The Voice
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Nine singers progressed, and three were eliminated Tuesday night (May 7) on NBC‘s The Voice, as the live round once again dished up its share of drama.
Earlier, on Monday night, each of the Top 12 hit the stage and sang for their lives in the competition. On this occasion, America voted while coaches Reba McEntire, John Legend, Chance the Rapper and newbies Dan + Shay were on hand to give input.
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During Tuesday night’s Top 9 announcement, the four singers with the lowest vote count were returned to the stage. The prize – the “Instant Save,” bringing with it entry into next week’s semi-finals.
For their last chance, Nadège hit “Smooth Operator” by Sade; L. Rodgers performed Elton John’s “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me,” Zoe Levert covered Kacey Musgraves’ “Slow Burn,” and Tae Lewis’ tackled “The Church on Cumberland Road” by Shenandoah.
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There could be only one. Team Dan + Shay’s Lewis got the nod. “That was like a finale performance,” Dan Smyers told Lewis. “We are so proud of you, how far you’ve come. I hear it in your voice, I see it in your eyes (and) I feel it in your soul. You want to be here. You deserve to be here.”
The 32-year-old Goldsboro, NC native joins Bryan Olesen (Team Legend), Maddi Jane (Team Chance), Madison Curbelo (Team Dan + Shay), Asher Havon (Team Reba), Karen Waldrup (Team Dan + Shay), Serenity Arce (Team Chance), Josh Sanders (Team Reba) and Nathan Chester (Team Legend) in the semis.
Perhaps it’s beginner’s luck. Perhaps they’ve got the secret sauce. What we do know is that Dan + Shay lead the way, representing three of the final nine contestants.
Watch Tae Lewis’ performance on season 25 of The Voice below.
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There’s no such thing as a certainty, a guarantee, when NBC’s The Voice reaches the Live round.
That’s exactly where the contestants find themselves. The Top 12 singers have reached the Lives, the sweaty-palms moment in the season. It’s all nerves and sweaty-palms from here.
Asher HaVon wasn’t showing it.
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On Monday night’s episode (May 6), the Team Reba standout stood up and delivered a cover of Boyz II Men’s ‘90s classic “I’ll Make Love to You,” a single that logged 14 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
HaVon did it justice, and made the song his own by blending power, pitch and soul.
Speaking in a package before the Lives, the Selma, Alabama native was glowing following rehearsals. “It was as big as I wanted it to be,” HaVon remarked. “I just hope that I make everybody proud, I just hope that you all feel my heart, and please, vote for me.”
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HaVon hit hard during this 25th season of The Voice.
With his commanding performance of Sia and David Guetta’s “Titanium” during the Playoffs, Shay Mooney of Dan +Shay remarked. “this felt like a Grammy moment for you, man.”
And McEntire enthused, “he could sing the phonebook and make it a hit.”
John Legend likened the effort to a religious experience. “There are certain things about you that remind me of Whitney Houston. She would take these songs that weren’t written for a soul singer and have that restraint and regal presence on the sound but also throw in a dope run that you would hear in church,” Legend said. “In church, we save a descriptor for certain vessels, we say they’re anointed. I just felt that anointing on you. That was divine.” Legend will be kicking himself; he’s the only coach who didn’t turn during HaVon’s Blind Audition.
HaVon is somewhat used to the big stage. His resume includes a spot singing for former President Barack Obama during one of his hometown’s Civil Rights commemorations.
Now everyone’s watching.
America has its chance to vote on the Top 12: Asher HaVon, Bryan Olesen, Josh Sanders, Karen Waldrup, L. Rodgers, Maddi Jane, Madison Curbelo, Nadège, Nathan Chester, Serenity Arce, Tae Lewis, and Zoe Levert. When the votes are tallied, the results will be revealed on Tuesday night. Three artists will eliminated, and next week the Top 9 will perform.
See HaVon’s performance in the Lives round below.
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This week marked the start of the Playoffs rounds on season 25 of The Voice and the show brought in some serious ringers on Monday night (April 22) to help cut down each coach’s team from five to three singers before the live, public-vote rounds begin.
Team John Legend teed up a veteran of the franchise in Colombian superstar Maluma, who has been a coach on two seasons of La Voz, in both his native country and in Mexico. Meanwhile, Team Dan + Shay got a boost from rapper Saweetie, with each guest bringing their own unique set of skills to the gig.
According to EW, Maluma seemed completely at ease with the job, serving up positive notes and encouragement and some pro tips on performance and setting the mood. In a preview video that dropped before the show aired, Maluma had a lot of good advice for the Team members, from encouraging them to write their own songs to suggesting they ditch their instruments while performing live to focus on their vocals.
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That experience came through when Nathan Chester was prepping his powerhouse cover of the Beatles’ “Oh! Darling.” After Legend — whom Maluma dubbed “Juan Leyenda” — suggested that Chester put more urgency into his performance, Maluma seconded that emotion and offered up a technical note about stepping back from the mic a bit to let his voice truly shine. The dynamic due clearly were on to something, as Chester made it to the Live rounds.
Maluma also seemed to bond with Venezuelan-born singer Mafe, who stepped up majorly with a moving version of Adele’s “Someone Like You,” but failed to make the final cut; the other Team Legend Playoffs members include Bryan Olesen and Zoe Levert.
EW noted that while rapper Saweetie seemed to be an odd choice to work alongside country duo Dan + Shay, they had a good chemistry and the “Best Friend” MC seemed to really have a vibe with the female singers on the pair’s team, offering them such poetic advice as “there’s no deadline to dreams.” When 17-year-old Anya True began rehearsing her take on Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version),” Saweetie helpfully suggested more eye contact to connect with the studio audience.
Admittedly not a country aficionado, Saweetie suggested that singer Karen Waldrup try to focus less on being technically perfect, but instead “strive for personality,” which she definitely did on her cover of Lainey Wilson’s “Heart Like a Truck.” That was enough to punch Waldrup’s ticket through, along with Madison Curbelo and Tae Lewis.
The Playoffs roll on next week with performances from Team Reba and Team Chance.
Check out some of Monday night’s performances from Team Legend and Team Dan + Shay below.
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For a band that split in 1970, the Beatles seem to be everywhere right now.
Last year, the Fab Four released their final recording, “Now And Then,” which gave the band their first No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult Alternative Airplay in more than 50 years, a leader on the Official U.K. Singles Chart which extended their record as the British act with the most leaders (18). It was also the longest-ever gap between No. 1 singles for any act, at 54 years.
Then, last week, confirmation that Michael Lindsay-Hogg’s 1970 documentary Let It Be would be released for streaming on Disney+ from May 8, restored by Peter Jackson and the Kiwi director’s team.
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The Beatles’ music got another boost — and an update — during the Playoffs of NBC’s The Voice, when Nathan Chester ripped out a classic.
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For the latest episode, which aired Monday night (April 22), Chester gave an acrobatic performance of “Oh! Darling,” which appears on the Beatles’ Abbey Road album.
Chester, looking sharp in a retro, green suit, brought soul to his rendition, delivered high notes with style, and busted out some eye-watering splits. Think prime James Brown.
The Chicago, IL native hones his talents as a professional singer on cruise ships. It shows. During the Blind Auditions, he impressed with a performance of Al Green’s “Take Me to the River,” earning a two-chair turn.
“I’m always waiting for someone to inspire me, excite me,” coach John Legend said at the time. “When I heard you singing, I turned very quickly because I was like, this man’s got it.”
Guided by Legend, Chester performed Elvin Bishop’s “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” in the Knockouts.
And what is Chester comfortable singing? Jazz, opera, golden age of musical theater, funk, soul, Motown, he explained following his Blind Audition. It turns out, he’s just fine with the Beatles. And if he was to make an album, he’d want to bring back “the James Brown-style of Motown.” We got a glimpse of that on Monday night.
Watch below.
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Joel and Benji Madden. Lisa and Jessica Origliasso. Matt and Luke Goss. Tegan and Sara.
Twins, rock stars, standouts. Justin and Jeremy Garcia will be keen to join the crew.
The teenage San Francisco Bay Area brothers have cruised into the Knockouts round of this 25th season of The Voice, with a natural blend of harmonies and wholesomeness.
The 17-year-olds landed their Blind Audition with a cover of One Direction’s “Story of My Life,” catching the attention of coaches Chance the Rapper, Reba McEntire and newcomers Dan + Shay for a three-chair turn (only John Legend was unmoved).
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“From the first time I heard you guys harmonizing, and I found out that it was two people, I was like, ‘We have to turn around. This is amazing,’” remarked Shay Mooney.
Those words of support helped the Garcia Twins choose Dan + Shay as their coaches this season.
In the Battles, the Garcias went up again another Garcia, 19-year-old Frank Garcia, with a performance of “Million Reasons” by Lady Gaga.
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Frank delivered in a big way, and advanced. As the twins walked off the stage, defeated, McEntire used her Steal. “I wanted y’all so bad,” she enthused. “I love your harmonies, I love that you’re brothers, and it just sounds so good. I want to work with you so bad. Welcome to Team Reba.”
For these slippery Knockouts, the Filipino American pair performed Callum Scott’s “You Are the Reason,” going up against Team McEntire’s Zeya, who sang “River” by Bishop Briggs.
“Zeya, you did a great job,” coach McEntire remarked afterwards. “I would’ve loved to have seen you stay in one position in that song, but your voice is great. You know that.”
The brothers were involved in another plot twist, this time stepping out of their harmonies and splintering for individual runs. Coach McEntire was first out of her chair for a standing ovation.
“Y’all are cute as a button,” she said. “I thought you did a great job. There were a few little things where I thought you might’ve gotten lost, but congratulations on pulling this off. You did a wonderful job.”
Not only did they not get lost, they’re now on a straight-forward path. McEntire selected the brothers to advance to the Playoffs.
“It was a hard decision because Zeya is so good,” McEntire explained. “But I had to choose Justin and Jeremy because of the uniqueness of their act. Everybody’s a great singer, but we have to have something a little different and going with the brothers was part of my strategy.”
Watch the performance on NBC‘s The Voice below.
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Season 25 of NBC’s The Voice has entered the cutthroat business of the Knockouts.
It’s time for the contestants to get the job done or get out. And decision time for the coaches, who have to make the hardest of cuts, or choose when to steal.
“It gets so hard to make a decision in the Knockouts,” coach John Legend said on Monday night’s episode (April 8). “Everybody’s so good, everybody survived the Battle. Nobody deserves to go home.”
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If it’s tough for the cast, it’s a blast for viewers at home.
On night one of the Knockouts, newbies Dan + Shay learned that they had some tough calls to make. Teammates Anya True (singing “Runaway” by Aurora) and Kyle Schuesler (“Say You Won’t Let Go” by James Arthur) went toe-to-toe, with True getting the win.
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The country artists had to make a decision on Frank Garcia, who sang El Triste” by José José, and Olivia Rubini, who covered “Tiny Dancer” by Elton John.
Rubini took the Rocket Man’s classic song to another level, by singing it in a higher key, a suggestion of mega mentor Keith Urban. With it, she delivered a one-two. “There’s something special about what Olivia did,” Shay Mooney remarked, “she showed us that she was very coachable, that she was ready to go to that next level.” Her voice, added Dan Smyers, “just inherently has a bit of a retro thing to it. She was spot-on with all of her notes.”
Olivia, remarked Smyers, “I feel like that came such a long way from rehearsals.”
Rubini cruises through.
Dan + Shay served as mentors in season 20, and make their coaching debut on the show this season, where they’re joined by returning coaches Reba McEntire, John Legend and Chance the Rapper.
New episodes of The Voice air Mondays on NBC.
Watch below.
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At this point in his career, Keith Urban is a singing competition pro. He was a vocal coach on three seasons of the Australian edition of The Voice, and spent four seasons as a judge on American Idol.
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That’s why he was the perfect selection for a mega mentor on season 25 of NBC’s The Voice, helping the contestants prepare for the Knockout Rounds starting on April 8. “It’s such a family vibe on The Voice,” the “Blue Ain’t Your Color” singer tells Billboard, noting that he loved working with coaches Chance the Rapper and John Legend, as well as his fellow country stars Reba McEntire and Dan + Shay.
As a veteran of the singing competition space, he knows that mentorship is personal, opting against “blanket advice” for the contestants. “You have to meet each artist where they’re at. What’s consistent is knowing what advice to take or to discard,” he explains. “I’m sure the coaches would agree that nobody has all the answers. Particularly, if you’re doing something unique, chances are that nobody understands yet. A lot of artists get a lot of ‘You have to change this and change that.’ Sometimes, you don’t have to change anything at all. You have to keep working and make a better version of what already is.”
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Navigating advice from all directions is a “challenge” Urban himself experienced throughout his career, adding that it’s important to be selective with your inner circle. “You can be really stubborn and immovable on certain things but that’s going to keep you stuck. Then, other times, you’d hear someone’s advice and think maybe that’s what you should do and you do it and then you find yourself to be lost and that the advice didn’t work for you,” he says. “For me, the most important thing was having people around me that I trust. Honestly, even family and friends will often have a little bias — positive or negative. You can have some friends that are super jealous or they might have a bias and they’ll give you advice that’s actually not very good. Having people around me that I really, really trust their opinions helped the most in my career.”
As for McEntire and Dan + Shay’s country takeover on The Voice, Urban isn’t surprised. “It’s reflective of the growing popularity of country music as a genre, not just nationally but all around the world,” he says proudly. “It’s extraordinary watching it take off like it’s doing.”
While he’s helping aspiring artists at the beginning of their careers, the four-time Grammy winner is continuing his own illustrious career, as he’s slated to soon release a new album, which will include the songs “Straight Line” and “Messed Up As Me.”
“It’s always fun for me,” he says when asked how he stays passionate about making music after all these years. “I know it sounds crazy, but I get more excited now to write a song than I ever did. Even making the current record was a crazy mix of fear, excitement, discovery, curiosity, passion — just everything. I went through everything with this record, because I’ve never made this record. I’ve never seen this day. We’ve had plenty of fun but we’ve never had this one. And that’s just how I live my life. Every single day is a brand new blank canvas.”
He also stressed the importance of staying in touch with how he felt when he was first beginning his journey in music. “A quick example is when I went into the record company to play my new album the other day for about 50 people,” he recalls. “I wanted to print out the lyrics to every song and while it was a lot of work, I didn’t want to have somebody do it and I wanted to do it myself. So, I stapled all the lyrics together and put together this massive presentation. It felt like putting up my own posters at the beginning of my career. If you lose that feeling, you do start to become jaded and you get bored and your passion just disappears. For me, my passion stays so long as I keep doing the things I did at the beginning and it keeps it exciting.”
Catch Urban during The Voice Knockouts, which begin on Monday (April 8) at 8 p.m. ET on NBC, before it streams the following day on Peacock.
Keith Urban is set to serve as a mega mentor on season 25 of NBC’s The Voice. The two-time CMA entertainer of the year winner will join a country music-heavy lineup of leaders on the show, including coaches Reba McEntire and Dan+Shay, in addition to fellow coaches John Legend and Chance the Rapper. Explore Explore […]
Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat‘s 2008 hit “Lucky” is already the epitome of a love song, but on an upcoming episode of The Voice, two of Dan + Shay‘s team members added an even more romantic layer to the track by making it bilingual.
Madison Curbelo and Kyle Schuesler take the stage to perform the hit in the Battles round, trading off verses on acoustic guitar — with Curbelo performing in Spanish and Schuesler performing in English, before both of them come together to sing a bilingual chorus.
“I believed you,” coach John Legend told Schuesler when he admitted he never performed in Spanish before. “When I’m able to just enjoy and not overthink it, when it’s in my heart and not my head, that’s when I know it’s great and that’s what I felt.”
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Chance the Rapper was blown away by the performance, giving a piece of advice to the duo’s coaches, Dan + Shay. “Both of you guys could win the entire competition, and neither of you guys should leave and I think John is going to try and steal Kyle, so if I were Dan + Shay, I would use my Playoff Pass right now,” he said, referring to a once-per-coach pass that allows both contestants to stay in the competition, with one advancing to the Knockout rounds while the other goes straight to the Playoffs.
“Stay out of this! Enough from you,” Legend then shouted at Chance, as his plan was clearly foiled.
It was then time for Dan + Shay to make a decision. “I am so proud of you both. This was definitely the most cohesive performance so far,” Dan Smyers told the duo. “I feel like your individual performances were incredible but together, it was just so locked in. I felt the energy, I felt the magic, I felt the chemistry between the two of you guys when you were singing. When we left rehearsals the other day, Shay and I were like, ‘They both deserve to win this show.’ Just like Chance said, you guys are incredible. This is a tough decision.”
“We didn’t sign up for heartbreak,” Shay Mooney. “Kyle, I feel like you’ve really come out of your shell, even from just the beginning of this. Madison, you are an absolute ray of sunshine. I can’t believe that we’re lucky enough to have you on Team Dan + Shay.”
Check out the full clip above, and find out what Dan + Shay decided to do on the next episode of The Voice, which airs on Monday (March 25) at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.
The Voice 2024 has entered the Battles phase. And, for two Team Dan + Shay hopefuls, a fight to the end with a twist.
Karen Waldrup, a Mandeville, Louisiana native, all turbo power, and Ryan Argast, a Plainfield, Illinois man with range and gravel in his voice, were sent into the ring with a cover of Dan + Shay‘s 2023 number “Save Me The Trouble”.
The contestants impressed the coaches with their obvious talent, and earned a few hollers with a smoking hot conclusion. “That was just steamy at the end,” Chance the Rapper remarked.
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“That’s better than the original version,” Dan Smyers insisted.
“That was so good. The energy, the passion, the power coming out of you two,” John Legend said. The rasp in Argast’s voice is his “superpower,” he enthused. Though he’s “mad he didn’t turn” for Waldrup, whose tone and vibrato worked magic. Legend would chose the latter, if he had the option.
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Reba McEntire did turn for Waldrup. “I think you’re fantastic,” she remarked. And there’s a lot of love for the “growl” in Argast’s voice.
That performance was “awesome,” Chance chimed, though the pair had mismatching “energy levels.” Karen, he continued, has a “true talent. It was like there was a storm around you and you were just shining through it.” The Chicago rapper was quietly kicking himself for not turning for her when he had the chance. The final moments of the Battle were “steamy,” he reiterated, and exactly what the cameras adore.
Dan + Shay had the last word. Argast’s “presence on stage is incredible,” claimed Smyers, while Waldrup “rose to the occasion,” belting out a “guy’s song.”
It’s a voice that reminds Mooney of old country, classic stuff he grew up listening to. “I love that sound, it’s very unique.” Argast’s voice, he continued, is “powerhouse.”
With the kind words out the way, a decision had to be made. They chose Waldrup.
Dan + Shay are the newbies on this 25th season of NBC’s The Voice, joined by returning coaches Reba McEntire, John Legend and Chance the Rapper.
Watch the Battle below.
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