The Voice Semi-Finals Results-Show Recap: Which Four Singers Said Ta-Ta After a Night of Tay-Tay?
And then there were five. After an evening of well-above-average Semi-Finals performances, including three Taylor Swift numbers, The Voice eliminated four contestants Tuesday ahead of its Monday, Dec. 18, finale (at 8/7c on NBC).
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Based on the polls that followed TVLine’s recap, frontrunners like Team Niall’s Huntley and Team Legend’s Lila Forde appeared to be sitting pretty. Others, not so much; asked which singer should be given the chop, more than 50% of readers pointed at Team Gwen’s BIAS.
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Who actually made it through? Before we found out, we were treated to an earnest if peak-less rendition of Niall and John’s “The Show” set against every red backdrop in NBC’s prop room and a version of John’s “What Christmas Means to Me” that had all the impact of tinsel falling from a wilting tree. (Props to the background dancers, though, for trying to pep things up!)
And in the moment(s) of truth…
SAVED BY VIEWERS’ VOTES
Lila Forde (Team Legend)
Huntley (Team Niall)
Ruby Leigh (Team Reba)
Mara Justine (Team Niall)
WILDCARD INSTANT SAVE
Nini Iris (Team Niall), “Mad World” — Grade: C+ | Solid song choice, Tears for Fears’ classic. But Nini tripped herself up, I thought, with her overly affected delivery. (Not every line needs an exclamation point.) Also, you know a contestant’s in trouble when her emphatic take on a golden oldie from the ’80s makes you reflect fondly on the version that Riverdale gave us.
BIAS (Team Gwen), “Go Rest High On That Mountain” — Grade: B- | Man, the cheese is strong in this one. Even on his Vince Gill cover, vocally speaking a high point in BIAS’ Voice run, I got all the sincerity from Gwen’s last man standing that I do from skim milk posing as a milkshake. “You have spoken to people out there,” BIAS’ coach assured him. And said, “Send me home”?
Jacquie Roar (Team Reba), “Alone” — Grade: C | Ah, another spot-on song selection. But from the get-go, something seemed “off.” Was Jacquie singing too fast? Whether she was or she wasn’t, the big notes didn’t save her this time. She was so pitchy, a third-baseman could’ve been at the mound. (OK, I don’t know baseball, but I assume that wouldn’t be great.)
Jordan Rainer (Team Reba), “I Don’t Dance” — Grade: B- | I know Jordan’s not everyone’s jug of moonshine. And I know she doesn’t have a voice as pristine as Lila’s or as mammoth as Huntley’s. But here’s the thing: I believe her. Whatever she’s singing, however imperfectly, I buy it. Unfortunately, this was probably too imperfect to nudge her across the line to the Finals.
Mac Royals (Team Legend), “I Wanna Know” — Grade: C | Based on the performances that preceded his, I figured this Instant Save was Mac’s to lose. But I’ll be damned if he didn’t try to lose it. Dude’s sexy and all, but he gave his performance the same oomph that I give the snooze button when I can’t be bothered to shut it off, so I just shove the whole phone under the pillow. Zzz.
Saved | Jacquie Roar (Team Reba)
Eliminated | BIAS (Team Gwen), Nini Iris (Team Niall), Jordan Rainer (Team Reba), Mac Royals (Team Legend)
Your thoughts on Season 24’s Top 5? Drop ’em in a comment below.
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