It all comes down to this…
The second season of The Voice culminates in a jam-packed two-hour final performance night that feels padded, in essence, but a worthwhile celebration of the season in total. In fact, one could make the argument that the solo performances of the final four contestants actually become somewhat irrelevant, both as the audience tends to already have their favorites in mind and when sandwiched with the other songs each has to sing on the night.
They make the argument that only the solo performances are the ones that add to voting. Yet, it’s hard to hold to that when one or both of the other songs actually provides a stronger display of a vocalists abilities. Still, most have their minds made up about who is their pick going into the evening and it would take a knockout moment – or a spectacular falter – to really sway anyone in other directions.
There were no such moments in either direction this night. Though, Team Adam finalist Tony Lucca and Team Blake finalist Jermaine Paul offer their most complete turns of the year. Team Cee Lo finalist Juliet Simms, suffering from a bit of a cold her coach makes sure to point out to us, maintains her consistency. Was it enough?
As there are only four contestants left and they have to fill a two-hour show, each is required to sing three times. In addition to their standard solo performance that counts toward the audience voting, each vocalist gets the opportunity to duet with their coach on a song of their choice. Then, supposedly as a tribute, the singers also perform a song from their coach’s catalog.
Solos
Jermaine Paul, R. Kelly’s “I Believe I Can Fly”
Such an obvious song choice that you couldn’t help but groan when he said that’s what he was doing. And yet … and yet … Jermaine offers what might have been his best, most fully realized performance of the season. For the first time, Jermaine felt genuine and fully invested in the song. In addition to the power that we all know he is capable of, there was a breezy command throughout. The Rat Pack-y look with the undone bowtie thoroughly fit the feel and the ease with which Jermaine emoted his song.
Tony Lucca, Jay-Z’s “99 Problems”
Christina gets in one last disapproving comment about a Tony performance and you can’t help but feel there’s some sort of issue or resentment on Christina’s part. (Perhaps she feels that because she knew him when she’s responsible for offering the harshest criticism.) I have to wonder, though, if this wasn’t the latest in a seeming pointed attack against Christina through song. Adam tried to spin the fact that Tony never said the word “bitch” that appears in the lyrics as a way to fight back against all wrongs in life not a slam against women in specific yet he didn’t quite get there. All that aside, Tony’s arrangement of the song into a Southern rock/jugband hybrid style was not only impressive but gave a perfect sandbox to just play in and feature the best of his voice. Outside of his Ray LaMontagne song during the Blind auditions, this was Tony’s best song of the year.
Chris Mann, Josh Groban’s “You Raise Me Up”
Yet another so obvious choice it hurts, and Chris makes it nearly a carbon copy throughout the first part of the song. Then, he takes a few notes here and there for his own that help to open the song up. Some aren’t as successful when compared with the original but he does find an emotional throughline that gives it the proper punch. Bolstered by his two previous songs on the evening, his comfortability gives him a solid base.
Juliet Simms, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Freebird”
Dressed in a sweeping red dress and train in a fashion that recalls her forebears like Stevie Nicks and Janis Joplin, Juliet chews through the rock classic with her usual vigor. There are points where her sick voice strains ever so slightly, but she still manages to power through the tune like the champion she is.
Duets
Chris Mann with Christina Aguilera, Andrea Bocelli’s “The Prayer”
There are moments when singing in Italian where the pair get a bit sketchy, but there are so many sweeping lovely moments between these two big voices that turn it into a special affair. Oddly, this felt like Chris’ most natural performance, as he was clearly in the lead between the two the whole way.
Juliet Simms with Cee Lo Green, Steppenwolf’s “Born to Be Wild”
Where Chris and Christina went for something a little more serious, Juliet and Cee Lo go for something fun. The energy absolutely works throughout the song, even if the vocals are a bit on the blah side. Cee Lo’s lower register is a treat, though it seemed a tad unnatural for him to sing there consistently. This was a way of blowing off the stress of the season and it worked well enough.
Tony Lucca with Adam Levine, The Beatles’ “Yesterday”
It should be no surprise that the world’s most covered song ends up here, but the lovely stripped down duet does not only the song justice but gives Tony a chance to show off his guitar skills and softer side. When the two harmonize, it is actually quite a special sound. The focus is clearly on the music rather than the flash and it gave a nice counterpoint to nearly every other performance of the night.
Jermaine Paul with Blake Shelton, Sam and Dave’s “Soul Man”
The so-called “Odd Couple” have a blast rocking out to the soul classic. It’s nice to see Jermaine let down his guard more and the bond between he and Blake is palpable and fun. Blake brings some nice vocals on his end and Jermaine brings the flash, but both have a raucous time bounding around the stage.
Tributes
Juliet Simms, Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy”
Sick or not, Juliet throws herself into a spicy rendition of Cee Lo’s hit that fits her voice very well. Engaging the entire audience, Juliet proves how natural a stage presence she is. The great thing about Juliet is her rasp and saucy rock star bravado fuel the anthemic quality of the song, evoking as strong a reaction as the original without sounding like a copy.
Chris Mann, Christina Aguilera’s “The Voice Within”
Chris is able to add a touch of class to Christina’s self-actualizing ballad but, as is frequent, it loses a bit of the emotion behind the words. He hits many of the impressive notes of his coach, but it never really soars.
Jermaine Paul, Blake Shelton’s “God Gave Me You”
Jermaine still hasn’t met a note he couldn’t bounce into multiple syllables or beats, yet his take on country star Blake’s song makes a wonderful transition into something a bit more R&B. There’s a return to the bombast he mostly can’t seem to shake, but it seems to fit the theme of the tune.
Tony Lucca, Maroon 5’s “Harder to Breathe”
Tony has a few problems keeping up with the song, getting caught in a chuckle at one point and getting dragged along by the beat in a few spots while trying to make the most of his breath, but he does a decent cover of Adam’s band’s first hit. It’s not exceptionally groundbreaking but does the song right.
Predicted Finish
Jermaine Paul
Juliet Simms
Tony Lucca
Chris Mann
How It Should Finish
Juliet Simms
Jermaine Paul
Chris Mann
Tony Lucca
And so, they’ve turned it over to America to make the decision. How did you vote? How do you think the vote will turn out. Let us know in the comments below.
