Pressure cracked one of its final whips tonight as the The Voice Top 8 gave their all to be the final five to compete in this season’s Semifinals. Tonight’s episode highlighted the show’s celebration of hitting the 20,000,000 download bar on iTunes, featured a performance by Nick Jonas and the Top 8 of his hit single “Jealous,” as well as a performance by Coach Pharrell Williams and Gwen Stefani’s collaboration entitled “Spark the Fire.” While all eight contestants gave performances that for most, were even claimed to be their best by their coaches, a stellar few made tonight’s show a truly unforgettable one.
Craig Wayne Boyd stole the show early on in the night with “Take it Easy,” a rock classic by the Eagles, which was also a huge country hit. Coach Blake Shelton felt that it was important to change things up for his last standing team member, and was surely not disappointed with the outcome of his song choice. Having performed the number dozens of times, Boyd appeared comfortable on stage and gave off a lively vibe, and even had a gleam in his eye that made it seem as if he knew something the audience didn’t. Coach Gwen Stefani went on to explain her standing ovation by sharing that she felt as if she was at the Country Music Awards, as Boyd gave off the impression that he was already a professional musician.
Being the final female contestant in the competition, Danica Shirey made sure that everyone knew that she belongs on The Voice stage and deserves to compete in the Semifinals. Her captivating rendition of “These Dreams” by Heart absolutely blew the crowd away. Having been able to connect the meaning of the song with the passing of her father, the combination of her powerful voice, elegant gown, and the use of a golden spiral staircase made Shirey’s performance one that sent shivers down your spine and a twinge in your heart. Coach Pharrell Williams was especially proud of Danica for facing her fear of singing a song outside of her comfort zone and claimed that her performance could not have been any better.
Coach Adam Levine was exceptionally thrilled with contestant Damien’s performance of “Someone Like You” by Adele. Levine shares that Damien has dreamed of performing this song for years now, and believes that he is the “only person who should be singing Adele.” Switching smoothly from falsetto to a loud, powerful voice throughout the number, Damien proved that he has what it takes to perform such a highly reputable ballad, and even move the crowd with it. Coach Pharrell was amazed by Damien’s ability to “effortlessly paint the air with those notes,” proving one of his lifelong dreams to be a complete success.
Finally, Matt McAndrew closed the show with a raw, emotional rendition of Damien Rice’s “The Blower’s Daughter.” Coach Adam’s goal was to capture McAndrew in a vulnerable moment with the use of a simplified love song. The performance enabled Matt to go back to his roots from when he used to perform at bars with just him and his acoustic guitar. Levine described the performance to be, “the biggest challenge with the biggest reward,” and through his hauntingly beautiful, almost spiritual number, McAndrew proved this statement to be nothing but true.
The fate of these eight musicians now lies in the hands of America, as they vote for their top choices, and send three contestants back home. To send in your votes, simply text, call, visit NBC.com, or use The Voice App, and help make the dreams of these dedicated artists one step closer to being fulfilled.
