It’s time to say goodbye to pre-taped episodes on this season of
The Voice (Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on CTV2), and sadly, also to Mega Mentor Usher. Thankfully, the former coach and advisor has a longstanding relationship with
The Voice and will likely be back in future seasons. Judging by the past 20 years of his career, Usher will look the exact same during Season 32 of
The Voice as he did during Season 19. It’s not enough to be wildly talented and handsome, is it? Usher baby, forever.The Knockout performances wrapped up on Tuesday night and coaches John Legend, Gwen Stefani, Blake Shelton and Kelly Clarkson were all blown away by the undeniably high level of talent this season. The second four-way Knockout round also took place, and the fan results will be revealed during next week’s first live show. A live show in a pandemic? Oh 2020, you’re an over-achiever.
CAMI CLUNE V. JOHN HOLIDAY – TEAM LEGEND
One of the best parts of this season of
The Voice is seeing people experience John Holiday for the first time. Usher was in shock for most of his mentoring session after hearing John belt out Céline Dion’s version of “All By Myself,” asking the camera, “How is he able to sing that high? What did I do wrong in this lifetime to not have that voice?” Usher was obviously blessed by the singing gods, but John Holiday went back for seconds. And thirds. “The way that you deliver the song and the Olympics that are coming out of your mouth, that’s crazy,” said Gwen following John’s performance. Blake was less eloquent. “As a fan of music and this show, I want to say I love you. As a coach on this show, I hate you and you’re an enormous pain in my ass.”Cami has also received several blessings and put in the work with Coach John and Usher to reimagine “I Put A Spell On You” into a moody and modern cover. Gwen loved that Cami was a storyteller and Kelly said, “I feel like you get better and better and I am so impressed by you.” Like John, Kelly was on her feet for both performances and was quick with her red button to steal Cami after John picked John Holiday as the winner.
Winner: JohnSteal: Cami to Team Kelly
MARISA CORVO V. TANNER GOMES – TEAM KELLY
Most pop fans have heard Cher’s “If I Could Turn Back Time” approximately 5,000 times, which is why Marisa’s complete reinvention of the song was such a welcomed change. With a cover that iconic, an artist either needs to change nothing or everything and Marisa did the latter, turning the high energy heartbreak track into a beautifully broken ballad. As for Marisa’s voice, she’s already proven that she can sing anything. Her massive end note immediately went into a soft and vulnerable final line, showing just how strong and versatile she is as a performer and artist. John admitted that he wasn’t as sold on Marisa’s arrangement as we were (it’s so tough to argue with our best friend) and it appeared that Kelly wasn’t sold either and went with her cowboy. Huh.Performing Tim McGraw’s “Real Good Man,” Tanner let his showmanship run wild with a song that allowed his voice to come through clearly. “I saw another side of you today and you lit up more,” said John. Gwen said that Tanner had country swag and added that his confidence was special. Tanner delivered a solid performance, but it was still shocking to hear Kelly pick the country singer over a pop artist that has the exceedingly rare combination of range, artistry and consistency.
Winner: Tanner
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FOUR WAY KNOCKOUT
LARRIAH JACKSON – TEAM GWENAt 15, Larriah Jackson is the youngest performer in the four-way Knockout, but no one told her voice. Larriah sang Adele’s “One and Only” because she is not here to skip class and hang out by the bleachers. Larriah came to win and gave a performance that was worthy of the live rounds.
TARYN PAPA – TEAM BLAKENot only was Faith Hill’s “Cry” a huge undertaking because of its massive range requirements, but also because the beloved song charted well both on country and pop radio following its release. Taryn’s decision to take on a song so well known was a risky one, but she managed to mostly stick the landing for the higher notes.
JULIA COOPER – TEAM LEGENDJulia put a jazzy spin on Billie Eilish’s “Wish You Were Gay” and nailed the song selection, rising to the difficult challenge of honouring the song while giving her own artistry room to shine through. The only thing better than listening to Julia sing was watching her coach enjoy his contestant slay her performance.
RYAN GALLAGHER – TEAM KELLYKelly described opera singer Ryan Gallagher’s sound as “fresh” and “new,” which seems ridiculous until we tried to write a review of his performance and got stuck on “winner winner chicken dinner.” His voice turns brains to mush. We bow/swoon down.
Watch new episodes of
The Voice Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on CTV2.[video_embed id='2021405']BEFORE YOU GO: Woman films creepy doll moving on its own [/video_embed]