Monday’s episode of “The Voice” brought the Season 30 Battles to a close, with just one last Save left on the table as we brace for the chaos of Cut Week.
As if the stakes weren’t already high enough, “The Voice” decided to save the best Battle for last this season, pitting Team Adam Levine’s Dakota Cohen against Destinee Monroe in an explosive performance of Evanescence’s “Bring Me to Life.” It’s a song we’ve seen attempted many times on singing competition shows (including “The Voice” on multiple occasions) to varying degrees of success, and we’re happy to report that this might just be the best attempt we’ve ever heard.
For several consecutive minutes, Cohen and Monroe shed their mortal coil, evolving into full blown rock goddesses. From Monroe’s powerful walk to Cohen’s nasty growl, they were fully embodying this moody anthem. The vocals were insane, both separately and when they came together in dramatic harmony.
Was the show projecting those lightning bolts behind Cohen and Monroe, or was the electricity being generated by the sheer power of their voices? Who’s to say! All we know is that this was the best “Voice” Battle of Season 30, and Levine had an impossible decision ahead of him.
You know what wasn’t an impossible decision? Queen Latifah using her very last Save on Monroe after Levine chose to keep Cohen on his team. We couldn’t be more relieved that both of these contestants (TVLine’s grade: A+ all around!) are sticking around.
Read on for a breakdown of Monday’s other four Battles to find out which singers are moving on to the show’s first-ever Cut Week.
Mia Knight vs. Sophia Liano (Team Queen Latifah)
The final night of Season 30 “Voice” Battles kicked off with a biggie — an intense face-off between Team Queen Latifah’s Mia Knight and Sophia Liano to the tune of “Never Enough” from “The Greatest Showman.” It’s a big enough song with one person at the mic, but two? We had high hopes for this one, and these beltresses did not disappoint, treating us to a classic diva-off. Knight and Liano gave us everything they had, leaving no trick remaining in their respective bag. “Shocking” is the word that the coaches kept coming back to, and we don’t disagree. We also can’t oppose Latifah’s decision to keep Knight; either choice would have been correct.
WINNER: Mia Knight (TVLine’s grade: A-)
ELIMINATED: Sophia Liano (TVLine’s grade: A-)
Brayden Howell vs. Cade Mower (Team Riley Green)
This one almost felt unfair. Brayden Howell and Cade Mower bring very different vibes to the table, and we love them both separately, but the winner of this Battle could have been called from the very first note of The Red Clay Strays’ “Wondering Why.” Mower set the mood with a little guitar and a lot of attitude, delivering a soulful performance that directly contrasted Howell’s lighter, greener approach. Howell is an incredibly talented singer, but juxtaposed with the depth of Mower’s overall presentation, he came off a little hokey. (And we don’t think he’s hokey!) Mower was absolutely the correct singer to keep, but we appreciate that Kelly Clarkson will always have a soft spot for Howell.
WINNER: Cade Mower (TVLine’s grade: A-)
ELIMINATED: Brayden Howell (TVLine’s grade: B+)
Lexi Stephenson vs. Marilyn Hucek (Team Adam Levine)
First of all, Paramore’s “All I Wanted” was an inspired choice for this Battle, so our compliments to Team Adam Levine for that. And Lexi Stephenson and Marilyn Hucek took us on a real rollercoaster with the pop-punk power ballad; we were initially drawn to the haunting quality of Hucek’s voice, then Stephenson swooped in and blew her away with that sick belt. We appreciated Hucek’s impressive runs, but opting for head voice on this one was like bringing a knife to a gun fight. Keeping Stephenson was a no-brainer choice for Levine, who recognizes the value she brings to his arsenal.
WINNER: Lexi Stephenson (TVLine’s grade: A)
ELIMINATED: Marilyn Hucek (TVLine’s grade: B+)
Brooklyn Marie vs. Kavi Nyx (Team Kelly Clarkson)
“The Voice” briefly took us all back to the early 2010s with David Guetta and Sia’s “Titanium,” and for that, we thank it. Did you not get flashbacks to Brittany Snow and Anna Kendrick’s shower concert from “Pitch Perfect” during Brooklyn Marie and Kavi Nyx’s Battle? Anyway, it’s a great song, and both singers brought their own vibe to it. Nyx took more of a traditional approach at first, while Marie’s more angelic quality helped her to stand out right away in Kelly Clarkson’s eyes. Ariana DeBose was correct in calling these two “apples and oranges,” as they couldn’t be more different. Alas, a decision had to be made, and keeping Marie was apparently the more interesting choice for Clarkson.
WINNER: Brooklyn Marie (TVLine’s grade: A-)
ELIMINATED: Kavi Nyx (TVLine’s grade: A-)
How does Cut Week work on The Voice?
Monday’s episode also gave us a taste of what’s in store for Cut Week, showing us footage of all four coaches — Kelly Clarkson, Adam Levine, Riley Green, and Queen Latifah — making some difficult decisions about which singers to save.
How exactly does Cut Week work, you ask? Carson Daly broke it all down on Monday, so we’ll relay it in the host’s own words: “Each coach can only bring three artists to the Live Shows. They will pick two artists who will automatically advance. The remaining artists will have to sing for their lives in Cut Week to earn the final spot on their coaches’ teams.”
Did your favorites make it through to Cut Week? And did you agree with all of the coaches’ decisions this week? Drop a comment with your thoughts on the final night of Season 30 Battles below.
Leave a Reply