The Voice Trae Patton/NBC
Season nine's teams were all cut in half.
The top 12 artists were revealed on The Voice tonight, with all four teams being cut in half. The top two artists with the most votes from each team automatically advanced, and the coaches each had the chance to save just one more of their remaining artists.
First, Gwen Stefani’s team — Viktor Király, Regina Love, Braiden Sunshine, Jeffery Austin Korin Bukowski and Ellie Lawrence — took the stage for a group performance of “Ooh Child.” Team Gwen is very strong this season, especially because of how distinct each of the artists are. “I’m winning right now in my mind,” Stefani said. Stefani’s success in the rest of the competition will rest upon the shoulders of her three artists who made it into the top 12. In surprising results, Austin and Sunshine were the top two vote getters to automatically advance. The pressure was then on Stefani to save just one more artist. Saying she was following her heart, she picked Bukowski to stay in the competition.
Last season’s champion Sawyer Fredericks returned to perform his single “Take It All,” and then the elimination night continued. It was time for Blake Shelton’s team to get halved. First, Team Blake’s Barrett Baber, Emily Ann Roberts, Ivonne Acero, Morgan Frazier, Nadjah Nicole and Zach Seabaugh performed “Stand” by the Rascal Flatts. America voted to save Baber and Seabaugh, leaving Shelton to pick between his team’s four women. He saved Roberts, saying that he feels like she has what it takes to thrive in this stage of the competition.
Team Pharrell — Celeste Betton, Darius Scott, Evan McKeel, Madi Davis, Mark Hood and Riley Biederer — did a group of performance of “Everybody Hurts” next. Pharrell’s team is also incredibly multifaceted this season with a lot of artists who really have themselves figured out. America saved Davis and McKeel. Pharrell had to make the incredibly difficult decision of who to save next. Betton, Scott and Hood, especially, seemed like frontrunners early in the competition, and suddenly they were all facing the possibility of going home. The only one who won’t be packing this bags tonight is Hood, who Pharrell saved.
Closing out the night, Amy Vachal, Blaine Mitchell, Chance Peña, Jordan Smith, Keith Semple and Shelby Brown from Adam Levine’s team sang “Diamonds” by Johnnyswim. The two artists to automatically advance based on votes were Smith and Brown. Levine struggled with his decision, and it was truly down to the wire. “I’ll send myself home,” Levine said. But it wasn’t an option, so he went with his gut and chose Vachal.
The remaining 12 artists will compete in more live shows next week. Now that every team is down to its top three, which coach do you think is the frontrunner right now? Sound off in the comments, below.
The Voice Adam Levine
