Knockout Matchups: Week 6 of “The Voice” Season 12

Blue’s Notes

Swanigan’s Notes

• Blue had very crisp diction and a crafty falsetto.

• He had a spunky stage presence and managed his air space fabulously.

• His rock-styled, strong, and growling belt blew the coaches (and me) away.

• He started off pitchy and was noticeably less confident than he normally is.

• Showed a steady control over his lower register, but was not up to his opponent’s caliber in terms of power and range.

Turner’s Notes

Eyre’s Notes

• She showed a strong connection to the song and powered through her performance.

• The rugged side of her vocals helped her display a sassy stage presence that commanded the audience.

• Turner struggled with her pitch and breath control in some of her higher notes.

• I was shocked that she did not make this famous song her own. It was a performance that just didn’t reflect her originality.

• The 16 year old’s confidence and energy matched the increasing tempo of the background drums and vocals throughout the chorus.

• She was slightly out of touch with the rhythm in the second verse, but she still sounded delightful as usual.

• Her upper register faltered towards the end of the final chorus; however, she made up for it with her spot-on falsetto.

Plake’s Notes

Gates’s Notes

• Plake softened the melody of this song by slowing down the tempo.

• He was pitchy and disconnected from his breath in the first verse.

• He transformed the chorus into a gorgeous rhythm with only a piano and steady beating drums.

• His energetic performance was a complete contrast from his opponent’s.

• It was different seeing him sing without a guitar, but his classic rock voice connected to the lively chords of the electric guitars.

• His vowel shaping got too wide during the chorus, which detracted his diction and pitch.

• This song choice was perfect in showing an edgier side to her young country voice.

• She utilized an acoustic guitar rather than an electric, which made the song seem a little slow on tempo and lacking in energy.

• Additionally, her belt was scratchy, as she reached for the notes rather than letting the music guide her singing.

• The lower part of her voice was under complete control and contributed to the rough edges of her vibrato.

• She opened up the first verse with smooth vocal tones and followed the whistling of the instrumentals behind her.

• The keys and drums guided her in powering through the chorus with unbelievable strength and concentration.

• She lost control of her breath in the final high part of the song, but managed to stay focused and finish with a stellar falsetto.

• Despite doing a Dion song, her choice in doing this well-known piece earned her a “courage award” from Levine.

• Backed by the bluesy chords of an electric guitar, Hayes carried the energy and tune of the song completely.

• His off-again on-again singing in the second verse added an element of classic rock and suspense that kept building through the end of his performance.

• The transition into his falsetto was off with the tempo’s timing and was breathy. Luckily for him, it did add some more range into the piece.

• The key in this song was slightly above West’s comfort zone. If he placed a bit lower, he wouldn’t have sounded like he was working his butt off to reach the notes.

• West went way too far in trying to be a rocker. He did a ridiculous karate kick, which was a major con for professional stage presence points.

• His 18-year-old body did not hold back in interjecting his powerful and operatic belt (Stefani and Shelton both chose him as the clear winner for this reason).

• Passero’s lower voice kicked off the song and set the stage for lyrics that expressed heartbreak and pain.

• She built up her story with delicate head voice notes and a terrific belt, which was at its strongest compared to previous matchups.

• The musical arrangement did not completely build with her, which made the slower parts of the theatrical verses a little disconnected from her overall story.

• Her decision to remain glued to the microphone stand and stay center stage helped release the painful message with passion and fire that got the audience clapping along throughout the entire piece.

• She energized the melody with her fierce power right out of the gates.

• The occasional strumming of the acoustic guitar helped Levin build up to the first chorus without giving away any power or energy.

• She propelled through the end of the second verse (and into the end of the song) with a capella riffs and insane control over the top of her register.

• Her lower register gave out towards the end when she was trying to settle from a 10 back down to a one, which left a decent lasting impression rather than a powerful one.

• While she is small in size, she makes up for it with her poise, strong stage presence, and vocal power.

• Her vocal runs in the second chorus lit up the crowd and raised Dawson’s eyebrows.

• All three of her pieces have been energetic and powerful, but it begs the question: Can she handle slower songs that require more smoothness and control?

• Coyle could not hold a candle to this song, unlike his other covers in his battle round matchups.

• His body was not in rhythm with the drums and guitar, and neither was his voice.

• He seemed to have a solid connection to the lyrics, but his lack of control in his lower register and minimal power up high cost him big time.

• Ortiz’s presence and strength in her lower register were on full display in her cover.

• She slowed the tempo down excessively, which did not allow her vibrato, breath control, or power to be on full display.

• Her range was nowhere near as extensive as Adele’s, and her connection to the piece was not reading well throughout her body.

• He got off to a sour start with a shaky vibrato and a pitchy chorus.

• His emotional connection to the piece — the most impactful from his previous matchups — and the melody created by the piano and electric guitars were stellar.

• The alternating flutters on the saxophone ultimately complemented his lower range and falsetto at the conclusion of his performance.

• Her confidence was unshaken and her delivery was beautiful.

• The instrumental arrangement had the tempo a bit softer than Trainor’s piece, which made the piece drag a little bit.

• This piece demonstrated how she skillfully conveys emotions, but it was mostly the middle of her range. She did not sing from her lower register much and her upper voice was also given minimal attention.

• Right from the beginning, I knew she was going to kill it. Her vocal tones were full of warmth and they glided along with the grand piano behind her.

• She does not have a ton of “oomph” in her belt, but she makes up for it with pure emotion and a breathtaking falsetto.

• Her decision to transition to her head voice at the end of the piece was very wise and, ultimately, made me feel as if she was singing directly to me.