumed he’d have been able to execute it perfectly. However, I was sadly disappointed when he started singing and at points sounded flat and then at other points sounded like he was straining to make the notes to flat out not making the notes. There was a key note that he was to have made and if he did it would have erased the errors for me, but he failed there to. This to me was Kris’s worst performance, I don’t know what got into him, was it nerves Kris? Was it the song? Was it the heat? I don’t think he’d get a lot of votes from that performance and it’s kind of sad. This was the time for him to bring his capital ‘A’ game, and he didn’t.

Team Adam: Amber Carrington – I’m Gonna Love You Through It – Martina McBride

Oh Amber, though it was a sob story, I felt for you. I definitely see why you would have chosen to sing this song and dedicate it to your mom *hug*.Giselle LOVES her, not only because of her last name, but because she has a great voice and I agree she has a great voice. She isn’t the best in the competition (yes I’m still holding a grudge against Adam for picking her over my girl Sasha, I’m sorry I can’t let that one go) but she has had great performances throughout the competition. She has never faltered in any major way and I totally love that about her. She has a power house voice as well, so you know I like her cause I’m all about the power houses. I love that there was so much emotion in her voice as she sang; you could definitely tell that she was thinking about her mom during that performance. She hit her high notes (I love when she belts it out), but was a bit inaudible on her low notes that aside I was captivated by her last night. Giz believes that she’s made the most progress after our boy Josiah, I don’t agree because to me she still sounds the same way, and that is not a bad thing because she sounds great. I really liked it, she is definitely going to reach the finals.

Tonz: there you have it, all 12 have performed, and boy did they perform! I believe the majority of them brought their game faces and performances and gave it all they had. I really don’t want to see my favorites go and I am hoping America is on my side. Can’t wait for the results!

Giz: Yup, they really did perform. Wow. I’m okay with losing people now because I generally like them all, I just hope my favorites stay. I have no idea who will be in the bottom 2.

Please let us know your thoughts. Comment below, share our blog and tweet about us on twitter *points to the buttons on the left*, follow us *left*, do what you have to and be part of our team! How much did you enjoy last night?! What do you expect for tonight?! Let us know!

Until Next Time
Giz & Tonz

The Voice: Results of Live Playoffs 1 & 2

The Same Page is a blog; currently dedicated to reviewing Season 4 of NBC’s The Voice. Written by friends for life Giselle Carrington and Tonia Holder, this blog puts together all their thoughts while watching episodes of The Voice. This Blog is a bit different from your average review blog between friends, mainly because Giselle is in Grenada and Tonia is in Trinidad! They converse over Whatsapp on Mondays and Tuesdays and DRAMATICALLY express their views on the happenings of the episodes. They now wish to share their comical analyses with the world at large!

Tonia:

Last night was the night where some dreams came true and others fizzled out, at least at this stage. It was results time. Who did America save and who did the coaches choose to save? I made my predictions in the last post and we’ll get to see how good of a psychic I really am. The night started off with a performance from Team Blake and Team Shakira combined singing “insert song name” and I didn’t particularly love this combination because it sounded jumbled at times. I was kind of saying ‘what are they singing?’ at some points and I wasn’t hearing some of them during their individual parts. But I mean I didn’t hate it, I just wasn’t in love with it.

Now for some results! First up Team Blake (said in Carson Daly’s voice lol):

My predictions were: America saves – Holly Tucker & Danielle Bradbery, Blake saves – The Swon Brothers

The actual results were: America saved – Holly Tucker & Danielle Bradbery, Blake saved – The Swon Brothers

Whooo Hoooo! I got all right! A round for me!!

Rod Stewart performed with Garrett, Josiah & Karina – Forever Young. It was a good performance, they rocked it.

Cee-Lo performed with last episodes finalist Juliet Simms – Only You – It was great seeing Cee-Lo again with his big teddy bear self, looking rather normal and kinda classy and so not the fun loving Cee-Lo that I know and appreciate lol.

More results, this time Team Shakira

My predictions were: America saves – Sasha Allen & Karina Iglesias, Shakira saves – Kris Thomas. Although I did think she would save Garrett because she loved him from last season when he wasn’t even picked and she wasn’t even a coach.

The actual results were: America saved – Sasha Allen & Kris Thomas, Shakira saved – Garrett Gardner

I got one right lol technically two because I did believe that Sharika would have saved Garrett even though I chose Kris.

OMG Teams Adam & Usher performed ‘Don’t you worry child’ and totally killed it! They harmonized perfectly! I Love, love, loved it! Omg, Adam’s Angels were on point both collectively and individually. Team Usher sounded great, it was a great performance all around. Omg, I loved it. There is nothing bad that I can say about that collective performance. Punto Finale.

Team Usher:

My predictions were: America saves – Michelle Chamuelle & Vedo, Usher saves – Josiah

The actual results were: America saved – Michelle Chamuelle & Vedo, Usher saved – Josiah

Whoot whoot! Another round for me, I chose them all! Boy, am I good!!!

Team Adam a.k.a. Adam’s Angels:

My predictions were: America saves – Judith Hill & Sarah Simms, Adam saves – Amber Carrington

The actual results were: America saved – Judith Hill & Amber Carrington, Adam saved – Sarah Simms

Well look at that, I chose them all but in a different order, except for Judith of course cause we all knew she was making it, but I was SO SURE America was gonna save Sarah, that was a shocker, I could see why they would save amber because she rocked all her performances. Doesn’t matter to me how they were saved as long as they were all saved lol. YES I AM BIASED! So sad to see Caroline go though *tear*

Well there you have it, the results are in, the votes have been tallied, America has chosen, the coaches have saved, the finalists have been announced. And so we move on, to another round of the live shows. Things are getting intense, and I cannot wait until next Monday! Can you?

The Voice: Live Shows Part 2

The Same Page is a blog; currently dedicated to reviewing Season 4 of NBC’s The Voice. Written by friends for life Giselle Carrington and Tonia Holder, this blog puts together all their thoughts while watching episodes of The Voice. This Blog is a bit different from your average review blog between friends, mainly because Giselle is in Grenada and Tonia is in Trinidad! They converse over Whatsapp on Mondays and Tuesdays and DRAMATICALLY express their views on the happenings of the episodes. They now wish to share their comical analyses with the world at large!

Tonz: I came into tonight’s episode pumped off of last night’s own. I was expecting the same experience and I guess that was wrong of me since I mean they are different teams and different coaches and coaching styles (I mean not everybody can be Usher). Anyways this is where s**t gets real so all breakout performances need to come out! I mean Teams Adam and Usher set the bar really high so I was expecting the same level of performances; I was expecting to be glued to my tv set not wanting to miss anything at all. Sadly this episode did not do such, but it was good none the less. Blake took a page out of Usher’s book as well, by taking his team on a team building exercise of them doing karaoke together, to get them to loosen up and be goofy and have fun with everything. I will be reviewing the first half of tonight’s show, and I have my favorites. Let’s do this.

Giz: Before she “does this”, I’d just like to say that Team Shakira and Team Blake have HUGE shoes to fill because, Teams Adam and Usher came out guns BLAZING yo! Wow. Anywho…back to your regularly scheduled Tonia! J

Tonia

Team Blake Performance – Boondocks

Listen to me this is their anthem ok. It’s them basically saying ‘I am country and I am proud!’ and I love that about the performance. Blake looked like he wanted to jump up on the stage with them, grab a mic and just belt out a verse with them. It speaks of them exactly and they sang it so proudly. Collectively they harmonized really well, individually they played their strengths and so there overall performance was really good. They sounded like a family country band and their interaction was just that. Holly did her grit, Danielle held on to her calm strong vocals, the Swon brothers did their duo thing and Ryan (is that his name?) he sounded strong as well. Blake did say that he wanted to have a country singer win the voice and he has made that possible now more than ever because he has a completely country team. Good performance Team Blake, you guys were country strong.

Giz: His name is Justin pal! *slaps forehead*

Team Shakira – Garrett Gardner - Imagine

Ok so I was never really a fan of Garrett, I was just glad he found a spot on a team since he was a comeback kid. He has impressed me though with his vocals and his grittiness. In this performance hips (a.k.a. Shakira) chose to showcase his softer side a bit, which was a good thing because we haven’t really seen this from him. He’s always been rough and rock and roll and all grit. His performance had him showcasing not only his vocals but his ability to play the piano and still perform kind of Elton John-esque, side note: I wonder if that’s what Shakira was trying to convey? His vocals were pretty good, they suited the choice of song and he hit his notes both high and low. He of course still kept his grittiness, I mean it is what got him thus far so why throw away a good thing. He brought it in at all the right times and transitioned from low to high, soft to rock effortlessly. Maybe he’s found his niche. Overall a good performance, I actually enjoyed it. Giz liked that he sounded gentle.

Team Blake – Holly Tucker – How do I Live

Omg gosh, I know you are a country artist but oh gosh, do you have to sing only country songs? But then again if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it right. She started of a tab bit shaky but not totally off, plus she caught back herself really quickly. Now she put her own twist on this Leeann Rimes song, and as much as I appreciate this, I do really prefer the original version, so I think that’s why I actually heard all of the minor, minor flat notes and off key notes in the performance. I like Holly you know and I was expecting her to just come out on stage and command my attention and have me rooted to her performance. I was actually looking for a repeat of ‘Blown Away’ and in most aspects I got it, especially with the exceptional high note that had  me saying ‘yes now that’s the Holly I was waiting for’ but she didn’t give me goose bumps, she didn’t raise my pores and I was waiting for her to raise my pores. Not taking away from her voice at all, because she has a beautiful, strong voice, totally and fully country so I could definitely see why Blake chose to give her this song to perform, it showcased her ability and her vocals nicely. Giz was feeling this performance, we were on the same page of it not being pore rising but definitely a great performance. Well done Holly, America will definitely be voting for you.

Team Shakira – Kris Thomas – When I was your Man

I always liked Kris, his voice is unique, unique in the sense that, dude sounds like a girl lol. No but really he has great control and can hit some notes that are mind boggling. The song choice was nice, it complimented his voice nicely. He kept to the original which I appreciate, but he also put his Kris-ness on it. He also had minor note fluctuations that were a bit off key but like I said minor details. He hit his notes very well, reminded me of Bruno himself, and I like the change of notes on the high note of ‘know’. Kris has a powerful voice and I think that maybe a stronger my powerful song would have showcased it better, given him more momentum and ability to blow away the coaches and America. Giz thinks that Shakira didn’t nurture him enough, she felt like there was a lot more hips could have done with Kris, but she lapsed on it. She also felt that she could have brought out a different side of him for everyone to see as he always sings ballads. I think it was a good performance, not his best but it wasn’t his worse either so that’s good, the audience appreciated it. Good luck Kris, hope you get to stick around.

Team Blake – The Swon Brothers – Fishing in the Dark

I like this duo, and I am glad they made it this far. I should have expected that they’d do a country song, I mean, Blake is their coach and he is pushing an ‘ALL COUNTRY’ theme so I suspect all his artists will be singing country songs. I found myself really enjoying this performance, I was swaying and clapping and dancing a little bit. It was catchy *sings – you and me go fishing in the dark* I really liked the harmonica anyways back to their voices, they sounded really good as always. As a duo they really do complement each other nicely and it works in their favor all the time.  They involved the audience which was a nice touch and they’re not too bad on the eyes either so I was into their performance. I really like it and I think the audience did as well and so did the coaches. I really think that they have a good shot at advances further. Giz enjoyed their performance as well, she was rocking out to it lol and even though at first she wasn’t all for them, I think she’s beginning to thaw out a bit.

Giselle

 I’m not even going to try to give an intro, I’m going right into it!!!!

Blake and Shakira – Need you now – Lady Antebellum

This was horrid! Not to say that both Blake and Shakira aren’t majorly talent artistes, but I think this song chose wasn’t thought through properly. I really didn’t like it. Tonia didn’t either. I love both Blake and Shax (yea! We’re THAT familiar) but they did not rock in the way I thought they would. Oh well, we’re only human. One bad performance out of a million rockin’ ones is not going to kill us! Next time guys!

Team Shakira: Karina Iglesias – Let’s Stay Together

I love Karina’s style. She brings out herself in whatever she sings. She came out with this classic and there was this rockin’ vibe to it. I was impressed. Tonia liked it as well!!! I just loved that she was able to still own the song by putting the Karina spin on it. That is something I truly admire about her. So energetic and very very Karina. The judges like it, the audience liked it, I liked it and I think it was an all round good performance! Well done there Karina! Woohoo!!!

Team Blake: Justin Rivers – Meet in the Middle

Justin Justin Justin. He came out of nowhere and stole my little country heart! (I have no country roots whatsoever). When I heard him in the practice for the Live Playoff, I was like wow. I really like what Blake said about him having that break in his voice that not many other country artistes have. I really think he would sound good in other genres as well. Anywoozle, when Justin started singing, I was impressed. He sounded awesome. He was energetic and his vocals were on point. Tonia and I both agreed that it was an all round good performance, yet, it lacked that pore raising ability. That’s ok though, cause I like him a lot and I’m hoping he could warm the hearts of the American audience as well!!!

Team Shakira: We are the champions

Aww man, Shakira has a seriously diverse team. I love the song, We are the Champions and they thankfully didn’t spoil it for me. It was an all round good performance, with Sasha (to Tonia’s joy) being vocally strong and we could hear her through everyone else. She looked a bit out of her comfort zone to me though. Karina was Karina, owning everything. Garrett’s voice so suited this song it wasn’t funny. He just came with his grittiness and belted his parts. Kris, with his sweet melodic song looked like he was just enjoying himself. Tonia noticed that as well! It’s good to enjoy yourself!!! It was all round good, I preferred Boondocks though. I was country for the night! Nice one though guys, I do hope you continue fighting to the end!

Team Blake: Danielle Bradberry – Maybe it was Memphis

Danielle is everyone’s sweetheart on the show. She’s the youngest with a beautiful voice and sound. She came to practice Maybe it was Memphis and was making it look easy, as usual. Blake wanted her to open up more and show off her talent more; be less reserved and shy and show her True Grit (Movie Reference J ). She really listened because she came out and sold us that Maybe it was Memphis song. Her voice is so mature for her age. I love the natural vibrato that she has and it’s so melodic. It was a lovely performance. Tonz and I agreed. She really seems to have made a home on Blake’s team and Blake said she’s one of the most important artistes to ever be on The Voice. Now, I don’t necessarily agree with that, neither did Tonz. What we did agree on however, is that Rae-Lynn from season 2 Team Blake would not be very pleased with that statement. It made us laugh. We can actually see them as a big happy family; Blake and Miranda with Rae-Lynn and Danielle as the kids. Awwwwwwwwwwww!!! Lol! Great job Danielle!

Team Shakira: Sasha Allen – Oh Darling

The Great and Powerful Sasha came to practice Oh Darling. Sasha is a top contender! She doesn’t give me goose bumps like she gives Tonia, but I do know that her talent is real and amazing. I always look forward to hearing her, I just don’t always get moved by her performances. I think it’s cause she always goes to the powerhouse so it’s not surprising or wowing. I’m expecting it. But when she does it, I’m amazed at how easy she does it!!! Shakira’s only advice was for her to be sexier and swaggerific for this song. And boy oh boy was she sexy!!! By her look ALONE! But she came out and belted out that Oh Darling and those high harsh notes like it was nobody’s business. She really gives 100% every time, going for gold and pushes right through. I love that, but also think it’s a downfall, whereby, it’s not impressive anymore ‘cause it’s always done. Tonia and I are in Different Books on that. She loves Sasha with more passion than I do and continually harasses Adam for letting her go. All in all, Sasha is definitely one to watch. It was a great performance to end off the episode with. I have no doubt that America will vote for her! WONDERFUL!

Giz: There you have it folks, the final of this week’s Live Playoffs. A wowing event. I cannot wait to see who America chooses and who the judges save. I am not pleased that I cannot vote, but, what am I gonna do about it?! My picks for the results are: Team Adam; America will save Sarah and Judith and Adam will save Amber. Team Usher; America will save Michelle and Josiah and Usher will save Vedo. Team Shakira; America will save Karina and Sasha and Shakira will save Garrett. Team Blake; wow ummmmm… America will save Daniella and the Swon Brothers and Blake will save Holly! I think I should be about right!

Tonz: Now that the live shows are over I have my predictions of who America will vote to keep from each team, so here goes. Team Adam: America will choose Judith & Sarah and Adam will choose to keep Amber. Team Usher: America will choose Michelle & Josiah and Usher will choose Vedo. Team Blake: America will choose Holly & Danielle and Blake will choose the Swon Brothers. Team Shakira: America will choose Sasha & Karina and Shakira will choose Kris. Lets see how good I am J .

We are definitely psyched about the results show!!! Who will it be?! Let us know what you think!!! Share us on twitter, talk about us there too, IF you want. Follow us on google plus! Subscribe to our blog so you can have the first new about when we blog!!! We look forward to you being on our team!

Until Next Time

Giz & Tonz!

The Voice: Live Shows Part 1

The Same Page is a blog; currently dedicated to reviewing Season 4 of NBC’s The Voice. Written by friends for life Giselle Carrington and Tonia Holder, this blog puts together all their thoughts while watching episodes of The Voice. This Blog is a bit different from your average review blog between friends, mainly because Giselle is in Grenada and Tonia is in Trinidad! They converse over Whatsapp on Mondays and Tuesdays and DRAMATICALLY express their views on the happenings of the episodes. They now wish to share their comical analyses with the world at large!


Giz: I’m coming into these Live Shows with a heavy heart, mainly because I’m for #TeamAdam. I love everyone on Adam’s Team, all his angels. Though he has an entirely female team right now, they each represent a different aspect of the vocal world, which makes for a WONDERFUL quartet. Unfortunately, we’re here to get one voice, rather than four. L As far as Usher’s team goes, I’m a Team Usher supporter, mainly because of his coaching methods (Read our last post, Red Shoes, Red Passion; Coach Usher). In terms of his team members, I can handle letting go one or two members, I’m not bonded to them like I am with Adam’s Angels. But, I do wish them all the best. This is where it gets real. For the life of me, I hope the votes don’t muck around and keep the crowd pleasers support and send home the best vocalists. I hate when that happens. I’m not a fan of the voting portion. Anyway, I’ll be taking you through the first half of the show! Woohoo!!!

Tonz: the time has come, the best have been selected. The artists are all geared up and anxious about the live shows and the voting and ultimately winning! The coaches are pulling out all the stops *eyes Usher* and going in for the kill. It is the live rounds people and here is where it gets even better, the best performances are going to come out as they fight for the votes. I’m still Team Adam (aka Adam’s Angels) all the way but i will say Team Blake is not backing down and he is my runner up team. Teams Usher and Shakira have one or two artists that can give the older coaches a run for their money no doubt. Can’t wait to see the outcome. I’ll be reviewing the second half of the show, but interjecting in Giselle’s part as well J Enjoy

*Please click on the performance headers to view video clips of each Live Show performance*

Giselle

I’ve been anticipating these live shows for so long. I love Live Shows!!! *Happy Dance*

TeamUsher – Black and Gold

Before we even start the live shows, we are graced with the wonderful performance of Team Ursher Baby, Yeah Maine! They performed Black and Gold by Sam Sparro. Let me tell you, and I will tell you, when they showed how Usher prepared his team for that performance, I just sat there like, wow. Firstly, Usher only has red shoes, but I ain’t mad at him one bit. Secondly, they ALL got red shoes and Team Usher gear; I am mad at them though. *side eye* Thirdly, Usher covers all bases in terms of preparation. Please people, if you didn’t like Usher before, I’m not asking you to like him now, cause I can do that for you and for me, but PLEASE, respect that fact that he puts a lot of work into what he does. But I digress, so before I write my entire portion on Usher being the best coach EVER and his red shoes, let me get on with it.

Team Usher’s performance was wonderful. As a quartet, they sounded amazing. I loved the song for them. Their movement and interaction on stage was tres magnifique! Although I thought that maaaaaybe the verses were a bit too low vocally; which Tonz also picked up on (Same Page!), overall I enjoyed it. They really brought it all out for that performance. If the audience was voting based on those performances as well, I don’t think any of the Team Usher members would have gone home.

Tonz: I loved it when they sang together, they harmonized really well. Individually thought I felt they sounded a bit flat, I had to ask Giz if that was how the song in itself was. No one person had any big moments and found that to be nice, the performance over all had a nice, cool, smooth and mellow vibe to it. Hats off to Usher for his unique but very efficient and practical coaching methods J

Now to the actual performances:

TeamAdam: Amber Carrington – Stay

 I just love typing Amber’s full name! J I’ll start off by saying that I’m not a Rihanna fan per say, but I do like the song Stay. I was glad that Adam chose the song for Amber actually. Reason being; Amber has always been the rocker type, so the gentler tone of the song would have been a nice change for her. In contrast though, Rihanna has a dark, vulnerable, beckoning undertone to her music that would be hard to emulate, but if it could be done, it would send Amber on to the next round for sure.
Amber came out, and totally owned the song. Her voice has grown so much since her Blind Audition. The soft side of her was beautiful to hear, but when she belt out her notes, she raised my pores a bit. In between, there were few small “oopsies” that I heard, but nothing any other vocalist doesn’t experience from time to time. It was a wonderful rendition and I thoroughly enjoyed it. GO AMBER!

Tonz: she did a country twist to this pop/r&b song with a kind of a cappella vibe that I really liked. She hit all her notes, both high and low and transitioned nicely into some falsetto. Giz has been raving about Amber from the beginning and it is due to her last name mainly! BUT I do agree that Amber has a great voice and her performances are always strong and on point. I very much see her being a favourite and hence gaining the votes necessary to advance further.

TeamUsher: Josiah – Starlight

Josiah kept proving himself to me during the previous episodes, so I believe that he has definitely earned the right to be here, in the Live Shows right now. The song Usher picked was Starlight by Muse; a song which was introduced to me by a good friend (hi5 friend!). Yet another song I love. In practice, Usher urged Josiah to be careful with his pitch and to really own the performance. He added that this was the type of sound Josiah could potentially have in his future career which is why he chose it for him to sing.

Josiah appeared on stage, guitar in hand, ready to go. The performance was fantastic. As Shakira said; it was his best so far. Tonz agreed with Shakira, who she aptly calls “Hips don’t lie or Hips”. He was just on that stage, belting out those notes, rocking his guitar, undressing me with his sexy model eyes and definitely making the song his own. I noticed some pitch issues, but I believe the rest of the performance over shadowed it. Overall, I loved it, I think Tonz loved it too and I’m glad the other coaches did as well. I like that Blake said the world is going to lose a model to music. So thankful we have Blake to take Josiah’s place in modelling. *crickets* *blink blink*

Tonz: he’s so cute eh. J Anyways, he sounded really good. Rough and gritty, he hit all his notes, he took usher’s advice about moving away from the mic to breathe and he was able to control it (again hats off to usher and his coaching tactics). This was indeed his best performance to date and i’m glad to see him advancing in his craft and taking it seriously.

TeamAdam: Sarah Simmons – Angels

There is nothing more I can say about Sarah. Tonz and I literally say the same thing about Sarah every time. We’ve been blogging for weeks now and it’s always the same. I came into these Live Shows knowing that Sarah would belt out some notes, grit it up with her awesome grittiness and totally rock the entire audience. I was wrong. Adam, in his ultimate wisdom, chose a soft song for Sarah; Angel by Sarah McLachlan. A wonderful song choice, as Sarah herself identifies with the song and has a personal experience which directly relates to it. Maybe Adam’s a psychic! Not only is it a great choice because of that, but also because, it would let the audience experience her softer tone. No rocking this time, at least not in the way we were accustomed.

Sarah stood on stage, looking like an angel herself. As she sang, you could hear her passion mixed with her vocal wonder! It took some time to get into full Sarah gear, but then she took the soft tone, added her signature grit on her belts, her falsettos and her awesomeness. Half way through her performance, I knew she was one to beat for this competition. I literally stopped and walked away from the tv, because I could not take any more. Ever experience something so good that you get saturated and can literally handle no more? That happened to me. Sarah blew me away yet again. Tonz didn’t get as emotional as I did, but I know she loved it. Even though, as with everyone else so far, I heard some quirks, the beauty of the entire performance masked them all. The judges, as usual, were amazed, though Usher rightly noted he was waiting for her to show her signature, which she did eventually. GREAT JOB SARAH! Wow!

Tonz: Sarah, Sarah, Sarah...what can i say that i haven’t already said previously. I love her, she is one of my favourites and even if she doesn’t win, she is sure to land a contract with a record label, of that i am sure. In this performance her voice was just so hauntingly beautiful. She made the audience feel every word she was singing, as it was so emotional filled. As Adam rightly said she enamoured everyone with that performance. 

TeamUsher: Cathia – I have nothing

Cathia has not been my favourite in this competition, but she won her knock out and I was ok with that result. She brought everything she had and made it to the Live Shows. Although I can be biased, I do critique on what I hear on stage. Usher, in his sometimes questionable song picking wisdom chose Queen Whitney Huston’s I Have Nothing for Cathia. *Alert…alert* I wasn’t too sure about this as, Cathia as a strong Latina singer presence which cannot hide. I actually love that about her. The only thing is that strong presence does not always mesh well with some English pop records. “I Have Nothing” is one of those that I don’t think it could mesh with. In practice, Usher reminded her not to be too rigid and hide behind her vibrato. Her vibrato is so strong, I love that too. To help her with the rigidity, he urged her to think of singing as a waltz. Then, he DANCED with her. *side eye* I was jealous! But I was back to reality very quickly. Cathia instantaneously started to sing while dancing and, her words became more fluid. *hi5 for mega coaching techniques*.

Cathia came out to the stage with great confidence. The first few lines of the song didn’t place a great foundation for her as far as I see it. Tonz thought maybe I was being to hard on her. She did stabilize as she went up the scales. She’s great at the higher octaves, but it did not overshadow the shaky start for me. I think it was the Latina vibe and phrasing that was throwing me off. She ended the song “muy fantastico”. As I said before, her higher octaves are strong and the heights she goes, she’d need an oxygen mask, but, she makes it look so easy. Overall, I wasn’t very impressed and I think that some of the other coaches noticed some notable faults as well. Usher did, but commended her on the fact that she was able to take the task of a Whitney Huston song on head first even though Shakira told him she was concerned about the song choice. Best of luck Cathia, we await the results!!!

Tonz: she actually sounded a lot better than i expected. I didn’t like the choice of song, but hey i trust usher. There were some notes gone wrong but when she hit her high notes boy did she hit them.

And now the second portion of ‘The Voice’ lol

Tonia

TeamAdam: Caroline Glaser – A Team

I love this girl, she looks so innocent and kind hearted and just so nice. She looks like the kind of girl in school that is the nerd but everyone, jocks, teachers, other nerds, like. She’s my nerd friend. J Now while I did not know the song, I felt that she performed it true to her essence. As Blake rightly said, it felt so easy and natural to her, I could imagine her sitting in a cafe with her guitar and performing this song. As with everyone she had a bit of errors but they were so minor it doesn’t even matter. Adam wanted her to embrace her uniqueness and bring it out in her performance and I felt like she did. Her voice is so unique and innocent you can’t help but be drawn to it.

Giz: Totally agree! Caroline was really in her zone, comfortable and showed everyone exactly what she’s capable of!

TeamUsher – Vedo – Against All Odds

He didn’t know who Phil Collins is?! Really? Really Vedo?! Just how young are you? *side eye* Giz loves this boy and I, for one just cannot see the fascination here. He has a good voice not a great one, but I digress. Because of his lack of knowledge of who Phil Collins is and the depth to which that song is supposed to be sung, he didn’t perform it to the best of his abilities. That is a powerful song that needed to be belted out with the same amount of passion that he sang ‘All My Life’. I heard some funny notes and he was a bit pitchy, it was totally not his best performance at all and I think the judges agreed with me as none of their comments were those of absolute praise. He did and okay effort but again I blame that on his lack of knowledge...but then again in this day and age there is something called ‘Google’.

Giz: What I’m saying is; he did not know Phil BEFORE Usher gave him the song! Google could only come into play after. Get it? Google Play! Lmao…anyway. I thought Vedo did an okay job. Definitely not his finest hour, however, if NBC would have given a Caribbean girl the chance to vote, I definitely would vote for him, because I see his potential and know what he can do.

TeamAdam’s Group Performance: Shake it Out

Hear nuh, Adam’s Angels are the BOMB! They were AWESOME! I think they should just form a group when this competition is over and Adam should sign them, they should really name themselves ‘Adam’s Angels’ and just conquer the music world. They can’t lose! They harmonized perfectly! Amber and Sarah hit those key notes with precision, Caroline came out of her shell and Judith did what only Judith could do and brought so much soul to that song. Oh and Adam took them to his personal shopper (taking a page out of Usher’s different coaching books, I see Adam) to get them all uniformed and feeling like a group so that they can look the part and perform the part. I think this worked so well on every level. Wow! Giz found them to be amazing (Same Page).

Giz: *mind blown*

Team Usher – MichelleChamuel – True ColoursTeam Usher - Vedo - Against All Odds

I like Michelle, I think she’s weird. I love her big bug eye glasses; they add so much character to her. We’ve only really heard Michelle doing rock type of songs and belting out, so it was a nice change for Usher to suggest that she show the softer side of herself through this song. I think sometimes Usher is so in tune in choosing songs that work so well with his artists and this is definitely one of those times. I was eagerly waiting to see what tactic he was going to use to help her sing and the use of the mirror....classic, great move Usher. Letting her make the song about herself and letting her see her true colours coming through as she sang, was an amazing move, I think he should write a book ‘ Usher’s Coaching Tips’ She sounded so nice and serene. She was strong on the high notes as well as the low ones, she kept her pitch and was able to make everyone connect with the song. She showed vulnerability that we haven’t seen from her and in doing so captured everyone’s attention. I loved it, the coaches loved it.

Giz: I cried. That is all!

TeamAdam – Judith Hill – Feeling Good

This was the performance that I was waiting to see. This was the performance I think everyone was waiting to see. They saved the best for last as usual. I think though that everyone is kind of putting a bit of pressure on Judith to be the best and to win, because she is so talented and we love to see her perform. Anyways, as she started to sing my pores raised (omg they are raising as I write this and recall the performance) and they stayed raised until the end of her performance. It was the best performance of the night for me, I expected greatness from Judy and she delivered that and more. She had the audience eating out of her hand, she had us drinking up all the words that flowed out of her mouth, she has us salivating wondering what she was going to so on stage and what notes she was going to hit. That part of the performance where she just stopped and walked away on stage a bit had me wondering ‘wait is he done, she can’t be, what is she doing, where is she going?’ And then she turned and hit that note, yes i know there was a thing with the note, a minor thing because of her vocal nods but hey she hit it and hit it well. There was not a bad comment from the judges it was like if they didn’t even hear it. Praises all round and I totally agreed with it. Well done on the song selection Adam *I tip my hat*. Judith for the win (well at least for me) J.  Giz agreed with the fact that it was a great performance; she thinks Judy’s been reserved a bit since her battle with Karina but she loved it, thought it was effortless.

Giz: I really don’t think Judith has given 100% since her Battle. I don’t mean that in a bad way. I think she’s been coasting a bit, because she can. I’m certain that when that final performance comes and she pulls out ALL stops, EVERYONE in the audience will flat line. Judith is an amazing talent; a diva as Blake called her. She’s the top contender!

Tonz: And there you have it, night one of the Live performances. They brought their A game for sure and laid it all out for us. The voting has begun and I am a bit peeved that I cannot vote eh! NBC that is something you NEED to fix because it’s not only persons living in America that watch the show.

Giz: Please remember to follow our blog via the buttons to your left *points to left* Share the blog with your friends and comment in the comment space below. *points down like Blake* Follow us on twitter; For Giselle: @shiversniffles and for Tonia: @tonzmarie.

Tomorrow night it’s all about Teams Blake and Shakira see you there!

Till next time

Giz & Tonz