The Voice Tuesday night recap: And then there were 8
Tuesday night's episode of "The Voice" revealed the top seven contestants and left coach Adam Levine in a sticky situation.
The night began with a performance from pop singers Anne-Marie and James Arthur. The two UK natives created a whimsical, circus atmosphere on stage and sang a duet entitled "Rewrite The Stars." The song is a part of the award-winning soundtrack from the 2017 film "The Greatest Showman."
In order to recreate the circus characters seen in the film, the performance utilized contemporary dancers who followed acrobatic techniques.
Audience members seemed to love the fun introduction to elimination night, but the performance did not distract from the fact that two contestants would be sent home later in the evening.
Host Carson Daly held the fate of contestants in his hands as he began to reveal who viewers voted to save in the competition.
The first singer that was revealed to be moving on in the competition was team Jennifer Hudson's (JHUD) Kennedy Holmes.
The 13-year-old has continuously won over viewers and coaches by displaying vocal skills that exude confidence and strength. On Monday night, Holmes preformed a rendition of "Me Too" by Meghan Trainor. The teenager showed off a new side of herself by pulling out classic dance moves like the Moonwalk.
With her undeniable talent and clear stage presence, Holmes' entry into the top 8 was not a surprise.
Another contestant who seemed like a no brainer was team Blake Shelton's Kirk Jay. The Alabama native captured the hearts of viewers during blind auditions with his inspiring back story and immense talent.
Jay has been able to maintain fan support each week by performing perfect country ballads and belting out long, powerful notes. On Monday, the country vocalist preformed a rendition of "Tomorrow" by Chris Young. Shelton said it was one of his best performances yet.
To break up the monotony, coach Kelly Clarkson sang an original song entitled "Heat." Clarkson definitely brought the heat with very powerful vocals and a set that resembled a New York City crosswalk.
Clarkson's performance acted as a break between eliminations but did not distract from the purpose of the show.
Next, America saved team Blake singer Chris Kroeze. The country vocalist received high praise after his folk rendition of "Callin' Baton Rouge" by Garth Brooks. The performance featured a fast and upbeat violin that contributed to the folk music feel of Kroeze's cover.
It was also revealed that Kroeze was the most streamed artist on Apple Music during the voting period.
Following Kroeze, Sarah Grace of team Kelly made it to the winner's circle. The 15-year-old caused viewers to take notice when she completely reworked the gospel classic "Amazing Grace" on Monday night. The singer sang the song in a way that resembled a rock ballad and even played a trumpet solo.
To break up the tension once again, Gwen Stefani performed the classic tune of "Feliz Navidad." Stefani stuck to the original version of the song and allowed her vocal expertise to be the star of the show. The performance was a promotion for the singer's new album "You Make Me Feel Like Christmas."
Another singer who likes to stick with classics is team Kelly's Kymberli Joye.
After, Stefani's performance it was revealed that Joye made it in to the top 8. All of JHUD's remaining artists will continue on in the competition.
The remaining contestants were team Blake's Dave Fenely, team Adam Levine's DeAndre Nico and Reagan Strange.
The contestants were forced to battle it out for an instant save, however, Reagan Strange could not participate due to illness.
In order to persuade viewers to vote for him, Fenely sang "Amazed" by Lonestar. The country vocalist used the song to showcase his vocal abilities. JHUD praised him for his song choice, and Clarkson mentioned that she loved his tone.
Going up against Fenely, Nico sang John Legend's "All of Me." The R&B singer didn't hold back and belted out long notes in an effort to maintain his spot in the competition.
This was Nico's third time facing elimination. Last week his coach, Levine, made it well known that he was displeased with voters for putting Nico in the bottom two. Levine said that it wouldn't be right for someone as talented as Nico to go home.
"I'm really shocked that he's even considered as one of the bottom," Levine said. "Because I think he's one of the top."
This week, Levine seemed torn between Strange and Nico. When asked if he had any last words for Nico before eliminations, instead of giving words of encouragement the pop singer advocated for Strange.
"I gotta fight for my girl," Levine said.
The coach's comments seemed to upset viewers and other coaches. Clarkson even felt the need to intrude and mention that Nico was a very talented singer who fought hard for his place on the show. JHUD also felt the need to give words of encouragement.
Ultimately, viewers choose Strange to continue on in the competition.
Tune in at 8 p.m. Monday on WRAL-TV and NBC to see the top 8 preform.
