Yahoo Movies The Voice recap: John Legend brings the holiday spirit and Blake Shelton brings the fire
Can you believe we're just one week away from crowning our season 21 champion? Tonight we'll learn the five artists who will be vying for that title. Four artists will be going straight through to the finale based on audience votes. Then, the four remaining artists will perform one last time in the Instant Save Round, hoping they can grab that fifth and final spot. We get other performances, too! Country artist Carly Pearce stops by to sing her single "29" plus two of our coaches are getting up on stage tonight. First, John Legend brings the holiday spirit with "You Deserve It All" and a fabulous green velvet suit, and then Blake Shelton brings the Country (and pyrotechnics) with "Come Back as a Country Boy."
Now, let's take a look at the four artists who earned the most votes and will be singing in the season 21 finale. They are:
Wendy Moten
Girl Named Tom
Paris Winningham
Hailey Mia
Trae Patton/NBC Blake Shelton
INSTANT SAVE ROUND
Team Blake: Lana Scott, "Things a Man Oughta Know" by Lainey Wilson
Last night, Lana Scott really let it rip with that Carrie Underwood song so this quieter song is a bit anticlimactic, although it does play to Lana's storytelling strengths. Her voice sounds exhausted and the vocals aren't as strong as we typically hear from her. Kelly Clarkson tells her that "as a Country fan, we need voices like you," praising her "Pam Tillis vibe." Coach Blake loves the song choice because it showed off her storytelling ability, her personality, and she even snuck in a power note. He thinks she can do it all. Will Team Blake have three artists in the finale?
Team Legend: Joshua Vacanti, "My Heart Will Go On" by Céline Dion
Go big or go home, baby! This is a SONG CHOICE. I mean, if anyone can handle this song and make it exciting, it's Joshua. He hits all of those big notes and more. Kelly Clarkson is beyond impressed with how easy Joshua makes it look: "You're just out here slaying Céline," she remarks. Joshua's coach John Legend thinks that he's given "finale-worthy performances throughout" the entire competition and this was another one. Sure he has the pipes, but John also applauds "the care" and the "grace" he approaches every song with and, of course, loves the "showmanship" that Joshua always brings.
Trae Patton/NBC John Legend
Team Ariana: Jim and Sasha Allen, "Rich Girl" by Hall and Oates
Jim and Sasha Allen are ditching the guitars and having a little bit of fun for their Instant Save performance. It is…not their best. There are some major lyric flubs and pitch issues. Kelly Clarkson notes the different energies Jim and Sasha bring to the stage as a positive but this time around it actually made for an awkward performance. Whether it was the nerves from the big moment or a need for more rehearsal, who knows. Coach Ariana Grande, however, thinks her duo brings "so much light" and are so "infectious" that they deserve that final spot next week.
Team Legend: Jershika Maple, "Break Every Chain" by Tasha Cobbs
Jershika has been in this position before and she knows exactly what she needs to do to survive it. She does it and then some. She leaves EVERYTHING on the stage. It is unreal that this isn't a finale performance. There's power and passion and you can tell she knows this is her last shot. All four coaches are up on their feet by the end and Kelly Clarkson, mouth agape, especially looks blown away. Jershika's coach John Legend is in a tough spot since he has two artists in this Instant Save but you can tell he so badly wants this for Jershika. "You are one of the best vocalists I've ever worked with on this show," he says. What a nail-biter, guys. And the winner of the Instant Save, joining the rest of the artists in the finale is …. Jershika Maple! That feels so right. That also means that next week, we'll have two artists each from both Team Blake and Team Kelly, one from Team Legend, and, surprisingly, our newest coach, Ariana Grande, will not have a shot at the big win. How are we feeling, everybody?
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