When The Voice launched its Season 23 Battles on Monday, it replaced the traditional save with the playoff pass. What is it? You can see Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson, Chance the Rapper and Niall Horan explain above. In short, it’s a reward for a particularly outstanding performance that allows a coach to sit out a member of their team during knockouts and put them straight into the playoffs.
On the surface, that sounds great, doesn’t it? When I’m a candidate, I say, “Whoo hoo! One less chance of being eliminated!” When you think about it, should the singers look forward to the playoff pass? If they have confidence in their abilities and their coach’s ear, they wouldn’t be afraid of the knockouts. And if they skip that round, they get less airtime and therefore fewer opportunities to impress and persuade audiences – not exactly an advantage.
Post your thoughts on this new twist in the comments. But let’s review some battles first, shall we?
Team Blake: Tasha Jessen (Grade: B) def. EJ Michels (Grade: A-) on “Tracks of My Tears” – EJ Stolen by Niall | These standouts from the blinds started their duet well, but just fine. Then, in the final third of the Smokey Robinson classic, it was like a switch was flipped and they both exploded vocally. At this point it became clear that Tasha couldn’t match EJ’s intensity. He let out a throaty roar that I never saw (heard?) coming and was clearly the more dynamic performer; at times Tasha almost faded into the background, his presence was so great.
Team Chance: Jamar Langley (Grade: A) def. Mariah Kalia (Grade: A) on “Gravity” | Holy smoke, even in rehearsal this pairing sounded like dynamite. As their trainer noted, they were “equally fiery.” On stage, holy smoke again! Jamar unleashed breathtakingly tricky and emotional runs and demonstrated fantastic control over the nuances of his voice. And Mariah… OMG! She gave me Etta James vibes, showed some pretty freaking amazing range, and totally out of her shell in the spotlight. I can’t believe (a) they let her go and (b) that was the same John Mayer song I used to shrug at.
Team Niall: Gina Miles (Grade: A) def. Kala Banham (Grade: A-) on “Skinny Love” – Kala Saved by Kelly | Before those two had even sung a note, I assumed Kala had won the game; I really liked Gina’s soft-spoken blind, but her nerves seemed to be holding her back. In the moment of truth, however, she was the candidate that caught my eye. Her and Kala’s performance of Birdy’s rendition of Bon Iver’s song was stunning, as was Kala’s voice. As she is older, she also has more experience. But not only did Gina conquer her nerves, she also provided an amazing reminder of how unusual and convincing her singing is. Put simply, the child is special. (And yes, I know I give out A’s like they’re certificates of attendance, but come on, when a singer is good, a singer is good!)
Team Kelly: Cait Martin (Grade: A-) defeated Allie Keck (Grade: B+) on It Must Have Been Love | Hoping to reduce traffic on her team’s “Incredible Reach” lane – what?!? — Kelly assigned the four-chair spin and its rocking opponent a modernized version of Roxette’s golden oldie. At first Allie seemed to have the edge; Her deep, throaty voice was heaven on the verse. But as the arrangement grew, Cait felt more and more like she was singing tremendously to us while Allie seemed to be kind of yelling at us. Chance went so far as to tell Cait she made the end of the song “her moment”. Agreed.
Team Blake: Walker Wilson (Grade: B-) def. Kason Lester (Grade: C) on Here Without You | In what they dubbed “The Battle of the Big Hair,” the one-chair turns did their best to rock 3 Doors Down. But while Kason gave the impression that we were watching the lead singer of a cover band — gesturing so… a lot — Walker exuded an authenticity that combined with his sharper, raspier tone made him an easy pick for victory.
Team Chance: Sorelle (Grade: A-) def. Manasseh Samone (Grade: A) at Someone Like You – Manasseh Playoff Pass’d to the Playoffs | Since this comeback kid Manasseh can sing with the fury of an erupting volcano, I figured Sorelle had no chance of getting out of this fight. But both acts shone on their Adele cover, with Manasseh’s gargantuan voice quite balanced with the beauty and precision of Sorelle’s airtight harmonies. The trio was, dare I say, almost at Girl Named Tom level.
What do you think of the playoff pass – good for the participants… or not so much? And who really impressed you on Monday? Vote in the polls below, then comment.