The Voice Season 2: Judges pit singers against each other for battle round
Kim Yarbrough and Whitney Myer from Team Adam battled Monday on "The Voice. (Lewis Jacobs - LEWIS JACOBS/NBC)
The battle rounds continue as the coaches/judges make their carefully selected competitors sing at each other in a boxing ring, and sending home the least compelling one.
Team Christina Aguilera, round 1
Contestants: Geoff McBride, 51 (dad who frequently wears sunglasses inside due to a nasty boxing eye injury) vs. Sera Hill, 24 (hotel front desk clerk)
Song: Chain of Fools by Aretha Franklin
Rehearsal: Christina squeals when Geoff and Sera rehearse, and she compliments herself on choosing such a great battle. The song naturally fits Seras range, but Geoff reminds us that because hes 51, he can connect to Aretha tunes. Mentor Lionel Richie is blown away by the volume of Geoffs voice, and Christina advises Geoff to fight back when Sera starts playing the diva card while performing on stage.
Meanwhile, Jewel thinks that even though Geoffs got the volume, hes lacking emotion, and Sera can easily beat him at that game.
Battle: Geoff and Sera are high energy and pretty evenly matched as they belt every word. Plus, they treat the song like a real duet, a nice change of pace from contestants who sing on opposite sides of the ring.
Judges: Cee Lo is pleasantly surprised and thinks they work well as a duo, but Geoff ultimately kept more control of the song. Adam agrees that Geoff did a better job connecting to the crowd, and for Blake, its all about what turns him on he goes with Sera.
But its Christinas choice that really counts, and she chooses ... (the much more marketable) Sera.
Team Blake Shel! ton, rou nd 1
Contestants: Charlotte Sometimes, 23 (had a jaw disease as a child and thought she would never sing again) vs. Lex Land, 24 (visibly terrified classically-trained jazz singer)
Song: Pumped Up Kicks by Foster the People
Rehearsal: Charlotte is a self-proclaimed Jersey girl who never stops talking. Im not as talented as she is, Charlotte says faux-modestly to Lex. Plus, youve got better boobs. Lex is obviously mortified, and Blake says that if Lex doesnt come out of her shell, Charlottes gonna eat her alive. Mentor Kelly Clarkson thinks that Charlotte has stellar vocals but warns her not to be too crazy. Later, Blakes wife Miranda Lambert compliments Lexs harmony and thinks that shy Lex is mysterious enough to intrigue people.
Battle: The giant boxing ring isnt the best showcase for both Charlotte and Lexs soft voices, and its a strange song choice for the venue. Lex tries to bring a sultry, quiet strength to the material, but it just gets lost next to the boisterous Charlotte, who shows off with lots of hand motions.
Judges: Christina likes Lexs sexy voice, whereas she proclaims Charlotte sassy. Cee Lo dittos Christinas assessment of Lexs voice, but he chooses Charlotte, and Adam is more impressed with Lex.
Finally, Blake has to make a decision, and he goes with ... Charlotte.
Team Cee Lo Green, round 1
Contestants: Sarah Golden, 27 (guitarist/folk singer, and the show seems fixated on the fact that she has very short hair) vs. Juliet Simms, 25 (aspiring rocker tired of touring coffee houses)
Song: Stay With Me by Faces
Rehearsal: Juliets gravelly voice fits well with the rock song, but at least shes humble ... oh wait. I definitely noticed my voice was more prominent, Juliet explains. Im louder, prettier. Okay then. But Sarah thinks shell give the song her own unique twist. Men! tor Kenn eth Babyface Edmonds tells Sarah to be herself, while Ne-Yo is impressed by Juliets originality.
Battle: Juliets grit could not be more mismatched with Sarahs pure twang, and neither of them pay much attention to the other in the boxing ring while belting out the song.
Judges: Adam loved Juliet from the beginning, so he immediately chooses her. Blake is more impressed with Sarahs harmonies and thinks shes a much more valuable choice for Cee Lo. Christina, however, didnt think the song did Sarahs voice justice, and calls Juliet a no brainer win.
Cee Lo makes up his mind, and decides on ... Juliet.
Team Adam Levine, round 1
Contestants: Whitney Myer, 25 (performs in a family band) vs. Kim Yarborough, 50 (token much older competitor who has been singing since she was a teenager)
Song: No More Drama by Mary J. Blige
Rehearsal: Whitney is nervous given how much experience Kim has, but mentor Alanis Morissette encourages Whitney to get out of her own head and calm her nerves. Adam echoes this, and also notes Whitneys breath control issues. Meanwhile, Kim is nothing but confident as she meets with Robin Thicke, who thinks that her voice is incredible though missing some tension from the song.
Battle: Kim starts off strong, and Whitney tries to keep up. While her vocals are admirable, she just cant measure up to Kims power. She seems more like Kims backup singer than anything else.
Judges: Blake loves the performances, and thinks that even though both singers used their strengths in fact, he cant choose between them, so chooses host Carson Daly. Christina liked Whitneys tone on the higher notes, and Cee Lo compares Whitneys skills to an underclassman vs. Kims seniority.
Sure enough, Adam chooses ... Kim.
Team Christina, round 2
Contestants: Lee Koch (bakery worker with harmonica and gu! itar ski lls) vs. Lindsey Pavao, 22 (Fiona Apple-esque singer who struggles with nerves)
Song: Heart-Shaped Box by Nirvana
Rehearsal: Lee is at a distinct disadvantage because he doesnt know the song, while its right in Lindseys wheelhouse. Christina advises him to study the structure of the melody before he puts his own spin on it. Mentor Jewel tells Lee to study up the lyrics like I wish I could eat your cancer, which is a challenge all in itself. Meanwhile, Lionel Richie adds that Lindsey needs to overcome her shyness to connect with the audience.
Battle: Lee and Lindsay perform a snoozy version of the song, though its not entirely their fault, as its not the most dynamic song for a battle. They both hit some high notes while being bathed in eerie blue lights, but neither seem like theyre connecting to the crowd at all, who may or may not be asleep.
Judges: Cee Lo likes Lindseys cool, quiet confidence. He also notes that with the strange lighting, Lee looked like Jesus and in that case, hes going with Lee. Adam calls it a delightfully creepy performance, and Christina beams, taking it as a compliment to herself. Thank you for saying that, she says happily. Blake has never heard the song, though he chooses Lindsey anyway.
Christina ultimately goes with ... Lindsey.
Team Cee Lo, round 2
Contestants: Jamar Rogers, 29 (former homeless crystal meth addict who is also HIV positive) vs. Jamie Lono, 22 (sandwich shop worker whose family went into bankruptcy after his lung operation)
Song: I Want to Know What Love Is by Foreigner
Rehearsal: Not only is this battle two horribly sad backstories, but Jamar and Jamie are pals. Neither of them wants to compete against the other, but Jamar doesnt exactly look upset when Jamies voice cracks while rehearsing. Mentor Babyface and Cee Lo try to help Jamie get past the weak parts of the song and w! ork on h is confidence. Jamar gets time with Ne-Yo, who says he needs to connect more emotionally to the tune.
Battle: Despite having a great voice, Jamie looks terrified and never actually seems to be enjoying himself and Jamar easily outsings him. Poor Jamie doesnt stand a chance.
Judges: Adam raves about Jamar, expressing disappointment that Cee Lo was the only one who turned around back in the blind audition. While Adam mulls his regrets, Blake compliments Jamies style, and Christina prefers Jamar.
After all that, Cee Lo goes with ... Jamar. Both guys break down backstage, and its a rather heartbreaking way to end the episode.
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