“The Voice” temporarily morphed into an episode of “Don’t Forget The Lyrics” on Monday as a contestant briefly fumbled during a performance in the Season 30 Battles — and he still made it through to Cut Week! Let’s break it all down.
Representing Team Adam Levine, Owen Uffens and Wade Turner faced off to the tune of Ed Sheeran’s “Drive,” a suitable choice for the two emotional singers. Uffens immediately charmed us with the smoky quality of his voice, while Turner dazzled us with his impressive range. We also recognized that Uffens had a more comfortable, relaxed performance style, whereas Turner felt a little more green, almost like a very young Ben Platt. (Are we crazy? We might be crazy.)
But Uffens’ early lead was threatened when (gasp!) he forgot his words in the middle of the song. It was a quick moment, but it was glaring enough to take us out of the performance. And Uffens’ nervous laughter didn’t make it any less obvious. Fortunately for Uffens, he had enough gorgeous falsetto left in the tank to redeem himself, making us forget all about that little lyric snafu. (Well, we didn’t actually forget. We are writing about it, after all. But it certainly made up for the brief misstep, and then some.)
WINNER: Owen Uffens (TVLine’s grade: B+)
ELIMINATED: Wade Turner (TVLine’s grade: B+)
Read on for a breakdown of the night’s five other Battles, including which team member Levine stole from Queen Latifah.
Brandon Diaz vs. Bryan Jaymes (Team Queen Latifah)
First and foremost, we appreciate that Queen Latifah and Patti LaBelle had these two perform “As,” one of the lesser-celebrated tunes from the Stevie Wonder songbook. Bryan Jaymes sang first, setting the bar high with a cool, effortless, soulful take on the song, while Brandon Diaz brought more of a pop vibe with big notes. Both contestants tackled it well, but there’s simply more flavor in Jaymes’ voice; he can do what Diaz does, and then some. This proved to be Latifah’s hardest choice yet, with the coach visibly uncomfortable as she determined their fates. “You can’t even look at the floor,” she lamented. “I can see their reflections!”
Ultimately, Latifah chose to keep Jaymes on her team, recognizing how much he’s grown in the competition thus far. But don’t cry for Diaz just yet, because Adam Levine immediately slammed his hand down on his button, stealing Diaz over to his team. “Brandon absolutely crushed that Stevie Wonder song,” Levine said of his steal. “He had some energy, some fire. I think he could be one of my top dogs.”
WINNER: Bryan Jaymes (TVLine’s grade: B+)
STOLEN BY ADAM: Brandon Diaz (TVLine’s grade: B+)
Allie Rae vs. Harmony McKee (Team Riley Green)
For the most part, we’ve agreed with all of the coaches’ decisions this season… until now. Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine” was the perfect vessel for Allie Rae and Harmony McKee to show us everything they’ve got; Rae was shooting off runs and riffs like fireworks, while McKee growled her way through a more mature, sultry take on the R&B standard. Together, they were even better. We tip our cowboy hat to both ladies for those tight harmonies on “I know, I know, I know,” and their final note was absolute perfection.
Both singers exuded strength and confidence, but to us, it felt like Rae was doing it prove herself, whereas McKee was performing like someone who knew she already had it. We can appreciate that Riley Green really wrestled with this one, but his conclusion was not the one we would have reached. And if we were going to steal any of the losing singers this week, it would have been McKee.
WINNER: Allie Rae (TVLine’s grade: A-)
ELIMINATED: Harmony McKee (TVLine’s grade: A)
Kyle Davis vs. Matthew Chiu (Team Kelly Clarkson)
This was probably the most mismatched duo of the night, and with Phil Collins’ “Take Me Home” as their Battle song, the winner was pretty much a foregone conclusion. Kyle Davis’ smoky, seasoned voice fit the tune like a glove from his opening notes, and while this may not be Matthew Chiu’s preferred genre of music, his performance was nothing to sneeze at. He did a great job of adapting his more youthful, poppy sound to the Collins classic. It’s like they were both telling the same story two very different ways. For that reason, we weren’t surprised to hear their voices not blend together as well as some of the other pairings’ did. Davis was the clear (and far more interesting) choice to win, and Kelly Clarkson knew it. If we didn’t already think Davis had it in the bag, we knew it when Clarkson said his voice “sounds like home” to her.
WINNER: Kyle Davis (TVLine’s grade: A)
ELIMINATED: Matthew Chiu (TVLine’s grade: B+)
Amanda Mikkel vs. Julia Clark (Team Adam Levine)
We’ve had some really exciting performances during the Battles this season, and this… was not one of them. Already a sleepy little tune, Elvis’ “Can’t Help Falling in Love” was delivered with absolutely no energy by Amanda Mikkel and Julia Clark. The song improved as it progressed, but there were zero “wow” moments in either of the singers’ individual performances. If we had to pick a winner, we’d go with Mikkel, if only because the raspiness of her voice makes for a more interesting listen. Clearly, Adam Levine agreed.
WINNER: Amanda Mikkel (TVLine’s grade: B)
ELIMINATED: Julia Clark (TVLine’s grade: B-)
Brianna Cameron vs. Saade (Team Kelly Clarkson)
We’re happy to report that this was the exact opposite of the previous performance. Both Brianna Cameron and Saade were firing on all cylinders from the moment they stepped onto the stage. It probably helped that Duffy’s “Mercy” has so much built-in attitude, but there’s no denying that both singers matched it with their own electric energy. Together, they sounded incredible, and they also held their own individually. Cameron brought more fire to her performance, while we could really feel the passion in Saade’s presentation.
WINNER: Brianna Cameron (TVLine’s grade: A-)
ELIMINATED: Saade (TVLine’s grade: B+)
Who were your favorite singers from Night 3 of “The Voice” Season 30 Battles? And did you disagree with any of the coaches’ choices? Drop a comment with your thoughts below.