The Voice Recap: Season 17 Live Rounds Get Underway

For the first time in season 17, the remaining 20 contestants on NBC’s The Voice went live for the studio and television audience. That also means that for the first time this season, the viewers had a say into who remains in the competition and whose journey has come to an end.

The anxiety was palpable for the young performers, but there was also a reasonable amount of anxiety for coaches Kelly Clarkson, John Legend, Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani, along with host Carson Daly, who have invested time, attention and a truckload of heart into each of these potential stars. In addition, the Top 20 would be cut to 12 with a Wild Card instant save on Tuesday’s follow-up show.

First up were the group of entertainers from TEAM BLAKE.

RICKY DURAN – “Small Town” by John Mellencamp

GWEN: “You look amazing up there with the band. I love seeing you with the guitar. I think you’re probably one of the, all of the coaches favorites and I think that’s because your voice is so kinda smokey and raspy, but it just has everything going for it.”

BLAKE: “You’re the guy, you’re the singer on this show that you can’t really define. You can really kinda do it all, but I want America to vote you through tomorrow because you’re the guy that we all want to see make it. You’re always going to come out here and deliver an incredible performance with great pitch, a cool, unique sound, but man, this is just a great dude, everybody. He deserves this opportunity.”

CALI WILSON – “Toxic” by Britney Spears

JOHN: “After the last round’s performance of ‘Wicked Games,’ I would have never predicted that that would be your next performance. It was really different. I didn’t know that I would see that from you tonight, but it was fun to see something unexpected from you.”

BLAKE: “Your ride on this show is consistently coming up a level, coming up a level. And I want everybody to know that that’s her invention. That version of this song, she worked it up with her band, wanted to do this jazzy thing, so cool, it separates you from the pack.

GRACEE SHRIVER – “American Honey” by Lady Antebellum

KELLY: “I need America to know that you had a guitar in your hand and then something went wrong with the guitar and you, impromptu, just had to change your whole performance. That was remarkable. A lot of people would be thrown off by that, a lot of people would be like, ‘Oh my god, I had a plan.’ And that’s what’s so cool about you, Gracee, you not only have just a stellar storyteller voice, I love your voice, but you’re a professional. You just handled that like a total professional and you’re so young.”

BLAKE: “Two behind-the-scenes things — the guitar thing, which would have freaked me out, that nobody knows about at home. And the other thing I want people at home to know is how far you have already come from the rehearsal that we had last week to right now. That was incredible. I could not be more proud for you to be on my team this season on The Voice.”

KAT HAMMOCK – “God Only Knows” by the Beach Boys

*First standing ovation of the night

BLAKE: “I could not be more proud right now. I’m telling you, I have known about this since the first time I heard your voice. America, if she does not get voted through tomorrow, you need your head examined. This right here is one of the most unique human beings I have ever worked with on The Voice.”

RICKY BRADDY – “Roll With It” by Steve Winwood

BLAKE: “Every time you get on the stage, you bring so much energy, you bring so much power to your vocal. It’s actually unbelievable, man. I’ve been a fan of yours since the beginning. You had to knock out one of my favorite country singers to get here, that’s how much I believe in you.”

Next up was TEAM GWEN.

ROSE SHORT – “What Have You Done for Me Lately” by Janet Jackson

KELLY: “I can’t even sit down. You’re not even on my team and I can’t even sit down. That was so sexy. On top of the fact that it was one hell of a performance, just overall…Janet Jackson is at home right now going, ‘Don’t sing my song.’ That was so good.”

GWEN: “I am so proud of you. I’m so proud to know you, actually. I can’t believe you’re on my team. We talked about this. This was risky. We didn’t know and from rehearsal to now is like a whole other planet. I don’t even understand how you did that. It was so beautiful, you look so stunning, I’m so honored.”

KYNDAL INSKEEP – “10,000 Hours” by Dan + Shay and Justin Bieber

JOHN: “Kyndal, I love your voice. You have such a beautiful tone. I love that golden tone that you have, I love your vibrato, it sounds very distinct. I don’t think anyone else on the competition sounds exactly like you and that was a lovely performance.”

GWEN “You’re just so unique. There’s nobody that sounds like you, except for I feel like, kind of, I do a little bit (laughing). I kinda feel like we have the same vibrato, but yours is even more extreme and more cool. But I’m really proud of you. I thought it was beautiful and I love how your voice breaks up. It’s so original.”

JOANA MARTINEZ – “You Can’t Stop the Girl” by Bebe Rexha

BLAKE: “I knew this was going to happen and I’m happy for you. I’m happy that you make me regret ever letting you go. I’ve done some stupid things in my life, that may be one of the stupidest things I’ve ever done. Congratulations, what an incredible performance.”

GWEN: “You were amazing, incredible. I’m so glad that we picked that song. I think it was perfect for you and you got to show how spectacular a singer you are. You look so sparkly and so grown up. You do not look like a 15-year-old.”

MYRACLE HOLLOWAY – “Get Here” by Oleta Adams

JOHN: “Myracle, I love your presence on stage, I love your tone and I love all the liberties you took with this song. I’ve heard that song a lot of times, but I felt like you made it your own and that was a great job.”

GWEN: “He said it. Your presence on stage, it’s just so full of love. I’m so happy for you. You seem so happy and it just feels like this is your moment. We’ve said that before, but it really does. That was so extraordinarily beautiful.”

JAKE HALDENVANG – “Turning Tables” by Adele

KELLY: “I’ve been a big fan of you this whole time, but your voice it’s soulful, it’s rock-and-roll, it’s singer-songwriter, there’s literally a little bit of everything in you, country. I love your voice. I love how versatile it is. That was a really rad song to pick. Good job.”

GWEN: “That was amazing. You did it, after all of that. It’s like, here we are and it was beautiful. My favorite thing about your voice is just what Kelly said, it just does everything and you showed that off tonight and it was spectacular.”

The third team to step up was TEAM KELLY.

SHANE Q – “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” by Frankie Valli

BLAKE: “I mean, at this point, you’re probably sick of hearing compliments from all of us, but you know you’re gonna be around the show for a while, there’s no doubt about it. You’re so talented. You’re one of the few singers that come on this show, I love you staying in that lane of classic standards like that because you’re one of the artists that can do those kinds of songs and do them justice and knock them out of the park. That was a great job.”

KELLY: “I love you because you don’t just do the classics though. You’ve done country on this show, you’ve done pop on this show, you’ve done a little bit of everything and that’s what I love to have on my team and what I love to hear on the radio. I love artists that love all of the music and you are that guy. You can sing, probably, better than the original person. You are just blessed.”

HELLO SUNDAY – “Hello” by Adele

GWEN: “All I can think about is my son, Kingston, who is 13, singing Green Day in the shower. I can’t believe you guys are 14. I’m so mesmerized by that performance. You are incredible. It was so beautiful. Thank you.”

KELLY: “I did this at 19, I cannot imagine being 14-years-old. I would have peed my pants. I would have been terrified and I’m pretty confident. It’s just really bold, what you’re doing, it was a bold song to pick. I loved it, I love your energy. I love that you both, even though sometimes you start shaky, you build and you get to this beautiful, magnificent place. I’m just so excited to watch you on this show because I can imagine what you’re going to sound like at the end of it.”

DAMALI – “You Say” by Lauren Daigle

JOHN: “What I love about you is the way you tell the story, not only with your voice, but I think your body communicates the song so well. It’s like, they’re very small gestures, but they’re so meaningful in the way you present the song. You just look like you’re fully into the song, you’re fully telling the story and your voice sounds wonderful as well.”

KELLY: “I agree with John. You’re almost like an actor as well. Like, you act out a song and once the song stops, you’re out of character. It’s really, really cool and, honestly, the most exciting thing for me ever being a part of this show is having you on my team because I think that you have no idea how much you’re capable of and it is awesome to see. Each time we do rehearsals, you blossom and blossom. Girl, you need to believe more in yourself because you are incredibly gifted.”

MAX BOYLE – “Falling Slowly” by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova

KELLY: “I’m gonna own this and I told him. I have never recorded a rehearsal on The Voice and I listened to you last night before I went to bed because I recorded your vocal. You are so talented, Max, like I knew you were talented in rehearsal, but there’s no way you’re not going all the way.”

JAKE HOOT – “You Lie” by Reba McEntire

BLAKE: “Jake, that’s one of my all-time favorite country songs and, obviously, everybody loves Reba, so that was a tall order and you did a hell of a job, man. Those were big shoes to fill and I feel like you knocked it out of the park.”

KELLY: “I’ve always wanted to hear a male vocalist, especially like yours, man, you have such a  killer range. Not every male singer can do what you just did. That was incredible. And I’m so happy that you trusted me with it because I kept pushing. It’s so cool from a man’s perspective. It’s such a classic song and one of my favorites, too. You nailed it.”

Wrapping up the evening’s performances was TEAM LEGEND

KHALEA LYNEE – “Love Like This” by Faith Evans

GWEN: “Wow, I am so jealous of your outfit right now and, by the way, of your voice. That was so beautiful I haven’t heard that song in a while and it just sounds so cool. You’re just very cool tonight. Very, very cool.”

JOHN: “Khalea, you are so amazing to me. You carry yourself with such grace, you have such a soulful, beautiful voice. You make everything look so easy and sound so easy. It just flows out of you. You’re a gifted, gifted performer.”

ALEX GUTHRIE – “If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys

KELLY: “I’m so bummed. You’re so good. I’m so proud of you. I knew you were going to do this, but you are so lucky because you’re so good. John, he’s going to go to the finale, man.”

JOHN: “It was so well done. I love you down in that baritone range, it just sounds so rich and soulful and then you hit this powerful high notes, too. It was a really beautiful performance from beginning to end. Welcome to Team Legend.”

MARYBETH BYRD – “Love Me Like You Do” by Ellie Goulding

BLAKE: “What you don’t know is, I think the first line of the song we didn’t hear out here because your mic wasn’t on and I only remember that because I said, ‘Aw, I should mention that when they come to me to talk’ because that performance erased anything besides just greatness. The way your voice soars, that was one of my favorite performances of the night.”

JOHN: “You just shocked me. I’ve loved you since the beginning of Blinds, but tonight was head and shoulders above anything you’ve done to this point. The power you showed in your chest voice and the way you slipped into your falsetto, it was so beautiful and so in control. Such a great performance.”

WILL BREMAN – “Style” by Taylor Swift

KELLY: “That was amazing. You just won The Voice. Like, you just won The Voice, the rad human, you just won it all. So good.”

JOHN: “I just feel so lucky to get to work with you, Will, because you’re so musical, you’re so inventive, you have so much charisma, you’re a personality, you’re a true artist and it’s a joy to watch you perform.”

KATIE KADAN – “Always Remember Us This Way” by Lady Gaga

JOHN: “Katie, you have so much soul in your voice and just everything about you, you just ooze so much emotion and power. Everyone hasn’t gotten to see you in those tender moments yet and just the tender moments that you sang tonight were so wonderful. You really have the power, you really have the fire, but the tender moments were so beautiful tonight. It was such a stunning performance.”

On the next episode of The Voice, contestants will learn who has been eliminated and coaches will put the Wild Card save into play.