The Voice Recap: Top 13 Dedicate Performances to Loved Ones

We’re deep into the Live Rounds for season 17 of NBC’s The Voice and the teams are shrinking fast. With 13 contestants remaining at the top of the “Dedications” episode, coaches Kelly Clarkson, John Legend, Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani were holding their breath as the remaining members of their team competed for one of 11 spots going into the next round.

As Carson explained, the three artists with the lowest number of votes would perform again on November 19 for an opportunity to remain in the competition by winning an Instant Save. The other two would, unfortunately, be going home.

And, here we go!

JOANA MARTINEZ from Team Gwen – “Get On Your Feet” by Gloria Estefan

• Dedicated to her hometown of Miami, Florida

BLAKE: “I know this girl from working with her, so I know that her talent combined with her determination and, now, the right coach for you, I just think you’re in the right lane now. I love you doing that whole Miami hometown thing. Seems like you’re more comfortable than ever, you had a blast on stage and I predict good things for you after that.

GWEN: “I’m in shock. America, she really pulled this off. This is a very, very hard song to do. She’s never been on the stage and worked the stage like that. That is the first time she’s ever done something like that. It’s really unbelievable. I don’t think people at home understand how hard that is to do, to sing, dance, to walk around, to get the crowd going. You were incredible.”

RICKY DURAN from Team Blake – “You Are the Best Thing” by Ray LaMontagne

• Dedicated to his girlfriend

JOHN: “There’s no secret that I’ve loved Ricky from the very beginning. In your Blind Audition, you were incredible. I’ve always thought you always carried yourself like an artist. Everything about the way you control the stage, the way you play, the way you perform, it just feels like you were born to be there. And you seem so natural in the place that you belong. And, once again, it was an outstanding performance. Your voice sounded amazing, it was a great song choice and it was very impressive.

BLAKE: “I did a lot of traveling this week and everywhere I go from Oklahoma to Nashville to L.A. to Atlanta, security guards, people at the feed stores, friends, everybody loves Ricky. And I’ll tell you why, it’s because of performances like that. You always deliver a solid performance and people relate to you. That’s why you’re going to be here for a long time.”

MAX BOYLE from Team Kelly – “Unaware” by Allen Stone

• Dedicated to his niece and nephew

JOHN: “It’s really hard to do a song with that much falsetto in a competition like this, but you nailed those notes. You did it with such power and such charisma. It was really exciting to watch you and to hear you. You’re so good at this. You’re really good at this. ”

KELLY: “I think my favorite part about your voice is you have so many in there. You have so much talent and you’re so gifted. You have that falsetto, you have the power of your chest voice, you have this intimacy that you really can’t teach anyone when you’re singing. It’s just such a gift. Like, no one should really cover this song except for people like you that are superhuman, and it’s so good.”

MYRACLE HOLLOWAY from Team Gwen – “I’m Your Baby Tonight” by Whitney Houston

• Dedicated to her late grandmother

KELLY: “That’s a really hard song to sing, just breath! I would never cover that song. You are a champion. You did so well, so well.

GWEN: “This is crazy because she came out for our practice, rehearsal and they were like, ‘She wants to change the song, she’s scared, she doesn’t like it.’ She freaked out because you got saved and you got all in your head and then we just had a discussion about how, no, you’re doing this song because of your grandma and it was incredible. Every moment was perfect and incredible.”

WILL BREMAN from Team Legend – “I Won’t Give Up” by Jason Mraz

• Dedicated to his mother

BLAKE: “Every time you get on stage, I am amazed at how connected you are to the song that you’re singing. It’s actually unbelievable. I was shocked last week to see you not be moved forward by America. I don’t see that happening again this week.”

JOHN: “I’m so proud of you, Will. Every week you show us new sides of you and I wanted people to see you being a little more vulnerable. The passion you showed, the emotion, the connection you showed to the song, it was really, really beautiful. I loved feeling that you were going to break, that energy just exuding from you. What a great performance.”

KAT HAMMOCK from Team Blake – “Danny Boy” (traditional)

• Dedicated to her late grandfather

GWEN: “We’re all huge fans of you. If you do not get a record deal after this show, then something is wrong, I quit. You’re so magical, your voice is so special and unique and just mesmerizing. I look forward to watching you every single time.”

BLAKE: “As your friend and your fan, I couldn’t be more proud of you. As your coach, I am scared to death because I swear, you have to be one of the most important artists I’ve ever worked with on this show.”

KATIE KADAN from Team Legend – “I’m Going Down” by Mary J. Blige

• Dedicated to her fellow single girls

KELLY: “That was so good that I was rocking with you and my mic pack went down, all the way down my body. You are straight up fire, you’re a force. I love you.”

JOHN: “That was the best performance we’ve seen this season by far, I think. We have some amazingly good singers, some amazingly good singers have sang before you today, but we haven’t seen anything better than that this season. That was incredible, Katie.”

CALI WILSON from Team Blake – “Butterflies” by Kacey Musgraves

• Dedicated to her girlfriend

GWEN: “I am such a huge fan of you. That is the kind of voice, that’s the record I want to listen to. It’s so beautiful. Just your whole tone and your voice, and you can hear the air coming through, then you go into your falsetto. You do everything. It’s so beautiful.”

BLAKE: “Now that we’ve heard several different performances from you, that seems to be your lane. And it is that thing where you can play with your falsetto and then your full voice because when your full voice comes in like it did there on the last chorus, it’s shockingly powerful. Great performance tonight.”

SHANE Q from Team Kelly – “My Wish” by Rascal Flatts

• Dedicated to his mother

BLAKE: “Man, you’re incredible. I gotta say, like I am always, I was really shocked to see you be the save because I feel like you have been one of the front runners in the competition. I feel like that performance will get you back up there. Great job. Solid.”

KELLY: “You did it. You opened your eyes, you looked at everybody, you sang it, you connected. I don’t know if it was your mama, but I want every other song you sing on this show to be for your mama. You did so great. Shane, you are so incredibly talented and I just need you to know that by the time we part from this show because you literally are an incredible vocalist and I’m so honored to have you on my team.”

HELLO SUNDAY from Team Kelly – “Mamma Knows Best” by Jessie J

• Dedicated to their parents

JOHN: “That was incredible. You two have always been so impressive and so creative and so fun to watch, but I think you being on the brink of going home last week, something about it pushed you because this was far and away your best performance. It was perfection. You did exactly what you were supposed to do and you did it so perfectly and with so much joy. It was so much fun to watch.”

KELLY: “I’m your coach and I still don’t understand you. You are so talented and you’re friggin’ so young, like it’s so weird, and I would love to sing with y’all. I love it. America, you are insane if you don’t pick these kids. They are so good.”

MARYBETH BYRD from Team Legend – “Go Rest High On That Mountain” by Vince Gill

• Dedicated to her late grandfather

BLAKE: “I was just talking about that particular song today and what it meant to me through the memory of my dad, so I know exactly how you feel trying to get through it. I can’t even listen to it sometimes, it’s so heartbreaking, but great job, sis. I gotta tell you, I’m a big fan.”

JOHN: “We talked about how hard it was going to be to do this song and what I told you then is what I’ll tell you now is that part of the beauty of you being a performer and being on the stage at this moment is you can share your grief with America and they can see all the parts of you that make you who you are as a person. Who you become as a singer and a musician is because of your grandfather in part and America got to see all of that. It was really beautiful. What a performer.”

JAKE HOOT from Team Kelly – “Danny’s Song” by Loggins & Messina

• Dedicated to his daughter

GWEN: “You know I’m a fan and I love the song so much and I love that song for you. I was just kind of waiting to hear you do a song like that and it was just perfect. Especially at the end, hearing you do all those growls and different things with your voice. It was really magical and I’m so happy for you. It was amazing.

KELLY: “I mean, you had me bawling. This whole show, The Voice just likes for me to bawl. These packages and little Macy over here. You are so magical. You could sing anything and I wasn’t lying, literally, you sound like the music I grew up on and you’re so talented and she’s so cute (crying).”

ROSE SHORT from Team Gwen – “I Turn to You” by Christina Aguilera

• Dedicated to Gwen

GWEN: “Dedicating this song to me means so much to me, honestly. This is sort of like a role reversal thing. I feel so proud that you trust me. You’re so cool, you’re so talented, you’re so incredible, so the fact that you say that to me, that means everything to me. And I’m so happy that we have this moment together. I’m really proud of you.”

With that, voting was turned over to the audience to determine who would have the opportunity to continue in the competition. On Tuesday, November 19, the bottom three contestants will have the opportunity to perform for an Instant Save and a chance to go to the next round.