'The Voice' recap: Battle Round pairs pop and soul for 'Toxic' cover, Coach Bublé lands 'piece of the puzzle' he didn't have
The reality singing competition closed out the Battle Rounds ahead of next week's Knockouts.
The remaining hopefuls on The Voice gave it their all on the fifth and final night of the Battle Rounds.
Monday’s episode closed out the latest Battles of the NBC singing competition with six face-offs, as coaches Reba McEntire, Gwen Stefani, Snoop Dogg and Michael Bublé locked down their teams ahead of the Knockouts. With more talented singers exiting stage right, McEntire and Bublé used their last “steals” to fill out each of their final squads of nine.
With The Voice entering a new stage of the competition next week, find out which musical acts sang their way into the final spots for Team Reba, Team Gwen, Team Snoop and Team Bublé — and which eliminated singers kept their Voice hopes alive.
Standout Battle of the episode
The first Battle of the evening between Team Bublé’s J. Paul and Kamila Kiehne set a high bar for the talent that stepped onto the Voice stage to wrap up the round. Performing a cover of “Toxic” by Britney Spears, Bublé chose the song to showcase Paul and Kiehne’s skills with different musical genres — he leaned more soulful, she was more pop. Their unique harmonies and rhythmic choices produced a riveting rendition of the 2004 pop hit that made the popular song their own.
Stefani lauded Kiehne’s “incredible voice,” expressing astonishment at the 17-year-old’s vocal abilities and excitement about her future. But she chose Paul as the winner of the Battle based solely on vocal performance. McEntire disagreed, preferring Kiehne’s freshness.
Bublé had the last say, making a point to tell both singers that this was “just a small part of their careers and a stepping stone in their musical journeys.” Ultimately, he went with Paul because he was the “quintessential singer singer.”
An honorable mention goes to Team Reba’s Battle between the a capella trio 323 and country singer Katie O. They performed a stunning cover of “Lonesome Loser” by Little River Band, one of McEntire’s favorite songs. It’s rare for groups to make it far on The Voice, so it was a special treat to hear four-part harmony as seamless and effortless as this. Even though McEntire pushed Katie O through to the Knockouts, 323 was worthy of staying in the competition too.
The final ‘steals’
Team Reba’s Tanner Frick came up short in his country music Battle against Tate Renner, but Bublé wasn’t about to let a talent like him go. Just as Frick was giving Snoop a goodbye hug, Bublé chose that moment to press his button and steal Frick away.
“[Getting Tanner] was a huge win for me,” Bublé said after welcoming him to the team. “That’s a former four-chair turn and a piece of the puzzle that I didn’t have. I needed that country singer, and now I feel like I’m completely in the game.”
McEntire chose to use her steal on indie folk singer Cassidy Lee after she lost her Team Bublé Battle with R&B crooner Cameron Wright. McEntire explained that Lee’s emotional performance of Mariah Carey’s “Hero” impressed her.
“Sometimes when you’re singing with someone who has an active, acrobatic voice, you tend to want to join that run — but she didn’t. She held her own,” the Happy’s Place star said of Lee while referencing Wright’s vocal abilities. “She knew her strengths and stayed in her lane, and that’s what I admired about her.”
Quote of the night
“I quit!” Bublé joked when he struggled to name a winner between singers J. Paul and Kamila Kiehne. The coach’s exasperated remark prompted host Carson Daly to name-drop a former Voice coach: “Don’t make me call Blake [Shelton]!”
A look ahead to next week
The three-way Knockout rounds begin! The competition gets cutthroat when each team presents three singers to go head-to-head. The contestants have the ability to choose the songs they wish to perform, but it will be up to their respective coaches to pick the winner who will advance to the Playoffs. Coaches will have one steal and one save to use during Knockouts.
Voice alum Jennifer Hudson, who was a coach on seasons 13 and 15, returns as a megamentor with Sting, who makes his debut on the program. Hudson will be advising Team Bublé and Team Reba, while Sting will provide guidance for Team Gwen and Team Snoop. Onto the next phase of the competition…
The Voice kicks off the Knockout rounds on Monday, Nov. 11 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.