The Voice Recap: Hello Sunday Earn Rousing Audience Response From Performance
Who has your vote to move into the finale?
It was a stressful night on the Live Semi-Final Round for season 17 of NBC’s The Voice. With eight contestants remaining in the competition, each aspiring artist had two opportunities to present their talent during the evening’s performances — one solo performance and one duet with a fellow contestant. Their destiny is then in the hands of the voting audience.
During the December 10 eliminations, the three singers with the highest scores advanced to the Live Finals on December 16, the bottom two were eliminated immediately, and the middle three would compete for that last slot in the finale.
With a theme of “80s music” and a little help from coaches Kelly Clarkson, John Legend, Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani, and CMA Musician of the Year Jenee Fleenor, the singers presented the best night of competition since the season kicked off.
And, speaking of kicking it off, host Carson Daly got things started with Chicago’s Katie Kaden.
KATIE KADAN (38) – “Lady Marmalade” by Labelle
- from Team Legend
KELLY: “You’re so fun to watch, I love you….you have a voice that captivates everybody.”
GWEN: “I think that was definitely my favorite Katie performance so far.”
JOHN: “Every week is the perfect song for Katie because everything that she sings, she makes it sound like her song. You own every performance.…We don’t deserve you Katie.”
KAT HAMMOCK (18) – “Somewhere Only We All Know” by Keane
- from Team Blake
KELLY: “I think what you have is really special. It’s just a voice that touches us…you make us hang on every breath.”
GWEN: “If there’s anything that you take from this show…you need to understand how gifted you are.”
BLAKE: “That was easily your most powerful vocal performance the show so far. When I hear your voice, it’s so pure and innocent. Your voice can make you happy and break your heart all at the same time…we keep talking about what happens after the show. I’m not going anywhere. I’m going to see this through with you. You need to be making records.”
Duet: RICKY DURAN from Team Blake and WILL BREMAN from Team Legend
“Your Love” by The Outfield
MARYBETH BYRD (18) – “Before He Cheats” by Carrie Underwood
- from Team Legend
BLAKE: “That’s gotta be a tough vocal to tackle and you did a great job on it…I thought you did a great job and between you and Jenee, way to represent Arkansas.”
JOHN: “You really got into the character so well and I thought it was your best vocal performance as well.”
HELLO SUNDAY (Myla – 13, Chelsea – 14) – “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing” by Stevie Wonder
- from Team Kelly
- The coaches had to hold their comments because the applause was so loud.
JOHN: “All I want to say is, when you guys said you were a little competitive with each other it helped explain why you push each other to be so great…y’all are fantastic.”
KELLY: “Y’all did so well. I am such a proud stepmom right now…this was the perfect song at the perfect time. America, they are 14 years old and just nailed it.”
Duet: MARYBETH BYRD from Team Legend and JAKE HOOT from Team Kelly
“Up Where We Belong” by Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes
RICKY DURAN (29) – “Let It Be” from the Beatles
- from Team Blake
- Ricky also took a guitar solo during his performance.
BLAKE: “You just gave the vocal performance of your life. No doubt about it. Great job.”
WILL BREMAN (25) – “Locked Out of Heaven” by Bruno Mars
- from Team Legend
JOHN: “Every week you’re just impressing me so much. Your stage presence is just so electric and magnetic…You have so much music in you, it’s so fun to watch you.”
Duet: ROSE SHORT from Team Gwen and KATIE KADAN from Team Legend
“Express Yourself” by Madonna
Duet: HELLO SUNDAY from Team Kelly and KAT HAMMOCK from Team Blake
“We Belong” by Pat Benetar
ROSE SHORT (34) – “I Want to Know What Love Is” by Foreigner
- from Team Gwen
GWEN (in tears): “That was unbelievable I am so in awe of you. I’m so honored to work with you…(crying)”
KELLY (stepping in for Gwen and also crying): “That was so moving. You are a gift. I don’t care what happens on this show. You are a gift.”
JAKE HOOT (30) – “Desperado” by the Eagles
- from Team Kelly
JOHN: “Every week, you’re just so consistently excellent every week, you just feel like home. It’s so comfortable and relaxing, and then you hit these high notes.”
KELLY: “It is an incredible gift that you have…it was so perfect, you are so perfect, I am so lucky that you are on my team.”
Tonight (December 10), we’ll find out just who will be competing in the two-part finale of season 17 of The Voice which starts December 16.
