Team Blake with Team Christina: "The Edge of Glory"
Team Adam with Team Cee Lo: "All These Things that I've Done"
The live performances allow the contestants to put on a performance instead of just a song. Unlike American Idol, the contestants of The Voice arrange an entire performance with dancers and props to turn their performance into a show.
The remaining contestants for each team are:
- Team Adam: Tony Lucca vs. Katrina Parker
- Tony kicked off the semifinals with a strong vocal performance. Tony had some attitude and showed off some dance moves in his performance. It was obvious he is very comfortable on the stage through his interaction with the crowd and his stage presence overall. But what is good is that even with all his movement his vocal prowess and ability doesn't get lost in the shuffle.
Tony performs "How You Like Me Now"
- Katrina has grown so much over the course of the show. It is amazing to think that before she got on the show, she was sitting at her desk in her cubicle hard at work. Her performance didn't need a lot of flash because her vocal ability puts on enough of a show as it is. When she sings, she doesn't sound or act like this is all new for her, she appears as a seasoned performer going out and putting on a nice mellow show. My only criticism of her is that her performances aren't particularly memorable because she keeps them so simple.
Katrina performs "Killing Me Softly with His Song"
- WARNING!!! The result of who is moving on is announced in the following video. Due to their performance, I believe Tony is the better option for winning the show and therefor he should move on to the finals, but that doesn't mean I think Katrina isn't amazing because she is and she could definitely have a career in the music industry.
- Team Blake: Erin Willet vs. Jermaine Paul
- Erin has been strong throughout the competition, but her semifinal performance took her to another level. Her rendition of "Without You" made the song much more emotional and personal. The way she sang it, and connected to it made it feel like she was singing about a personal experience, which made her connection to the audience that much stronger. Even at the end of her performance she still emotionally attached to the song, to the point where she tears up listening to the judges comments. She performed one of the most emotional performances I have seen on the show.
Erin performs "Without You"
- Jermaine put on an incredible performance. He kept it tender yet
powerful to show off his range and vocal ability. The emotion he
portrays when he is singing draws everyone in and allows them to feel
the emotion he feels.
Jermaine performs "Open Arms"
- WARNING!!! The result of who moves on is announced in the following video. Picking a winner between these two is impossible. They both had such strong performances that were so touching and emotional.
- Team Christina: Chris Mann vs. Lindsey Pavao
- Chris went back to his roots, opera, for his semifinal performance. The strength and emotion he has during his performances draws us, the viewers, in even though most of us have no idea what he is saying. It was smart of him to perform another opera song to showcase his versatility and strengths as he vies for a place in the finals.
Chris performs "Ave Maria"
- Lindsey broke away from her mold for her semifinal performance. She played her guitar and stayed very close the microphone. Overall, she had a very good performance that showed off her confidence in doing a laid back song and performance. Lindsey, like Chris, went back to her roots and gave a very strong and emotional performance.
Lindsey performs "Skinny Love"
- WARNING!!! The result of who is moving on is announced in the following video. The versatility Chris has in the type of song he is able to perform gives him the edge over Lindsey. So even though Lindsey is amazing, I think Chris has a better chance at winning.
- Team Cee Lo: Jamar Rogers vs. Juliet Simms
- Jamar has been an inspiration from the beginning. He has taken on the persona of "the come back kid" over the course of the show and his energy and enthusiasm shows in his performances. He isn't afraid to take risks and change up the arrangement a song to make it more current, and his ability to do this without tarnishing the meaning of the original version shows he doesn't just have a good voice but he is also a smart artist. In his semifinal performance he changed it up and stayed mellow on stage which allowed the audience to focus on his voice, and the range he has. There is no doubt in my mind that he will go far in the music world no matter what the outcome of the show has in store for him.
Jamar sings "If You Don't Know Me by Now"
(I couldn't find his live performance, sorry)
- Juliet has one of the most unique voices on the show. Her performance had a lot of soul and emotion, which fits her personality so well. The simplicity of her performance showed off her range, versatility, ability and power while being tender at times. Her emotion and connection to the song makes us think she believed what she was singing. It was a very good performance to end the show on.
Juliet performs "It's a Man's, Man's, Man's World"
- WARNING!!! The result of who is moving on is announced in the following video. These two are the most unique contestants left and choosing which one moves on will be difficult. However, Jamar doesn't need to win to be able to get a recording contract. His story combined with his talent is enough to allow him to continue with moving forward in the competition. Juliet, on the other hand, would have a higher chance of breaking into the music industry successfully if she were to make it to the finals.
The strength and diversity of the remaining contestants is one of the things that makes this show so much fun to watch. There is no cookie cutter outline of the types of voices the show wants. They aren't looking to fill a niche that may be lacking in the music world, they are creating a new one. All eight of the semifinalists are strong enough and talented enough to make it in the music industry and the show is a way to get them noticed.
Do you agree with who moved on to the finals? Let me know.
